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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Digital Readiness
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Embracing “productivity to survive” helped one firm compete with multinationals
Wanting to free up more time so the business can target winning more work, Spencer Fereday talks Be the Business through his efforts to become more productive and compete with multinationals in a very challenging sector.
Digital Commerce
Planning
Article
Good cash flow forecasting will show the way
Peter Watson explains how his four-point coronavirus crisis survival strategy is backed up by careful cash flow forecasting that will inform big decisions.
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Increase the opportunity for workplace chance encounters
Swindon-based business Infinity Nation creates lots of opportunities for chance encounters having seen the positive effect they can have.
Leadership Behaviours
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Look to philanthropy for your company’s values
If you run a business and don't yet have a set of company values, the area of philanthropy can offer extremely rich pickings suggests Rachel Clacher.
Vision & Values
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Want the best day of your career? Join an advisory board
Our interim finance director, Regina Lombard, joined our Advisory Board programme for family businesses and had one of the best days of her career.
Seek external advice
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.
Planning
Article
Getting your staff interested in business turnover and profit
Financial indicators like turnover and profit can feel like abstract ideas to employees, particularly if they aren’t non-revenue generating. Yet every staff member has an impact on company performance.
Target Setting
People & Team
Article
To furlough or not to furlough – how to make tough decisions about staff
Ccoronavirus has meant owners and leaders are facing some of the toughest decisions of their lives. Here's some help when it comes to your people.
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
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
Creating an environment that welcomes suggestions and objective feedback
Businesses which fail to provide a way for staff to provide objective feedback on their working world are missing out on a wealth of insight that would help drive productivity.
Leadership Behaviours
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
Digital Readiness
Article
Six business leaders share their favourite productivity tools
We’ve created a list of some of the best productivity tools available chosen by business owners for business owners.
Digital Commerce
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Coronavirus: How to check which government support you can access
An raft of government support for business measures have been announced to help firms overcome coronavirus impacts. Here's what you need to know.
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
Digital Readiness
Article
Outsourcing a business task can help you work out what you really want
Outsourcing is a great way for business owners to work out what success feels like for any given task knows Zoe Cunningham, MD of software development specialist Softwire.
Digital Commerce
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Communicating vision and values to a scattered team
Despite having a dispersed team – 85 marketing directors who work part-time for businesses all around the UK – Clare Methven knows they all sing from the same hymn sheet.
Vision & Values
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
Coronavirus: Insurance policies for SMEs
Coronavirus is the ultimate unforeseen event that insurance policies were designed for. However, what you might be covered for can be unclear.
Digital Readiness
Article
How two UK SMEs harnessed staff creativity to fuel innovation
Want to ensure every kernel of staff creativity has the opportunity to make a positive impact? It's easy to get everybody involved in a micro business, but organisational layers can stifle creativity as you grow.
Collaborative tools & analytics
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.
Leadership & Strategy
Article
A look at the management style changes made by successful business leaders
Whether they realise it or not, leaders in everything from business to sport have a management style. What separates the best from also rans is the ability to change this style as the environment around them evolves.
Leadership Behaviours
People & Team
Article
Boost the company culture with a lunch time activity
Lunch breaks can help boost team energy levels and integrate new team members quickly into the company culture, believes Shai Aharony, a business leader with lots of employee engagement experience.
Motivation
Planning
Article
12 hospitality trends you should pay attention to
Businesses that rest on their laurels seldom prosper, and perhaps nowhere is this more true than in the fast-moving hospitality sector.