Notes from the shop

Plain, useful notes on building and growing an online shop — no hype, no jargon, no invented numbers. Written by the person who does the work.

Field Notes

Google and Meta advertising screens illustrating UK supplement advertising rules in 2026

Can you advertise supplements on Facebook and G...

Yes — but inside three layers of rules. What Meta and Google allow for UK supplement ads in 2026, the claims that get ads banned, and how to stay ASA-compliant.

Can you advertise supplements on Facebook and G...

Yes — but inside three layers of rules. What Meta and Google allow for UK supplement ads in 2026, the claims that get ads banned, and how to stay ASA-compliant.

Small-business owner reviewing advertising costs, financial reports and campaign budgets with a calculator

How much should a small business spend on ads? ...

No made-up benchmarks: four steps of back-of-envelope arithmetic — customer value, break-even cost, a budget that can actually learn, and a 30-day judgement — using your numbers, not averages.

How much should a small business spend on ads? ...

No made-up benchmarks: four steps of back-of-envelope arithmetic — customer value, break-even cost, a budget that can actually learn, and a 30-day judgement — using your numbers, not averages.

Business owner comparing Google Search ads and Meta social ads on a laptop and phone at a desk.

Meta or Google ads first? How a small UK busine...

One platform run properly beats two run badly. The choice comes down to one question: are people already searching for what you sell? Demand capture vs demand creation, plainly.

Meta or Google ads first? How a small UK busine...

One platform run properly beats two run badly. The choice comes down to one question: are people already searching for what you sell? Demand capture vs demand creation, plainly.

Business owner reviewing a pre-ads checklist beside a laptop before launching paid advertising.

Five checks before you spend £1 on ads

Paid ads amplify what your site already does. Five quick checks — clarity, one next step, honest tracking, email capture, and the margin sums — before you spend a pound...

Five checks before you spend £1 on ads

Paid ads amplify what your site already does. Five quick checks — clarity, one next step, honest tracking, email capture, and the margin sums — before you spend a pound...

Is something not working in the shop?

Start with the symptom. You do not need to know whether the answer is Shopify, CRO, Google Ads, Meta Ads or something else.