Shopfront Social
Now taking on pilot businesses

Your shop's social media, sorted. No agency prices.

I look at what's actually stopping people from choosing your business, then run social media and content built specifically to fix that. Not generic posts, and not a report that sits in a drawer. The two, working together.

Free, no-obligation look at your current page: three things to fix, today. No faff.

Who I work with
  • Cafés & bakeries···
  • Florists···
  • Hair & beauty···
  • Independent shops···
  • Gyms & small studios···
  • B&Bs & pubs···
  • Photographers & trainers···
Cafés & BakeriesFloristsHair & BeautyIndependent ShopsGyms & StudiosB&Bs & PubsPhotographers & Trainers Cafés & BakeriesFloristsHair & BeautyIndependent ShopsGyms & StudiosB&Bs & PubsPhotographers & Trainers
In short

Not content, or analysis. Both, in that order.

People sometimes see this page and assume it's just posting on social media, or just business analysis. It's neither on its own. It's this:

01

Understand

I take a proper look at your Google Business Profile, reviews and your business's own busy/quiet patterns to find what's actually stopping people from choosing you.

02

Create & run

Then I run your social media and content, built specifically to fix that. Not generic posts about your business in general.

03

Results

More visits, bookings or orders in the exact area we targeted. Reported in plain English, not vanity metrics.

The problem

It's not your product. It's that nobody's minding the shop window.

Most local businesses I meet have good products and loyal regulars, but an Instagram that's gone quiet, photos taken in bad light, and no clear way for a new customer to find opening times or place an order.

A big agency wants £1,000–£3,000 a month and a contract that doesn't flex around a quiet Tuesday. That's not built for a five-table café or a one-woman florist.

46%
of Google searches now have local intent: people looking for something nearby, not just any business.
24 hrs
is roughly how long it takes most "near me" searches to turn into an actual visit.
2 weeks
is how often your plan gets reviewed and adjusted here. Not once a quarter, and not never.
How it works

Two-week check-ins, not vague monthly promises

Everything is planned in short, two-week stretches with one clear goal each time, so you always know what's happening and why. No jargon needed.

01

What to fix first

The free check-up becomes a short list of priorities, based on what actually brings in visits, bookings or orders.

02

A two-week plan

Each month splits into two-week stretches, each with one clear goal, not just "we'll post some things".

03

Content goes out

Posts, stories and scheduling happen exactly as planned for that stretch.

04

A quick catch-up

A short monthly chat on what worked. Anything about pricing, offers or reputation always gets your okay first.

Know your customer

Who are you actually talking to?

A gift shop near a university and a family-run B&B don't need the same platform, tone or content, because their customers don't find businesses the same way online. Part of the check-up is working out exactly who you're really talking to.

Under ~28s

Increasingly search Instagram and TikTok before Google when looking for somewhere local. For a café near a campus or a gym with a younger crowd, that's where the content needs to live.

Over 35s

Still search Google first, most of the time. For a B&B, a traditional pub or professional services, a strong Google Business Profile and Facebook still carry the most weight.

Everyone, every age

Checks reviews before visiting, whichever platform they found you on. That part never changes, whoever your customer is.

Why local

What a big agency can't offer

Local

I actually know Wigan, Rochdale, Bolton and Lancashire. Not a template built for a city I've never visited.

Easy to reach

One phone, one person, no ticket queue or account manager reshuffle.

Flexible

Quiet month? Big event coming up? The plan moves with your business.

I can visit

Some of the best content comes from an hour in your shop, not a stock photo library.

Plain English

No dashboards full of jargon, no waffle. Just what's working and what to try next.

Results-focused

The goal is more visits, bookings and orders, not just a bigger follower count.

Not just posts

Small local businesses don't need more content. They need a plan to actually grow.

Most small businesses I've met in England are talented and well-loved locally, but stuck, because nobody's shown them the full toolkit. Posting alone doesn't fix that. This comes from what actually worked building my own brand from scratch:

Reviews & reputation

Nearly half of all Google searches now have local intent, and most people who search for something nearby visit within a day. A strong, well-managed Google Business Profile is often worth more than a dozen posts.

Real storytelling

Content that shows the workshop, the process and the people behind the counter, not stock templates.

Strategic positioning

Every piece of content ties back to a clear message about who you're for and why they should choose you.

Real community, not big numbers

A loyal core of regulars who comment and share beats thousands of silent followers. We build that by featuring your customers, replying to every comment, and turning regulars into your best promoters.

Launches & seasonal moments

Built around real dates that matter to your customers: new menus, collections, Valentine's, Christmas, local events.

Culture that connects

Where it fits, content grounded in cultural identity: the thing that makes a business memorable, not generic.

Questions

What people usually ask first

Trust & control

Do I need to give you my Instagram password? +
No. I'm added as a collaborator through Meta Business Suite. You keep ownership of the account and can remove access at any time.
What if I don't like a post before it goes out? +
Nothing goes live on pricing, offers or anything sensitive without your okay. That's built into the two-week check-in, not an afterthought.
Is everything written by AI? +
Smart tools help things move quickly and keep costs down, but every piece is reviewed and adapted to your business before it's posted.

Money & commitment

Am I locked into a long contract? +
Month-to-month after an agreed starting period. No surprise tie-ins.
Do you run paid ads too? +
That's a separate service. Any ad spend goes straight to Meta or Google. It's never mixed in with my fee.
What's included, and what costs extra? +
Every plan is laid out in full in the Plan Guide. Ask and I'll send it over.

Results & fit

How soon will I see results? +
Consistent content from the first two-week sprint. Enquiries and bookings usually start moving between week 4 and 8.
What if my business doesn't have great photos? +
We work with what you've got, or book a 60–90 minute photo & video session as a one-off.
Do you work with my direct competitors too? +
No. One business per category in your area at a time, so there's never a conflict of interest.
Can I pause during a quiet season? +
Plans can flex around known quiet seasons. Just agree it with me in advance.
Free tips

From the notebook

Bits of the process, given away for free, because most of this isn't secret. It just doesn't get done.

5 things your Google Business Profile is missing (and it's costing you customers) +
Most local businesses claim their profile and stop there. Five things quietly decide whether people choose you: accurate opening hours (including bank holidays), recent photos so people know what to expect today, every question in the Q&A section actually answered, replies to reviews (especially the less glowing ones), and the most specific category and attributes available (things like "wheelchair accessible" or "outdoor seating" change whether you show up in certain searches at all). None of it costs money. A 20-minute fix here often moves the needle faster than a month of extra posts.
How to spot your business's dead hours (and what to do about them) +
Every local business has a lull, and knowing exactly when it happens, and why, is worth more than any single post. Start with what you already know: most owners can name their quiet afternoon without needing data. Then check Google's own "popular times" for your listing, or till timestamps if you have them. Once you've found the gap, ask why: no passing footfall, nothing on offer, competition nearby, or something external like the school run. The fix is never "post more". It's one specific offer, built for that window and promoted specifically to fill it.
Why 3 good reviews might be worth more than 300 followers +
Followers are a vanity number; reviews are a decision-making tool. Nearly everyone checks reviews before choosing a local business. Three recent, detailed reviews (the kind that mention a specific dish, a specific member of staff, a specific thing you fixed) do more to turn a stranger into a customer than a follower count ever will, because they answer the exact question a new customer is silently asking: is this actually good?
Are you marketing to the right generation? A quick check for local shops +
A café near a university and a family-run B&B don't need the same platform. Under-28s increasingly search Instagram and TikTok before Google when looking for somewhere local; over-35s still mostly search Google first. Whichever camp your regulars fall into changes where your time should go. A beautifully run Instagram means little if your actual customers are still finding you, or not, through Google search. Start by asking who already comes through your door, and where they'd look for somewhere like yours.
5-minute Google Business Profile fixes you can do today +
You don't need a strategy session for these: 1) check your opening hours are accurate, including upcoming bank holidays; 2) add one recent photo, from this month, not opening day; 3) answer any unanswered question sitting in your Q&A; 4) reply to your most recent review, good or not; 5) double-check your category is the most specific one available, not just the closest match. Small, but each one is a trust signal that adds up.
What we'd do first for a small café in Wigan +
Say a café has strong lunch trade but sits empty from 2–4pm. Before touching content, we'd run the Google Business Profile audit and check that quiet window against the owner's own sense of the day. If it's real and repeatable, the goal becomes specific: fill that window, not "grow followers". That might mean an afternoon tea offer, a laptop-friendly corner, or a weekly local meet-up. With content, a Google Business Profile update and maybe a small local collaboration all pointed at that one goal for a two-week sprint, measured against one number: covers or orders in that window, before and after.

About

Who's behind this

I've spent 15+ years in operations, import/export and supplier management, including building and growing my own product brand from scratch, where "marketing" meant Google reviews, real storytelling and local partnerships, not just an Instagram grid. I'm also certified in Business Analysis and trained in Scrum fundamentals, which means before I write a single caption, I ask how your business actually makes money, who your best customer is, and what's happening in the hours your shop goes quiet.

That's the difference between "I post content" and a plan that connects your marketing to your till.

Business Analysis certified Scrum fundamentals certified 15+ years in operations Based between Manchester & Liverpool

Right now: a 5-business pilot

I'm taking on five local businesses for a 30-day pilot: a free audit, a content calendar and professional posts, at a pilot price. Once the five spots are filled, it closes.

Claim a pilot spot