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Planning
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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
Digital Readiness
Article
We found a digital solution to reduce our drivers’ fuel wastage
Reducing fuel wastage across a large fleet of drivers comes down to changing driver behaviour. First Mile turned to technology to help.
Digitise your internal systems
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Our cross-training programme has upskilled the team and boosted retention
Encouraging staff to mentor each other helped The Stag Company cope with staff absences and boost team morale.
Develop an internal training programme
Planning
Article
We took a risk and changed business direction
To succeed in a new market, Natterbox needed to create fresh goals and ensure staff were invested enough to buy into them across the different departments.
Ensure employees buy in to targets
People & Team
Article
We used coaching and peer reviews to turn around outdated management
Changing an ingrained patriarchal management culture was never going to be easy at Harvey Water Softeners. Find out which two people development tools helped most.
Shape your leadership to fit staff needs
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
Working with a mentor transformed my approach to staff management
How do you turn things around when your staff lack motivation? For Tutor House founder Alex Dyer, a mentor was crucial to getting his business back on track.
Seek neutral advice
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
People & Team
Article
We built a training culture to survive rapid change
Shopblocks staff needed more time to explore new development areas, but it was hard to find capacity for a training culture without damaging existing work.
Create a training culture
Planning
Article
The senior team had to learn to do less to build a growth strategy
Beezee Bodies had a problem – ensure senior team members had the capacity to focus on business growth, without compromising on quality or staff experience.
Change your mindset around future planning
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
Sales & Growth
Article
Moving beyond paid acquisition broadened our marketing reach
For BusinessComparison, it didn’t pay to put all its efforts into one type of marketing activity. Broadening the strategy led to greater reach.
Expand your marketing reach
Digital Readiness
Article
We upgraded our software capabilities to gain real-time insights
With outdated software slowing processes and stifling growth, Blends tracked down a new solution.
Find software that supplies real-time data
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
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
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Beating a divided culture helped us improve as leaders
Pork scratchings brand Snaffling Pig faced the challenge of reconciling a divided culture among staff – one solved through uniting on the same vision.
Improve your own leadership capabilities
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 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
Planning
Article
We chose stories over advice to get the most out of our business mentors
HR firm CharlieHR recognised it would need outside help to continue growing the business, in particular growth strategy insight from business mentors.
Develop external contacts
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
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
Staggering hires helped us do marketing properly
Forecasting firm Futrli found it hard to coordinate marketing with no dedicated team and little budget. Those without the right skills were plugging gaps.
Set a marketing strategy
Sales & Growth
Article
We pivoted our restaurant business when sales steered us in a new direction
Quay St Diner launched with a big dream of California-style food, but responded when customers opted for a different direction.
Learn from your sales