With support from BAE Systems, Be the Business is empowering business owners in the engineering and manufacturing sectors around the country.
We aim to succeed in the digital economy through free guidance, helpful tools, and personalised support.
Be the Business & BAE
Be the Business is an independent charity that inspires greater productivity, by connecting leadership teams to the relevant expertise needed to answer today’s business challenges.
By combining peer-to-peer experience, the employee expertise found within our pioneering partners, independent business experts and our research and insights, we inspire leadership teams to create and deliver positive business change.
Collectively we’re transforming the UK’s productivity, raising the value of businesses in our communities, safeguarding jobs and improving standards of living.
Since 2017, BAE Systems has been a major contributor to Be the Business.
Enabling Be the Business to scale
The direct support and resources provided by BAE Systems allowed Be the Business to scale rapidly and engage thousands of SMEs.
Success Stories
Find out what others think about the programme
Looking to turbo-charge your productivity efforts?
The Productivity Programme
Get six months of personalised support through our in-depth programme and transform the way you target improvements in your company.
The first six months are fully funded by BAE Systems.
Real Business stories
Your own advisory board for six months.
We'll match you with an advisory board of leaders and senior managers from successful firms – with specialisms like finance, marketing, operations and HR.
They'll get to know your business and serve as an impartial sounding board and trusted source of advice that's rooted in real-world experiences.
Two one-to-one mentoring sessions
We'll pair you with a member of your advisory board for two separate one-to-one mentoring sessions in the fourth and sixth of the programme, giving you the ability to work on particular areas of focus in more detail.
Access to online peer sessions
We run regular interactive learning sessions with peers and experts. All hosted online, these sessions cover a range of business topics and give you access to people navigating similar challenges.
Real Business stories
What participants gained from being on The Productivity Programme
Danny Alexander - Head of Delivery and Relationships at Gemba Advantage
A key aspect of Gemba’s participation in the programme was its relationship with BAE Systems. While Gemba had previously worked with prime suppliers in a largely transactional manner, the sponsorship by BAE demonstrated a deeper commitment to partnership. By investing in Gemba’s development, BAE reinforced its role as a strategic ally, helping Gemba strengthen its business and long-term sustainability.
“We accelerated strategic decision-making, enabling the company to navigate rapid growth while staying true to its core values”
Key benefits of the programme included:
Strategic Focus in a Compressed Timeframe – The advisory board facilitated strategic thinking that would have otherwise required extensive internal workshops.
Enhanced Marketing and Bid-Writing Strategies – The programme provided guidance on improving visibility and effectiveness in winning new business opportunities.
Validation & Benchmarking – Expert insights helped Gemba contextualise internal survey results, easing concerns and providing a clearer path forward.
Douglas McCormick, MML Marine
Douglas McCormick, Director at MML Marine, joined the programme to create space away from day-to-day operations and take a more strategic view of his business.
“It has provided me with a forum and discipline to step away from the day-to-day routine and really review my strategy, particularly do I have the correct business vision, plan and people.”
Through the programme, Douglas increased his awareness of effective leadership and management practices and felt more confident tackling challenges as they arose. He also valued the opportunity to connect with other business leaders, reducing the sense of isolation often felt at senior level.
As a result, Douglas made practical changes to his management approach and refined the business plan to better align with his long-term vision.
Tools and Templates
Bringing about successful change in your business
A strong strategy helps leaders turn plans into action, but its success rests on the implementation process. Get that stage right and you can bring about real change in your organisation
Conducting a business health check
A business health check is a simple way to evaluate the strength of critical elements like cash flow, systems and staff performance. Fill in this template from business advisors JPAbusiness to rate your business health.
Creating a monthly routine to set goals and assess progress against long-term objectives
Developing a monthly goal-setting routine allows you to check your progress against long-term objectives and reflect on any changes you need to make.
Action Plans
Action Plans
Action plans are a list of five things we recommend you do to help with a business challenge. Interact with each step in the plan by setting the dates for when you will complete the action and assign ownership of the action to one of your team if applicable.
My experience of the Programme
Danny Alexander - Gemba
Still got questions?
If you'd still like more detail about our programmes, resources and support then we're on hand to provide you with whatever information required.
Pick a time that works for you and we'll give you a call to discuss your query.
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