It’s a simple story, because it follows my own golden rule for writing. I’ve thought through what I want to convey, and to illustrate my point, I’ve introduced the idea of telling you a simple story.

Thinking of what you want to transmit as a story with a beginning, a middle and an end will help you to clarify what you need to say — and it will also help you to stay focused.

All too often, if you’re an inexperienced writer, you’ll find that as you start writing you remember something else you need to include; sometimes this “something else” can add to your message but unfortunately it can also detract.

Think through what you want to say in terms of a simple story with a beginning, a middle and an end and you’ll find you’re more able to stick to want you need to convey.

The beginning can be an introduction to what you’re going to talk about; the middle expands on your theme and gives more detail; the end simply sums up what you’ve said.

Follow these simple steps and, at least in terms of what you write, you will live happily ever after!

That kind of nonsense makes the usually affable Arthur mad as a wet hen. “Yes, most of us have cameras these days,” he says. “But clicking off a few shots of your kids on the beach is nothing like getting a professional photographer to do some portraits.”

As a journalist for many years, I used to have the same reaction when people informed me that “anyone who’s got a computer can write”. Well, yes that’s true, you can write, in the sense that you can get words down on paper. But can you write? Can you get the message across? Can you make people stop and think?

The point is, we all have a specific area of expertise and it’s usually more cost-effective, more time-effective and more efficient to stick with our own speciality and call in the professionals to do what they do best.

The sole trader or one-man band often falls prey to the “I can do that” trap, usually because there simply isn’t a budget for expensive marketing campaigns or full-page ads in the Daily Telegraph.

But there are places where you can get free expertise, if only you know where to look.

You can start by:

• Checking with your local college or university to see if they provide free business workshops or seminars.
• Asking your local council if there’s anything going on to support businesses in the area.
• Combing networking groups to find those that offer free or low-cost mini-workshops.
• Surf the web for events run by Business Link – which still seems to be functioning despite the rumour mill.

And then there’s usually an opportunity to barter, or skill-swap if you prefer, with someone who’s got the sort of expertise you want, so long as you can provide something they want in return. Think outside the box, too: the marketing guru you want may not want your building skills, but might jump at the chance to get a steady flow of introductions in the companies you work for.

Spend a little time figuring out what you really need to get your business flying and, if money’s tight, figure out how you can acquire the skills you need. It’s a much better way to spend your time than thinking “that bookkeeping, it’s just a bit of maths…I can do that.”

Readability and clarity is vital, especially on the web, but equally important on a one-off flier and your company brochure.

There’s a simple rule you can follow, in everything you write, that was explained to me by my first newspaper editor more than 30 years ago. It’s simple and it will ensure you get your message across, whatever your message, whatever your audience, whether you’re writing for a company brochure or your website, or simply sending a blog to your faithful fans.

The Golden Rule is this: say what you have to say as though you’re telling your mum or your best friend.

The key here is communication. You no doubt communicate regularly and easily with your mum or your best friend so the idea is to embed the same relaxed flow into all your communications. You wouldn’t want to fox your mum with a load of jargon; you wouldn’t want to confuse your best friend by making everything complicated.

You want to get your message across simply and efficiently: that way, your audience, whoever it is, can get down to understanding, assimilating and, perhaps, acting on your information quickly and easily.

“Too informal”, do I hear you say?

I disagree. So long as you remember to extend the same courtesy to your audience as you extend to your mum or your best friend, you won’t go wrong.

This courtesy includes:

• Being clear about what you want to say before you open your mouth / pick up a pencil / start using the keyboard. Think it through first.
• Using language that’s easy to understand: go for the commonly used word over the posh-sounding one every time.
• Avoiding jargon, even in an environment where jargon is commonplace. Jargon is often used as a kind of code, specifically designed to exclude some of those who hear it. Don’t use it.
• Keeping your sentences short and avoiding complicated grammatical constructions
• Reinforcing your message by using it in your introduction, as the “main course” of your writing and repeating it again in summary

Use the golden rule and you’ll find it easy to get your message across effectively.