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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Leadership & Strategy
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 & Values
Leadership & Strategy
Article
How to find work-life balance in family businesses
Family businesses provide a feeling of togetherness but differences in opinion can wreak havoc on relationships. Business owners share their advice.
Leadership Behaviours
People & Team
Article
Experimenting with cost-effective perks and rewards
Providing perks and rewards to employees can help create a happier, more motivated and united workforce. Be the Business spoke to three companies about what is offered – from office ski-trips to street parties, and from health monitors and pension provision.
Motivation
Leadership & Strategy
Article
The power of prioritising business must-dos over can-dos
Business leaders need to manage the tension between investing resources in long-term strategic must-dos with the more immediate and easier can-dos.
Leadership Behaviours
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Management behaviour: Work amongst staff or hide away?
As one of the most visible manifestations of management behaviour, the location a leader chooses to place themselves within an office environment can have a big impact on politics and productivity.
Leadership Behaviours
People & Team
Article
Engaging with remote working has helped my business to…
While issues such as trust, accountability and productivity often cloud the subject of remote working, businesses around the UK are embracing the practice and making it work by layering it into the company culture.
Talent development
Sales & Growth
Article
Coronavirus: Protecting customer relationships
There’s lots individual companies can be doing to protect customer relationships and revenue streams, even in cases where operations have had to be halted.
Marketing & Sales
Sales & Growth
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 & Sales
Leadership & Strategy
Article
A look at why productivity really matters for UK businesses
While many in the small and medium-sized business (SME) community might associate productivity with manufacturing and "output per hour", there are a number of less direct contributing factors.
Leadership Behaviours
Sales & Growth
Article
My business setup doesn’t allow for furloughing
Leon Edwards, MD DisplayMode, had to think quickly to avoid his business going under after realising furloughing wasn’t an option he could utilise.
Expanding & Exporting
Planning
Article
Coronavirus: Your company’s legal obligations
As the coronavirus outbreak continues it's important to stay up to date with how new developments affect your legal obligations as a business owner.
Digital Readiness
Article
Outsourcing a business task can help you work out what you really want
Outsourcing is a great way for business owners to work out what success feels like for any given task knows Zoe Cunningham, MD of software development specialist Softwire.
Digital Commerce
Leadership & Strategy
Article
The honest leaders not afraid to admit they don’t know it all
While it may be tempting to lead from the front on all matters, honest leaders are those who recognise employees are often better at their role than they are – as two SME owners explained.
Leadership Behaviours
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Customer feedback keeps Polhawn Fort ahead of trends
Sarah Turpitt, General Manager of the Polhawn Fort stays ahead of the trends by listening to customer feedback and collaborating with local producers.
Leadership Behaviours
Leadership & Strategy
Article
The different approaches taken to communicating vision and values
Taking the vision and values a company develops from the drawing board and into the workplace is easier said than done – but there are some proven strategies for communicating vision and making values stick.
Vision & Values
Digital Readiness
Article
How to ensure ongoing personal development
The role of business leaders continually evolves as a company grows. This means you need to ensure ongoing personal development and continually learn new skills knows Lisa Forde, Director of Dotty about Paper.
Collaborative tools & analytics
Planning
Article
Coronavirus: Managing your business cash flow
The delicate balance between sales, creditors and debtors has been disrupted by coronavirus. Finding ways to manage cash flow has never been more important.
People & Team
Article
From the coal face: Questioning the CEO about revenue expenditure
When a receptionist asked her CEO how the £172,000 they’d made last month was spent it prompted a closer at the company’s revenue expenditure and a resulting saving of 12 per cent the following month.
Performance management
Planning
Article
Help de-risk business growth by taking these simple steps
Ambition needs to be tempered with practical steps to de-risk growth. Entrepreneurs share the approach they take to balance growth and sustainability.
Ambition
People & Team
Article
Implement a flat management structure
Shadow Robot’s managing director Rich Walker was so determined to develop his nascent managerial skills that he joined a business growth development course.
Talent development
People & Team
Article
How Adnams is shaking off its 19th century tendencies
It’s stood the test of time, but now British beer brand Adnams is blending in some innovative management strategies to support future growth and employee empowerment.
Performance management
People & Team
Downloadable
Steps to building an onboarding process for new employees
Onboarding process steps you need to consider, including how to improve employee performance and a complete onboarding checklist.
Planning
Video
A day in the life with: Ceviche founder Martin Morales
Peruvian chef and entrepreneur Martin Morales guides us through a typical day within his Ceviche Family restaurant group, explaining how little changes make all the difference.
Create a distinct offering
Digital Readiness
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.
Digital Commerce