Mid-year reflections

By Kim Browne

I hope it’s not just me that feels this year is flying by… June has been a crazy busy month for us at The Toast and somehow as the days blurred into each other, we’ve managed to celebrate solstice with a pajama & curry day, fit in a few client-related travel trips and spend Youth Day with our families. We’ve also managed to gain some new business, expand our office and upgrade our ever-trusty Macs.

Growing pains are certainly not pain-free, and everyday presents a new set of challenges and adventure. Clients are perpetually demanding and as the hired help – we need to deliver. We must be doing things right, as they keep coming back for more of our services and often recommend us to others. Long may the busyness continue!

Four years later, we are now in the position where we need to sometimes say no to business. It’s really not that easy for a boutique operation like ours to do.  When you’ve started out with nothing and put everything you’ve got into hunting and gathering every single piece of business gained, it feels arrogant almost to turn possible business away. Loyal long-standing clients, who invest consistent retainer business with us are our toast and butter – so we need to keep possible sensitivities in mind. It’s not personal, it’s personnel!

Recently, we did an analysis to determine how our business has shifted. Two-thirds of our current business is long-term retainer business, with project work making up a third. We started with 100% project work only. Our 10 top spending clients account for 83% of our business.  The Twisted Toast client portfolio is as varied as our work, which makes up a healthy basket.

Mid-winter, we have a lot to be grateful for – with great business prospects for the remainder of the year. Our biggest challenge is managing that busyness and the ever-constant growing pains that go with it.

With our constant need to stay ahead, we’ll just have to spring to it!