About Be the Business
Our mission
Be the Business was established to bring together companies large and small and make the UK home to the most ambitious firms in the world. However, we know that at a time like this, when businesses of all shapes and sizes have been hit hard by coronavirus, leaders around the UK are getting back to basics and thinking about survival rather than productivity improvements.
Whether it’s finding new ways to incentivise and engage with your staff, taking a look at your own leadership and management style or investing in the kind of tools and technology that will help prepare your business for a new way of operating, there is no better way to tackle these kinds of challenges than by collaborating with others who are doing it at the same time.
That’s what our Rebuild offering is all about. It brings together free expert advice on recovery tactics, stories from your peers and access to like-minded people to bounce your ideas off.
We’ve also adapted our national business mentor programme, creating a rapid response offering that pairs small and medium-sized businesses with experienced professionals from a wide range of household businesses. Leaders from businesses of all shapes and sizes in collaborative ways rebuild through action-driven content, mentoring, problem-solving groups, and a leadership resource in partnership with the Institute of Leadership and Management.
In the months ahead you will be making big business decisions – but you don’t need to go it alone. Let’s rebuild together.
Our history
Having been asked by the chancellor in 2015 to dig deeper into Britain’s productivity problem, Sir Charlie Mayfield brought together some of the brightest minds in UK plc to approach the problem in a different way.
The “How Good Is Your Business Really” report called for a business-led response to the UK’s productivity challenge and identified improving SME management and leadership capability as the key to change.
Led by Sir Charlie and chief executive Anthony Impey, Be the Business was launched in November 2017 with funding and support from the UK government and some of Britain’s leading companies. We work with the entire business community to share what works for today’s best businesses with every company that wants to learn and improve.
Our work
- Productivity through People
- Mentoring
for Growth - Communities
of Practice
Productivity Through People
Strathclyde
Addressing key business challenges such as employee engagement, leadership, communication and culture change, Productivity through People is a unique programme available to business leaders throughout the UK.
It’s delivered in collaboration with world class organisations such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, EDF Energy and the John Lewis Partnership, providing exposure to leading organisations adept at aligning a workforce on a common goal and streamlining operations to achieve peak efficiency and productivity.
Getting the most out of your workforce is a key component of Be the Business, so find out today how you could make powerful changes in your organisation.
Delivery partner:
University of Strathclyde
Supporters:
BAE Systems, John Lewis Partnership, GSK, Rolls-Royce
Point of contact:
Eleanor Shaw – eleanor.shaw@strath.ac.uk
Productivity Through People
Lancaster
Addressing key business challenges such as employee engagement, leadership, communication and culture change, Productivity through People is a unique programme available to business leaders throughout the UK.
It’s delivered in collaboration with world class organisations such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, EDF Energy and the John Lewis Partnership, providing exposure to leading organisations adept at aligning a workforce on a common goal and streamlining operations to achieve peak efficiency and productivity.
Getting the most out of your workforce is a key component of Be the Business, so find out today how you could make powerful changes in your organisation.
Delivery partner:
Lancaster University Management School
Supporters:
BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Siemens
Point of contact:
Helen Wilkinson – h.f.wilkinson@lancaster.ac.uk
Productivity Through People
Bath
Addressing key business challenges such as employee engagement, leadership, communication and culture change, Productivity through People is a unique programme available to business leaders throughout the UK.
It’s delivered in collaboration with world class organisations such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, EDF Energy and the John Lewis Partnership, providing exposure to leading organisations adept at aligning a workforce on a common goal and streamlining operations to achieve peak efficiency and productivity.
Getting the most out of your workforce is a key component of Be the Business, so find out today how you could make powerful changes in your organisation.
Delivery partner:
Bath University
Supporters:
Rolls-Royce, EDF Energy, BAE Systems, Babcock International
Point of contact:
Jan Stiles – J.Stiles@bath.ac.uk
Productivity Through People
Aston
Addressing key business challenges such as employee engagement, leadership, communication and culture change, Productivity through People is a unique programme available to business leaders throughout the UK.
It’s delivered in collaboration with world class organisations such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, EDF Energy and the John Lewis Partnership, providing exposure to leading organisations adept at aligning a workforce on a common goal and streamlining operations to achieve peak efficiency and productivity.
Getting the most out of your workforce is a key component of Be the Business, so find out today how you could make powerful changes in your organisation.
Delivery partner:
Aston Business School
Supporters:
EY, Rolls-Royce
Point of contact:
Paula Whitehouse – p.a.whitehouse@aston.ac.uk
Productivity Through People
Belfast (Coming soon)
Addressing key business challenges such as employee engagement, leadership, communication and culture change, Productivity through People is a unique programme available to business leaders throughout the UK.
It’s delivered in collaboration with world class organisations such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, EDF Energy and the John Lewis Partnership, providing exposure to leading organisations adept at aligning a workforce on a common goal and streamlining operations to achieve peak efficiency and productivity.
Getting the most out of your workforce is a key component of Be the Business, so find out today how you could make powerful changes in your organisation.
Delivery partner:
Queen’s University Belfast
Supporters:
TBC
Point of contact:
Nola Hewitt-Dundas – Nm.Hewitt@qub.ac.uk
Productivity Through People
Swansea (Coming soon)
Addressing key business challenges such as employee engagement, leadership, communication and culture change, Productivity through People is a unique programme available to business leaders throughout the UK.
It’s delivered in collaboration with world class organisations such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, EDF Energy and the John Lewis Partnership, providing exposure to leading organisations adept at aligning a workforce on a common goal and streamlining operations to achieve peak efficiency and productivity.
Getting the most out of your workforce is a key component of Be the Business, so find out today how you could make powerful changes in your organisation.
Delivery partner:
Swansea University
Supporters:
TBC
Point of contact:
Gary Walpole – g.l.r.walpole@swansea.ac.uk
Mentoring for Growth
North West
The power of a business mentor is having an experienced person to bounce ideas off of, test assumptions and challenge your way of working.
Our Mentoring for Growth programme, run in partnership with Growth Hubs throughout the UK, pairs SME leaders in need of guidance with mentors plucked from market-leading companies such as Accenture, BT, GSK and the John Lewis Partnership.
An open and honest exchange of ideas, expertise and experiences helps both shape the future direction an SME might take and provides important small business insights that mentors are able to take back into their own companies.
Delivery partner:
GC Business Growth Hub
Supporters:
KPMG, Cisco, BT, BAE Systems, GSK, Sharing in Growth, Siemens, John Lewis Partnership, Accenture, EY
Point of contact:
Dawn Duggan – dawn.duggan@growthco.uk
Mentoring for Growth
West Midlands
The power of a business mentor is having an experienced person to bounce ideas off of, test assumptions and challenge your way of working.
Our Mentoring for Growth programme, run in partnership with Growth Hubs throughout the UK, pairs SME leaders in need of guidance with mentors plucked from market-leading companies such as Accenture, BT, GSK and the John Lewis Partnership.
An open and honest exchange of ideas, expertise and experiences helps both shape the future direction an SME might take and provides important small business insights that mentors are able to take back into their own companies.
Delivery partner:
GBS LEP Growth Hub
Supporters:
KPMG, Cisco, BT, BAE Systems, GSK, Sharing in Growth, Siemens, John Lewis Partnership, Accenture, EY
Point of contact:
Adele Cope – mentoring@gbslepgrowthhub.co.uk
Mentoring for Growth
Greater London
The power of a business mentor is having an experienced person to bounce ideas off of, test assumptions and challenge your way of working.
Our Mentoring for Growth programme, run in partnership with Growth Hubs throughout the UK, pairs SME leaders in need of guidance with mentors plucked from market-leading companies such as Accenture, BT, GSK and the John Lewis Partnership.
An open and honest exchange of ideas, expertise and experiences helps both shape the future direction an SME might take and provides important small business insights that mentors are able to take back into their own companies.
Delivery partner:
London Growth Hub
Supporters:
KPMG, Cisco, BT, BAE Systems, GSK, Sharing in Growth, Siemens, John Lewis Partnership, Accenture, EY
Point of contact:
Monica Montero – Monica.Montero@newable.co.uk
Mentoring for Growth
North East
The power of a business mentor is having an experienced person to bounce ideas off of, test assumptions and challenge your way of working.
Our Mentoring for Growth programme, run in partnership with Growth Hubs throughout the UK, pairs SME leaders in need of guidance with mentors plucked from market-leading companies such as Accenture, BT, GSK and the John Lewis Partnership.
An open and honest exchange of ideas, expertise and experiences helps both shape the future direction an SME might take and provides important small business insights that mentors are able to take back into their own companies.
Delivery partner:
North East Growth Hub
Supporters:
KPMG, Cisco, BT, BAE Systems, GSK, Sharing in Growth, Siemens, John Lewis Partnership, Accenture, EY
Point of contact:
Dinah Jackson – Dinah.Jackson@nelep.co.uk
Communities of Practice
Cornwall hospitality cluster
With many SME leaders not having access to an effective network of peers so that they can share and learn to better manage their businesses, we are building out a community with the Cornwall hospitality cluster.
Launched in 2018, our cluster initially saw 75 hospitality companies in Cornwall coming together to share business ideas and tips, both in person and via digital platforms. These businesses have already begun to identify challenges in common, and we are helping them to coalesce around solving these.
Over the next year they will come together to discuss key themes such as the team, the customer and the overall business – using masterclasses, action learning groups and workshops to bring them to life.
Key supporters:
Matthew Thompson and Mark Holden
Point of contact:
Paloma Sackman – paloma.sackman@bethebusiness.com
Communities of Practice
North West family businesses
Family businesses are the backbone of the British economy, but many are held back by lack of exposure to new ideas, different working practices and potentially game-changing collaborations.
Our efforts will centre on helping plug some of these gaps, using examples of best practice and progressive thinking to provide a guiding light for companies looking to improve and grow.
Touching on themes such as employee engagement, succession, new technology and overall company vision, the wider potential of British family businesses can be realised.
Point of contact:
Paloma Sackman – paloma.sackman@bethebusiness.com
“This is a moment we cannot miss. For every business to raise its game and in turn transform our competitiveness as a nation. The productivity movement we are building is real and it's a privilege to play my part in it.”
Anthony Impey, chief executive, Be the Business
