Blog

Welcome to the Oyster Flame blog – a practical space for small business owners and growing organisations who want to work more efficiently, with less overwhelm.

You’ll find articles here covering organisation, systems, spreadsheets, processes and the everyday realities of running a business when time is tight and everything feels important. The focus is always on making things simpler, clearer and more manageable – not adding more tools or complexity for the sake of it.

Some posts share practical tips you can put into action straight away, while others explore common challenges I see when working with clients, such as messy data, over-reliance on spreadsheets, or processes that have grown organically and no longer quite fit. I also share occasional reflections on productivity, planning and running a business in a way that supports both growth and sanity.

Whether you’re here for a quick tip, a deeper dive into improving how your business runs, or reassurance that you’re not the only one feeling spreadsheet-weary, I hope you’ll find something useful. Have a browse, bookmark what helps, and feel free to get in touch if you’d like support putting any of it into practice.

My Day in Cups of Tea

Earlier this year I was diagnosed as having borderline high cholesterol. Rather than ignore the diagnosis, I decided to work with a nutritionist, to try…
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Laptop in use with cup of coffee on the side, webform being completed (How to brief a VA)

How to brief a VA

Once you’ve decided to work with a virtual assistant (VA) the first thing you need to do is brief them (How to brief a VA).…
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Alarm clock outside with 3 piles of coins, sprouting plants. Alarm clock has coloured numbers and a white face.

Top Time Saving Tips

Are you a lark or night owl? Do you know when your most productive time of the day is? You may know instinctively, if not,…
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Photo from TV show Call The Midwife, of the character Shelagh with a new born baby in her arms

Doing too much?

A quote from an episode of Call The Midwife "If I don't do too much, not enough gets done" Do you ever feel like that?…
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