Work Smarter, Not Harder – A Practical Workshop for Business Owners

The Business Support Service at Liverpool City Council are delighted to offer this fully-funded support workshop delivered by our Lean and Process Improvement expert Jaan Scott of Matchbox Associates Ltd and hosted by Business Doctors.

Many small business leaders work long hours yet feel constantly behind — firefighting issues, juggling priorities and reacting to problems rather than moving the business forward. This session directly addresses that challenge by helping participants step back from the day-to-day, understand where effort is being wasted and identify simple, realistic actions to improve efficiency and productivity without adding complexity.

Rather than jumping straight to digital tools or AI, the workshop first focuses on clear thinking and better ways of working. Attendees are guided to recognise inefficient activities, unnecessary processes and personal productivity constraints that quietly drain time and value. Once these are understood we explore how digital or AI tools might support better working — avoiding the common mistake of automating broken or inefficient processes.

What attendees will gain

Participants will:

• Gain clarity on where their time actually goes versus where it should go
• Learn how to identify hidden inefficiencies in people, processes and ways of working
• Understand why “being busy” is not the same as creating value
• Develop practical techniques to simplify work before improving it
• Improve personal productivity by addressing focus, priorities and decision bottlenecks
• Learn how to approach digital and AI tools sensibly and strategically, not reactively

Why this is valuable

For small businesses, time is the most constrained resource. This workshop helps owners:

• Reduce wasted effort and rework
• Increase consistency and reliability in how work is done
• Free up capacity without increasing hours or headcount
• Improve quality, customer experience and delivery confidence
• Reduce stress and overwhelm while increasing control

These improvements directly support business sustainability, resilience and growth.

What will attendees do differently afterwards… A clear action plan, not just ideas

A key strength of this session is its focus on application. Every participant leaves with:

• A clear understanding of their biggest productivity constraints
• A prioritised list of actions to stop, simplify and standardise
• A short, realistic action plan they can implement immediately
• A framework they can reuse to improve future processes and decisions

The goal is not just having insight, but momentum — helping business owners maximise the hours spent in their business creating real value for clients, customers and their organisation.

Who should attend:
This fully-funded workshop is for established Liverpool-based businesses, primarily those trading B2B who have not already accessed LCC’s UKSPF funded business growth support – and we’d welcome applications from a wide range of entrepreneurs and sectors, particularly female-led businesses. Places are limited and will be allocated accordingly.

Register your interest now!

Please note, our events (in person or virtual) may be photographed. By attending this session, you have agreed to the following statement: 'I give permission for Liverpool City Council to use my photograph and other media such as film and quotations, on promotional material and publications, for which it may be suitable.'

The event is delivered through the Business Support Service at Liverpool City Council which provides fully-funded support to existing businesses based in Liverpool and also to Liverpool residents looking to start-up a new business. This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as the lead authority. .

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Host or Publisher Business Support Service, Liverpool City Council