FiddyP

I used to love winter, I used to love it even more if it snowed. Snowy roads, especially in the UK, means massive disruption to public services and roads. It used to mean no school, later it meant no need to trudge to work. Now, as a business owner with a large percentage of business relying on deliveries, it means glum faces all around!

Ice skating anyone?

It’s not too bad, we still get the usual suspects who battle through any kind of weather to get the chips, fried rice and curry sauce in a box. Somehow, the grocery deliveries happened and only the carrotts were missing! They’ll battle through the narrow streets to us again just deliver a bag of carrotts. Try that in London..

Tomorrows forcast is for bright skies, I hope it clears the snow off the roads long enough to get some sweet & sour chicken out to the masses! The weather doesn’t look too good for the South of the country though, there’s a 18 inch snowfall predicted down there. oo-er!

How has the weather been affecting your area? do you love the snow or hate it?

I am supposed to have a new website up for my Chinese takeaway ready for when all the university students start/return to school. I made a great start and nearly published it when I had an idea (oh dear).

My idea was to use an existing template available on the ComLuv network and add widgets and custom code to turn it into the takeaway website so I can put the relevant details about the business up and later add an interactive menu so customers can browse the whole menu online and add their own reviews and comments about the items.

This seems to be a pretty elemental project, not too much needs changing on a template and adding the extra bits of code that do the fancy bits wont take too much head scratching. Unless…. I decide to do it in a way so that I can write an email course about it with links to videos I make showing anyone with a takeaway how they can take a normal ComLuv blog and turn the template into an online menu and advertising board for their business.

Couple that with some regular tips and tricks I have used to get my takeaway to the top of Google for free when anyone searches for “chinese takeaway Lancaster” and I think I have a decent system and email course to help promote ComLuv.

Here’s where I’ve got to so far with one of ComLuv’s premium themes using a couple of fancy widgets and a bit of imagination..

I know it’s simple, but, it’s supposed to be! My whole idea is to have everything that is needed on one page. The location, the phone number, downloadable menu and a newsletter subscription for keeping in touch with customers.

I can use the rest of the wordpress goodies to keep a blog so the content stays fresh and I can surely find a way to add a shopping cart so people can make orders online and even perhaps integrate that with twitter so I can notify the kitchen an order has been made and also the customer can get a tweet (if they have a twitter account) when the order is on the way.

Awesome project!

Now, where did I put that bag of spare time ? lol

A more coherent update to whats happening on the big move to Lancaster and the news for the new commentluv site and API. (plus the usual tangents)

75% of the way to being completely moved to Lancaster

Stayed up too late and had a rant about London

London = sucky sucky . glad to be moving from Andy Bailey on Vimeo.

It’s happened. The decision made. The people told. The place gotten ready.

It’s official, I am going to live oop North in Lancaster. Oh dear me, or actually “ecky thump ladd!” what an exciting/scary/traumatic/intense/happy/fun adventure to be had… Life has dealt me and the missus a hand to play and put us ‘all in’.

The move is happening because “The Fired Wok – Chinese Takeaway and Delivery” will be my home soon along with my (sort of)brother-in-law because, you see, I am going to be part of a completely different business to what I’m used to.

It’s a massive change for me and I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of hard work, I remember how knackered my missus used to be when she had her last restaurant but, I think, this might be an opportunity to learn some new skills and I’m convinced that this geek can overcome! There’s a website to design of course, how can a business operate without a website to tell everyone where they are and what they do and how much it costs and where they deliver to and what time they stop?

Can’t wait to do that, I know the place has a domain name but it’s been an empty page for over 5 years. Even a single page with phone number, pdf menu and delivery area map could make a HUGE difference if used properly. I shudder to think how many existing customers have not phoned an order because they lost the menu from last time.

There are some other things where I think a bit of Andy Bailey could help..

• What about a weekly newsletter with special offers just to subscribers?
  Now I have the newsletter software from Octeth, I can put that into action as soon as I’m settled and moved in.
• What about great customer service from someone that sounds like they want your order?
• What about proper planning of deliveries, combining those that are on the same route?
• What about statistical analysis of produce usage and the 80/20 rule, does it work on food?

and so on and so on..

First, I will have to learn the ‘ropes’ (“Rern the lopes!” heh) about all the preparation and other non-geeky things. I suspect I might be called upon to do some fairly menial tasks in the next few months but, I’ve found that hard work and simple labour is cleansing for the mind and a perfect time to come up with “eureka!” ideas, lawd knows how I despise London and all it’s crime and indifference so I’m actually looking forward to the move!

The new site and plugin for CommentLuv is happening at around the same time but I am confident that I can do them both and this move justice if I just get off my arse for a few minutes and put my nose to the grindstone, I’ve done it plenty of times before so I’m not scared (much!).

Once Fiddyp get’s moved to the new platform on CommentLuv I’ll be chronicling the events and changes as and when they happen. I’ve already got my place figured out for where my cam is going to go. Chinese cookery lessons anyone?