What can a virtual assistant do for you?

Hey there, tech explorers! 👋 If you’ve been googling “best technology for website” lately, you’ve probably seen enough acronyms to make your head spin. React or Vue? Node or Python? Headless or traditional CMS? Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage – we’re about to make this whole tech choice thing a lot less painful.

The “Wait, What Actually Matters?” Guide

First things first: your website’s technology stack isn’t about winning nerd points (though they’re fun to collect). It’s about making your website work for your business. Let’s break down what really matters.

1. Speed: Because Nobody Likes Waiting

Remember dial-up internet? Yeah, let’s not go back there. Modern tech stacks can make your website faster than a caffeinated cheetah, but only if you choose wisely. Here’s what’s cooking in 2025:

• Static Site Generation (instant loading, like magic but actually science)
• Edge Computing (bringing your content closer to users)
• Modern JavaScript frameworks (they’re not just for show)

2. Scalability: Room to Grow

Your website should be like a good pair of stretchy pants – comfortable now but ready to expand when needed. Modern tech stacks offer:

• Cloud-native solutions (grow without the growing pains)
• Microservices architecture (fancy way of saying “flexible”)
• API-first approach (connect all the things!)

3. Security: Because Hackers Never Sleep

In 2025, security isn’t optional – it’s as essential as coffee on a Monday morning. Modern stacks come with:

• Built-in security features (no more bolt-on solutions)
• Regular security updates (staying ahead of the bad guys)
• Enhanced data protection (keeping the good stuff safe)

The Real MVP (Minimum Viable Pick) for 2025

Let’s cut through the noise. Here’s what your tech stack absolutely needs to have:

Must-Haves:

• Performance optimization out of the box
• Strong security foundations
• Easy content management
• Mobile-first capabilities
• SEO-friendly structure

Nice-to-Haves:

• AI integration capabilities
• Analytics tools
• Marketing automation options
• Multi-language support

The “Don’t Get Trapped” Warning Signs

Some red flags to watch out for when choosing your tech stack:

• Outdated technology (if it looks like Windows 95, run)
• Limited support community (you don’t want to be alone in this)
• Poor documentation (because mind reading isn’t a skill yet)
• Inflexible licensing (nobody likes being locked in)

Making the Smart Choice

Here’s the thing: the best tech stack isn’t about having the newest, shiniest tools. It’s about having the right tools for your specific needs. At Wisecoda, we’ve seen businesses succeed with various technologies because they chose based on their actual needs, not just what’s trending on Tech Twitter.

The Bottom Line

Your website’s technology should work for you, not the other way around. Don’t get caught up in the hype of what’s “cool” – focus on what works for your business goals, budget, and future plans.

Need help figuring out the right tech stack for your project? We speak both tech and human – let’s chat about what would work best for you! No jargon, no pressure, just honest advice about your options. 💡

P.S. Remember, the best technology is the one that helps your business grow, not the one that gives developers bragging rights at meetups (though that can be fun too!).

More blog posts like this

People often ask me…”Why has the value of antiques declined in recent years?”

This is a question I get asked several times a day usually in response to me sympathetically telling a client that their much loved family heirloom is worth far less now than it was 10, 20 or even 30 years ago. It’s a sad fact of life that many areas of the market are deflated to say the least and in some cases are seemingly at ‘rock-bottom’, so let’s take a look at this and try to  make some sense of it.

To start with let’s blame the Swedes! Yes, over the past 20 years the Ikea model of clean lines and minimalism has had a major effect on how we decorate and dress our homes.  To the vast majority of the under 50’s the very thought of walls filled with pictures, cabinets full of ornaments and shelves packed with clutter is anathema and this is largely because Ikea gleefully swept all this away and told us “No, you must not have a house that resembles that of your grandparents”. This of course meant that in a virtual blink of an eye antique furniture in particular became all but obsolete to an entire generation! A Victorian chiffonier once worth £400 was suddenly £100, a Georgian bureau which would have set you back £600 in 1980 was readily available at £150, and worst of all perhaps, a good Edwardian inlaid mahogany display cabinet which many once aspired to own was now all but impossible to sell.  The reason for the latter of course is that now we were living in a clutter free world, nobody was buying the ceramics and glass to fill the darned things! That beautiful stylish cabinet which once took pride of place in every lounge in the country was now replaced as the focal point by a 50″ TV!

So it’s all about how we live our lives and view our homes today which leads me on to Art. When I started in this business many moons ago I would enter the house of an average client and there would be pictures in the hall, pictures up the stairs and pictures filling every nook and cranny in the lounge, whereas today other than the obvious family photographs the fashion seems to be to have two or three large pictures usually in the contemporary style taking pride of place and surrounded by empty walls.  Not only that but these pictures are entirely transient in that it’s not about how well loved they are, but about how well they fit the current colour scheme.  Try selling a typical Victorian English landscape today and you will seriously struggle.  Even artists that used to command prices of say £500 – £1000 can often be picked up for £100 or so. So traditional art is out and contemporary art is very much in…… but often only until you change your wallpaper!

So just what do people want to buy and collect in 2019? Well there is no simple straightforward answer to this so let’s address the point loosely. I have a theory that means looking at things from a male and female point of view.  Firstly, it seems that ladies particularly those of retirement age are largely speaking simply not collecting. Those empty shelves and lack of clutter have become heaven for the housewife and it seems that she doesn’t want to return to the days of moving copious amounts of china and glass before she can dust the shelves……, and before you accuse me of chauvinism this does too apply to the average househusband!.  So traditional feminine collectables such as chintzy bone china, figures of crinoline ladies by Royal Doulton and others, cut glass and Wedgwood Jasperware are deemed old fashioned and therefore completely undesirable. BUT if we move onto what I would term masculine or men’s’ collectables then there are areas that are thriving.  For instance in recent years there has been an upsurge in collectors of Militaria and all its off-shoots, medals and vintage cameras.  This suggests to me that whilst ladies are blissfully content in their retirement provided they are not surrounded by the aforesaid clutter, men need to shut themselves away and indulge themselves by becoming sexagenarian geeks!

Another area of course which is growing more rapidly than any I have ever seen is the nostalgia driven Vintage & Retro market.  But that’s for another day!

People often ask me…”How does a young person learn about antiques?”

Mark holding a seminar for 40 managers of the West Country’s biggest chain of charity shops. Whilst it would be easy for me to say read as much as you can and watch educational videos, and of course you will learn a certain amount through doing this, there is one definitive answer…….handling the goods!

I have found that for most people their love of art and antiques becomes rooted at a young age, say 11 or 12 years old, so by the time they’re ready to leave school they are often set on following their passion to work with what they have grown to love. So where do they start?

Naturally, the first thing they would be likely to do is look at the options available within higher education and with many universities, colleges and indeed private institutions offering courses it appears that the options are there. However, most of these courses are in Fine Art and therein lies something of an issue! Now these programs are by and large run by extremely knowledgeable academics and by the time a student has gained their degree or diploma they’ll be able to recognise and date paint types and canvases and probably be able to give a fairly respectable opinion on the whys and wherefores of whether a newly discovered El Greco is genuine or not. BUT stop and think just for a moment! Let’s go back to that 12 year old child going to the local monthly antiques fair and immersing themselves in their love of all that surrounded them. A Georgian walnut lowboy, a Beswick figure, an Edwardian nickel plated police whistle or a trio of World War One medals……..but NOT an oil painting claiming to be a lost El Greco!

So these courses are fabulous if the intention is to move into the world of high brow fine art but not particularly useful if you see yourself working in a provincial auction house, which rather ironically is where most of these graduates end up! So, on leaving school where should they be looking? Well lets use me as a perfect example, not a perfect example of manhood of course…..although I do have my admirers!…..but a perfect example of the ideal route to follow. Like many others before and since I really had no idea what to do once I had finished my education but I had always been interested in history and ‘old things’ so when my father came back from the local auction house and told me that they were looking for someone to fill in for six months and perhaps I should approach them I jumped at the chance. I was duly taken on as a temporary junior porter and ended up many years later as their Senior Valuer!

From day one I learnt ‘hands on’, so for instance after a short while I was able to recognise different woods through not only looking at the polished finish but by being able to open a drawer and look at the interior where it was unpolished. After a year or so I was able to tell from sight alone whether a piece was likely to be solid silver or silver plated or if a porcelain figure was German or French by looking at the scroll work on the base. After a while I was trusted to do some basic cataloguing and within a year or two of this I was lotting our entire general sales which included the lesser antiques and art as well as household goods. And so it went on, although obviously it did take a good few years before I was cataloguing entire antique and fine art sales which encompassed everything from furniture, through paintings, ceramics, glass, silver, rugs, militaria, toys and much, much more!

In my line of work you really do learn something new every single day and this still applies with me, even though I’m now well into middle age. In fact, the one piece of advice I always give to young valuers is “Don’t ever think you know it all…..because you’ll learn something new tomorrow.”

So, once again lets go back to that 12 year old who wants to learn about and maybe forge a career in antiques. Approach your local auction house and offer to work at their evening viewings or perhaps during the school holidays. You’ll be starting at the very bottom but theres a lot to learn and you’re lucky enough to have a whole lifetime ahead of you. ​ You will never learn it all………..but you’ll have a lot of fun trying!

Knowing your Customer – Six Top Tips

1. Check out the exact name and legal status of the business you’re supplying. If it’s a sole trader or partnership, the proprietor or partners are personally liable so make sure you have their full details. Businesses can disappear much more quickly and easily than individuals!

For limited companies you can obtain information and documents at :https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-a-company

2. Check if the business is a signatory to the Prompt Payment Code. If so, they have committed to the Code principles and, if they don’t pay promptly, you can raise a challenge and the Chartered Institute of Credit Management will intervene on your behalf.

Their Prompt Payment Code entry may also give information about how they pay and what you need to do to ensure you are paid promptly.

If it’s a large company (as defined by the Companies Act) it has to report its payment performance on the government ‘Business payment practices and performance’ website: https://www.gov.uk/check-when-businesses-pay-invoices

3. Don’t be afraid to push for all the information you need – if you can’t get it now, it will be far more difficult later.

4. Watch out for cultivated ‘friendly’ references that the potential customer gives you. Referees that you choose are far more effective.

5. Invest in credit reference information – it could save you a bad debt.

6. Set some rules that you (and all your employees) always follow and don’t be tempted to break them, even if you’re put under pressure to supply urgently.

CAN YOU ANSWER YES TO ALL THESE QUESTIONS?

•  Do you know the exact name and trading style of the business? The people or company that own the business, and are liable for any debts, may not be the same as the name under which the business trades. Types of business include, amongst others, limited companies, partnerships and sole proprietors.
•  If it’s not a limited company do you know the name (s) and personal address (es) of the proprietor or partners
•  Have you seen headed paper or documentation that verifies this information?
•  Have you used a credit reference agency to check their details and credit status?
•  Does the information support the amount of credit they’ll need? There are many sources of information, the most common and readily available being credit agency reports and references.
•  Have you talked to other suppliers of the business to obtain references?
• Do the details on the order match those you were given earlier? If they were previously dealing with your competitor, are you happy about their reasons for coming to you?

When a customer doesn’t pay, they’re hanging on to money that is rightfully yours and you should ask for it. You should have a routine system for following up non-payment that includes letter, email, and telephone, but be prepared to act more quickly if the amount is large or you are concerned about the customer.

Follow these Five Top Tips for chasing payment, or why not give me a call on 01603 319034 for a chat.

Jacksons CRS

Lockdown means more time spent in our homes and our gardens, but whatever size garden (or windowbox) you have you can get involved (a great project to do with the children too)!

The Bee Saviour Behaviour card is one of the more original printing projects that we have been involved in. The team behind the project had the noble idea of encouraging people to carry a little card containing sugar syrup to revive exhausted bees. The idea proved popular and a crowdfunding campaign enabled the team to upscale their initial design and increase their production of the insect-reviving cards. 

How It Works

In their industrious search for nectar, bees can fly many miles from their hive. Sometimes a bee will run out of energy and land exhausted on the ground. A small drink of sweet nectar will soon have the bee back in the air, but if there are no flowers around then the exhausted bee may not be able to work up the energy to get back to the hive. 

An insect-loving good Samaritan can give a bee a dose of sugar syrup to set the insect up for the next stage of her journey. Fine if you are at home and the solution can be prepared in a teaspoon, but what if you see a distressed bee when you are out and about? This is where the Bee Saviour Behaviour card comes in. A section of the card can be peeled back to reveal the sugar syrup. Once the bee has been revived and buzzed off, the card can be resealed and popped back in a wallet or handbag.

Printing Expertise

We were contacted to provide the printing services for the latest iteration of the Bee Saviour card. We printed the backing card and two self-adhesive panels which reveal and reseal the card, one of which was foil backed.

Most importantly, we worked alongside the team at Saviour Bees advising on the simplification of the concept and working out a way of embossing the plastic card in the hexagon style. We also recommended a supplier who could produce these, the whole project was very collaborative.

We enjoyed being involved in this unusual project where our printing expertise was used to solve problems and produce an attractive functional item that is now in use internationally. People are sharing their pictures and videos of revived bees on social media under the hashtag #SaviourBees.

B2B Cashflow Solutions’ role in the business community is to source and structure funding to help businesses with working capital and growth, however, since COVID-19, available resource has been re-focused on helping businesses to re-negotiate existing debt profiles with banks and commercial lenders, including restructuring, repayment ‘holidays’ and re-financing to consolidate.

Simon Reynolds, Director, explained; ‘We believe we have a duty of care as a leading independent finance intermediary to engage with the government, national platforms which provide a collective voice, and local authorities to ensure we are fully informed and able to challenge on behalf of SME’s, many of which are under significant stress.

During this process we have experienced a variety of feedback from those delivering the government’s messages, and those desperate for help.’

Focusing on his first of two key areas of concern, Simon commented; ‘The government has rightly recognised employees and the self-employed, but has so far failed to recognise the owners of around two million ‘limited company’ SME businesses which, on advice from their accountants, are modelled on owners deriving personal income through declaring dividends on the profits they and their businesses work hard to achieve.’

Sole-traders and partnerships (self-employed) are being afforded support by way of an average of their last three years’ (as applicable) annual HMRC self-assessments, therefore the amount self-employed individuals paid themselves from the profits of their business will determine the level of taxable grants they receive (restrictions apply).

This group accounts for around 4 million businesses in the UK.

SME limited companies represent an estimated further two million businesses in the UK, and yet so far the owners of these businesses have been overlooked despite these business owners relying on profits to remunerate themselves in a similar way to the self-employed (albeit via the declaration of dividends).

Whether self-employed, or a business owner by way of company shareholding, these individuals take substantially all the risks to establish, build, finance, and manage their business. They also create significant employment along the way.

The government has rightly taken substantial measures to protect the employees of businesses across the UK, but without help for business owners of SME limited companies, there remains a real risk that an element of this investment will ultimately prove futile if employees are forced to apply for Job Seeker’s Allowance alongside their employers.

Progressing to his second key area of concern, Simon shared data published by UK Finance (the collective voice for the banking and finance industry) in regard to the new ‘Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme’ (CBILS), which states that CBILS is struggling to have the desired impact.

With just 2,022 loans (totalling £291.9m) having been drawn at time of publication despite just over 300,000 applications having been made so far, a paltry 0.65% of applications have resulted in a CBI loan.

Simon commented; ‘The speed at which these loans re being processed will be a major working capital issue to many businesses trying to survive with little or no income. I am also concerned that many of these applications have not progressed because loans under the scheme have been declined by the scheme lenders’.

While the statistics would appear to support Simon’s concerns, he added; ‘We are aware of this because of the feedback we receive from our Relationship Manager colleagues within the banks who contact us for assistance on behalf of customers they have declined under the scheme, and directly by businesses seeking alternative help having been declined under the scheme.’

In summary, Simon added; ‘It is feasible that delivery of taxable government subsidies to business owners of limited companies to bring them into line with employees and the self-employed would help them preserve cash reserves for longer, and therefore offer a better chance for their business to survive.

‘It may also relieve the strain on the banks and other scheme lenders in what is proving a difficult, and arguably ineffectual CBILS process, which it is clear needs urgent improvement to optimise the number of businesses which may benefit before it is too late for them.

‘My concern is that with so many businesses not generating sufficient income (If any) under circumstances with an unknown timeline, business owners may be tempted to apply for this additional funding simply to pay existing creditors, or to draw personal funds via Directors’ Loans.

Assuming it is unlikely that this additional debt will prove a positive impact on the ability for businesses to generate profits, I foresee a potential debt repayment ‘time-bomb’ for many businesses and their owners.’

If you would like to add your voice to the Coronavirus Support Package for Directors / Shareholders of small Limited Companies to provide a COVID-19 support package in line with that offered to the employed and self-employed, please follow the link: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/310515

Like many of you reading this I’m working from home (on my newly acquired yoga ball) with one eye on the children who are today “back at school”.  So far, so good, heads are bent over books and laptops and the timetables we drew up together are being followed. However, I’ve little doubt that at some point this week they will be torn up or abandoned as the motivational challenge gets too great.

Keeping up our motivation and staying focussed is hard when you’re working with uncertainty, when you’re dealing with things you’ve never dealt with before and you’re constantly bombarded with information.  In this situation it’s difficult managing the day to day, let alone carving out the space and time to think clearly about “what next”, let alone what comes after “next”.  As a Business Improvement District (BID), supporting over 500 businesses across the retail, hospitality and leisure, professional services and public sectors that’s what we need to try and do.  Up until now, our primary role has been to promote King’s Lynn town centre as a place to visit, shop, relax, work, do business. It’s about boosting footfall and dwell time, shining a light on all the brilliant sights and services that you can find in our town.

Clearly that role isn’t appropriate right now so instead we’ve focussed on signposting our members to reputable and reliable sources of advice, connecting them to people and organisations that might be able to help. We’re listening and gathering issues to champion with our local authority and MP, and collecting up ideas and information from other BIDs and national sources to fuel our thinking about “what next”.  

Working on recovery and beyond recovery to thriving excites and motivates me, guided in part by a blind optimism that things will get better and by the everyday stories of businesses who are adapting and developing. Piecing together ideas to form a plan will involve more listening, understanding, mapping and gathering inspiration from right across the sectors that we support, as well as tapping into the mood of the consumer; there’s a lot of talking (and reflecting) to be done!

In addition, I will draw on the invaluable insights and experiences of our national bodies; British BIDs, ATCM and The BID Foundation who at this time are undertaking very similar tasks to us as a BID, just on a different level. They have been working to ensure that Government is receiving evidence and information about the impact of Covid-19 on town centre economies as well as the impact on organisations like BIDs.  This latest survey for MHCLG will provide specific data relating to occupiers and landlords, it will be used to further understanding about the vulnerability of particular places and will inform decisions about programmes of support. If you can find 5 minutes with a cuppa to complete it, your input would be much valued.

Take part in the survey survey now.

What often happens is that out of a fear of over-claiming, owing to a lack of specialist knowledge, some commpanies are advised their activities aren’t eligible.

1 – You can’t claim for a project if it has failed. FALSE

Companies often believe – mistakenly – that if their development work hasn’t been successful or has failed to achieve its originally intended goal then the money spent cannot be reclaimed. In fact, failure is often a strong indicator of R&D tax relief Scheme eligibility. Technical difficulty, waste and the use of groundbreaking techniques are all signs of eligibility under the scheme and can form a significant part of an R&D claim.

2 – Configuring an existing IT package constitutes R&D. FALSE

Unfortunately, bolting together systems that can already be found on the market, however intricate and tailored they may be, doesn’t qualify as R&D under the legislation. Only IT projects that break new ground or truly advance the science of computing are eligible under the scheme. HMRC legislation in this area can be quite involved, so again it pays to talk to specialists in the field.

3 – You can’t claim for R&D work undertaken by a subcontractor. FALSE Under the current legislation, product development that’s outsourced to subcontractors or partners can be claimed for within your own R&D tax claim, but only depending on your company size. This can be of particular interest to smaller companies for whom partnering and pooling resources is crucial. Subcontracting is a very complicated area, best talk to an expert to maximise potential returns…

4 – R&D tax relief only applies to the work done by people in white lab coats. FALSE Qualifying R&D activity goes way beyond that. In addition to pure science-based research and development costs (scientists’ salaries, laboratory costs etc), supporting activity such as engineering or IT improvements are sometimes also eligible.

5 – Making a claim is resource and time intensive. FALSE The fact-finding part of the process can be surprisingly quick. R&D tax relief specialists who know what they’re looking for can be in and out of an organisation in a matter of hours.

Jumpstartprovide R&D tax relief assistance for UK businesses. Jumpstart has a proven track record in making successful R&D tax relief claims. They know what to claim, how to claim and, perhaps most importantly of all, the many pitfalls to avoid.

If you think you may be eligible, contact Lee Williams your local Client Engagment Manager on 07794201990safe in the knowledge that if you don’t ultimately qualify for R&D tax relief you won’t owe anyone a penny.

Hey everyone, I hate to be writing this post but in the interest of being honest and upfront with everyone who supports us. At a time when all businesses are struggling, I have had to be constantly reassessing the viability as a business and the ability to survive the current economic climate. As a business I am not entitled to any of the support the government or banks offer to small businesses and the self-employed during this time, and for the first month since I started our sales were unable to cover our production costs which I have battled to keep as low as possible even when that meant printing our magazine outside of Norwich when I would love nothing more than to make Norwich Nights magazine inside of Norfolk, I also do not take any money from the business and rely on other means to support myself.

Although I am continuing to fight to keep Norwich Nights Magazine active in very uncertain times, June’s issue was the first issue that the business could not afford to print. I personally funded the print of this months issue: which is the only reason it went to print. As I have previously said July’s issue is a joint issue and we will then return in September, I will be taking a rest week then decisions will need to made as to the future direction of the magazine there are options such as online-only, are only streams of income are advertising and subscriptions.

There is also the decision of whether to close the magazine, I am giving a deadline of 30 November 2020 to make the decision on whether or not to close the business if things haven’t improved. Although our advertising sales and subscriptions currently come from outside of Norfolk. There are local individuals and businesses who have supported the magazine from the very beginning and I would like to say a heartfelt thank you, I will continue to work to keep the magazine open for as long as possible.

In the meantime if you get value from the magazine I would love to hear from you, as it helps inform decisions.

I will post another update in August 2020.

All the Best Melissa xx

In the meantime, here’s a viola duo concert that Rachel & Simon recorded for The Belfry Centre for Music & Arts “Coronavirus Sessions” online concert series.

Kavolini are a group of passionate, professional musicians who have come together to make high quality music in Norfolk. We offer a range of musical services including String Quartet and additionally, a newly formed Band (with voice and drums).

Our talented and versatile musicians play for weddings, receptions, corporate events, parties, education workand more. We perform extensively throughout Norwich, Norfolk, Suffolk. In fact, we are happy to service the entire East Anglia region. Kavolini have played for hundreds of happy customers, thus becoming widely regarded as one of the regions leading providers of live string music.

From classical to current chart hits, our Norfolk based string quartet and trio bring an elegant ambience to any occasion. We perform both indoors and outdoors, for formal or casual events. Most importantly, our vast and varied repertoire covers genres from classical to current pop. Consequently, we can provide music to suit every occasion and taste.