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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
Our company values meant something different to everyone
Fordway learned that its company values meant something different to each employee. Here's how they got staff involved in updating and designing new ones.
Create meaningful vision and values
Planning
Article
Non-revenue targets enabled us to scale our values
A lot of businesses see customer satisfaction ratings plummet as they expand. ImpraGas was determined not to let that happen. Read how they used target-setting to get there.
Create non-revenue targets
Leadership & Strategy
Article
We encouraged staff to innovate by giving them the freedom to fail
When growth started to stifle innovation, Beer Hawk created a system that celebrated failure.
Empower employees to take ownership
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Bringing in an external specialist gave us cutting-edge product development
CoreRFID discovered that finding a partner with complementary high-tech expertise created a huge opportunity to expand.
Build partnerships with other experts
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
Planning
Article
We maintain investor confidence in our goals with frequent milestones
When your business is set up to deliver something several years down the line, it can be hard to maintain enthusiasm among your investors. It's a challenge that rocket company Skyrora had to overcome.
Justify long-term plans to investors
Planning
Article
Target setting by division gave us greater clarity over our goals
When you’ve got two distinct parts to your business, measuring performance can be tricky. Here’s how vegan brand TRIBE tackled the problem.
Separate your priorities
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
Sales & Growth
Article
We beat a failing market by talking our customers’ language
Starting a business when your competitors are failing can be daunting, but Forbes Burton beat the odds by adopting a customer-first approach.
Shape your language to fit customers
Planning
Article
Our office location restricted growth, so we invested in our firm’s future
The prospect of moving your business to a new site can feel daunting, but Diamond Interiors saw it as an investment in their future.
Invest in future goals
Sales & Growth
Article
Creating innovative tech? Tick. Making it commercial? Tricky
Concrete Canvas invented an innovative new textile, but faced a race against time to create demand before their funding ran out. Here's how they did it.
Identify commercial opportunities
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
A structured onboarding process helped staff adapt to our pace
Onboarding isn’t just about welcoming new people in. OneUp Sales saw business improvements across the board when the team gave a little structure to their onboarding process.
Develop a successful onboarding process
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Hiring for culture over experience helped us stand out from the crowd
If you can’t say what makes your business stand out from the competition, you’re on shaky ground. Here’s what Prezzybox did.
Hire to fit your vision and values
Sales & Growth
Article
We had to hire local talent to expand successfully
When Vuealta started global growth planning the amount of information available was overwhelming. It's solution was to invest in local support and talent.
Prepare for expansion
Digital Readiness
Article
We used collaborative tools to make remote working a success
When SmarterQueue scaled up, the company invested in collaborative tools to build a remote workforce.
Establish processes for remote working
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
People & Team
Article
Upskilling our workforce revived staff motivation
It can be tough to prevent stagnation with long-term staff, but LAC Conveyors & Automation found a strategy to breathe new life into the business.
Challenge your employees
Leadership & Strategy
Article
We were first in our market, but struggled to define our service
As an early player in the social advertising niche, Mighty Social struggled with how to frame and communicate a relatively unfamiliar offering.
Seek external advice
Sales & Growth
Article
We used customer feedback to prioritise our marketing spend
With so many marketing channels available, it’s hard to know where to invest. Bury-based security firm Expert Security let customer feedback guide them.
Set a customer feedback strategy
Sales & Growth
Article
Tracking international demand persuaded us to export
When homewares brand Radical Tea Towel noticed sales increasing in America, the business took a leap and moved into the export market.
Find proof of customer demand
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
Leadership & Strategy
Article
As the company grew, we stopped talking about our business values
Accountancy firm The Wow Company found that as the company grew, the visibility of company values suffered and it began hiring what looked good on paper.
Communicate vision and values