Some weeks, running a business feels less like strategy and more like repeatedly asking: “Why is this taking so long?”
A missing template here.
A clunky process there.
Another tiny task that somehow brings three friends with it.
So this month, we’re looking at the small bits of business friction that quietly steal time, focus and energy, and a few practical ways to make work feel a bit less like wading through treacle.
A FEW THINGS WORTH SHARING:
What we’re noticing, building, and sharing this month:
✓ Why hard work doesn’t always create progress
✓ 13 Minutes and Counting: The Battle to Rescue Your Team’s Focus
✓ Small fixes that make business feel easier
✓ What AI is starting to do differently
ONE THING TO TRY
💡What task, process or repeated problem is taking more energy than it should?
The answer often reveals where a small improvement could save time, reduce frustration or make work flow better.
THE SPOTLIGHT
I Went Looking for Learning Tech SMEs Can Actually Use
I went to Learning Technologies hoping to find practical tools small businesses could genuinely pick up and use.
And to be fair, there were some great ideas.
But somewhere between the AI demos, platforms, dashboards and enough acronyms to start a new language, I found myself wondering whether many SMEs actually need more technology at all.
Or whether they simply need clearer systems, better organisation, and a bit more breathing room to make work function properly again.
YOUR FREE TOOL
Not sure if your learning is working, or just… existing?
This free scorecard helps you spot gaps in engagement, capability, and real-world performance, with practical recommendations you can act on quickly.
Tool by Jessanol
WHAT WE’RE SHARING
13 Minutes and Counting: The Battle to Rescue Your Team’s Focus.
A recent blog looked at the growing gap between being busy and being productive, especially as AI adds more tools, messages and interruptions into the working day.
For SMEs, the question isn’t just “are people getting more done?” It’s “are they getting the right things done, with enough focus to do them well?”
Sometimes the most useful support is the thing that actually gets done.
This one is about the practical work that often sits behind a business problem: the half-built process, the spreadsheet nobody quite trusts, the template that should have existed months ago, or the CRM list quietly gathering dust.
It’s not always glamorous work, but it can make a business feel calmer, clearer and easier to run.
Training works better when it gets closer to the work.
This blog is a useful reminder that learning doesn’t always need a full redesign to become more effective. Sometimes the biggest difference comes from small shifts: linking it to real work, asking one good follow-up question, and helping people apply one thing at a time.
Less “complete the training and move on”. More “what will this help you do differently?”
WHAT WE OFFER
For the documents, templates, processes, emails, spreadsheets and behind-the-scenes jobs that keep getting pushed to the bottom of the list.
Flexible support from £35 per hour, helping you get useful things finished without adding more to your week.
A focused session to untangle what’s slowing work down, where the friction is showing up, and what would make the biggest difference next.
Useful when things feel busy, messy or harder than they need to be.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Working hard isn’t always the same as moving forward.
A recent Inc. article explored the frustrating reality of teams working hard while the business itself still feels stuck.
That feels very familiar for busy SMEs. Sometimes the issue isn’t effort. It’s unclear priorities, too much context switching, or systems that no longer support how the business actually works.
Busy can hide problems surprisingly well.
Saying no well is probably an underrated business skill.
A recent Fast Company article looked at how to say no clearly without damaging relationships.
That matters more as businesses grow. Saying yes can open doors, but saying yes to everything can quietly drain time, quality and focus.
A thoughtful no can sometimes be more professional than an exhausted yes.
We may be approaching the “AI gets weirdly human” stage.
A Business Insider article featured a new AI-powered home robot designed for companionship, emotional support and gentle nudges towards healthier routines.
It’s a curious shift. Technology is no longer just trying to automate tasks. Increasingly, it is moving into behaviour, habits, wellbeing and support.
Useful? Strange? Probably both.
WHAT’S COMING UP
18 - 24 May 2026
Learning at Work Week
Learning at Work Week is a unique annual event. It's led nationally by Campaign for Learning and by employers and learning champions in their organisations.
10–11 June 2026 | ExCeL London
CIPD Festival of Work
A free event for anyone interested in better work, stronger teams and more effective people practices. Useful if you’re thinking about productivity, capability, workplace change or how to help your team work well without simply adding more noise.
23 June 2026 | Birmingham
Greater Birmingham Business Expo
A regional business expo for making connections, finding suppliers and meeting other businesses across the Greater Birmingham area. Good for anyone wanting to get out from behind the laptop and have a few real conversations.
BEFORE YOU GO
I’m a huge fan of Atomic Habits because it feels so do-able.
In a world where there’s so much noise, so many decisions and so many things competing for attention, it can be hard to get anything properly done.
So when I’m feeling overwhelmed, or just need to reset my head, I come back to this:
Do one thing. Make one thing better. Or just actually do the thing.
Jane, Founder, Jessanol