As we get stuck into the new year, especially this year, we find ourselves looking forward to many things
A particularly exciting event here at Lemonface Creative is our approaching 7th anniversary. Yup we’ll be 7 on March 1st. As the big day nears, we’ve been reflecting on the importance of celebrating an anniversary, and what all that entails. Anniversaries are more than opportunities to recognise significant milestones—if properly taken advantage of, they can provide a space for all employees to pause and reflect on their organisation’s journey to the present and recognize their personal role in it. In planning this year’s milestone we’re going to discuss a few ways for YOU to seize the opportunity of celebrating YOUR business.
Why celebrate?
Because it's a cold hard fact that a large percentage of start-ups fail to move beyond start-up phase. Statistics New Zealand say only 37% of 'micro' businesses, or start-ups, exist after two years. And so that means 63% fail to reach their third birthday, and that’s in normal times. These times are far from normal. So, forgive us for shouting from the rooftops. We’re not gloating. We’re not boasting. We’re just glad, thankful, grateful, proud, vindicated, confident, strong, purposeful and bloody relieved we made it this far. To those who have come on this journey with us we say thank you. To those who have been on our journey from the start (you know you are) we say thank you very much.
What are we doing?
Well, not a great deal ‘cos we’re so damn busy! But one thing we have done is change our name ever so slightly. On 1 March we will become officially known as Lemonface Creative. A subtle change that better reflects who we’ve become. We’re not just a designer anymore – we’ve become strategic, conceptual thinkers and we think this name better encapsulates this.
And in recognition and celebration of the 7th anniversary of Lemonface Design Creative we’ve gone all copper! Copper has a symbolic meaning - a reflection of beauty and durability, it reinforces the strength and long-lasting nature of the 7th year milestone. We think it’s perfect.
Why should we commemorate history?
Each year, businesses look back at different metrics from previous years to measure success and make decisions about what to focus on next. However, it’s just as valuable to take the time to recall the meaningful history of your business. Just like when we reflect on our personal lives during birthdays and anniversaries, encourage looking back on what has worked well for your workplace (and what didn’t), incorporate those experiences and lessons learned into your plans for the future. Every business evolves in different ways and celebrating milestones is a great way to reflect back on the moments that have shaped you.
A lot has changed over the years at Lemonface. However, much has also stayed the same! We were formed in 2015 because we wanted to offer a level of service to the design industry that we thought was lacking. We formed so we could be the team members you need on your side, without the overheads, without the baggage but most definitely with the passion and loyalty. We formed because we’re small enough to be personal, but big enough to offer you a full agency service. In 2020 we moved to a new open office space, which we got to design from scratch. Over the years, there have also been notable constants in our history, including our core values and our commitment to staying true to our strong roots while regularly showcasing how we’ve grown, where we’ve come from and where we’re heading to.
Anniversaries allow you to reinforce your culture and values
Our mission and culture are constantly intertwined in our approach to the work we produce for our clients. However, we also recognise that our anniversary can serve as a platform on which we can make our core values and culture the stars of the show, as well as an occasion to reinforce them to ourselves.
In addition to spotlighting values, you can use an anniversary as an opportunity to remind yourselves that we are the vessels through which your values are realised. Ultimately, our mission is carried out each day by the way we work. At Lemonface Creative we’ll take this anniversary to rally ourselves to our values by playing an integral role in executing our mission.
And of course, in our new remote reality, it’s more important than ever to foster a community through common values. In a time when we can so easily feel disconnected from one another. An anniversary presents an opportunity to not only celebrate workplace culture and values, but also to share the positives in the industry by strengthening a sense of camaraderie and togetherness.
Recognition of your workers
In addition to reminding your employees that they are integral to your values, it’s important to also recognize them as the people who have made your success possible. After all, you wouldn’t be where you are today without the hard working, dedicated, and innovative people who work for you. Recognising employee efforts signals to them that they are valued members of the team and that the work they do makes an impact.
There are a number of ways to recognise employees during an anniversary celebration. For instance, you can spotlight individuals or give them a special shoutout or kudos in the company newsletter or blog, morning tea shout out, or host a party or event that brings everyone in the organisation together, virtually or in-person. While we have had to think creatively about how to celebrate our 7th anniversary this year due to COVID-19, we are really looking forward to the day when we can all come together and celebrate this significant milestone in our company’s history.
Express gratitude to your clients
Anniversaries are also an opportunity to honour your customers, clients, and partners, without whom this achievement might not have been possible. Start by reflecting on the relationships you’ve built, including the early partnerships that propelled your business forward, the longstanding partnerships that have evolved and strengthened over time, and the new partnerships that promise exciting opportunities for the future. When expressing your gratitude to your clients and partners, be sure to reaffirm that you are invested in their success and value your continued partnership with them.
At Lemonface Creative we express our gratitude on Labourface Day. It’s special for us as it’s the one day each year where we give thanks to all our clients for the work they have given us and the trust they place in us to give their brand the love it deserves. And each year we pick a special client/clients and hand deliver a gift. Personally delivering the gift is as important to us as it is to the recipient. It shows we care, it shows we’re thankful, and it shows we appreciate the mutual bond we have for each other.
As we celebrate and reflect on our 7th anniversary, we express our deepest gratitude to all of our clients. This year will be filled with opportunities for reflection, building connections, inevitable challenges and opportunities to celebrate successes. Our advice to you? Be kind to yourself and others and be proud of what you’ve achieved. Happy anniversary!