As we approach our 7 year anniversary, Carl and I always like to reflect on the years we have had Simplify Consulting.

We left permanent employment with nothing. No clients, no money but a hell of a lot of ambition, tenacity, enthusiasm and a bit of stupidity. We are really proud of the business we’ve built and the people who are part of the Simplify family.

So here are a few things on what we’ve learnt…

  1. As a business owner, you are everything to everyone. CEO, CRO, CIO, CFO, Sales, Marketing, Consultancy, HR…and more.
  2. We cringe at the first brochure and website we built….we look back at some of our marketing material and really appreciate design and creativity as a skill in its own right! Thankfully, we’ve come a long way!
  3. As a business owner you will do more than anyone (and that is fine – it’s our business); yet often we earn less than everyone.
  4. Never get serviced offices…such a scam. Especially from a well known provider. The cost and experience is not worth it.
  5. As the team grows, so do the sleepless nights. The fact people have trusted you with their career and livelihood is a huge honour and responsibility.
  6. We have learnt to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
  7. Business development opportunities sometimes take years to come to fruition. Be patient and not pushy.
  8. Sustained hard work pays off
  9. You will never ever be content – there is always something more to do. That means expectations are always high, probably too high – of yourself, of your team, of others. Not many people will actually meet your expectations.
  10. We listen to advice all of the time. Some of it useful, some of it conflicting. We appreciate all those people who have given up their time to mentor us, support us and encourage us. The kindness of strangers has been truly inspiring and we have so many people to thank for everything they’ve done.

Nearly 7 years on, we are….

  • Always appreciative of our team, clients and suppliers time, effort and support
  • Still alive and kicking
  • Amazed at the business we have built
  • Never ever content and want to achieve more
  • Most importantly, still smiling, still loving working together, still respect each other and still remembering to not take it all too seriously….