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Sales & Growth
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We identified a target audience and found a global market to tackle seasonality
Cocofina found it challenging to maintain consistent sales throughout the year because of its issues with seasonality – sales suffered in the winter.
Identify target markets
Sales & Growth
Article
Tracking international demand persuaded us to export
When homewares brand Radical Tea Towel noticed sales increasing in America, the business took a leap and moved into the export market.
Find proof of customer demand
Sales & Growth
Article
We lost sight of how important managing customers proactively is
When customer issues started slipping under the radar, Arthur Online took a proactive approach to their customer service.
Manage customers proactively
People & Team
Article
We created a bespoke training programme to invest in employee development
When expensive external training proved too generic for staff needs, Tommies Childcare developed its own programme.
Define the skills needed
People & Team
Article
Upskilling our workforce revived staff motivation
It can be tough to prevent stagnation with long-term staff, but LAC Conveyors & Automation found a strategy to breathe new life into the business.
Challenge your employees
Planning
Article
Target setting by division gave us greater clarity over our goals
When you’ve got two distinct parts to your business, measuring performance can be tricky. Here’s how vegan brand TRIBE tackled the problem.
Separate your priorities
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Our cross-training programme has upskilled the team and boosted retention
Encouraging staff to mentor each other helped The Stag Company cope with staff absences and boost team morale.
Develop an internal training programme
Digital Readiness
Article
Digitising sales processes improved customer retention and created time to innovate
Digitising processes isn’t just about efficiency - it can improve customer retention and leave you with more time to innovate. YES Glazing Solutions found some surprising benefits of adopting CRM software.
Streamline your processes
Leadership & Strategy
Article
We had to build machine learning capabilities without sector expertise
Streetbees believed machine learning could unlock the value of the market research it was doing for clients, but didn’t have the sector expertise needed.
Establish R&D budget and strategy
Digital Readiness
Article
We used external agencies to build a luxury ecommerce giant
Leather retailer Maxwell Scott found it challenging to transition its door-to-door business into a digital success, turning to external agencies for help.
Collaborate externally
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Bringing in an external specialist gave us cutting-edge product development
CoreRFID discovered that finding a partner with complementary high-tech expertise created a huge opportunity to expand.
Build partnerships with other experts
Sales & Growth
Article
Global competitors with deep pockets? Do the simple things brilliantly
If you’re going up against global companies with bigger budgets, make sure your basics are spot on. OTTY Sleep did exactly this to compete.
Respond to competition
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Engaging our customer service team has kept staff turnover low
Faced with a tough market and limited hiring options, Joseph Turner opted for a system of total transparency with staff.
Encourage staff to share opinions
Digital Readiness
Article
We couldn’t build any further without developing our business data
Users of the ShopAppy website were dropping off as changes were based on one or two opinions, rather than prioritising based on user business data.
Develop the use of business data
Sales & Growth
Article
We pivoted our restaurant business when sales steered us in a new direction
Quay St Diner launched with a big dream of California-style food, but responded when customers opted for a different direction.
Learn from your sales
Planning
Article
My technology failed because I didn’t think big enough
When Formula Botanica realised early on that its technology wasn’t keeping pace with growth it put in place a plan that would provide peace of mind.
Invest in new technology
Digital Readiness
Article
We upgraded our software capabilities to gain real-time insights
With outdated software slowing processes and stifling growth, Blends tracked down a new solution.
Find software that supplies real-time data
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Our business is global, but managing a team working remotely is tough
As Formula Botanica has grown it has struggled to find people who won’t “wither” working remotely across England, Belgium, Slovakia and Brazil.
Support your employees
Planning
Article
We maintain investor confidence in our goals with frequent milestones
When your business is set up to deliver something several years down the line, it can be hard to maintain enthusiasm among your investors. It's a challenge that rocket company Skyrora had to overcome.
Justify long-term plans to investors
People & Team
Article
Diversifying our incentives helped keep staff motivation high
Consultancy firm 383 faced a battle to keep staff motivation high and see important projects through as they gravitated towards comfort zones.
Provide staff with recognition, and experiment with non-financial rewards
People & Team
Article
Our appraisal process left us struggling to compare employee performance
Preston-based firm Suresite realised that its staff review process was too vague to provide any real insights on company-wide performance.
Define 'good' performance using clear performance metrics
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Beating a divided culture helped us improve as leaders
Pork scratchings brand Snaffling Pig faced the challenge of reconciling a divided culture among staff – one solved through uniting on the same vision.
Improve your own leadership capabilities
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Sharing our vision with staff gave us the momentum to move forward
When you’re tasked with juggling history and modernity, small steps can make a big difference. Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses is leading the way.
Check staff understand your vision
Planning
Article
We chose stories over advice to get the most out of our business mentors
HR firm CharlieHR recognised it would need outside help to continue growing the business, in particular growth strategy insight from business mentors.
Develop external contacts