16 minute read
Patron News
RESPONSIBLE BUSINESSES SAY THANK YOU
When you contact BT for business SME solutions in Liverpool you will generally end up dealing with the BT Local Business office based near Ormskirk. They represent BT for the Liverpool area with a team of 36 advisers both field and desk based.
The BT Local Business office has been a Chamber Patron for many years now and works hard with Liverpool Chamber to help members that need support when moving, adapting and growing their business. This chamber has also been a great way to meet businesses through networking and events and always adds value to our business. As a result, we have also built many relationships with fellow members who have become our customers and now use and trust the local office knowing there is always the same people that answer the phone and help them with what could be a challenging time.
Since March 2020, we have seen challenging times for businesses adapting to new hybrid working practices and those businesses have often come to us for advice and solutions that have enabled them to work even more efficiently.
We are proud to say we have provided tech solutions to thousands of businesses since March 2020, including: • Cloud telephones – enabling over 4,000 home workers to stay in touch • Mobile solutions – helping over 3,500 to work on the move
• Dedicated Internet access provided for over for 2,100 home workers and 1,100 business premises
So, from all of us at BT and the BT Local Business office we say thank you to Liverpool Chamber and its members for using the local office and trusting us to provide you with our solutions and services.
For more information on how we can keep your business connected, visit
www.bt.com/btlocalbusiness
AT FACE FOR BUSINESS – ARE WE RESPONSIBLE? WE CERTAINLY TRY HARD.
Face for Business is committed to uphold the principles and values of a Responsible Business and here is our journey so far…
During our first steps, we asked ourselves, who would own the project?
We wanted to get ownership from our employees and didn’t want to just push our views onto our people.
Who would it involve? We looked and the real ‘buy-in’ was from our employees, management, suppliers and customers.
What would be our goals?
• Honesty and Transparency • Less impact on the environment • One common goal – for us all to get behind
• Team Welfare
• Being Charitable
Our Actions
Having established what the key objectives were, we split up the ownership and set about our work. From an Honesty and Transparency perspective, we wanted to make sure that our service as a Telephone Answering Service was as open and transparent as possible. In order to do this when we handle a call for a customer, they not only get the message, we also give them one simple click on an app, which enables them to listen to us, undertaking the work for them. This was a challenge and involved overcoming hurdles such as complex security, and integration using API’s. That said, none of our competitors do this, so the challenge soon became a USP that now wins us business from the competition. It’s a Win-Win.
Secondly, we looked at how our teams and suppliers impact the environment, and we committed to:
• Using environmentally friendly products such as recycled paper cups and paper • Cleaning products sourced responsibly • Greener energy and not using gas
Lastly, we decided to look inward at our own values, and came up with the following actions:
One common goal – Here we used the saying “Making the Smile Bigger” as it follows our “why”, which is “to delight”. We report back to the team quarterly at our team meetings and we all get behind our values and goals.
Team Welfare – From free tea and coffee, regular fruit and cake days, team meetings, coaching and 121’s; no one is more important to us and to our customers, than the folks that do the work. We also hold regular staff welfare surveys to check that we are on the right track.
Being Charitable – Since we started this process, we have hosted charitable events and also answer calls for our nominated charity free of charge. We have answered thousands of calls free of charge for Twinkle house in Skelmersdale, including potential donations which they would have struggled to answer without our team’s help.
IS YOUR BUSINESS FIT FOR IS YOUR BUSINESS FIT FOR IS YOUR BUSINESS FIT FOR IS YOUR BUSINESS FIT FOR THE FUTURE?THE FUTURE? THE FUTURE? THE FUTURE?
Over the past couple of years, businesses have shown it is critically important to be able to adapt. Businesses are constantly pressured to react to global events, to take meaningful action on climate change, to offer workplaces that meet changing employee expectations and to cater to increasingly discerning customers. Over the past couple of years, businesses have shown it is critically important to be able to adapt. Businesses are constantly pressured to react to global events, to take meaningful action on climate change, to offer workplaces that meet changing employee expectations and to cater to increasingly discerning customers. Over the past couple of years, businesses have shown it is critically important to be able to adapt. Businesses are constantly pressured to react to global events, to take meaningful action on climate change, to offer workplaces that meet changing employee expectations and to cater to increasingly discerning customers. Over the past couple of years, businesses have shown it is critically important to be able to adapt. Businesses are constantly pressured to react to global events, to take meaningful action on climate change, to offer workplaces that meet changing employee expectations and to cater to increasingly discerning customers. In this article, we’ll explore some of the key challenges that business leaders are facing in 2022 and provide insights on what ambitious business leaders need to focus on in order to adapt for the future. In this article, we’ll explore some of the key challenges that business leaders are facing in 2022 and provide insights on what ambitious business leaders need to focus on in order to adapt for the future. In this article, we’ll explore some of the key challenges that business leaders are facing in 2022 and provide insights on what ambitious business leaders need to focus on in order to adapt for the future. In this article, we’ll explore some of the key challenges that business leaders are facing in 2022 and provide insights on what ambitious business leaders need to focus on in order to adapt for the future.
What are the key challenges that businesses are facing in 2022? What are the key challenges that businesses are facing in 2022? What are the key challenges that businesses are facing in 2022? Business has changed You can no longer work the way you used to. Workplace flexibility, homeworking, and hybrid working models have become so normalised that employees no longer see them as a benefit, but rather as a necessity. It will take more than a decent benefits package to attract and retain high quality employees in 2022. The employee experience you are providing and the company culture you cultivate are as important as the actual job on offer when it comes to influencing hiring decisions. Business has changed You can no longer work the way you used to. Workplace fl exibility, homeworking, and hybrid working models have become so normalised that employees no longer see them as a benefi t, but rather as a necessity. It will take more than a decent benefi ts package to attract and retain high quality employees in 2022. The employee experience you are providing and the company culture you cultivate are as important as the actual job on offer when it comes to infl uencing hiring decisions. Business has changed You can no longer work the way you used to. Workplace fl exibility, homeworking, and hybrid working models have become so normalised that employees no longer see them as a benefi t, but rather as a necessity. It will take more than a decent benefi ts package to attract and retain high quality employees in 2022. The employee experience you are providing and the company culture you cultivate are as important as the actual job on offer when it comes to infl uencing hiring decisions. Businesses need to continue to change The first few months of 2022 indicate that there is no new normal. Even businesses that have done a great job of adapting to the needs and expectations of today’s world have more work to do. It’s clear that the pace of change will not slow down, so the way you run your business now may not be suitable for future needs and expectations. Creating businesses that can adapt to changing employee and customer expectations is essential for long-term survival. Business leaders have limited time and capacity to change Whilst you might recognise the need to become a business that can adapt, it’s a big ask. Managing business as usual is often more than a full time job – finding the time to focus on change at the same time is a significant challenge. Prioritising future needs when today’s needs are taking up all of your time and energy is hard. And being an expert in running your own business doesn’t make you an expert at making your business change to be fit for the future.
Businesses need to continue to change The fi rst few months of 2022 indicate that there is no new normal. Even businesses that have done a great job of adapting to the needs and expectations of today’s world have more work to do. It’s clear that the pace of change will not slow down, so the way you run your business now may not be suitable for future needs and expectations. Creating businesses that can adapt to changing employee and customer expectations is essential for long-term survival. Businesses need to continue to change The fi rst few months of 2022 indicate that there is no new normal. Even businesses that have done a great job of adapting to the needs and expectations of today’s world have more work to do. It’s clear that the pace of change will not slow down, so the way you run your business now may not be suitable for future needs and expectations. Creating businesses that can adapt to changing employee and customer expectations is essential for long-term survival. Business leaders have limited time and capacity to change Whilst you might recognise the need to become a business that can adapt, it’s a big ask. Managing business as usual is often more than a full time job – fi nding the time to focus on change at the same time is a signifi cant challenge. Prioritising future needs when today’s needs are taking up all of your time and energy is hard. And being an expert in running your own business doesn’t make you an expert at making your business change to be fi t for the future. Business leaders have limited time and capacity to change Whilst you might recognise the need to become a business that can adapt, it’s a big ask. Managing business as usual is often more than a full time job – fi nding the time to focus on change at the same time is a signifi cant challenge. Prioritising future needs when today’s needs are taking up all of your time and energy is hard. And being an expert in running your own business doesn’t make you an expert at making your business change to be fi t for the future.
Involve your people
Those businesses that can harness the full value and potential of their people have the greatest chance of understanding and adapting to changing customer and employee expectations. Start off by recognising the immense insight, wisdom and adaptability of your people. And tap into this by involving your people in conversations about the future business.
Find opportunities for collaboration
Look out for opportunities to collaborate both internally and externally. In a rapidly changing environment, you can’t possibly know everything you need to know about satisfying employee and customer demands, so surround yourself with people who have different skills, insights and wisdom and find ways to work together for good.
Embed continuous improvement
Create a culture of continuous improvement and endless learning. Make it normal for people across your business to scrutinise data, understand performance, come up with new ideas and get involved in driving change. Set high standards for performance and challenge yourselves to exceed these. But accept too that progress can be messy and embrace mistakes as opportunities for learning.
Review your direction
It might be a good time to review your company vision, mission and values. Are these still fit for purpose? Do they reflect the type of business you want to be now and in the future? Do they articulate who your business aspires to be – and how you are going to become that?
Embed continuous improvement Build strong foundations
Create a culture of continuous improvement Build strong foundations Get your house in order by making best use and endless learning. Make it normal for Get your house in order by making of your technology, organising your processes people across your business to scrutinise best use of your technology, organising for maximum effi ciency and looking at how data, understand performance, come up your processes for maximum efficiency you are spending your time. Ask yourself with new ideas and get involved in driving and looking at how you are spending whether you are concentrating on the things change. Set high standards for performance your time. Ask yourself whether you are that really matter and consider what you and challenge yourselves to exceed these. concentrating on the things that really might be able to move out of the way to But accept too that progress can be messy matter and consider what you might be make room for you – and your people – to and embrace mistakes as opportunities for able to move out of the way to make room focus on what really counts. learning. for you – and your people – to focus on what really counts.
Find opportunities for collaboration Review your direction
Look out for opportunities to collaborate It might be a good time to review your Be responsible both internally and externally. In a rapidly company vision, mission and values. Are these Recognise that responsible business changing environment, you can’t possibly still fi t for purpose? Do they refl ect the type behaviour is not optional and take Net know everything you need to know of business you want to be now and in the Zero seriously. People want to work for about satisfying employee and customer future? Do they articulate who your business and buy from businesses that are aware demands, so surround yourself with aspires to be – and how you are going to of and managing their impacts well, people who have different skills, insights become that? so understand what these are and do and wisdom and fi nd ways to work whatever you can to minimise harm and together for good. make a positive difference.
Involve your people Those businesses that can harness the full value and potential of their people have the greatest chance of understanding and adapting to changing customer and employee expectations. Start off by recognising the immense insight, wisdom and adaptability of your people. And tap into this by involving your people in conversations about the future business. Embed continuous improvement Create a culture of continuous improvement and endless learning. Make it normal for people across your business to scrutinise data, understand performance, come up with new ideas and get involved in driving change. Set high standards for performance and challenge yourselves to exceed these. But accept too that progress can be messy and embrace mistakes as opportunities for Build strong foundations Get your house in order by making best use of your technology, organising your processes for maximum effi ciency and looking at how you are spending your time. Ask yourself whether you are concentrating on the things that really matter and consider what you might be able to move out of the way to make room for you – and your people – to focus on what really counts. learning. Find opportunities for collaboration Look out for opportunities to collaborate both internally and externally. In a rapidly changing environment, you can’t possibly know everything you need to know about satisfying employee and customer demands, so surround yourself with people who have different skills, insights Review your direction It might be a good time to review your company vision, mission and values. Are these still fi t for purpose? Do they refl ect the type of business you want to be now and in the future? Do they articulate who your business aspires to be – and how you are going to become that? Be responsible Recognise that responsible business behaviour is not optional and take Net Zero seriously. People want to work for and buy from businesses that are aware of and managing their impacts well, so understand what these are and do whatever you can to minimise harm and make a positive difference. and wisdom and fi nd ways to work together for good.
Those businesses that can harness the full value and potential of their people have the greatest chance of understanding and adapting to changing customer and employee expectations. Start off by recognising the immense insight, wisdom and adaptability of your people. And tap into this by involving your people in conversations about the future business.
Be responsible
Recognise that responsible business behaviour is not optional and take Net Zero seriously. People want to work for and buy from businesses that are aware of and managing their impacts well, so understand what these are and do whatever you can to minimise harm and make a positive difference.
We help ambitious business leaders create high performing workplaces in which people can excel. Contact us for further insights into developing your people capability and confidence, leveraging technology and automating your processes. We help ambitious business leaders create high performing workplaces in which people can excel. Contact us for further insights into developing your people capability and confi dence, leveraging technology and automating your processes. We help ambitious business leaders create high performing workplaces in which people can excel. Contact us for further insights into developing your people capability and confi dence, leveraging technology and automating your processes.
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