...or thankfully not in the literal sense, as was anticipated could be the case for planes flying over UK and European airspace in the last few days.
No doubt the ash crisis has been an enormous inconvenience for a huge number of people, hundreds of thousands of which are still stranded in places they no longer wish to be.
I know a few still struggling to get back to Blighty but the resolve shown by many more in working their way closer to home has been admirable to say the least (plus expensive in a lot of cases).
Now I do not wish to poke the embers further but in some ways, I don't think this volcano erruption in Iceland has necessarily been a bad thing (aside from people's financial losses); no one has died from it, and it has quite simply, put us back in our places and made us realise it is not us who are in charge in this world.
What have we realised? Well, it is much nicer having quieter skies and hearing the birds again for starters, and do we generally need to undertake the amount of trips we do take? Even with the advances in online conferencing, there are thousands of business trips being made daily, and at a random guess, I would imagine a good 50% could be done via telecon facilities etc.
There will be disruptions to businesses awaiting goods from overseas, from food commodities to pharmaceuticals so getting goods to our our shelves may very well see a knock on effect soon.
It has shown us quite simply how much we depend on and are used to the availability of air travel.
Maybe now we ought to re-assess what we really need without relying on air travel.
Do we need all these food imports, could we not simply grow our own and eat in accordance with the seasons? Use sites like Sparegound or Landshare and take charge of your food production, it actually feels pretty good to do that!
Could we not generally save on travel costs and car share where possible, I know a lot of people have already offered such services via twitter and other social media during this 'crisis' .
Look to buy local or UK produced products whenever possible.
Holiday in the UK! Get some money pumping back into the UK economy, we have a fantastic and beautiful country and we all ought to appreciate it a bit more. Dust down that tent and get some fresh air in the lungs!
Enough people have shown that UK 'plucky resolve' this last few days, ..we are not a bad bunch at all.
p.s. as to how some newspapers can somehow lay blame onto Gordon Brown for this is laughable. Journalism at its very worst.
http://www.spareground.co.uk/
Showing posts with label Spareground. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spareground. Show all posts
Monday, 19 April 2010
Monday, 23 November 2009
Updates, Enterprise and Christmas!
Catch up
It’s been a very busy few weeks on all fronts and it’s a dark rainy Cambridge morning now where I finally get clicking on this keyboard!
At Spareground towers , we’ve been looking into ways of improving the website and after sending out consultations to various individuals and groups such as the UK business forums, we now have our Version 3 designed which will be fully launched in the New Year. There are a few things we have been aware of but it’s been a good process in gleaning peoples’ viewpoints. What has been encouraging is everyone has commented on the fact that they really like the concept of the website so that’s very encouraging to hear.
We have also now partnered up with the Green Christmas Appeal which is a great idea and venture. Good luck to them and we hope it’s successful. Do take a look at their website, and if you do decide to buy a tree or anything else from their shop then you can take advantage of the current discount offer of 33% by entering ‘spareground’ in the discount code box. Please look and please support if you can!
Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be at the Home Business Enterprise Nation conference in London. It was really enjoyable meeting up with others who has set up businesses and with a number of top notch speakers (Mike Finnegan and Doug Richard of Dragon’s den to name a few), it was pretty inspiring stuff! So, I now have my head filled with a load of things to promote Spareground and get it more known throughout the UK! Watch this space!
As always, I am continually surprised by the ingenuity of users in the creation of their listings. In addition to parking spaces to let, garages and driveways to rent, gardens and greenhouses to let or landshare options, storage space and properties per se, we now have on the Spareground website a rural meadow for wedding or other functions and even a room with a piano for lessons or even a dinner party (there is a kitchen available for use too!). People really are looking at their spare space, amazing stuff and keep them coming!
Right, Christmas shopping lists to get sorted now so until next time….
www.spareground.co.uk
It’s been a very busy few weeks on all fronts and it’s a dark rainy Cambridge morning now where I finally get clicking on this keyboard!
At Spareground towers , we’ve been looking into ways of improving the website and after sending out consultations to various individuals and groups such as the UK business forums, we now have our Version 3 designed which will be fully launched in the New Year. There are a few things we have been aware of but it’s been a good process in gleaning peoples’ viewpoints. What has been encouraging is everyone has commented on the fact that they really like the concept of the website so that’s very encouraging to hear.
We have also now partnered up with the Green Christmas Appeal which is a great idea and venture. Good luck to them and we hope it’s successful. Do take a look at their website, and if you do decide to buy a tree or anything else from their shop then you can take advantage of the current discount offer of 33% by entering ‘spareground’ in the discount code box. Please look and please support if you can!
Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be at the Home Business Enterprise Nation conference in London. It was really enjoyable meeting up with others who has set up businesses and with a number of top notch speakers (Mike Finnegan and Doug Richard of Dragon’s den to name a few), it was pretty inspiring stuff! So, I now have my head filled with a load of things to promote Spareground and get it more known throughout the UK! Watch this space!
As always, I am continually surprised by the ingenuity of users in the creation of their listings. In addition to parking spaces to let, garages and driveways to rent, gardens and greenhouses to let or landshare options, storage space and properties per se, we now have on the Spareground website a rural meadow for wedding or other functions and even a room with a piano for lessons or even a dinner party (there is a kitchen available for use too!). People really are looking at their spare space, amazing stuff and keep them coming!
Right, Christmas shopping lists to get sorted now so until next time….
www.spareground.co.uk
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Check your insurance! fancy a spin in an Aston Martin?
This is not going to be a ‘War and Peace’ blog entry, these last few days have been pretty hectic and with some horrible lurgy working its way into my system, I have little energy to expend!
This week saw another radio interview; this time for BBC Radio Nottinghamshire on 21st Sept. Quite a good interview, questions I had not been asked before mainly concerning security of property etc and as I always say to people, if you are unsure about letting out to someone, then don’t go ahead. Seek further advice if necessary from your Citizens Advice Bureau or even your local police station and get signed agreements in place as to what is or what isn’t permitted.
This brings me onto another serious issue concerning insurance. If you are taking advantage of the Government's Rent A Room Scheme to earn upto an additional £4250 tax free a year then read on. There was an article published in last Sunday’s Observer which brought to light the amount of insurance companies which do not allow lodgers living in your home within the remit of their insurance policies. Any claim you make wirthout disclosing you have a lodger could be invalidated. Two of the main ones who totally oppose lodgers in your home seem to be Esure and More Than so if you are looking to rent a room in your house then you must check your insurance policy first. Give them a ring to clarify; if there are problems then there are lots of other insurance companies out there which will permit renting a room to lodgers. You will also need to find out of they have any criminal convictions. See the article for further details http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/sep/20/homeowners-student-lodgers
Finally, are you involved in sorting out corporate functions for your company or business? Then why not take a look at http://www.alanblencoweracing.com/
Alan kindly supports and links to our website, as we do to them, and he has emailed me to let me know they have an Aston Martin DB9 that they now use for corporate days, so if you’re interested then get in touch with him and he’ll be happy to discuss it with you.
Finally, our listings continue to grow, lots of offers of parking spaces, garden space, storage facilities including more caravan storage and even 10 acres of land in mid Wales for horses or cattle, along with storage facilities big enough for boat or caravan storage.
We also have our wanted list growing. If you have an unused garage, or workshop, cabin etc in London then there is a writer seeking such places as their workspace. Lots of wanted listings for storage of cars motorbikes caravans needed too!
Right off to watch TV…
http://www.spareground.co.uk/
p.s this blog entry turned out to be just as long as the others,….oh well..
This week saw another radio interview; this time for BBC Radio Nottinghamshire on 21st Sept. Quite a good interview, questions I had not been asked before mainly concerning security of property etc and as I always say to people, if you are unsure about letting out to someone, then don’t go ahead. Seek further advice if necessary from your Citizens Advice Bureau or even your local police station and get signed agreements in place as to what is or what isn’t permitted.
This brings me onto another serious issue concerning insurance. If you are taking advantage of the Government's Rent A Room Scheme to earn upto an additional £4250 tax free a year then read on. There was an article published in last Sunday’s Observer which brought to light the amount of insurance companies which do not allow lodgers living in your home within the remit of their insurance policies. Any claim you make wirthout disclosing you have a lodger could be invalidated. Two of the main ones who totally oppose lodgers in your home seem to be Esure and More Than so if you are looking to rent a room in your house then you must check your insurance policy first. Give them a ring to clarify; if there are problems then there are lots of other insurance companies out there which will permit renting a room to lodgers. You will also need to find out of they have any criminal convictions. See the article for further details http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/sep/20/homeowners-student-lodgers
Finally, are you involved in sorting out corporate functions for your company or business? Then why not take a look at http://www.alanblencoweracing.com/
Alan kindly supports and links to our website, as we do to them, and he has emailed me to let me know they have an Aston Martin DB9 that they now use for corporate days, so if you’re interested then get in touch with him and he’ll be happy to discuss it with you.
Finally, our listings continue to grow, lots of offers of parking spaces, garden space, storage facilities including more caravan storage and even 10 acres of land in mid Wales for horses or cattle, along with storage facilities big enough for boat or caravan storage.
We also have our wanted list growing. If you have an unused garage, or workshop, cabin etc in London then there is a writer seeking such places as their workspace. Lots of wanted listings for storage of cars motorbikes caravans needed too!
Right off to watch TV…
http://www.spareground.co.uk/
p.s this blog entry turned out to be just as long as the others,….oh well..
Friday, 4 September 2009
Radio, Rugby and Dying Chickens
If someone had told me earlier this year that I would have spoken on the radio in front of millions, I would have suggested they take a trip to the nearest witch doctor for some treatment. Alas, it has happened! Yesterday saw me interviewed by Rebecca Pike, aka Foxy on the Chris Evans show on BBC Radio 2. Its weird how for the few hours beforehand, you are gripped with nerves and the imminent on air time produces that hideous stomach lurching and a dryness in the mouth that no amount of water seems to quench! Anyway, it went well I think! Looking at the increased website stats and listings, it was a job worth doing. We have a number of new listings on the site now covering all aspects of space and it’s great to see people using their creative thinking and adding stuff that probably wouldn’t have been in the realm of Spareground in its earlier days. Spareground will always be an iterative website and we will move in accordance with how people are perceived to be using it.
On other matters, where have all the fish gone? Spent last Sunday fishing for mackerel on the Norfolk coast and didn’t catch anything at all. All I got was wet feet and an empty freezer bag to take home! Don’t think one person caught anything so I will just have to put it down to one of those years where my catch tally is zero. I did have some lovely fish and chips in Sheringham though so that did make up for it to a certain point.
I also spent a day this week nursing a dying chicken. My lovely friends managed to get two rescue chickens which have had the life of Riley this last eighteen months, full run of the garden, lots of corn and a great coop. Alas they are now down to one chicken after some horrible virus snuffed one of them out. So it’s half an egg quota and less fertiliser for the allotment now…nevermind.
I see we have listings on the site for people who wish to keep chickens and I can now report that we have had a successful match up with one Spareground user. So a chicken coop is currently under construction with the aim of getting four chickens so I have been told.
Anyway, time to walk the dogs. They are feeling a bit neglected with me having been sat near this computer all morning.
Rugby season kicks off tonight; the worse thing of the summer months is the wait for the rugby to start again!
Until next time
www.spareground.co.uk
On other matters, where have all the fish gone? Spent last Sunday fishing for mackerel on the Norfolk coast and didn’t catch anything at all. All I got was wet feet and an empty freezer bag to take home! Don’t think one person caught anything so I will just have to put it down to one of those years where my catch tally is zero. I did have some lovely fish and chips in Sheringham though so that did make up for it to a certain point.
I also spent a day this week nursing a dying chicken. My lovely friends managed to get two rescue chickens which have had the life of Riley this last eighteen months, full run of the garden, lots of corn and a great coop. Alas they are now down to one chicken after some horrible virus snuffed one of them out. So it’s half an egg quota and less fertiliser for the allotment now…nevermind.
I see we have listings on the site for people who wish to keep chickens and I can now report that we have had a successful match up with one Spareground user. So a chicken coop is currently under construction with the aim of getting four chickens so I have been told.
Anyway, time to walk the dogs. They are feeling a bit neglected with me having been sat near this computer all morning.
Rugby season kicks off tonight; the worse thing of the summer months is the wait for the rugby to start again!
Until next time
www.spareground.co.uk
Friday, 14 August 2009
BBC Radio at last!
It’s been a busy few weeks both on the Spareground front and with my other business commitments so no blog posts for a while! …and after all my earlier promises!Well, this week saw my first ever radio interviews about Spareground on BBC Radio5 and also on BBC Radio Ulster (Northern Ireland). I must admit I was shocked with how nervous I felt beforehand but once we were ‘live’, things went well and I am pretty happy with the final outcomes.
Both features came about from recent polls showing that a lot of older people are now considering renting out rooms to lodgers to make cash to bolster their current financial shortfalls. With low interest rates, savings accounts are not bringing in the interest levels they once were and this coupled with increased living costs means that options such as renting out rooms are now being considered.
In the UK, the Government's Rent a Room scheme allows people to receive up to £4,250 a year tax free through renting out a room in their main home; quite a significant sum of money to add onto their regular income. There are restrictions to this for example, you cannot modify your property to create a separate space or create a private access for the lodger so it is wise to check the government websites to check for further details.What Spareground have tried to get across is that for a lot of people renting out a room in their house may not be a favourable choice. However, it’s always an idea to look at what spare space you do have and see if you can rent that out, hence our promotion to rent out driveways, parking facilities, storage facilities and garden space. You would not be able to create a huge amount of money from something like an attic space or garden space for example but it all helps!
Spareground was also featured on this week’s Enterprise Nation website http://www.enterprisenation.com/ and we have seen an increased in the hits on the site related to this. I have also signed up to attend the Enterprise Nation conference in November this year so I will make sure that I will report on this with all the news and stories of what happened. Busy times ahead!
Great news that the UK gets the Rugby League World Cup and the Rugby Union World Cup! Hopefully we can be of some use to help cater for peoples parking and accommodation requirements!
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Ryder Cup 2010 Newport Wales, get ready now!
Two of my favourite sporting events have now passed and my life is now back to its normal ebb and flow.
I am really disappointed for the Lions that they didn’t come away from South Africa with a series win but very pleased that this tour was no whitewash and albeit for a few narrow margins, the result could easily have gone the other way. Still that’s sport for you. Just ask Andy Roddick, with four set points in the second set tie-breaker or when at eight games a piece in the final set with two break points, Lady Luck could have waved her wand in the opposite direction and we would be looking at a new Wimbledon Champion and Federer looking to the US Open to eclipse the Sampras record.
To the British and Irish Lions and Andy Roddick, you didn’t achieve what you set out to do but you all showed how sport should be played at the highest level.
Congratulations of course to the Springboks and Federer!
The remaining summer months now sees the arrival of the Ashes series in the cricket and I personally will be interested to see how Cardiff responds to hosting the first test. Coming from the South Wales area, I am always keen to see major sporting and music events being held in this part of the world and how Wales welcomes and responds to its visitors.
In 2010 Wales also hosts the much anticipated Ryder Cup tournament at the Celtic Manor resort in Newport and this event alone could easily become the catalyst for other large events in Wales if this proves to be successful.
No prizes for already guessing that accommodation for this event is already squeezed and as always I am keen to get people and businesses to use the Spareground website to advertise their spare accommodation, parking facilities, camping facilities etc.
As with the Wimbledon tennis tournament, there are agencies specialising in top dollar private accommodation which gives local residents a fee charging agency service for leasing their properties and parking. That is fine and I certainly don’t ignore the fact that some people will want their properties to be managed in such a way.
However for those who cannot or do not wish to pay such agency fees and are happy to manage their property then why not use the Spareground website. It’s free to use so no harm in giving it a go.
Of course, go ahead and use it to advertise what space you are looking for if you are heading to the Ryder Cup too!
www.spareground.co.uk
I am really disappointed for the Lions that they didn’t come away from South Africa with a series win but very pleased that this tour was no whitewash and albeit for a few narrow margins, the result could easily have gone the other way. Still that’s sport for you. Just ask Andy Roddick, with four set points in the second set tie-breaker or when at eight games a piece in the final set with two break points, Lady Luck could have waved her wand in the opposite direction and we would be looking at a new Wimbledon Champion and Federer looking to the US Open to eclipse the Sampras record.
To the British and Irish Lions and Andy Roddick, you didn’t achieve what you set out to do but you all showed how sport should be played at the highest level.
Congratulations of course to the Springboks and Federer!
The remaining summer months now sees the arrival of the Ashes series in the cricket and I personally will be interested to see how Cardiff responds to hosting the first test. Coming from the South Wales area, I am always keen to see major sporting and music events being held in this part of the world and how Wales welcomes and responds to its visitors.
In 2010 Wales also hosts the much anticipated Ryder Cup tournament at the Celtic Manor resort in Newport and this event alone could easily become the catalyst for other large events in Wales if this proves to be successful.
No prizes for already guessing that accommodation for this event is already squeezed and as always I am keen to get people and businesses to use the Spareground website to advertise their spare accommodation, parking facilities, camping facilities etc.
As with the Wimbledon tennis tournament, there are agencies specialising in top dollar private accommodation which gives local residents a fee charging agency service for leasing their properties and parking. That is fine and I certainly don’t ignore the fact that some people will want their properties to be managed in such a way.
However for those who cannot or do not wish to pay such agency fees and are happy to manage their property then why not use the Spareground website. It’s free to use so no harm in giving it a go.
Of course, go ahead and use it to advertise what space you are looking for if you are heading to the Ryder Cup too!
www.spareground.co.uk
Monday, 15 June 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen, time please,….it’s Wimbledon
One week left to go before the influx of visitors to SW19 for the best tennis tournament in the world! Sadly for me I have no tickets. I did enter the public ballot but was unlucky this year. My parents however, were more successful and will be on Court 2 on the 29th of June. Lucky them!
Spareground now has its first tennis related listing, some lovely private accommodation available just a ten minute walk from the All England Club.
It’s no secret that one of the problems with this tournament (and I would imagine many others) is the lack of closely available parking or accommodation. Each year, residents within Wimbledon and nearby areas have placed their properties in the hands of local estate agents for rentals to visitors during this time. Nothing wrong with that of course and for some people to have someone to ‘manage’ the rental of their property or parking would be the preferred option anyway.
However, not everyone can afford to pay or wants to pay, the handling fees involved, especially when there can be no guarantee that it will be leased out at all.
Spareground offers an alternative source. We do not charge for people to register and create listings, nor is there any charge for users to contact advertisers. All we ask is people register to the site. Using this method means that it is entirely down to the user to manage their own listings and arrange the rental terms as they see fit. Spareground plays no part in this aspect, we only provide the introductory aspect.
This great tennis tournament at the All England Tennis Club attracts visitors from all over the world. Not all will have the same budgets so the broader the range of pricing options for accommodation, hotels, B&Bs or even camping locations then the better. So even if you have a single room available, a space for putting up a tent or a 7-bedroomed detached house, all will be welcome on the Spareground site.
Parking options is also another aspect for people to consider, whether its listing a driveway space in front of a house, a business premises car park or that of a school or church, list them on the site,. There are other websites too which allow you to list parking so by all means use those as well.
Don’t forget that if you are visiting Wimbledon for the tennis, you can create a listing to ask for what space you need, whether it’s parking or accommodation.
The site is there for those who are looking as well as for those who can provide.
To finish off, congratulations go to Andy Murray for his win at the AEGON championships at the Queens club last week. Also to Roger Federer for his French Open win, putting him toe to toe with Sampras on his number of Grand Slam tournaments won. If either of these two men lifts the trophy at Wimbledon this year, you will be watching sporting history in the making!
www.spareground.co.uk
Spareground now has its first tennis related listing, some lovely private accommodation available just a ten minute walk from the All England Club.
It’s no secret that one of the problems with this tournament (and I would imagine many others) is the lack of closely available parking or accommodation. Each year, residents within Wimbledon and nearby areas have placed their properties in the hands of local estate agents for rentals to visitors during this time. Nothing wrong with that of course and for some people to have someone to ‘manage’ the rental of their property or parking would be the preferred option anyway.
However, not everyone can afford to pay or wants to pay, the handling fees involved, especially when there can be no guarantee that it will be leased out at all.
Spareground offers an alternative source. We do not charge for people to register and create listings, nor is there any charge for users to contact advertisers. All we ask is people register to the site. Using this method means that it is entirely down to the user to manage their own listings and arrange the rental terms as they see fit. Spareground plays no part in this aspect, we only provide the introductory aspect.
This great tennis tournament at the All England Tennis Club attracts visitors from all over the world. Not all will have the same budgets so the broader the range of pricing options for accommodation, hotels, B&Bs or even camping locations then the better. So even if you have a single room available, a space for putting up a tent or a 7-bedroomed detached house, all will be welcome on the Spareground site.
Parking options is also another aspect for people to consider, whether its listing a driveway space in front of a house, a business premises car park or that of a school or church, list them on the site,. There are other websites too which allow you to list parking so by all means use those as well.
Don’t forget that if you are visiting Wimbledon for the tennis, you can create a listing to ask for what space you need, whether it’s parking or accommodation.
The site is there for those who are looking as well as for those who can provide.
To finish off, congratulations go to Andy Murray for his win at the AEGON championships at the Queens club last week. Also to Roger Federer for his French Open win, putting him toe to toe with Sampras on his number of Grand Slam tournaments won. If either of these two men lifts the trophy at Wimbledon this year, you will be watching sporting history in the making!
www.spareground.co.uk
Monday, 8 June 2009
Tweeting, test matches and Take That!
It’s happened again! Once more, I disappear from the desk for a few days chill out by the sea and Spareground has another influx of high hits!
Clearly, I should spend most of my time messing about by the seaside if this is the effect. Its great news and very welcome!
It’s nice to have had some very positive feedback on the Spareground concept and good to see that people can see how useful such a site can be. A website than most people could probably benefit from at some stage in their lives.
Other news, Spareground is now a-tweeting on twitter! @spareground
I must admit I was rather hesitant about twitter, I couldn’t see how it would be any different to facebook or other social websites but I am happy I am there and looking forward to seeing where it may take me.
For those of you who read this blog regularly, you will undoubtedly realise that as a passionate rugby fan, I am engrossed by the goings on with the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa. It’s been a bit of a mixed bag for me, two 'average to below par' games with one sublime one sandwiched in the middle. If only I was there!
I was fortunate enough to go on the Lions tour to Australia back in 2001 and to this day, that first test match in the Gabba at Brisbane, still holds number one spot for the best match I have been to! There is nothing like a Lions tour and I sincerely hope that the powers that be never decide to call time on them. I can’t think of any other sport where players from different countries, normally used to pulverising the living daylights out of each other, can for a period of six weeks or so form one team. I already have my test team forming in my head so will be interesting to see if I am right in a fortnight’s time.
(There’s an unused rugby pitch near my house, which was once part of the Ministry of Defence property, I’m not sure who owns it now but it would be nice if people or organisations who have unused land like this could put them on Spareground. What a waste of a good pitch!)
Anyhow, please keep passing the word of Spareground on to your friends, family and colleagues. The more and the quicker it grows, the more benefit people can gain from it.
Tomorrow sees me off to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, Take That are playing! Woohoo!
www.spareground.com
Clearly, I should spend most of my time messing about by the seaside if this is the effect. Its great news and very welcome!
It’s nice to have had some very positive feedback on the Spareground concept and good to see that people can see how useful such a site can be. A website than most people could probably benefit from at some stage in their lives.
Other news, Spareground is now a-tweeting on twitter! @spareground
I must admit I was rather hesitant about twitter, I couldn’t see how it would be any different to facebook or other social websites but I am happy I am there and looking forward to seeing where it may take me.
For those of you who read this blog regularly, you will undoubtedly realise that as a passionate rugby fan, I am engrossed by the goings on with the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa. It’s been a bit of a mixed bag for me, two 'average to below par' games with one sublime one sandwiched in the middle. If only I was there!
I was fortunate enough to go on the Lions tour to Australia back in 2001 and to this day, that first test match in the Gabba at Brisbane, still holds number one spot for the best match I have been to! There is nothing like a Lions tour and I sincerely hope that the powers that be never decide to call time on them. I can’t think of any other sport where players from different countries, normally used to pulverising the living daylights out of each other, can for a period of six weeks or so form one team. I already have my test team forming in my head so will be interesting to see if I am right in a fortnight’s time.
(There’s an unused rugby pitch near my house, which was once part of the Ministry of Defence property, I’m not sure who owns it now but it would be nice if people or organisations who have unused land like this could put them on Spareground. What a waste of a good pitch!)
Anyhow, please keep passing the word of Spareground on to your friends, family and colleagues. The more and the quicker it grows, the more benefit people can gain from it.
Tomorrow sees me off to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, Take That are playing! Woohoo!
www.spareground.com
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Spend the Summer Outdoors!
I don’t know where the time is going at the moment!
Since my promises to update regularly were uttered in April, we are now fast approaching the end of May already and soon it will be summertime.
At Spareground, we are in the throws of thrashing out some new promotional ideas and ways to encourage people to use the site to their advantages during the summer months.
Summer means the festival season for many people (Glastonbury, The Reading and Leeds Festivals, the V Festivals, the Isle of Wight festival and the Cambridge Folk festival to name only a few) and with the dates quickly bearing down on us, we are keen to encourage people who attend these festivals and those who live nearby to use Spareground to find or advertise their spare space.
The camping in close numbers experience may not be ideal for some people and with people wanting to keep vehicles close by, Spareground can act as the mediating facility to find what you want; whether its accommodation, camping space, parking or storage space. If that’s what you are looking for then why not place a listing.
If you live in these areas and can offer anything of this sort then advertise it free of charge on Spareground.
I only wish I was heading down to Glastonbury this year but alas I didn’t get a ticket. Nevermind, I will try again next year!
http://www.spareground.com/
Since my promises to update regularly were uttered in April, we are now fast approaching the end of May already and soon it will be summertime.
At Spareground, we are in the throws of thrashing out some new promotional ideas and ways to encourage people to use the site to their advantages during the summer months.
Summer means the festival season for many people (Glastonbury, The Reading and Leeds Festivals, the V Festivals, the Isle of Wight festival and the Cambridge Folk festival to name only a few) and with the dates quickly bearing down on us, we are keen to encourage people who attend these festivals and those who live nearby to use Spareground to find or advertise their spare space.
The camping in close numbers experience may not be ideal for some people and with people wanting to keep vehicles close by, Spareground can act as the mediating facility to find what you want; whether its accommodation, camping space, parking or storage space. If that’s what you are looking for then why not place a listing.
If you live in these areas and can offer anything of this sort then advertise it free of charge on Spareground.
I only wish I was heading down to Glastonbury this year but alas I didn’t get a ticket. Nevermind, I will try again next year!
http://www.spareground.com/
Monday, 27 April 2009
London Marathon
Yesterday’s London Marathon was great!
I must say I enjoyed it from the comfort of the armchair but with an annual promise to enter the ballot next year. I will do it today. Unfortunately the website is busy at the moment,…honestly.
My friend Alan competed yesterday and finished with a respectable time of 3 hours 25 minutes, equally impressive as it was a rather warm day and he was dressed in a velvet effect Wonder Woman outfit! He has raised a considerable amount of money for the Countess Mountbatten Hospice in Southampton but very sadly, his friend who was a patient there, passed away only a few days ago.
http://www.justgiving.com/alanmiddlebrook
London attracts thousands of visitors each year for this event and the numbers of people who apply increases year by year. Equally the amount of people who come to support naturally increases too.
As with any major sports event, Spareground can be a good resource for finding the car parking or the accommodation that is needed. No doubt there are events which happen whereby it is very difficult to almost impossible to find anywhere to stay nearby or park the car. If you live in areas where there is a sporting event being hosted, (whether it happens weekly, monthly or once a year) you could consider renting out your parking space or even a spare room for the night to help accommodate the higher numbers of people. I know of people who compete in the Great North Run in Newcastle every year and on each occasion, they have a torrid time finding accommodation close to the event.
So if you are a private individual, a business, school or any other organisation that can offer car parking or accommodation (even if its camping space) to help out whilst there is an event happening near you why not list on Spareground. It’s all extra funds or if you so wish you could donate the proceeds to a charitable or fund raising effort.
www.spareground.com
I must say I enjoyed it from the comfort of the armchair but with an annual promise to enter the ballot next year. I will do it today. Unfortunately the website is busy at the moment,…honestly.
My friend Alan competed yesterday and finished with a respectable time of 3 hours 25 minutes, equally impressive as it was a rather warm day and he was dressed in a velvet effect Wonder Woman outfit! He has raised a considerable amount of money for the Countess Mountbatten Hospice in Southampton but very sadly, his friend who was a patient there, passed away only a few days ago.
http://www.justgiving.com/alanmiddlebrook
London attracts thousands of visitors each year for this event and the numbers of people who apply increases year by year. Equally the amount of people who come to support naturally increases too.
As with any major sports event, Spareground can be a good resource for finding the car parking or the accommodation that is needed. No doubt there are events which happen whereby it is very difficult to almost impossible to find anywhere to stay nearby or park the car. If you live in areas where there is a sporting event being hosted, (whether it happens weekly, monthly or once a year) you could consider renting out your parking space or even a spare room for the night to help accommodate the higher numbers of people. I know of people who compete in the Great North Run in Newcastle every year and on each occasion, they have a torrid time finding accommodation close to the event.
So if you are a private individual, a business, school or any other organisation that can offer car parking or accommodation (even if its camping space) to help out whilst there is an event happening near you why not list on Spareground. It’s all extra funds or if you so wish you could donate the proceeds to a charitable or fund raising effort.
www.spareground.com
Friday, 17 April 2009
Spareground the Sellsumer!
Time is flying under my nose and I’ve just realised that it’s nearly three weeks since I last crunched bone on keyboard to write a blog entry.
As well as the upsurge in interest following the write up on springwise.com in March, this month sees Spareground mentioned in www.trendwatching.com as one of a few named ‘Sellsumers’. (A phrase to describe enterprises or businesses that help people make money instead of spending it!...not sure who coined that phrase though).
Spareground nicely fits under the category of “Space” alongside other UK web-based Sellsumers such as ParkAtMyHouse, YourParkingSpace and some US entries as Homstie and Roomorama.
Once again, this has reflected enormously in the site hits and hopefully will continue the increase in momentum.
Coverage such as this goes a long way in encouraging people and businesses to consider how they can maximise their space. A large number of people either have (or are looking for), storage space, driveways, garages, parking spaces, empty land or empty garden space, or other types of property they can lease or rent to someone else.
Or of course, let someone use it for free or for a charity donation.
Many people are looking for potential allotment space, camping space, cheaper and easier parking options, accommodation for short term rental such as when near a major sports or music event.
It goes on and I am aware I probably sound like a broken record but it makes so much sense to use what we do already have! All for our own benefit too!
Progress is still being made to take Spareground overseas and there are some exciting prospects in the offing.
Time is pushed as the moment with keeping the drive on Spareground and continuing with my other work (a consultant patent searcher offering a range of patent search services just in case you were interested……..*wakey wakey at the back*) but I hope to update this blog a bit more often than three week intervals…....must do better.
Some good rugby matches on over this weekend and of course next Tuesday is the announcement of the British and Irish Lions Rugby Squad. Can’t wait!
www.spareground.com
As well as the upsurge in interest following the write up on springwise.com in March, this month sees Spareground mentioned in www.trendwatching.com as one of a few named ‘Sellsumers’. (A phrase to describe enterprises or businesses that help people make money instead of spending it!...not sure who coined that phrase though).
Spareground nicely fits under the category of “Space” alongside other UK web-based Sellsumers such as ParkAtMyHouse, YourParkingSpace and some US entries as Homstie and Roomorama.
Once again, this has reflected enormously in the site hits and hopefully will continue the increase in momentum.
Coverage such as this goes a long way in encouraging people and businesses to consider how they can maximise their space. A large number of people either have (or are looking for), storage space, driveways, garages, parking spaces, empty land or empty garden space, or other types of property they can lease or rent to someone else.
Or of course, let someone use it for free or for a charity donation.
Many people are looking for potential allotment space, camping space, cheaper and easier parking options, accommodation for short term rental such as when near a major sports or music event.
It goes on and I am aware I probably sound like a broken record but it makes so much sense to use what we do already have! All for our own benefit too!
Progress is still being made to take Spareground overseas and there are some exciting prospects in the offing.
Time is pushed as the moment with keeping the drive on Spareground and continuing with my other work (a consultant patent searcher offering a range of patent search services just in case you were interested……..*wakey wakey at the back*) but I hope to update this blog a bit more often than three week intervals…....must do better.
Some good rugby matches on over this weekend and of course next Tuesday is the announcement of the British and Irish Lions Rugby Squad. Can’t wait!
www.spareground.com
Saturday, 28 March 2009
When the cat's away
..Spareground goes mad!
What a pleasure it was on return from a week at Center Parcs to find the stats on Spareground had gone through the roof in my absence! I clearly need to go away more often!
And the cause of this sudden rise in the Spareground stats? A feature on the Springwise website (www.springwise.com).
This website scouts through the world for new and enterprising business ideas and thankfully for me, Spareground has been picked up and featured.
As a result of this, I have now received a few emails about taking the business idea of Spareground beyond the borders of Blighty into the States and New Zealand to name a few, and as you would expect this has been an enormous boost to this entire project.
I will be speaking with the web designer (the fabulous Marcus at www.binarydrive.com) in the coming week to discuss how we will move forward with these enquiries.
The key thing is to maintain and keep pushing this sharp rise in interest both here and overseas. It’s very encouraging to know that people can see the obvious benefits and uses of Spareground on an international basis and can see its relevance to all sectors of the community. Long may it continue!
The downside for me, is my return from holiday has also seen me develop some horrible lurgy so my energy levels are somewhat sapped at the moment! That’s what happens when you’re 40 going on 14 and insist on riding the wild water rapids over and over again! I really should have learned my lesson by now…
www.spareground.com
What a pleasure it was on return from a week at Center Parcs to find the stats on Spareground had gone through the roof in my absence! I clearly need to go away more often!
And the cause of this sudden rise in the Spareground stats? A feature on the Springwise website (www.springwise.com).
This website scouts through the world for new and enterprising business ideas and thankfully for me, Spareground has been picked up and featured.
As a result of this, I have now received a few emails about taking the business idea of Spareground beyond the borders of Blighty into the States and New Zealand to name a few, and as you would expect this has been an enormous boost to this entire project.
I will be speaking with the web designer (the fabulous Marcus at www.binarydrive.com) in the coming week to discuss how we will move forward with these enquiries.
The key thing is to maintain and keep pushing this sharp rise in interest both here and overseas. It’s very encouraging to know that people can see the obvious benefits and uses of Spareground on an international basis and can see its relevance to all sectors of the community. Long may it continue!
The downside for me, is my return from holiday has also seen me develop some horrible lurgy so my energy levels are somewhat sapped at the moment! That’s what happens when you’re 40 going on 14 and insist on riding the wild water rapids over and over again! I really should have learned my lesson by now…
www.spareground.com
Thursday, 12 March 2009
It's all for charidee!
Red Nose Day is here!
Charity Organiser Comic Relief (http://www.comicrelief.com/) raises millions of pounds from this biannual event with the proceeds going towards projects here in the UK and Africa for the reduction and relief of the effects of poverty. Even small amounts of money can make a difference to disadvantaged people supported by this charity.
However, in 2009, the effects of the economical downturn in the UK are a worry not only to Comic Relief but to all charities in the UK.
People do not necessarily have the levels of disposable income in previous years and the hit on donations to charities is likely to be hardest.
Take That member Gary Barlow reiterated the need in this particular year for an even harder effort towards fund raising, hence his idea of the (now successful) climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. People need way more enticing to part with their cash!
There is no reason whatsoever why people and organisations cannot use the Spareground website to raise money for charities and other fund raising causes.
Create your listing and put the term “charity” or “fund raising” in the description. Add in what it’s for and see what happens. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Schools, clubs, churches etc who have parking facilities for example can raise money by leasing out their parking spaces over weekends or evenings. This would be particularly welcome when they are in busy areas (city centres, airports, train stations etc) or close to major sports, music or recreational events.
So if you have the space, whether it is parking, storage, land, unused gardens or other accommodation, make some money for charity and other fund raising efforts by listing it free of charge on Spareground.
http://www.spareground.com/
Charity Organiser Comic Relief (http://www.comicrelief.com/) raises millions of pounds from this biannual event with the proceeds going towards projects here in the UK and Africa for the reduction and relief of the effects of poverty. Even small amounts of money can make a difference to disadvantaged people supported by this charity.
However, in 2009, the effects of the economical downturn in the UK are a worry not only to Comic Relief but to all charities in the UK.
People do not necessarily have the levels of disposable income in previous years and the hit on donations to charities is likely to be hardest.
Take That member Gary Barlow reiterated the need in this particular year for an even harder effort towards fund raising, hence his idea of the (now successful) climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. People need way more enticing to part with their cash!
There is no reason whatsoever why people and organisations cannot use the Spareground website to raise money for charities and other fund raising causes.
Create your listing and put the term “charity” or “fund raising” in the description. Add in what it’s for and see what happens. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Schools, clubs, churches etc who have parking facilities for example can raise money by leasing out their parking spaces over weekends or evenings. This would be particularly welcome when they are in busy areas (city centres, airports, train stations etc) or close to major sports, music or recreational events.
So if you have the space, whether it is parking, storage, land, unused gardens or other accommodation, make some money for charity and other fund raising efforts by listing it free of charge on Spareground.
http://www.spareground.com/
Friday, 27 February 2009
Norfolk and Landshare
I didn’t make it to France. An accident on the M11 and an airline with a customer service policy leaving much to be desired put paid to any roamings in the streets of Poitiers. Instead, the coastline of Norfolk beckoned. This area has to be one of the nicest places in the UK for soothing the soul. The villages on that coast remain unspoilt by the lure of the fast food establishments, widened roads and horrendous pub singers provided ‘solely’ for your entertainment. If you want to hear nothing and see some amazing scenery, it’s the place for you. (There is also some great mackerel to be caught in the summer months, contact me and I may tell you where,…. ).
Back to the working week of promoting Spareground, I have emailed a number of UK allotment and vegetable growing forums who have given a lot of positive feedback on the Spareground project. What has been interesting from this is realising that the Landshare project has yet to officially be launched, so as we move quickly into March, there are people signed to this scheme who have no idea if they will be ‘matched’ with a landowner or not. March is the time when windowsills should be heaving with chitting potatoes and plant seedlings.
One wonders if the scheme which promises so much will be able to deliver in equal measure and within time scales reflective of the course of nature.
Spareground has signed up to the Landshare project as a group having similar aims and philosophy so I don’t mean to sound critical of what is ideally a great scheme. I just feel that a lot of people may have missed the growing opportunity for 2009. With the high volume of media coverage it has received, perhaps in hindsight its initial autumn 2008 campaign was a little too late.
At Spareground, our way of working is to leave people list their land or find their land requirements and sort themselves out. There are simple ‘guidance notes’ under the FAQ section on the website which should help people establish their arrangements with each other and essentially, keep it simple. We don’t want to over complicate the Spareground website or the way it is used; simplicity is indeed the key.
http://www.spareground.com/
Until next time……
Back to the working week of promoting Spareground, I have emailed a number of UK allotment and vegetable growing forums who have given a lot of positive feedback on the Spareground project. What has been interesting from this is realising that the Landshare project has yet to officially be launched, so as we move quickly into March, there are people signed to this scheme who have no idea if they will be ‘matched’ with a landowner or not. March is the time when windowsills should be heaving with chitting potatoes and plant seedlings.
One wonders if the scheme which promises so much will be able to deliver in equal measure and within time scales reflective of the course of nature.
Spareground has signed up to the Landshare project as a group having similar aims and philosophy so I don’t mean to sound critical of what is ideally a great scheme. I just feel that a lot of people may have missed the growing opportunity for 2009. With the high volume of media coverage it has received, perhaps in hindsight its initial autumn 2008 campaign was a little too late.
At Spareground, our way of working is to leave people list their land or find their land requirements and sort themselves out. There are simple ‘guidance notes’ under the FAQ section on the website which should help people establish their arrangements with each other and essentially, keep it simple. We don’t want to over complicate the Spareground website or the way it is used; simplicity is indeed the key.
http://www.spareground.com/
Until next time……
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