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
Three business leaders explain how they make tough business decisions
Whether it's firing someone or working out who to promote, many leaders struggle when it comes to making tough business decisions. Be the Business found out seeking advice and simply biting the bullet helps.
Leadership Behaviours
Digital Readiness
Article
Prioritising new business development
Yash Dubal, founder of A Y & J Solicitors, has chosen to seize the moment and come out fighting with exciting new business development and a marketing push.
Article
Pivoting from one business offering to another
As one of her hospitality firm came to a screeching halt, Hattie Mauleverer took solace in an astonishing spike in demand for her other business offering.
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Coronavirus: How to make tough business decisions
Falling revenues and future uncertainty driving by the coronavirus outbreak means that many leaders are facing tough business decisions.
Digital Readiness
Article
Coronavirus: Protect your business from cyber attack during the outbreak
Evidence is emerging that cyber attack criminals are seeking to exploit coronavirus. However, there are a number of clever tools at the disposal of SMEs.
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.
Digital Readiness
Article
How building business partnerships with universities and research bodies can pay off
Universities are edifices of industry expertise. Building business partnerships with these institutions can create commercial opportunities and help small companies kickstart innovation.
Collaborative tools & analytics
Planning
Article
We’re looking at ways to completely restructure the business
The coronavirus lockdown has been eye-opening for Catherine Connor, co-founder of Lovingly Artisan, who is now eyeing a restructure.
Change your mindset around future planning
People & Team
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
People & Team
Article
The big business practices that have helped small tech firms succeed
Big business practices like Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and self-management can drive rapid growth in small tech businesses.
Talent development
Sales & Growth
Article
Three ways entering business awards can give you a competitive edge
Entering business awards might not be at the top of your to-do list, but we think it could be once you find out how three family business leaders gained an upper hand by doing so.
Marketing & Sales
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Three successful coronavirus-led business pivots
With continuity a thing of the past, all leaders will need to be thinking about business pivots. We look at how three shifts produced quick results.
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
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Lessons in task delegation: the right and wrong approach
Business owners often wrestle with task delegation. Stepping away from tasks can be daunting. We spoke to three experienced founders about their approach.
Vision & Values
Leadership & Strategy
Article
A shared approach to a charitable initiative can bring a team together
When Nick Gold, MD of motivational and after-dinner speakers agency Speakers Corner (speakerscorner.co.uk) wanted to introduce a charitable initiative into the workplace he considered two approaches.
Vision & Values
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Restaurant Nathan Outlaw shakes up industry norms
As the only two Michelin-starred fish restaurant in the UK, Ian Dodgson is always having to think about creative improvements at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw.
Support your employees
Digital Readiness
Article
Learning from the leaders of hospitality sector innovation
Find out how three entrepreneurs embraced hospitality sector innovation to help diversify in a competitive industry and take their companies to the next level.
Collaborative tools & analytics
Planning
Article
How I successfully applied for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
Barry Leahey successfully applied for funding through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. He talks us through the key steps he took.
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
Article
I’ve been in hospitality for 30 years, but I never stop learning
As MD of Dukes Collection, a boutique hotel in London and Dubai, Debrah Dhugga has developed a keen eye for what customers are really looking for.
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
Sales & Growth
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 & Exporting
Sales & Growth
Article
Are you thinking about your direct-to-consumer relationships enough?
With retailers, pubs and restaurants forced into closure, businesses around the UK are having to pay more attention to direct-to-consumer sales.
People & Team
Article
We keep our staff constantly intellectually challenged
Technical consultancy Amido has turned work down because it didn’t feel that it would keep its employees fully engaged or intellectually challenged, and makes sure staff are involved with client negotiations from the outset.
Motivation