2023 has been a blast:
What a year?! The team have taken some time to reflect on 2023, from adding new team members and installing two fully operational smart homes to consuming an embarrassingly large abundance of biscuits. Read below for insight into what the team is most proud of from 2023.
Scott S
๐ My best achievement this year is developing the team around me to become fluent in their job roles. In the early days of the business, I was a one-man band operation doing everything from sales to support, which translated into some silly hours regularly. ๐ I set myself a goal to let go of the steering wheel ๐ in the installation, marketing, service, and support sections of this business, and this year has been the year of progress for this. ๐ We have some amazing individuals in our business now, and I consider myself very lucky to share this journey with them. ๐
๐ฅ Second place must go to a particular project (or two)โฆ This year, we delivered two high-end, all-encompassing smart home projects for two new builds in Devon. ๐ Both projects were delightfully complex, and I love how this is where we shine as a business. ๐ก We have such a great understanding of all the technology for state-of-the-art homes, and combining these complex technologies to deliver a seamless user experience to the homeowner is a big challenge. ๐งฉ Both projects have been a huge success, and I’m excited to work on more next year. ๐
๐ช Last but not leastโฆThe staggering amount of biscuits consumed by the team in 2023. A recent study by our in-house marketing magician Shayna discovered that we consumed over 2000 biscuits!! ๐ฒ This isnโt a great stat if we think about health, but it sums up our team spirit nicely! ๐ค We enjoy each otherโs company and donโt take things too seriously. ๐ This has created a very pleasant atmosphere in the office, which resonates in our work. ๐ผ & If you were wondering, milk chocolate hobnobs are the biscuit of choice. ๐ซ๐ช
Scott D
Iโm over the moon ๐ with our performance as individuals and as a team this past year; Iโm most proud of our business gaining its BAFE SP203-1 certification ๐.
This enables us to install and maintain commercial fire detection systems ๐ฅ and sign them off to a recognised standard. The bar is high where life safety is concerned, and that meant countless man hours โณ and sleepless nights ๐ needed to be put into auditing all parts of our business processes before we could onboard with the scheme, including paperwork ๐, operations manuals ๐ and even on-site checks ๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ.
I’m so pleased ๐ that we were accepted on the scheme and that our attention to detail is paying off and is being recognised by BAFE.
Iโm also elated ๐ to watch our team continue to grow, and Iโm very proud of our new addition, Liam.
Liam is enrolled with focus training as a fire and security apprentice ๐ straight from his time at school ๐ซ; this is his first full-time job, and itโs great to see him full of enthusiasm ๐ and watch him developing in his role so quickly, like a duck to water ๐ฆ! Weโve not yet had a technical challenge for him that he hasnโt overcome. Iโm looking forward to watching him develop in 2024 ๐ and joining that journey with him.
Iโm also excited ๐คฉ to see what Shayna has up her sleeves for us on the socials in 2024. Shayna has revolutionised the way we can show ourselves off on our social media pages ๐ฑ; she is a powerhouse of content ๐ฅ and deserves a special shout-out of her own for her incredible work this year ๐.
Iโm also told that Iโm to cut down on the hob nobs but Iโm no quitter!๐ช
Shayna:
As this year winds down, I’ve been looking back at my time with Start with Smart since joining, and it’s been nothing short of amazing. ๐
First, I got to play around with our brand’s look and feel. ๐จ Diving into the creative side, I experimented with our social media aesthetics and am super excited about how it’s evolved. It’s been a journey of creative exploration, and seeing our brand vibe with audiences on different platforms is awesome.
Then there was the launch of ‘Podcast with Smart’. ๐๏ธ Stepping into podcasting was new for me, but it’s been an exhilarating ride. Producing each episode, finding our voice, and now looking forward to what we’ll bring in the New Year โ it’s definitely been a highlight!
And I can’t forget about our deep dive into diverse content. ๐ We’ve been all over the map, from in-depth case studies in both written and video formats to keeping our blog fresh with insightful posts. It’s been a challenge, but we’ve managed to keep our content informative, fun and interactive on social media. Here’s to more of that in the coming year! ๐๐
Liam:
I’m really happy ๐ with what I’ve managed to do since I started. In just the first few weeks, I’ve got a lot done. I’ve put in a bunch of CCTV cameras ๐น and fire detectors ๐ฅ, and even set up a whole security system ๐จ for our office. Seeing it all come together and knowing that I’m making our space safer has been pretty cool ๐
As we look forward to the New Year, We want to thank everyone who’s been a part of this journey in 2023. Your support and engagement mean the world to us. Here’s to more learning, growth, innovation and creativity in 2024! ๐
