The survival rate of new SMEs for the first three years is a scary prospect to any founder, yet against all odds, we are steamrolling into year four already! The showreel we created to celebrate Hotdrop in 2022 shows only a fraction of what we were able to deliver last year for brands and clients around the world! I also wanted to share some other landmarks that we have celebrated internally in 2022 as I haven’t often shared details of these in the past;
A Business Focused on People
Hotdrop was founded on the principle that no matter what happens in the business, we will always prioritise the needs of our team members. I’m proud that this core mantra for the business remains as true as ever as we head into 2023.
We started the year by hiring a dedicated in-house full-time HR role, Head of People, despite our core team being under 20 full-time employees. You would not usually expect a start-up of our size to hire for a role like this, however, I felt it was a crucial decision to ensure we remained committed to our mission to provide for our employees and sustainably grow the company.
I’m also extremely passionate about respecting team members’ time outside of work hours. Since the company’s incorporation, we have focused on ensuring everyone has a strong sense of work/life balance with no out-of-office hours messages and respecting people’s time when on annual leave. I am proud we have continued to set this example despite the growth and increased output of the business. We are also grateful that our clients respect this and know how important it is for our entire team.
To continue to successfully support the team we have also worked hard on strengthening all internal and external processes. This has been a key element to ensure there is an accessible framework to support productivity and promote effective communication.
Opportunity
We’re really proud of the numerous training and growth schemes we provide for Hotdrop team members, such as leadership training, qualifications, access to seminars, and courses.
If we’re unable to find something appropriate for the skills we are looking to develop then we look to innovate, which is very on-brand for Hotdrop, and create our own in-house training solutions! The training provision will continue to grow in 2023 and I look forward to sharing more throughout the year on how we implement this.
Alongside training and upskilling, we are very lucky that many of our clients have chosen to renew with us, alongside onboarding 18+ new clients in 2022. This means our work is always varied and exciting, encouraging the team to develop and iterate, bringing new innovative approaches to their delivery.
We also hold 360 half-year appraisals to gather feedback from every individual, which upon their recommendation, led to the creation of the Employee of the Month initiative. This has been a fantastic way to allow others to show their appreciation for team members from outside their departments, ensuring that they are valued and recognised for their contribution and personal development.
Reflection
Not only are we working to meet the business objectives of scaling, developing, and learning, but we have also continued to sponsor industry events and have been nominated, shortlisted and even taken podium wins at many awards in 2022. It has been amazing to see Hotdrop recognised at international awards bodies and I take personal pride in knowing that every time we feature, it’s because of the hard work of the entire team.
On a personal note, the journey of a business owner and entrepreneur can be a very lonely one at times, and each year presents new challenges, but I can safely say I am so lucky to come to work each day to be surrounded by daily inspiration from the team we have built and the wonderful people we get to work with and deliver for. 💜
Thank you to everyone who has supported and worked with us in whatever capacity, here’s to another incredible year!
