Our volunteers are at the heart of Be the Business and are the driving force behind our mission to improve the productivity of UK small businesses. We want to be clear and transparent about the changes that are being introduced to our funding and delivery model.
We hope that these FAQs will help address any questions you may have, but we are happy to arrange a call to speak with you directly if you would like further information.
Why are you charging participants a fee for the Productivity Programme when the support is provided by volunteers? Other Be the Business programmes have been free for participants.
Be the Business is a registered charity with a mission to improve the productivity of small businesses. The support of volunteers is invaluable to our mission, but funding is required to cover the cost of delivery of our high-quality programmes.
Funding from our partner organisations allows us to offer fully funded participation in most of our programmes, but we are now introducing a participation fee for one programme, The Productivity Programme.
This reflects the cost of delivery of the programme and helps ensure that participants recognise the value of the support provided and are willing to commit to the programme.
What does the fee cover?
The fee helps to cover the direct costs of delivery including the board administrators and peer learning facilitators. It also contributes to the costs of the support team who manage the operations of the programme and the development and delivery of the training and support available to volunteers and participants on an ongoing basis.
What types of businesses are eligible for the Productivity Programme?
While we welcome businesses from all sectors, sizes, and stages with a minimum of 3 employees, The Productivity Programme is aimed at more established businesses. We want to attract business leaders who are willing to invest in improving their productivity and that will commit to the programme. We believe the participation fee will help enable this.
The participant on the programme must be the overall decision-maker in the business, but other leadership team members may be invited to attend the sessions with the advisory board.
How much is the fee?
The participation fee is £1,795 for The Productivity Programme.
In cases where our partners provide funding for places on the programme, we will be able to make places available at low or no cost to the participants.
Are businesses able to pay to keep going with the same board after their six months on the programme?
Many businesses have asked if this is possible, and we are exploring how we can make this an option for businesses in the very near future. We will be looking for feedback from volunteers on this shortly.
If Be the Business is charging a fee, is it still a charity?
Our mission and charitable status remain unchanged. We are still a registered charity with a mission to improve the productivity of small businesses in the UK. We remain resolutely focused on this mission and any funds we receive from participants or partners will continue to be used to fund the delivery of productivity-improving services and research into how to solve the UK’s productivity problem.
How does Be the Business ensure it is independent?
Be the Business is an independent charity with a clearly defined mission to improve the productivity of UK small and medium businesses. We have a wide range of partners and stakeholders from the public, private and third sector that are aligned to our mission and work with us to achieve our objectives.
Is Be the Business introducing a fee for Mentoring?
We have no plans to introduce a fee for our Mentoring programme. Only The Productivity Programme will have a participation fee. This reflects the cost to deliver the programme and our objective to engage established businesses that wish to commit to the programme.
Is Be the Business now going to be paying mentors and board members?
No. Be the Business is still a charity and our mission is based on business leaders across the UK contributing voluntarily to help improve the productivity of small businesses. The funding we receive is used to help cover the core costs of delivery of our programmes and research into how to solve the UK’s productivity problem.
How does the end of fully funded programmes affect Mentoring
Be the Business Mentoring will continue and in fact, we will have a slight increase in available places for this year. However, we will no longer be offering fully funded places for open registration. Small business leaders will now only access our mentoring programme via our trusted partners or through specific programmes, for example, through our partnership with Mastercard Strive.
What does this mean for me as a Mentor?
This means an opportunity for mentors to get involved in both programmes. Each programme has its own benefits in terms of networking, building experience, and learning opportunities. You can now build your experience by acting as an advisory board member or mentor and further expand your network.
If you are currently in an active mentoring relationship or advisory board, there is no change, and these will continue as planned.