<h3 id="b78896a9-5330-4679-8e1d-b339471e4358" data-toc-id="b78896a9-5330-4679-8e1d-b339471e4358">Baffled Badger Consulting knew the feeling</h3>If you run a small or medium-sized business, you’ll know the feeling: the work is relentless, the team is talented but stretched thin, and somehow there’s never enough time. For many SMEs, productivity isn’t just a nice-to-have metric—it’s survival. But where do you start?Take Baffled Badger Consulting, for example. It’s a quirky, 12-person consultancy in London with a name that makes clients smile but hides a serious problem they faced a year ago: work was getting stuck. Proposals took days to sign off, projects were often delayed, and the team felt like they were running in circles. Their turnaround story offers lessons every SME can use.<h3 id="9821310e-d724-4ead-adf0-299797a0bb89" data-toc-id="9821310e-d724-4ead-adf0-299797a0bb89">The Wake-Up Call: Finding the Bottlenecks</h3>For Baffled Badger, the turning point came when a new client nearly walked away because it took four days just to get a proposal signed off. The team decided to map out every step of their process—literally, with sticky notes covering a wall.It didn’t take long to spot the problem: everything piled up at the so-called “legal review” stage. It wasn’t that the legal team was slow—they didn’t even have one! The bottleneck was just outdated documents that everyone was nervous about editing. So they built a simple contract template, locked it down, and cut the approval time from four days to four hours.This is something any SME can do. You don’t need fancy tools to identify bottlenecks—a spreadsheet, a whiteboard, or even pen and paper can show you where the delays happen. The trick is to focus on the top one or two areas that cause the most pain.<h3 id="3d1918a9-6863-4eba-9c7b-12e270560552" data-toc-id="3d1918a9-6863-4eba-9c7b-12e270560552">Tech That Works (and Tech That Doesn’t)</h3>Once the Badger team cleared their bottlenecks, they looked at technology. Like many SMEs, they’d fallen into the trap of “tool sprawl,” with three different chat apps, multiple CRMs, and countless spreadsheets. After a ruthless spring-clean, they streamlined everything into one CRM and one collaboration platform.They also embraced automation—but only where it made sense. Using a tool like Zapier, they set up a simple workflow so that every website lead was automatically logged in HubSpot and a welcome email went out. No one had to remember to copy-paste details ever again.Technology can be powerful, but only if it’s used to simplify, not complicate. Too many businesses waste time wrestling with tools that don’t talk to each other.<h3 id="6e7cb4da-de7d-46ad-a589-3231bf311420" data-toc-id="6e7cb4da-de7d-46ad-a589-3231bf311420">Culture and Recognition: Small Things, Big Impact</h3>If there’s one thing the team at Baffled Badger will tell you, it’s this: happy people get more done. In the early days, the founders thought productivity meant working harder and longer hours. But they learned that recognition and a sense of progress matter far more than another late-night pizza.So they started something called “Win &amp; Grin Fridays.” Every Friday afternoon, the team hops on a 15-minute call where each person gives a shout-out to someone who’s done great work that week. No budget, no fancy prizes—just genuine appreciation. It’s corny but effective. Within a few months, engagement scores jumped, and voluntary turnover dropped to zero.Harvard research supports what Baffled Badger stumbled upon: timely recognition boosts morale and directly impacts productivity. A happy team doesn’t just work harder—they work better.<h3 id="fcc003ce-d322-42c0-aaad-6e6447955a67" data-toc-id="fcc003ce-d322-42c0-aaad-6e6447955a67">Training: The Secret Weapon</h3>Here’s where many SMEs trip up. They’ll spend thousands on new software but balk at investing in training. Baffled Badger was no different. Early on, they assumed everyone would “just figure things out.” The result? Wasted time, inconsistent quality, and rising frustration.So they tried something new: training in small, digestible bursts. Instead of sending the team to day-long workshops (which no one enjoyed), they used 10-minute micro-learning videos during coffee breaks. They paired this with peer shadowing, letting consultants swap roles for a day to see how the other side worked.The results were immediate. Proposal errors dropped, project delivery sped up, and the team became more versatile. Training wasn’t just a cost—it was a productivity booster.In fact, studies show that companies with comprehensive training earn 218% more income per employee compared to those that don’t. That’s a stat worth remembering if you’re trying to make the business case for investing in your people.<h3 id="0dc90975-2cd9-454a-a164-9650d81418ca" data-toc-id="0dc90975-2cd9-454a-a164-9650d81418ca">Well-being Isn’t Optional</h3>Productivity doesn’t mean burnout. Baffled Badger learned this the hard way when two of their best consultants nearly quit during a high-pressure project. To avoid losing their talent, the founders introduced “Focus Fridays”—no meetings after 2 p.m.—and encouraged everyone to block out one hour a week for personal development or creative thinking.Surprisingly, output didn’t drop. In fact, the team felt refreshed, ideas improved, and client satisfaction scores went up. Sometimes, slowing down strategically helps you speed up.<h3 id="d55651b6-538d-40b6-bd3b-e59f296191b1" data-toc-id="d55651b6-538d-40b6-bd3b-e59f296191b1">Putting It All Together</h3>After a year of process improvements, smart tech choices, cultural changes, and focused training, Baffled Badger Consulting looked like a different company. Their proposal turnaround time shrank by 71%, team utilisation went up 11%, and client projects were delivered faster and with fewer mistakes.Most importantly, the team felt proud of their progress. “We’re not just working harder,” one consultant joked, “we’re working like genius badgers now.”<h3 id="9d28ff7e-4bb4-40d2-9f0e-205830835d28" data-toc-id="9d28ff7e-4bb4-40d2-9f0e-205830835d28">Key Takeaways for Your SME</h3><ul><li>Start small. Identify one or two bottlenecks and fix them before tackling everything at once.</li><li>Invest in your people. Training pays for itself many times over.</li><li>Don’t let tech overwhelm you. Pick tools that simplify, not complicate.</li><li>Build culture and recognition. Small gestures of appreciation go a long way.</li><li>Prioritise well-being. Burnout isn’t a productivity strategy.</li></ul>Want More?Check out the LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report 2024 for training trends and McKinsey’s AI productivity insights for ideas on using technology to do more with less. If you’re looking for a practical guide, the SBA’s online resources (even for non-US businesses) are packed with free templates and process-mapping tools.<h3 id="95d396a7-ca0d-44ce-a449-1fdbc9976e4d" data-toc-id="95d396a7-ca0d-44ce-a449-1fdbc9976e4d">Final Thought</h3>Productivity is not about working faster or longer—it’s about working smarter. And as Baffled Badger Consulting discovered, the smartest investment you can make isn’t in a new app or process. It’s in your people. Train them, empower them, recognise them—and watch your SME transform from “busy” to brilliant.*Note: the consultancy company actually exists, but we changed the name for privacy reasons

Discover practical strategies to boost SME productivity, from fixing bottlenecks to investing in training and team culture. Learn how the quirky *Baffled Badger Consulting* transformed its business through smarter processes and upskilling.

How SMEs Can Boost Productivity (and How Baffled Badger Consulting Did It)

Baffled Badger Consulting knew the feeling

The Wake-Up Call: Finding the Bottlenecks

Tech That Works (and Tech That Doesn’t)

Culture and Recognition: Small Things, Big Impact

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How SMEs Can Boost Productivity (and How Baffled Badger Consulting Did It)

How SMEs Can Boost Productivity (and How Baffled Badger Consulting Did It)

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