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.
Filter
Sales & Growth
Article
A small business retail story: Why coronavirus won’t be the end of Papersmiths
Papersmiths founder Sidonie Warren tells her coronavirus story from her spare bedroom, surrounded by neat stacks of notebooks, journals and greetings cards.
People & Team
Article
Tried and tested approaches to deal with staff missing targets
Be the Business spoke to three forward-thinking SMEs about the strategies employed to both identify when staff are missing targets, and get them back on track.
Performance management
Planning
Article
The secret to hospitality success? Creating a welcoming space
Many board game cafés have a reputation for being unwelcoming to gaming newcomers. Chance & Counters set out to become a different kind of business.
Create a distinct offering
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Challenge the old ways of doing things
When James Calder set up Distinct Recruitment, he remembered the old ways – when bosses typically sat in their own office when he was a young employee – and it was something he wasn't keen to repeat.
Leadership Behaviours
Article
From an experienced leader to a new one
Liz Smith, MD with LG Printing, looks back to her first difficult years as a leader and offers some leadership advice to her younger self.
People & Team
Video
Chris Mayne of Forsberg Services says it’s your culture which delivers your strategy
Chris Mayne is operations director at Forsberg Services, an engineering company based in Lancaster which specialises in producing high-precision navigation solutions for businesses across a range of sectors, including automotive, container ports, telecommunications and defence.
Motivation
People & Team
Video
Chris Blade of Cumbria Crystal sets his team a one per cent productivity challenge
Chris Blade is managing director of Cumbria Crystal, a manufacturer of bespoke crystal in Ulverston in the Lake District. Cumbria Crystal is the last producer of completely hand-blown and hand-cut, full-lead, luxury English crystal in the United Kingdom.
Talent development
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Peter Bibby: I hate waste and I’m efficiency mad
We spoke with Peter Bibby, an expert in turning around failing businesses, with over 20 survival stories under his belt. He shares with us the importance of efficiency and what it takes to make a small and medium-size enterprise successful.
Leadership Behaviours
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Stuck in a lift with 10 business leaders – what would you ask?
Series one of the It's The Small Things podcast featured ten small change champion CEOs, founders and leaders. Take a quick tour to find out was learnt.
Improve your own leadership capabilities
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
Planning
Article
How Chance & Counters used personal experience to carve out a niche
Board game café Chance & Counters was founded on a simple belief that most business owners can relate to – that something could be done better.
Create a distinct offering
People & Team
Article
The secrets behind The Pig Hotel success
It’s iconic buildings and eye-catching kitchen garden food have seen it become a darling of the UK hospitality scene, but what is it that really makes The Pig Hotel stand out from competitors?
Talent development
Leadership & Strategy
Article
How do family businesses tackle the subject of vision and values?
Company values guide businesses through different generations. But new leaders need to innovate. We talk to family-owned companies about their vision.
Vision & Values
Leadership & Strategy
Article
It’s The Small Things: Detox Kitchen founder Lily Simpson
Detox Kitchen founder Lily Simpson shares the challenges of running a food business – from avoiding trends trap to learning to trust your instincts.
Structure your approach
Sales & Growth
Article
This firm is seeking new revenue streams amidst the chaos
Finnmark Sauna planned to maintain its rate of expansion in 2020, and the founders are using new revenue streams to ensure coronavirus doesn't slow them down.
Digital Readiness
Article
It’s The Small Things: Graze CEO Anthony Fletcher
From humble beginnings to 500 staff, Graze is an amazing British business story. CEO Anthony Fletcher talks about the small decisions being made each day.
Develop the use of business data
Sales & Growth
Article
Think local for success with unusual export countries
Red tape, complex regulations and confusion over which authority to approach regarding which issue can make exporting to any country, especially those in the developing world, difficult, time consuming and expensive.
Expanding & Exporting
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Coronavirus: How to collaborate with other businesses
With demand for many products and services falling fast, learning how to collaborate with other businesses is one way to lessen the coronavirus impact.
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: Rent, rates and business property
With the outbreak of coronavirus, many firms are facing the temporary closure of their primary business property. But there are some steps you can take.
Sales & Growth
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 & Sales
Leadership & Strategy
Article
What a butcher can learn from a steel supplier
Sharing common business problems has brought companies from very different backgrounds together and begun to form long-lasting support networks.
Seek external advice
Leadership & Strategy
Article
How to become a disruptive leader in a family business
We spoke with Barry Leahey MBE about what it means to be a disruptive leader – especially when you’re at the helm of a family business.
Leadership Behaviours
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Want the best day of your career? Join an advisory board
Our interim finance director, Regina Lombard, joined our Advisory Board programme for family businesses and had one of the best days of her career.
Seek external advice