We’ve been supporting small business leaders to reach their productivity potential since 2017.
“This is a moment we cannot miss: for every business to raise its game and, in turn, transform our competitiveness as a nation. The productivity movement we are building is real and it's a privilege to play my part in it.”
Anthony Impey, Be the Business CEO
The story so far
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2015 – Then Prime Minister David Cameron asked Sir Charlie Mayfield and Sir Richard Lambert to review the UK’s long-standing productivity challenges. The Productivity Leadership Group was formed and began a 12-month review of the UK’s productivity situation.
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2017 – Following the publication of ‘How Good Is Your Business Really?’, Be the Business was founded with a clear mission: to help small business leaders improve the performance of their business through greater productivity.
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2018 – Our first fully-funded programme, Productivity through People, is launched in collaboration with universities across the UK.
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2019 – We onboard the first small businesses to our Be the Business Boards programme and host our first Be the Business Festival later in the year.
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2020 – Anthony Impey MBE joins Be the Business as CEO. In the same year, we launched Rebuild to help small businesses recover following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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2021 – We published the first edition of the Productive Business Index in partnership with Oxford Economics. The report measures and tracks changes in UK micro and small business performance and capabilities over time.
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2022 – The second Be the Business Festival drew over 200 small business leaders to Leeds for a day of expert-led discussions and networking. The Construction Productivity Taskforce, featuring some of the UK’s biggest construction companies, was founded.
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2023 – Our G7 Productive Business Index, which compares productivity of small businesses in the G7 countries, is published in August. The pilot of The Productivity Programme begins.
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2024 – Be the Business achieves £501 million in GVA uplift for participants in our programmes. We launched the Be the Business Manifesto at the Houses of Parliament.
Our partners
Working in partnership with big & small businesses
A list of logo's from the following companies: Accenture, Amazon, Bae Systems, Cisco, KPMG, Lloyds, and McKinsey & Company.
Join the mission
Realise your business ambitions
The Productivity Programme gives you the tools, energy and confidence you need to take your business to the next level
Over six months, you can access your very own advisory board, one-to-one mentoring and peer-learning sessions.
Partner with us
We collaborate with organisations who put small business productivity first.
Be part of it
We’re always looking for industry leaders and business experts to support our mission.