Reputation Part 2

The dangerous thing about your reputation is that it is subjective for everyone else. You may do and say many things that you think are good and righteous, but the reality is that your reputation is based on other people's opinions of you. This means that every single person has a slightly different perception of you, making sustaining a good reputation quite difficult.

Reputation Part 1

Benjamin Franklin once said: ‘It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.’

The Legal Battle Part 2

Weeks later, the Council started a case against us again in a tribunal, for not being members of the PRS. This made no sense, as we are in fact a member of the PRS and had already provided them with the details earlier that year. But the Council claimed that it was not Lifestyle Club Limited that was the member of the PRS, but Lifestyle Club LSC Ltd. For this, they concluded that we were in breach and fined us £5000.

The Legal Battle Part 1

After the article was published about the “letting club scandal” in May 2018, it was clear that this would not be the end of the story. Soon after the article came out, the local council paid us an intimidating visit. It was not the first time they had visited us, as they had already come in January to review our business model and make a few recommendations for improvement. Last time, they told us to put a sticker on our window and improve the display of our fees on our website. However, this time, it was different. We were labelled as criminals, and the presumption of innocence seemed to be out the window. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

The Guardian Article

In May 2018, my business was doing extremely well. I woke up to a beautiful morning with birds singing and freshly made coffee and breakfast. My day took an unexpected turn, however, when I discovered an article in The Guardian titled “The Lettings Club Where Tenants are Fined £90 for Leaving Dirty Dishes.” For the first time in my life, I was left genuinely speechless.

The Master Degree of Bullshit Part 2

It is absolutely mind-boggling to me how individuals with Master's degrees cannot perform the basic tasks required by their profession. The truth is, not everyone who holds a Master's degree possesses the necessary qualities and skills to excel in their chosen profession. Don't get me wrong, obtaining a Master's degree is a great accomplishment, but it does not necessarily guarantee success in the workplace.

The Master Degree of Bullshit Part 1

As a seasoned businessman with almost two decades of experience in managing and creating workforces across different countries, languages, and circumstances, I have seen it all. My name is Gian Paolo Aliatis and I can confidently say that I have learned a lot about running a business, from employment to recruitment and training.

The Power of The Media Part 2

Nowadays, the media is very forceful and aggressive. This generation is coerced into following someone's ideas, concepts and beliefs and if they stray from the common narrative, they are labelled as bad people or failures. This is contrary to what is actually important, such as individualism and bravery. The media's relentless messages can lead individuals to believe that being a victim and a coward is acceptable, that there is no use in speaking up, and that someone else is always in control. This can be especially dangerous during a child's formative years, when they are most impressionable.

The Power of The Media Part 1

A few years ago, I read an article that said people don’t have ideas - the ideas have the people. This blew my mind and changed my understanding of the media forever.

Unwanted Attention Part 2

Years down the line, that lesson prevailed in most of my decisions: do not buy expensive flashy cars and live the typical “rich life”. I learned that living the “high life” takes a lot of time out of my day-to-day, either from my business or personally. While it's not wrong to have nice things, it's important to understand that owning these things requires a significant investment of time and resources. Material possessions will drain your bank account and finances, but most importantly, your time. The conscious decision to live a simple life largely contributed to the growth of my business and the ultimate success of my operation.

Unwanted Attention Part 1

They say that there is no such thing as bad publicity - that any attention is good attention. In my experience, it’s not that simple. Attention is complicated and the desire to obtain it can be problematic. When we are babies, we demand our parent’s attention for survival. This instinct follows us through life. As we grow older, it becomes important to balance the amount of attention we give and receive - how you behave is up to you.

The UK Judicial System Part 4

Reflecting back on my experiences with the UK judicial system, it's disheartening to realize that even though I was acquitted, I couldn't recover my legal costs from the prosecution. They only refunded me at an LHA rate, which meant that if I paid £200 or £300 an hour to my solicitors, I would only receive a refund of £70 an hour. Does that seem reasonable to you?

The UK Judicial System Part 3

The UK judicial system is split into two main categories: civil and criminal matters. While my experience with the county court shed some light on the civil justice system, my encounter with the magistrate's court and the crown court opened up a whole new world to me.

The UK Judicial System Part 2

So I arrived at my first court hearing, only to find that Gian Paolo Aliatis was one of hundreds of names summoned to court that day. Everyone who arrived was checked in and then the court decided whether to hear their case or not. In my opinion, it was a bit of a joke.

The UK Judicial System Part 1

If you are a player in the flatshare business, you will definitely get to know and understand the UK Judicial system. Civil and housing matters can easily become criminal and vice versa. It all depends on the interpretation of the legislation for shared accommodation, which is often vague. In my earlier days in the industry, flat-sharing and subletting were considered quasi-criminal operations, even though we were simply renting out rooms. As a result, we became well-versed in the judicial system, handling disputes with the magistrate court regarding council tax, unfinished payments, and unlawful eviction claims.

A Flatshare Affair

After 15 years of business ventures in different industries across different countries, I finally stumbled upon a money-making machine. Flatshares.