Our Anniversary

11 November, 2010

Today marks the seven year anniversary of Markstone Group. Since our establishment, we have met many wonderful people and had our share of success.

Looking back, it would not have been a journey if we didn’t learn a few lessons on the way.  Going into small business is probably one of the most optimistic things an individual can do. Especially if that business is based on consulting – the art of selling yourself. The belief in your own abilities mixed with the excitement of being your own boss, is a mix that can sometimes leads to downfall.

One of the key learnings I take out of the last seven years is that it is easier to commit to an expense than to secure revenue. Over the last year, talking to other owners of small businesses, a theme has emerged whereby the owners admit that during the good times there was a buzz in hiring people, based on the expectation that revenues would keep rising, and the costs would soon be offset.

The downturn has abruptly brought home the reality that additional costs should only be borne when they are directly linked to revenue. This is not to say that investment should not be made for the future, but that investments need to be justified in relation to a direct revenue return. The only way for a business to survive a downturn is if it was profitable during the good times.

The key to remaining profitable besides a focus on costs is business relationships – both internal and external. Markstone has only been able to get to the point we are today through our relationships with our clients, business advisors and importantly our past and present staff. We would like to thank all of you who have assisted over the years.

The future is looking good for Markstone and associated companies. Early next year we will be revamping the website and taking a slightly different direction, which will carry us forward into a very bright future.