Weekly update 08/09/24 - My battles with Google

It's been a whirlwind of a week - not necessarily productive in terms of tangible income, but my ADHD impulsiveness and strong sense of justice have kept me more than occupied.

The ongoing saga? My Google Business profile. Most of my clients have found me through Google, so having an up-to-date, active profile is absolutely vital for me. I set up the profile without a hitch when I launched ADHDaptive, and things were smooth sailing. Until I moved and needed to update my business address.

That was four months ago.

Once I changed my address, my profile was marked "unverified," meaning I couldn’t update anything, respond to reviews, or post new content. So, I followed the prompts to verify it. Google asked for a video verification, which I did - twice, in fact, following every single instruction. Both times, my verification failed with no clear reason. To make things worse, the verification options vanished, leaving me at a loss.

After digging through the labyrinth that is Google support, I managed to raise a support ticket. They suggested I hide my address since I don’t have clients visiting me. Fair enough, I thought. That should solve the problem, right? Wrong.

This time, I was offered a live video call to complete the verification. Great! I thought this was progress. But, as soon as I connected, it told me I’d been sent a message - only there was no message anywhere to be found. I tried again. Same issue. And again... and again.

Finally, I got an appointment for another video call. Progress, right? Sort of. The audio quality on the call was horrendous - other voices in the background, and the support agent's voice was practically a whisper. I showed him everything: my office, my "tools" (aka my branded hoodie and tablet). Still, a few hours later, I got an email saying I couldn’t be verified because I didn’t have a “business registration” document.

At this point, I had to laugh (to keep from crying). I explained, like the 4 million other sole traders in the UK, I’m not required to register with Companies House. I showed them my business insurance, tax reference number, and even my tax return - still no dice. Apparently, Google’s policy demands a "business registration" document, even though this isn’t a legal requirement for sole traders.

Feeling stuck, I reached out on LinkedIn, hoping for some advice. I have nearly 200 followers, but LinkedIn’s algorithm didn’t do me any favours - my post got just 120 impressions. Not much help there.

At 3:00 AM, unable to sleep, I had an impulsive epiphany. I grabbed my phone and, in the middle of the night, registered ADHDaptive as a limited company. That’s how I became CEO of ADHDaptive Limited - In my pajamas, from bed. Classic ADHD move.

I had other reasons for wanting to register as a limited company, but Google’s policy was the final straw that pushed me over the edge. The next day, I proudly sent Google my certificate of incorporation, hoping this would finally resolve the issue. But no. They asked for yet another video call. That’s scheduled for tomorrow, and while I’m hopeful, I’m not holding my breath.

My sense of justice couldn't let this rest. Google’s policies seem to blatantly discriminate against small traders in the UK, so I wrote a formal complaint to Google UK and shared it publicly on LinkedIn, Facebook, and my website. But, as with my previous post, LinkedIn’s algorithm didn’t favour - minimal exposure again.

I know I'm small fry to Google. I understand having a Google Business profile is a privilege, not a right. But it doesn’t sit well with me that Google’s policies seem to cater to larger limited companies, while sole traders are left struggling. It’s not just unfair, it’s rooted in ignorance about UK business structures. There are plenty of ways to verify a business without requiring company registration. Why should sole traders like me be forced to change their entire business structure just to meet Google’s requirements?

Beyond that, the whole process has been incredibly stressful and, frankly, inaccessible. The verification process is confusing, inconsistent, and full of roadblocks. The technology - like the poor audio quality during the calls - is atrocious, and the staff handling the calls don’t seem to have any understanding of how to communicate with neurodivergent individuals like myself.

On top of that, it highlights another issue I’ve noticed on LinkedIn and other social platforms - the algorithms seem to actively work against new startups and small businesses. Unless you get instant engagement, your post is buried. It’s the same names, the same content, just recycled. At the very least, my posts should be shown to all my followers, but they aren’t.

It’s been a frustrating week. My principles have been tested. It would have been so easy to throw in the towel and walk away. But my sense of justice won’t let me do that. The fight isn’t over yet. On the plus side, ADHDaptive is now officially a limited company - a major milestone in my journey. I hope I can close this chapter soon.

#ADHD #Neurodiversity #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #GoogleBusiness #Accessibility #Startups #JusticeForSoleTraders #LinkedInAlgorithm #MentalHealth #Inclusion #BusinessChallenges #Neurodivergent #Leadership #UKBusiness