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
People & Team
Article
From the coal face: Changing the way an employee rewards process works
When management charged Francesca Bull and her two colleagues with bettering the company’s employee rewards system the small team took things one step further and set about addressing other concerns and ideas they had.
Motivation
Planning
Article
A step-by-step guide to getting your business open for business again
With the government publishing plans to enable certain sectors in England to open for business again, here are some important steps to consider.
Planning
Article
Setting targets as a family business – it’s about aligning expectations
Running a family business gives you the chance to think about long-term performance. But it's important to make sure the goals of different family members are aligned when setting targets.
Target Setting
Sales & Growth
Article
Five SME leaders explain how they picked the best social media platform for their business
From LinkedIn to Pinterest, picking the best social media platform for your business comes down to aligning it with the values, interests and demographic of your customers.
Marketing & Sales
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
Leadership & Strategy
Article
What you can learn from Ceviche’s Martin Morales
At a Be the Business masterclass business leaders shared what they learned from the Ceviche story and how they would use it to make their firms even better.
Improve your own leadership capabilities
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
Leadership & Strategy
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 & Values
People & Team
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
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
Digital Readiness
Video
VIDEO: Why easyJet embraces a curious, not critical approach
Eager to uncover how it can better serve its diverse customer base, easyJet ancillary revenue director Andrew Middleton explained how the airline is iterating and evolving through constant feedback.
Collaborative tools & analytics
Sales & Growth
Video
Louise Fowler – Engaging your staff to deliver for your customers
Louise Fowler is chief customer and marketing officer at The Post Office. She explained the importance of your business focusing on delivering for customers.
Marketing & Sales
People & Team
Article
Using role-play in job interviews helps test instinct
When finding staff with a industry passion and the right customer-facing skills became a challenge for Chance & Counters it used quirky job interviews.
Recruit to succeed
Sales & Growth
Article
Focus on what makes you truly unique as a business
When brother and sister team Harry and Leah Lobek decided they couldn’t put off starting a business any longer, the two knew the concept needed to stand out in a crowded market. The end result, London Shell Co., definitely hits the mark there.
Marketing & Sales
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Meet two holiday parks leading progressive change in the tourism sector
Two award-winning holiday parks are putting the environment at the heart of their company vision and are delivering unforgettable customer experiences.
Communicate vision and values
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
Sales & Growth
Article
Exporting into unusual countries can open up unexpected doors
Doing business successfully to one unusual export country can lead to opportunities in others.
Expanding & Exporting
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
Sales & Growth
Article
Simplified customer interaction is key
It is important for companies to think about the way how their customers want to interact and make it as easy as possible.
Marketing & Sales
Planning
Video
A business mentor gave me a sounding board for my ideas and decisions
A business mentor may seem formal, expensive or out of reach, but there have never been more opportunities to access an experienced individual to bounce ideas off in times of need and drive effective change.
Ambition
Planning
Article
Define your business USP so it isn’t just hypothetical jargon
The easiest place to start talking about your company is probably the business USP – what makes your product or service different? But it’s difficult to define a USP that doesn't rely on industry buzzwords or hypothetical jargon.
Ambition
People & Team
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
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Weighing up quick business wins with longer-burn strategies
It may be tempting to launch into a series of grand plans designed to catapult your company to the next level, but ignoring quick business wins could mean you struggle with momentum.
Leadership Behaviours
Leadership & Strategy
Article
SMEs decide if pivots are permanent or passing trends
Some businesses have responded to coronavirus by altering services or doing something completely new. We look at how SMEs are pivoting to protect revenues.
Leadership Behaviours