Year 6: The best and hardest year yet

Every year, I stop to celebrate Elm’s birthday. It’s a milestone—fifty percent of all small businesses don’t make it to five years. We have now exceeded that. It’s a moment to celebrate the hard work and effort my team and I have put in.

What a year it has been!

Expanding our team

Last August, we welcomed Amy to our team, and in January, Nikola transitioned to a full-time role. This not only doubled our capacity but also completed our team. It feels as if we’ve always worked together, perfectly complementing each other’s skills and personalities.

Our work setup might seem unconventional to some—mostly hybrid, but other days spent working from my spare room and dining table—but it suits us perfectly, and our emotional support officers, Charlie and Murphy, agree!

Career highlights

This year, we’ve had the privilege of working with some incredible clients who have become both advocates and friends. We’ve tackled challenging and rewarding projects, from reshaping communication teams to developing strategic public communication strategies and facilitating what feels like a million team workshops.

One of the standout moments was hosting our first not-for-profit strategic communications masterclass just a few weeks ago. It was an absolute career highlight, and I couldn’t have done it without our amazing team, who came together to present and engage with participants throughout the day.

Navigating changing market conditions

Despite all of the good, the last twelve months have been one of the toughest years in business. We are government specialists. Not because we live in Canberra but because we are ex-public servants who understand what working in Government is like. Over the last six years, we have worked in small and large government departments.

The market has significantly changed in the last 12 months, the once predictable ebbs and flows of work no longer exists. Despite a policy to support small businesses to do more work with the government and a huge agenda ahead of an election this year, it is quiet.

The consultancy scandals of 2023 involving PWC and the other BIG 4 have led to tighter procurement measures and more risk-averse public servants. While these measures aim to curb unethical practices, they have also impacted those of us committed to doing good work.

It’s not just that there are less opportunities for work. When projects arise, there is a significantly higher burden to even apply. I believe in checks and balances and testing of the market, but there is a limit to what is possible when there are four of you!

Sticking to our values

Through all the trials and triumphs of this year, I’m proud that we’ve remained true to our values. We bring our authentic selves to work every day, whether dealing with personal dramas, lack of sleep, great weekends, or Taylor Swift concerts. We’ve stayed honest with our clients about our capacity and skills, continuing to provide high-quality, researched, and considered advice.

Importantly we have continued to be connected. We have shared resources, introduced people, connected people looking with a job with clients looking for staff.

So here we are, celebrating another year and another milestone. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m grateful to have such an amazing team by my side. I love the fun, supportive, and hardworking culture we’ve built and the diverse work we get to do. Here’s to many more years of success and growth!