Number 75 Design

Number 75 Design ”Looks nice” isn’t a small business strategy. You want freedom, profit & ease, we build the plan, brand, website & tools to get it. Start with The Blueprint...

Apparently running a business comes with an alarming amount of apologising for perfectly reasonable s**t.Here’s a small ...
18/09/2026

Apparently running a business comes with an alarming amount of apologising for perfectly reasonable s**t.

Here’s a small selection of things that do NOT require a written apology, three Hail Marys and a meeting with your accountant, just things you can stop saying sorry for. Immediately if you want.

What have I missed? 👇

Email marketing has got weird.Not the sending people emails bit, big fan of that.I mean the bit where we decided nobody ...
14/09/2026

Email marketing has got weird.

Not the sending people emails bit, big fan of that.

I mean the bit where we decided nobody would possibly buy anything unless we tricked them into thinking we’d emailed them personally, manufactured a small emergency and then emotionally blackmailed them over a cardigan they looked at once.

Apparently “I’m selling something you might like” is no longer enough, there must be a SECRET, a deadline, a mistake that definitely wasn’t a mistake, a final chance followed by another, considerably more final, final chance, and ideally a subject line that makes you think someone has died.

Can we just… write good emails that people actually want to open with something interesting to say and occasionally something to sell?

That’s allowed, it’s literally the point.

Anyway, the Banned List has now got so out of hand that we’ve given it an official home on our website.

There is now a Department of Unnecessary Marketing & Business Rules with an official complaint form.

I wish I could tell you we were joking.

Got one for the list? Tell me here or go and file a complaint.

I’m clearly not going to stop myself.

For the record, I’m not banning outreach…I’m banning that strange little performance where we send a sales message and p...
01/09/2026

For the record, I’m not banning outreach…

I’m banning that strange little performance where we send a sales message and pretend it isn’t a sales message.

You can sell me something, I’m an adult.
I know how businesses work.

Just talk to me like a person, have a reason for choosing me rather than the next 400 people on your spreadsheet, and if I don’t reply…

I probably haven’t been kidnapped.

Anyway. I’ve made a list.

What else is going on it? 👇

Your homepage has ONE JOB…Nope, it’s not to squeeze every single thing you’ve ever done, won, sold, believed in or been ...
26/08/2026

Your homepage has ONE JOB…

Nope, it’s not to squeeze every single thing you’ve ever done, won, sold, believed in or been vaguely associated with into the first 14cm.

It’s to make the right person realise that they are in the right place, and then make them want to keep going.

THAT’S IT.

When did we all collectively decided there is A Correct Homepage Formula™ and just merrily fill in the boxes?…

Your homepage is probably the most valuable bit of digital real estate you own so for the love of tiny scrolling carousels, do something with it!

Anyway, the completely unqualified Homepage Police have completed their inspection.

What did I miss? 👀

Oh, networking. You were NEVER getting away with it…😂Despite finding ‘people-ing’ challenging at times, I do bloody love...
23/08/2026

Oh, networking. You were NEVER getting away with it…😂

Despite finding ‘people-ing’ challenging at times, I do bloody love meeting people. I even created an entire small business community (here’s looking at you Lincs Small Biz )…

But in the “business world”, hanging with nice people became elevator pitches, referral quotas, tactical seating plans, 7am breakfasts and telling 36 strangers what your superpower is.

WHY DID WE MAKE IT SO WEIRD?

I want a coffee, a decent conversation and to accidentally spend 45 minutes talking to the same person if I wanna.

So. The clipboard is out.

What are YOU banning from networking?

(And please be weirdly specific, I’m VERY MUCH enjoying the comments section my friends!!! 😂)

LinkedIn, we need to have a word.Controversially, I actually LIKE LinkedIn (stay with me people, hear me out!)But when w...
19/08/2026

LinkedIn, we need to have a word.

Controversially, I actually LIKE LinkedIn (stay with me people, hear me out!)

But when was the meeting where we all agreed that the moment we log in, we must stop talking like normal human beings? What happens to us over there? 😂

Suddenly everyone is humbled by awards, delighted to announce new jobs, and having astonishingly convenient conversations with strangers in Tesco about the exact subject they sell consultancy in.

And absolutely nobody can just go for a walk anymore… it’s CEO thinking time.

So, in the latest instalment of Things I’d Ban If Anyone Were Foolish Enough To Give Me That Kind Of Power…

LinkedIn. You’re up.

And before anyone comes for me… yes, I’ve definitely done some of these. I contain multitudes and old LinkedIn posts I’d rather nobody found.

Right then, what have I missed?

I have a sneaky feeling there’s a Part 2 in this and I’m on it already!..

This came directly from a comment somebody left about the things we been sold as “just how you do business”…“I’m guilty ...
16/08/2026

This came directly from a comment somebody left about the things we been sold as “just how you do business”…

“I’m guilty of so many because I thought I had to do them.”

The amount of stuff we’ve all apparently been sold as “just how you do business” is quite spectacular.

We forgot to ask,
…says who?

I have broken an embarrassing number of these rules myself, btw. I’m not standing on the moral high ground. I’m down here with the rest of you, clutching an unused lead magnet and wondering why I bought a CRM. 😂

So what have you been doing because you thought you had to?

Please tell me, I suspect we’re going to need a bigger list…

Apparently I had more…Of course I flippin’ did. 😂 Marketing has got a lot to answer for.
(Some of these may feel uncomfo...
13/08/2026

Apparently I had more…

Of course I flippin’ did. 😂 Marketing has got a lot to answer for.

(Some of these may feel uncomfortably familiar and that’s fine. I’ve committed several of the offences myself.)

However, please consider this your permission slip to ignore at least 83% of the sh*t you’ve been told you have to do.

Anything I’ve missed? I’m sure there’s a whole load more!…

Apparently I had more…(Of course I flippin’ did. 😂)Marketing has got a lot to answer for.
(Some of these may feel uncomf...
13/08/2026

Apparently I had more…

(Of course I flippin’ did. 😂)

Marketing has got a lot to answer for.

(Some of these may feel uncomfortably familiar and that’s fine. I’ve committed several of the offences myself.)

However, please consider this your permission slip to ignore at least 83% of the sh*t you’ve been told you have to do.

Anything I’ve missed? I’m sure there’s a whole load more!…

Well. Here we are again! 😂THE BANNED LIST: PART 4.And this time I’m coming for your About page.FYI, your About page isn’...
11/08/2026

Well. Here we are again! 😂

THE BANNED LIST: PART 4.

And this time I’m coming for your About page.

FYI, your About page isn’t actually there so I can learn your favourite biscuit and what you wanted to be when you were seven.

I’m there because I’m trying to work something out…

Do I like you?
Do I trust you?
Do you get me?
Are you actually bloody good at this?
And ultimately…
Do I want YOU?

Because I’ve probably got six other tabs open containing people who technically do exactly the same thing.

THAT’S what your About page needs to answer.

Personality? LOADS OF IT PLEASE.
Your story? Absolutely, if it tells me something that matters.

Random facts because someone once told you they make you “relatable”?
Chuck ’em in the bin.

Anyway. I’ve now banned things from websites, brands, marketing AND About pages, I’m enjoying this too much.

What are YOU adding to the banned list?

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