Beyond Busy: Boosting Productivity and Growth for Small Business

In this episode of Beyond Busy, hosts Dr Ollie Jones and Martin Coats talk about the blueprint they’ve developed from years of working with small businesses. Drawing on their experience, research and evaluation of productivity and growth programmes, they explain how this approach helps businesses improve and grow.

You’ll hear about:

●      The key parts of their business support programmes

●      The 5 aspects of strong programme management

●      How they use diagnostics and expert coaching to create real change

●      The exciting new step of digitising these diagnostics to make business support easier and more effective

●      The role of digital adoption and emerging technologies like AI and IoT for small businesses

●      Upcoming research projects and plans for expanding and designing future business support

●      How the partnership between Exemplas and Leeds Beckett University to combine their strengths to design new propositions, which has led them to better understand the marketplace

If you want to know how a mix of hands-on help, data and research can help small businesses get more productive and ready for the future, this episode is for you.

For a deeper dive into the topics covered by our podcast series, explore the full Insight Papers, available now for more information and context.

Commissioning bodies and funders seeking more information are invited to contact Rob Sale of Exemplas directly, we’d be happy to discuss further! You can contact Rob via [email protected] or by visiting the contact page at www.exemplas.com

In this episode of Beyond Busy: Boosting Productivity and Growth for Small Business, hosts Dr Ollie Jones and Martin Coats explore how small businesses can get the most from support programmes and what value for money really means for funders.

We cover:

●      What good business support looks like for SMEs

●      How SMEs can engage deeply to maximise benefits

●      Why tailored, expert advice and ongoing dialogue matter

●      What commissioning bodies need to see to ensure value and impact 

●      The key elements of successful business support programmes 
 
 Drawing on over three years of hands-on experience supporting over 500 SMEs across West Yorkshire along with the latest research, Ollie and Martin share practical insights on how business support can help SMEs move beyond busy and grow productively.

Whether you're an SME leader looking to make the most of support programmes or a funder focused on delivering real value and impact, this episode is packed with practical insights you won’t want to miss.

For a deeper dive into the topics covered by our podcast series, explore the full Insight Papers, available now for more information and context.

Commissioning bodies and funders seeking more information are invited to contact Rob Sale of Exemplas directly, we’d be happy to discuss further! You can contact Rob via [email protected] or by visiting the contact page at www.exemplas.com

In this episode of Beyond Busy: Boosting Productivity and Growth for Small Business with your hosts Dr Ollie Jones and Martin Coats, we hear directly from Adam Bennett, Owner and Director of Sticks and Glass, a West Yorkshire business that took part in the Business Productivity Service (BPS) delivered by Exemplas and Leeds Beckett University.

Adam shares:

●      Why he decided to join the programme

●      What he knew about productivity before and after the support

●      His experience going through the diagnostic process

●      How the Productivity Improvement Plan helped identify focus areas to work on

●      The real impact the programme has had on his business
 
 If you’re an SME owner or manager, or  a policymaker interested in business support, this episode gives you an honest look at how productivity support works on the ground and what it can achieve.

For a deeper dive into the topics covered by our podcast series, explore the full Insight Papers, available now for more information and context.

Commissioning bodies and funders seeking more information are invited to contact Rob Sale of Exemplas directly, we’d be happy to discuss further! You can contact Rob via [email protected] or by visiting the contact page at www.exemplas.com

In this episode of Beyond Busy: Boosting Productivity and Growth for Small Business, hosts Dr Ollie Jones and Martin Coats explore how growth and productivity are deeply connected and why this matters for small businesses. 

You’ll hear about:

●      Why growth is important to the government and the economy.

●      What business growth really means at the SME level

●      The 15 key growth factors we’ve identified through research and expert input

●      How marketing and formal growth planning are often top priorities for SMEs

●      Insights from over 500 businesses who have benefitted from our growth diagnostic tool

●      Why productivity and growth are intrinsically linked and must be tackled together for success

Whether you’re an SME owner or policymaker interested in business support and economic development, this episode offers practical insights from real businesses and research that can help you grow smarter and more productively.

For a deeper dive into the topics covered by our podcast series, explore the full Insight Papers, available now for more information and context.

Commissioning bodies and funders seeking more information are invited to contact Rob Sale of Exemplas directly, we’d be happy to discuss further! You can contact Rob via [email protected] or by visiting the contact page at www.exemplas.com

In this episode of Beyond Busy, your hosts Dr Ollie Jones and Martin Coats take you through the results of the delivery of the Business Productivity Service, working with over 250 businesses to find out what actually improves productivity.

Forget guesswork! We share real insights based on experience and evidence.

This episode explores:

●      What really drives productivity improvement in SMEs

●      The commercial imperative, why businesses need to get more from their resources

●      A step-by-step overview of our novel diagnostic tool, used to pinpoint where productivity gains are hiding 

●      How to collect and use simple, practical data (even if you don’t have perfect systems)

●      How we turn the diagnostic insights into tailored productivity improvement plans to help SMEs achieve their goals .

●      Why improving flow efficiency is more powerful than you might think

If you’re a business owner or a policymaker interested in business support and economic development, then you will want to tune into this episode.

For a deeper dive into the topics covered by our podcast series, explore the full Insight Papers, available now for more information and context.

Commissioning bodies and funders seeking more information are invited to contact Rob Sale of Exemplas directly, we’d be happy to discuss further! You can contact Rob via [email protected] or by visiting the contact page at www.exemplas.com

Welcome to the very first episode of Beyond Busy: Boosting Productivity and Growth for Small Business with your hosts Dr Ollie Jones and Martin Coats.

In this episode, we talk about what productivity really means for small businesses and why it matters. Forget the early mornings and fancy routines, this is about understanding how your business works so you can make it work better, be more productive and grow.

We explain:

●      What productivity is (and what it isn’t)

●      Why it’s important for profit and growth

●      Where to start if you want to measure and improve it

●      Real tips from working with over 250 businesses through the Business Productivity Service in West Yorkshire

Whether you’re a business owner or a policymaker interested in business support and economic development, this episode is for you.

For a deeper dive into the topics covered by our podcast series, explore the full Insight Papers, available now for more information and context.

Commissioning bodies and funders seeking more information are invited to contact Rob Sale of Exemplas directly, we’d be happy to discuss further! You can contact Rob via [email protected] or by visiting the contact page at www.exemplas.com