Business Placements provide family firm leaders with a look inside UK enterprise

Leaders of family businesses in the North West of England are now able to experience first hand the operations of other firms in their community or further afield.

In partnership with Chambers of Commerce in the North West, Be the Business offers placements in a variety of settings. Leaders can spend as little as a day or as long as a week in another company.

A Business Placement is a rare chance for leaders to explore different ways of working and to pick up new ideas to take back to their own company. It’s also a great way to reflect on leadership style in an unfamiliar setting or to pick up inspiration for how something might be approached differently.

For Richard and Angela Barker of Chocolate Cottage, a business placement with Lisa Smith of Ginger Bakers made them rethink their plans for scaling up production.

“The business placement was hugely successful with lots of discussion around things we hadn’t even thought of. Chocolate Cottage is in a position Ginger Bakers was in years ago. Learning from Lisa’s experience, we might need to set sights higher and think larger”.

For Lisa, sharing her experience with another business was hugely rewarding. “It was great to talk about the business and how others work. But also, to share the highs and lows- warts and all.”

To learn more about Business Placements, or to register your interest in taking part as either a participant or visitor, please get in touch at familybusiness@bethebusiness.com or sign up here.