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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People & Team
Article
Lay the groundwork now so your staff can assume extra responsibility in the future
If junior members are staff are expected to eventually take a step up and start embracing extra responsibility then training and skill development must be part of their day-to-day lives, as Be the Business found out from three forward-thinking SMEs.
Talent development
Planning
Article
Your coronavirus cash conservation checklist
With so much uncertainty around how long the impact of coronavirus will last, cash conservation will decide how your business gets through the outbreak.
People & Team
Article
How to stop your employee talent from leaving the business
You spend all that time, money and effort securing the best hires and then your employee talent decides to leave well before you’d like them to. Find out how two very different businesses keep their best.
Talent development
People & Team
Article
Coronavirus: How to reduce your workforce in a controlled way
The coronavirus outbreak has made the prospect of job losses and the need to reduce your workforce immediate. Here's how to do it in a delicate way.
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
Coronavirus: How to check which government support you can access
An raft of government support for business measures have been announced to help firms overcome coronavirus impacts. Here's what you need to know.
Sales & Growth
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 & Exporting
People & Team
Article
Why it helps to define what good staff performance actually looks like
From a weekly health check to project management software, staff performance is at the forefront of the agenda for Love Energy Savings and Smarter Digital Marketing as the two businesses look to make the workforce more productive.
Performance management
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 one founder is giving a helping hand where it’s needed most
When one of his clients ordered more work, Jublo founder Joshua Atkins saw the chance to do his bit in a time of crisis.
Leadership & Strategy
Article
A flat management structure can empower staff during rapid growth
A flat management structure gets rid of traditional hierarchies and empowers employees. We looked at the benefits and potential drawbacks.
Leadership Behaviours
Leadership & Strategy
Article
The different interpretations of vision and values in business
They're discussed a lot in terms of their importance in setting a successful strategy, but interpretations of vision and values are often unique to each company and leader. Be the Business digs a little deeper.
Vision & Values
Leadership & Strategy
Video
Three tips for improving your business’s productivity
Andrew Peters, from Siemens, passes on three tips for improving your business’s productivity, based on his experiences in business over the past twenty years.
Leadership Behaviours
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
People & Team
Article
It pays to talk about underperformance
When underperformance has been identified then the best approach is to discuss with employees why they are struggling shares Sarah Penn, Chief Executive of Outstanding Branding.
Performance management
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
People & Team
Article
Cutting half its staff provided a renewed focus for LifeSkills
It takes a brave leader to make half their employees redundant and slash turnover, but that’s exactly what LifeSkills boss Spencer Fearn has done.
Motivation
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Communicating vision and values to a scattered team
Despite having a dispersed team – 85 marketing directors who work part-time for businesses all around the UK – Clare Methven knows they all sing from the same hymn sheet.
Vision & Values
Digital Readiness
Article
Successful business process outsourcing comes down to asking the right questions
Whilst it can be tempting go all in on business process outsourcing to keep internal costs down, decision makers need to think about where knowledge gaps exist and how the situation might change as a company expands.
Digital Commerce
Leadership & Strategy
Article
33 deliverables to stand out in the hospitality sector
Strategic planning is crucial to succeed in the competitive hospitality industry. Jon Yantin, a senior hospitality strategist at Stake Concepts, shares with us his framework for launching new businesses and reinvigorating existing ones.
Planning
Article
How a drive for innovation turned Trunki into a global brand
Since launching in 2006, Trunki has grown into one of the most recognisable global brands in the travel space. Staying innovative was key to this progress.
Create a distinct offering
People & Team
Article
Ashley Challinor: Finding the right role for me
After stints as cabin crew and running chalets in the French Alps, Ashley Challinor joined The Headland Hotel two years ago and set about finding the right role for her skill set.
Listen to employees
People & Team
Article
We reward hard work with an equity stake
Opinium has taken a different route rewarding its best performing employees with an equity stake in the business, believing it is a more effective way of recognising effort.
Motivation
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Let go of the reins and let the team flourish
Karen McLellan needed to take less of a hands-on role as her firm expanded following a merger, but that meant doing something with her team that she'd never been very good at.
Leadership Behaviours