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Digital Readiness
Article
To attract customers to our online brand, we added trust-building features
How do you get customers to leave a lifelong brand and try something new? Subscription brand Waldo found the answer.
Encourage trust online
People & Team
Article
We stopped trying to shoehorn people into a role needing filled
Rattan Direct had been guilty of shoehorning someone into an in-house role they don’t really want or settling for a new hire who lacked the right skills.
Recruit to succeed
Sales & Growth
Article
We identified a target audience and found a global market to tackle seasonality
Cocofina found it challenging to maintain consistent sales throughout the year because of its issues with seasonality – sales suffered in the winter.
Identify target markets
Sales & Growth
Article
We invested in customer experience to beat the competition
Using customer experience to set your business apart can help you compete with much bigger, more established brands. Here’s how one jewellery company took on Tiffany’s.
Invest in your customer experience
Leadership & Strategy
Article
We codified our culture to successfully expand to new locations
To expand your business, try to get your cultural values out of your head and into a format you can share with everyone else. See how Chance & Counters did it.
Keep values across different locations
People & Team
Article
Allowing staff to innovate took the business in new directions
When you get stuck in a rut, how do you re-energise your business? Online gift company Prezzybox found that innovation started with its staff.
Encourage staff innovation
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Suppliers provided the magic to develop the impossible ice cream
Corte Diletto took an innovative approach to product development – using external help to develop the idea after manufacturers thought it wasn't possible.
Develop external contacts with the aim of developing new products / services
Sales & Growth
Article
Our sales team chased corporate customers, then succeeded in a niche
When PracticeWeb's sales team realised they were spending time on pitches they couldn't win, they went back to the drawing board to define their key client personas.
Train your sales force
Sales & Growth
Article
Working with overseas distributors helped us tailor our marketing
If you want to increase export sales, your network of distributors is a crucial source of insight into global audiences. Read how manufacturers Heald made the most of theirs.
Learn from distributors
Planning
Article
Finding a North Star helped us focus on our future
Nutritionists Beezee Bodies realised it was prioritising immediate, everyday work over tasks that could contribute to long-term business goals.
Develop a comprehensive target-setting process
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Understanding our value was the key to successful collaboration
When it comes to collaboration, there’s plenty of risk for a small business. Recognising its worth helped Interactive Scientific to even the playing field.
Know your company's value
Digital Readiness
Article
Digitising sales processes improved customer retention and created time to innovate
Digitising processes isn’t just about efficiency - it can improve customer retention and leave you with more time to innovate. YES Glazing Solutions found some surprising benefits of adopting CRM software.
Streamline your processes
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Sharing our vision with staff gave us the momentum to move forward
When you’re tasked with juggling history and modernity, small steps can make a big difference. Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses is leading the way.
Check staff understand your vision
Digital Readiness
Article
The best decision we ever made? Taking a risk and embracing the unknown
Plastic Card Services took a leap of faith and invested in new technology to build a sustainable advantage.
Find opportunities outside your skillset
People & Team
Article
To retain skilled staff, we made the most of low season
As a seasonal business Baboo Gelato had to retain skilled staff from summer to summer, but keep staff costs lower during the quiet colder months.
Shape your team to meet fluctuating demand
Planning
Article
To take on a British giant we focused on solving customer problems
Hometree realised early on that it would need a key point of differentiation to tackle competitor British Gas – truly addressing customer problems.
Create a distinct offering
Sales & Growth
Article
A focus on brand consistency guided us through a risky expansion
The ideal growth rate is steady and manageable, but how would you cope with an unexpected opportunity for expansion? Restaurant chain The Coconut Tree tackled it with a brand-first focus.
Keep your brand consistent
Digital Readiness
Article
Using a spreadsheet to manage stock was not working anymore
Cheeky Chompers relied on Excel to manage stock, manufacturing and customer orders. This made for a complex supply chain and was hard to keep on top of.
Digitise your supply chain
Digital Readiness
Article
We couldn’t build any further without developing our business data
Users of the ShopAppy website were dropping off as changes were based on one or two opinions, rather than prioritising based on user business data.
Develop the use of business data
Digital Readiness
Article
We beat bigger budgets by focusing on our independent niche
How do you compete with some of the biggest brands in the world? Best of British Beer started by embracing its independence.
Identify potential areas for growth
Planning
Article
We moved away from distribution to survive in the coffee market
To survive in a competitive industry, Coffee Central looked to advanced overseas markets – and made a radical change at the right time.
Keep up with market changes
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Why we marketed our core values before we marketed our product
How do you find customers for a product you haven't quite finished yet? You inspire them with your vision and your brand values of course, like Origin Workspace did.
Ensure clients understand your values
Sales & Growth
Article
Building business relationships helped us conquer the education market
When it came to identifying growth channels, Show My Homework turned to building business relationships as a way of knowing when and where to sell.
Build external relationships
Leadership & Strategy
Article
We had to build machine learning capabilities without sector expertise
Streetbees believed machine learning could unlock the value of the market research it was doing for clients, but didn’t have the sector expertise needed.
Establish R&D budget and strategy