I want to keep this short and sweet this year, especially after the rollercoaster we have all experienced. Reflecting on 2020, I want to look back and see what our main business objectives were heading into January 2020 and, of course, before the start of the madness…….
- Continue to build Nine Twenty as a facilitator for ambitious hardworking professionals
- Encourage everyone to work hard, learn and improve
- Work with my business partners and allow them to take Nine Twenty to the next level; not just a change of the guard but a platform to shine
- Encourage change and continuous improvement by fostering an environment that supports and rewards our people whilst advocating a “never to fear failure” culture.
…. And boy did we deliver. As the dust settles and we wind down for our Christmas break, I don’t want to focus on the pandemic and the challenges, problems, and pain it has caused, but rather to celebrate the people of the Nine Twenty Group of businesses for their tenacity, hard work, and loyalty to the business.
From March onwards my sole focus was to keep our people safe and secure, give them support and encouragement, and keep them updated to get through the challenges ahead. It seemed a perfect time to get back to basics, My Grandfather always said that "success is a by-product of hard work and commitment”. OK, maybe slightly different dynamic in the shipyards of Clydebank, compared to a virtual home working recruitment business,but it still resonates.
Our people believed in us, so it was then time to convey our belief in them, and what a reaction we got; gradually returning from furlough they all delivered and worked as hard as they possibly could. We cannot thank them enough. 2020 has made us stronger, and when times were tough you all stepped up, responded when needed, and stuck by us.
Cheers to my business partners: Karen Stewart, Chris Lowden, Laura Armstrong and Lynne Rae. To Alan Crockert, congratulations and thank you for your continued support, the daily calls, even the moans and groans.
I’m also delighted to announce that not only have Karen Stewart and NTE delivered a fantastic year but she has grown her business internationally to include Procurement & Supply chain; welcoming also Tina Smith and Danielle Scott into sub Franchise businesses. All incredible achievements, with exciting times ahead.
As a business, we have overcome the challenges that are now part of daily life. Nine Twenty will continue to embrace new technology, leverage new processes, techniques and tools to improve our service. To that end, we will continue to invest in our infrastructure and our people development. We were one of the first businesses in Glasgow to adopt a “work from anywhere” policy, creating a new hub and offering complete flexibility to our team.
I would also like to thank our customers and close business contacts and suppliers. We could not have done it without you. There are too many to mention, but from everyone at Nine Twenty, Thank You!
Last but certainly not least, to our Nine Twenty people. My sincere thanks for all your hard work and support. I look forward to an exciting 2021, with no fear and no regrets, just truly thankful for the people I work with on a day to day basis, and now looking forward to the future!
Finally, may I take this opportunity to offer all our clients – existing and prospective, our candidates and indeed everyone within Nine Twenty my very best wishes for a Happy & Peaceful Christmas and a Healthy & Prosperous 2021. It really has been my privilege to serve you and to work with you in the past and I look forward to doing it all again next year.
Gordon Brown
Founder
Nine Twenty Recruitment