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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Sales & Growth
Article
Coronavirus: Managing your supply chain during the outbreak
The coronavirus outbreak means most businesses are facing challenges when it comes to managing supply chains – but there are some simple steps you can take.
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
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
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
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
How to break the culture of presenteeism in a busy workplace
Presenteeism is soaring in British businesses. Leaders share their advice on to tackle the issue before it causes stress or burnout.
Motivation
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.
Digital Readiness
Article
Customer insights showed us a new way of running business
Business owners often have a very clear idea about what they do and where they want to take their business – but customer insights can be valuable and prompting you to certain directs admitted Ann-Marie Rossiter.
Digital Commerce
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Hibernating SMEs work out how to get going again
The challenges and opportunities for SMEs hibernating since the coronavirus pandemic forced doors to close are numerous. We look at how to tackle them.
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
People & Team
Article
Using an alternative performance appraisal can help improve staff retention
Choosing an alternative performance appraisal method can help with more than goal setting – it can help with employee retention and wellbeing too.
Performance management
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
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Joining a family business advisory board can unlock new leadership skills
Three business leaders share their advisory board experience and reveal an unexpected perk – advisors to family businesses gain as much as they give.
Improve your own leadership capabilities
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Productive meetings – Ditch mobiles and risk being kicked out
They’re critical for communication and collaboration, but what is the secret to productive meetings? Be the Business showcases eight innovative and original approaches to driving efficiencies.
Leadership Behaviours
Leadership & Strategy
Article
How to build a self-managing business
Pete Fraser has never been one for micro-managing and has built a self-managing business that let's him get his head out of the sound more often than most.
Improve your own leadership capabilities
People & Team
Article
Coronavirus: How to set up remote working in times of crisis
With many employees working from home to prevent the spread of coronavirus, it's crucial to get your remote working system in place quickly to minimise business disruption.
People & Team
Video
Know your customers and inspire your people
Louise Fowler is chief customer and marketing officer at The Post Office, and has spent a quarter of a century working with some of Britain’s leading brands.
Talent development
People & Team
Article
Are you managing your freelance team as effectively as possible?
While it often makes sense to engage with a freelance team or temporary workers, three creative SMEs tell what needs to be done differently – and what should remain the same - to get them working efficiently.
Talent development
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Countries in focus: The sharing culture of Norwegian businesses helps them punch above their weight
When most people think of Norway the sight of deep fjords, the Northern Lights and long summer days might come to mind. But Norwegian businesses are blazing a trail on the economic front.
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
People & Team
Article
World Cup productivity: Trust your staff now and reap benefits later
While it may be tempting to crack down on employees getting caught up in World Cup fervour in the workplace, adopting an approach based on trust and accountability can create a buoyant atmosphere that lasts beyond that final whistle.
Motivation
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
Leadership & Strategy
Article
How to manage a six-fold increase in demand – the challenges and opportunities of thriving in a pandemic
Cash flow forecasting firm Float has seen a six-fold increase in demand during coronavirus. CEO Colin Hewitt explains how he's met that increase in demand.
Leadership Behaviours
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