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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Planning
Article
Coronavirus cash flow crib sheet
Cash flow is going to be a big focus for all businesses the next 12 months. This article brings together expert advice, tips and best practices.
People & Team
Article
Be innovative to retain your best staff
Keeping talented staff members in your company means accepting that traditional working conditions and standards may no longer apply, believes entrepreneur Callum Negus-Fancey.
Talent development
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
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
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
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
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
Coronavirus: How to come up with new revenue streams
While there is lots of government business support available during the coronavirus outbreak, it may be time to start thinking about new revenue streams.
Sales & Growth
Article
Creating a business marketing strategy that stays relevant
From selling to millennials to leveraging new trends, a business marketing strategy is a process constantly under pressure and in need of innovation. Find out how five British SMEs have tackled the issue.
Marketing & Sales
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
Leadership & Strategy
Article
A day in the life of former Cisco CEO Phil Smith
While the average working day of a top-level CEO is hard to nail down, Cisco’s Phil Smith had some tried and tested strategies to ensure his hours in the office and on the road were as efficient and effective as possible.
Leadership Behaviours
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
How to break bad news about performance – and turn it positive
How do you break bad news to staff without demotivating them? Business owners share advice on dealing with difficult situations.
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
Sales & Growth
Article
Why some businesses are selling internationally more than domestically
Despite Britain abandoning its target of £1tn in exports by 2020, Be…
Expanding & Exporting
Leadership & Strategy
Article
This family firm attracts new customers by thinking locally and acting globally
The family run Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway is attracting new customers internationally by working with their local community.
External Collaboration
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
Digital Readiness
Article
Why a CRM system isn’t just for making sales
Often thought of as a corporate luxury, a CRM system is a tool facilitating sound communication between a business – both large and small – and its customers.
Digital Commerce
People & Team
Article
Software helps us track staff performance daily
Brain Lonsdale has invested in project management software to help better monitor staff performance, and now has daily productivity insights.
Performance management
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
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
Digital Readiness
Article
Seconding employees from other businesses to drive innovative thinking
Seconding employees offers a fresh perspective and boosts personal development. It’s a win-win-win opportunity, so why are secondments so rare?
Collaborative tools & analytics
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
Planning
Article
Balancing business ambition with setting unattainable growth targets
Finding the right balance between ambitious goals and unattainable growth targets is crucial to getting the best out of staff. Failure to reach a goal can damage motivation, yet targets are an incredibly powerful motivator. So, how should you approach setting them?
Ambition