Why productivity matters
Productive companies get more out of what they’ve got, enabling them to increase their profits, pay higher wages and invest in their future. More productive businesses mean a more prosperous country. Discover why productivity matters below.
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Commercial excellence
Article
The Climbing Hangar is getting professional fast to meet a market need
Having initially set up The Climbing Hangar to fund a lifestyle, Ged Macdomhnaill sensed the time was right to grow the business and is assembling a team to take the leisure brand national.
Expanding and exporting
Future planning
Article
Discover the innovative strategies behind a productive commute
A productive commute can not only help you arrive at work feeling enthused for the day ahead but also make delays and congestion more palatable. From making calls to podcast listening, we discovered the different approaches at your fingertips.
Innovation
Leadership
Article
Making your company vision and values stick in the long term
There may be excitement and engagement early on in a venture’s life, but how's does a company vision and its values become engrained and future-proofed? Be the Business found out.
Vision and values
Operational efficiency
Article
Are you managing your freelance team as effectively as possible?
While it often makes sense to engage with a freelance team or temporary workers, three creative SMEs tell what needs to be done differently – and what should remain the same - to get them working efficiently.
Labour agility
Leadership
Article
Countries in focus: The sharing culture of Norwegian businesses helps them punch above their weight
When most people think of Norway the sight of deep fjords, the Northern Lights and long summer days might come to mind. But Norwegian businesses are blazing a trail on the economic front.
Management behaviours
Commercial excellence
Article
Taking control of your marketing strategy – and reaping the benefits
It’s hard to win new customers and grow without a marketing strategy, but how do you decide who best to tell your story?
Marketing and sales
Employee engagement
Article
How to monitor your best performing staff and empower them
While most focus may go on dealing with members of staff not pulling their weight, business leaders must be careful to not ignore their best performing staff who are the most important assets.
Talent development
Employee engagement
Article
World Cup productivity: Trust your staff now and reap benefits later
While it may be tempting to crack down on employees getting caught up in World Cup fervour in the workplace, adopting an approach based on trust and accountability can create a buoyant atmosphere that lasts beyond that final whistle.
Motivation
Digitisation
Article
Good customer service interactions can be PR gold
Whilst it should be approached with a degree of trepidation, perhaps – lest social media misinterpret your good intentions – it is sometimes the case that positive PR can come from a personalised response to a customer's query.
Business operations technology
Commercial excellence
Article
Honing the company offering using customer feedback
While there have never been more ways for comments – be it positive or negative – to be given on products or services, customer feedback can be a powerful tool, if used wisely.
Marketing and sales
Employee engagement
Article
Why hiring for passion, not just experience, can be transformational
While it may be tempting to de-risk recruitment by prioritising academic achievement and work experience, hiring for passion can help populate your company with the kind of people who will live and breathe the business.
Motivation
Employee engagement
Article
Software helps us track staff performance daily
Brain Lonsdale has invested in project management software to help better monitor staff performance, and now has daily productivity insights.
Performance management
Digitisation
Video
How digitally simulating your business can transform productivity
Andrew Peters tells us that using digitalisation tools to simulate your business can create step changes in productivity by helping you to see whether your processes are aligned with your value streams.
Business operations technology
Leadership
Article
What vision and values building really teaches you
Sometimes it's the journey that teaches the most about your destination – at least that’s how I feel having been part of a vision and values building process.
Vision and values
Future planning
Article
Getting your staff interested in business turnover and profit
Financial indicators like turnover and profit can feel like abstract ideas to employees, particularly if they aren’t non-revenue generating. Yet every staff member has an impact on company performance.
Targets
Future planning
Article
Setting long-term landing zones helps drive business growth
Landing zones help define what the success of a company looks like in the long-term. Providing focus for the management team and helping drive motivation at every level of an organisation.
Ambition
Employee engagement
Article
Match your company rewards with employee needs
PrivateFly, a private jet charter firm, goes beyond traditional perks and engages employees in the rewards strategy by offering customised benefits.
Motivation
Digitisation
Article
Want to rid yourself of those pesky business admin burdens? Here are some great solutions
From balancing the company books to paying utility bills, business admin can start to become a real productivity drain. However, embracing technology automating processes means this needn’t always be the case.
Business operations technology
Digitisation
Article
Why a CRM system isn’t just for making sales
Often thought of as a corporate luxury, a CRM system is a tool facilitating sound communication between a business – both large and small – and its customers.
Commercial technology
Commercial excellence
Article
How to do business in China: Expert advice for British businesses
International business expert David Nicholls takes a look at doing business in…
Expanding and exporting
Leadership
Article
Strong values can attract the right talent
Sustainable building supplies company EnviroBuild has found that the company's job ads are attracting the right talent and just the kind of people they want to work there.
Vision and values
Leadership
Article
Bosses don’t have to be their staff’s best friends
In trying to be a friend to each of his employees one business leader ultimately found it harder to have the difficult conversations when they did arise.
Management behaviours
Employee engagement
Video
Making the employee appraisal process about personal development targets
Rather than making the appraisal process about how staff are performing by measuring them against metrics and targets, SC Group is prioritising personal development.
Talent development
Operational efficiency
Article
Catering to modern day shoppers on the high street
Household names are falling in record numbers as brands fail to provide an offering that resonates with modern-day shoppers on the high street. But there is hope, if a different approach is taken.
Shop floor management