Commercial and Affiliate Disclosure
Version 1.0
Published 20 August 2026
A Little Bit of Stone, often shortened to ALBOS, is an independent local news and community platform operated by ALBOS MEDIA LIMITED.
Producing and operating A Little Bit of Stone costs money. We generate income through a number of commercial activities alongside our editorial work.
This page explains those commercial relationships, how they are identified and the distinction between commercial activity and independent editorial coverage.
Our approach to journalism and editorial independence is set out separately in our Editorial Policy.
How A Little Bit of Stone is funded
ALBOS MEDIA LIMITED generates income from activities including:
- advertising
- sponsorship
- business directory listings
- paid promotional content
- affiliate links and referral arrangements
- reader support and subscriptions
- website development and other commercial services
The mix of income sources may change over time as the business develops.
Commercial income helps fund the operation of A Little Bit of Stone, including the website, technology, administration and the work involved in producing and publishing local news and community information.
Editorial and commercial independence
Commercial relationships do not determine our independent editorial coverage.
Paying to advertise with ALBOS does not guarantee editorial coverage. Equally, choosing not to advertise with us does not prevent a business or organisation from being covered where there is a genuine editorial reason to do so.
Advertising, sponsorship, directory listings and other paid services provide commercial exposure. They are separate from independent editorial coverage.
Our Editorial Policy explains this distinction in more detail.
Advertising
A Little Bit of Stone carries paid advertising from businesses and organisations.
Paid advertising will be clearly distinguishable from independent editorial content.
Display advertising, including banners and other advertising placements, will be presented so that its commercial nature is clear.
Where commercial material could reasonably be mistaken for independent editorial content, we will clearly identify its commercial nature.
Paid advertising does not give an advertiser control over unrelated editorial content.
Information about advertising opportunities with A Little Bit of Stone is available on our advertising pages.
Paid and promotional content
Some businesses and organisations pay ALBOS to create or publish promotional content.
Where content is advertising, we identify it clearly using an appropriate label such as Ad, Advert, Advertisement or Advertisement Feature.
A paid article will not be presented to readers as independent editorial journalism.
Where ALBOS creates commercial content for a client, we retain responsibility for ensuring that material published on our platform meets our standards and any applicable advertising requirements.
Sponsorship
Businesses and organisations can sponsor particular areas, features, campaigns or activities on A Little Bit of Stone.
Where a feature, section, campaign or activity is sponsored, the sponsorship relationship will be clearly identified.
Sponsorship does not give the sponsor control over unrelated editorial coverage.
Where a sponsorship arrangement also includes advertising or promotional content, those elements will be identified appropriately.
Business directory
The A Little Bit of Stone business directory is a commercial service.
Businesses can purchase directory listings with different levels of features and promotional benefits.
A directory listing does not guarantee editorial coverage elsewhere on A Little Bit of Stone.
Likewise, editorial coverage of a business does not automatically provide that business with the additional promotional benefits available through our paid directory or advertising services.
More information about the business directory is available here.
Supporting local businesses
Stone’s local economy and business community are an important part of A Little Bit of Stone.
ALBOS provides local businesses with opportunities to reach our audience through advertising, sponsorship, directory listings and other commercial services.
Independent editorial coverage and commercial promotion remain separate. Editorial coverage of a business does not create an entitlement to free advertising, promotional links or other commercial benefits.
Consumer content may include links to local businesses, national retailers, online services or other providers where they are relevant and useful to readers.
Some of those links may be affiliate or referral links. Where that is the case, the commercial relationship will be clearly disclosed.
Commercial opportunities do not affect our decision about whether a business is genuinely newsworthy or should be included in independent editorial coverage.
Affiliate links
Some content published by A Little Bit of Stone, including on our website and social media channels where permitted by the relevant affiliate programme, may contain affiliate links.
An affiliate link is a tracked link to another business or service. When a qualifying purchase, subscription, registration or other transaction is attributed to one of these links, ALBOS receives a commission or referral payment.
ALBOS does not add a separate charge when a reader uses an affiliate link. Prices, offers and other terms are set by the retailer or service provider.
Affiliate income helps support the operation of A Little Bit of Stone.
The presence of an affiliate link does not determine our editorial view of a product, service or subject.
An affiliate link does not necessarily mean that ALBOS personally recommends the linked product or service unless the content specifically says that we do.
How we identify affiliate content
Affiliate relationships are disclosed where readers encounter the relevant commercial content.
Where affiliate links appear within otherwise independent editorial content, we will clearly identify the relevant affiliate section or links before the reader encounters them.
We may use an asterisk or another marker next to affiliate links where the accompanying disclosure clearly explains what that marker means.
For example, an article containing affiliate links may include wording explaining that links marked with an asterisk are paid affiliate links and that A Little Bit of Stone earns a commission from qualifying transactions.
Where an article or other piece of content is wholly or primarily advertising built around affiliate linked products or services, we will identify it clearly as advertising before readers engage with the content.
A general disclosure on this page does not replace appropriate disclosure within content containing affiliate links.
Amazon Associates
A Little Bit of Stone participates in the Amazon Associates programme.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
When a qualifying Amazon purchase or other eligible transaction is attributed to one of our affiliate links, ALBOS receives commission or a referral payment.
The existence of an Amazon affiliate relationship does not mean that Amazon sponsors, endorses or controls A Little Bit of Stone.
Other affiliate and referral programmes
ALBOS may participate in affiliate or referral programmes operated by businesses other than Amazon.
The same principles apply.
Where a qualifying transaction generates a commission or referral payment, the commercial relationship will be disclosed appropriately.
We do not rely on this page alone to identify affiliate advertising where a disclosure is required alongside the content itself.
Product choices and shopping guides
A Little Bit of Stone may publish buying guides, product information, comparisons and other consumer content where we believe it is useful to our audience.
This can include products and services available from local businesses, national retailers, online retailers or specialist providers.
We do not promise to source every product or service locally. Where an online or national provider offers a useful option for readers, we may link to it.
Where those links are affiliate links, they will be identified appropriately.
Where an article or other piece of content is wholly or primarily advertising built around affiliate linked products or services, its commercial nature will be made clear before readers engage with it.
Prices, availability and third party services
Prices, availability, offers, subscription terms and product specifications on third party websites can change.
Readers should check current information with the retailer or service provider before making a purchase, entering into a subscription or committing to another transaction.
A link from A Little Bit of Stone to another website does not make ALBOS responsible for that website, its products, its services or the fulfilment of a transaction.
Complimentary products, services and invitations
Businesses and organisations sometimes provide products, services, tickets, meals, invitations, access or other benefits without charge or at a reduced cost.
Receiving something complimentary does not guarantee positive coverage.
Where receiving something free or at a reduced cost is relevant to readers’ understanding of the content, we will disclose that relationship.
Where an arrangement constitutes advertising, the content will be identified as advertising rather than presented as independent editorial coverage.
Reviews
Where we review a product, service, venue or experience, our published assessment reflects our editorial judgement.
Payment, complimentary access or the provision of a review product does not guarantee a positive review.
Any relevant commercial relationship connected with the review will be disclosed.
Affiliate links may be included alongside a review. Where they are used, the affiliate relationship will be identified appropriately.
Other ALBOS MEDIA LIMITED services
ALBOS MEDIA LIMITED provides commercial services in addition to operating A Little Bit of Stone.
These include website development and other business services.
A commercial relationship with another part of ALBOS MEDIA LIMITED does not give a client control over A Little Bit of Stone’s unrelated editorial coverage.
Where such a relationship creates a relevant potential conflict of interest in an editorial story, it will be handled in accordance with our Editorial Policy.
Reader support
Readers can support A Little Bit of Stone directly through services such as voluntary contributions and paid subscriptions.
Reader support does not provide control over editorial decisions or guarantee that particular subjects, organisations or viewpoints will receive coverage.
Information about ways to support A Little Bit of Stone is available in the footer of every page on our website.
Questions about commercial relationships
If you have a question about an advert, affiliate link, sponsorship or other commercial relationship on A Little Bit of Stone, please contact us.
Questions or complaints concerning our journalism should be raised through our Complaints Procedure.
