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Sales & Growth
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We invested in customer experience to beat the competition
Using customer experience to set your business apart can help you compete with much bigger, more established brands. Here’s how one jewellery company took on Tiffany’s.
Invest in your customer experience
People & Team
Article
Giving junior staff a voice helped us win in a competitive market
Softwire fell into the trap of assuming the culture of open communication wouldn’t change as it grew, but junior staff stopped approaching the senior team.
Listen to employees
Digital Readiness
Article
We found a digital solution to reduce our drivers’ fuel wastage
Reducing fuel wastage across a large fleet of drivers comes down to changing driver behaviour. First Mile turned to technology to help.
Digitise your internal systems
Planning
Article
Our office location restricted growth, so we invested in our firm’s future
The prospect of moving your business to a new site can feel daunting, but Diamond Interiors saw it as an investment in their future.
Invest in future goals
Leadership & Strategy
Article
As the company grew, we stopped talking about our business values
Accountancy firm The Wow Company found that as the company grew, the visibility of company values suffered and it began hiring what looked good on paper.
Communicate vision and values
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
People & Team
Article
We proved culture beats budget to hold on to our staff
Futrli found it challenging to retain staff as a young SME in the tech market. It had to compete with larger budgets for wages and training at bigger firms.
Provide development opportunities
Sales & Growth
Article
A blow to supermarket sales made us reevaluate our growth strategy
Relying too heavily on one revenue stream can be fatal for a business. Pieminister changed direction when its supermarket sales took a hit.
Diversify your income stream
Sales & Growth
Article
Working with overseas distributors helped us tailor our marketing
If you want to increase export sales, your network of distributors is a crucial source of insight into global audiences. Read how manufacturers Heald made the most of theirs.
Learn from distributors
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Understanding our value was the key to successful collaboration
When it comes to collaboration, there’s plenty of risk for a small business. Recognising its worth helped Interactive Scientific to even the playing field.
Know your company's value
Sales & Growth
Article
A new marketing campaign helped us better communicate our family values
With a strong family heritage at the heart of the company, Wyke Farms changed up its marketing to communicate its values more effectively.
Build a strategy around your USP
Planning
Article
We took a risk and changed business direction
To succeed in a new market, Natterbox needed to create fresh goals and ensure staff were invested enough to buy into them across the different departments.
Ensure employees buy in to targets
Digital Readiness
Article
To attract customers to our online brand, we added trust-building features
How do you get customers to leave a lifelong brand and try something new? Subscription brand Waldo found the answer.
Encourage trust online
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Working with a mentor transformed my approach to staff management
How do you turn things around when your staff lack motivation? For Tutor House founder Alex Dyer, a mentor was crucial to getting his business back on track.
Seek neutral advice
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
Sales & Growth
Article
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
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
Sales & Growth
Article
Our sales team chased corporate customers, then succeeded in a niche
When PracticeWeb's sales team realised they were spending time on pitches they couldn't win, they went back to the drawing board to define their key client personas.
Train your sales force
Leadership & Strategy
Article
Creating an acronym for our values made them memorable
How do you communicate your values effectively as you grow? Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens found a way to keep them at the forefront.
Codify your values
Planning
Article
We turned down cheaper alternatives to stick to our sustainable values
How do you stay true to a sustainable manufacturing vision and grow an effective business? Smart textiles company KYMIRA looked carefully at when to compromise and when to refuse.
Stick to long-term goals
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
Planning
Article
The senior team had to learn to do less to build a growth strategy
Beezee Bodies had a problem – ensure senior team members had the capacity to focus on business growth, without compromising on quality or staff experience.
Change your mindset around future planning
Digital Readiness
Article
We beat bigger budgets by focusing on our independent niche
How do you compete with some of the biggest brands in the world? Best of British Beer started by embracing its independence.
Identify potential areas for growth