The Yule Blog
So, we’ve entered that time of year when we put up the Christmas decorations, watch classic movies like Elf and the Muppets' Christmas Carol, and I find myself singing the classic Christmas songs in the shower. And, there is nothing more classic than John Lennon’s famous lyrics:
“So this is Christmas, and what have you done?
Another year over, and a new one just begun.”
As well as decorating, celebrating and, in my case some terrible singing, it’s also a time to reflect on what has happened over the last twelve months. To take stock and ponder improvements for the coming year.
To help reflect, a trick I’ve learned is to write down the first few words that come to mind for the given subject and start writing from there. For 2022 those words were: Innovation, Teamwork, Celebration and Relationships. So, here we go…
Innovation
Great2 is unique. We are trying to create not just a great physical space but also support services and a community of likeminded people and entrepreneurs who want to impact Chesterfield and the surrounding area.
To do this, we need to think outside of the box as things that work in larger cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield may not be viable in a market town. Our newly launched Business Lounge is the most recent example of stepping out and trying something new.
Teamwork
I probably don’t say it enough, but I am so thankful for the fabulous team we have at Great2. It's easy to have an idea, but it takes an entire team to validate, refine, and implement it. So, a huge bucket of thanks to everyone at Great2 for making it a reality, and serving our customers brilliantly.
The team has also grown in the last twelve months which is always fantastic. The arrivals of Lynne, Kim, Alyce and Phoebe has added a brilliant combination of depth, experience and youthful enthusiasm to our team. We have been able to develop some great offerings to support our growing customer base in areas such as social media and content development.
In addition to our new joiners, we have seen members of the team move on to take on more challenging roles. In early November, it was with both sadness and joy that Katy Vickers took on the role of Finance & Ops Manager for the Data & Insights division at TPXimpact.
Katy was one of the founders of Great2 and her dedication and support will be greatly missed. True to Great2’s principles of growing our own talent we are in the fortunate position to have Robyn Parker ready to step up and take on the role of Finance & Ops Coordinator. Pipa and I are really excited to have Robyn work with us as part of the Senior Leadership.
Celebration
One thing we like to do at Great2 is have a good time and we do not need too much of an excuse to have a celebration, and in 2022 we have had A LOT to celebrate.
In October, we won the Entrepreneur of The Year Award at the Destination Chesterfield Awards. It is a team prize as we could not achieve the great things we do without each member of the team. We were also a finalist at the East Midland Chambers Business Awards for the same accolade.
As well as winning prizes we want to celebrate the generosity of the people who come to work at Hayfield House. Thanks to their support and some amazing food produced by local street food vendors its great to be able to announce that this year we have raised £1375.40 in total to share between our two charities - The Elm Foundation and The Turner Farm project. They do amazing work here in Derbyshire and we’re delighted to be able to support them.
And, as we head into 2023, we will have another reason to raise a glass! Alyce Dart our HR Admin guru is off on maternity leave and so we look forward to seeing the photos and raising glass to the next generation of Great2ers. Good luck Alyce!
And that leads nicely into…
Relationships
Our relationships with our customers, suppliers, and employees are so important. As are those partners such as Destination Chesterfield and BNI which enable have enabled me to network and meet other peers who are also growing their own businesses.
I have come to value the opportunity to learn from and also be challenged by these peers. It is in these conversations that I have come away with some snippets of inspiration or nuggets of wisdom.
So, if Innovation, Teamwork, Celebration & Relationships are the words that sum up 2022 for me, what word I am heading into 2023 in mind?
Networking
It would be great to utilise the fabulous space we have at Hayfield House to support more networking activities for those people involved in Digital / Tech startups and SMEs in the Chesterfield area. To create a place where like minds can collaborate and develop new ideas, build opportunities and celebrate success. Here’s to more of that next year!
But for now, it's time to kick back, enjoy some well-earned downtime with family and friends, consume too many calories and hopefully get a few moments to enjoy a good book.
So, from me and the wonderful Great2 team, we wish you and your loved ones a peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Andy
