2025: Tiny team, big year
At the end of every year, I write a blog about what we have achieved as a team. It has been something I have been doing since I was in the public service. It is a ritual that captures the numbers from our year. This year, I almost forgot as we ran hard towards the finish line.
To say that it has been another weird year is an understatement. The consulting market in Canberra has felt pretty tough this year. Government departments have been watching their budgets more closely and being more careful about when they bring in outside help. When they do, they tend to pick trusted names rather than small businesses. Projects have been scaled back or are taking longer to get going, which means fewer opportunities. It means there are many firms competing for the same work, tenders need more details, and procurement just feels slower. All of this has added up to a quieter year for many consultants in our city, which is driven by the public sector clients.
We powered through with two people, delivering almost 34 projects for 27 clients. We engaged with hundreds of people at 57 workshops, 10 more than in 2024. We engaged more with the community than ever before, delivered training, and ran our first sponsored sessions with the Institute of Public Administration Australia for an EL2 Masterclass. And we travelled from Tuggeranong to Tokyo to work with our clients.
We tried to keep showing up in other ways to support our communications community. We wrote 16 blogs and 33 social posts (and really felt Nikola’s absence on this front). Amy delivered our first-ever webinar on using the power of behavioural insights to be more productive.
In short, we delivered a lot for a small team that works from an office in my house.
What I have learnt from this year is that relationships and customer service matter even more when the market is tight. Being small gives us the flexibility to adapt quickly when things shift around us. We have always focused on delivering really great outcomes, and the trust our clients place in us continues to be the thing that keeps Elm going. We know that our little team can have a big impact.
There are changes ahead for 2026. Amy will be heading off for 12 months to work for NASA (I know!), and Sue Loftus has returned to us. So it’s sad and happy changes. Mostly, Murphy will miss his chief ball thrower. But it’s ok, it has been added to Sue’s performance plan for next year already.
We are taking a little break from 19 December until 19 January (yay), and we cannot wait to see what 2026 holds for our little business.
Merry Christmas, everyone. We hope you have a great break.
Love from Elm (Mel, Amy, Sue and Murphy)