When we opened our doors 10 years ago, many good friends and great clients shared with us their favorite bits of hard-won wisdom. We’ve held those lessons close; they’ve been a huge part of our success.
It’s a decade later, we’re no longer the new kid on the block, and we’ve picked up a few tips and tricks of our own. To celebrate Far Reach’s 10th anniversary, we want to share what we’ve learned.
Here are the top 10 things we learned over the past 10 years:
- Define your core values early. By
sharing who you are with others, you’re able to attract team members and clients with similar values. That leads to fulfilling, longer-lasting relationships.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. A lot of smart people are more than willing to give you guidance and do what they can to help you succeed.
- Listen to advice. None of us knew anything about how to run a business when we started. So, we learned early: Have key people you can ask for advice when you need it, and then listen to them.
- You’ll never be able to please everyone. Don’t work with clients who aren’t a good fit—it’s not good for them or for you. The same goes for team members—not everyone will be a good fit for your
team…and that’s okay.
- “Embrace change”— it’s not a cliché. It’s a necessity. Just when we thought we knew what we were doing, everything changed. So whether it’s your team, the way you do projects, or the technologies
you use, something will always change. Be ready to roll with it.
- You’ll never get everything right. Nobody’s perfect. We all make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up.
- Failing is okay as long as you learn from it. If you are willing to learn, some of your biggest failures can lead to changes in your company that will pay off in spades.
- Work on what matters most. You may be working hard, but are you working on the right things? Don’t waste your time on the trivial.
- Never stop learning. To ensure we continue to grow, we started our own business book club.
Because when you stop learning, you stop growing.
- Doing the right thing continues to be the best answer. Always.
What does the next 10 years have in store for us—and you?
Perhaps Chad says it best: “I am super stoked for the next 10 years. We’ve got the right people. We’re learning from the mistakes we’re making. And we’re going to do a lot of cool things with a lot of cool companies. I think we’re going to be the premier software development company in the Midwest. And I think people are going to be knocking down our door to work with us and for us.”
Want to prove Chad right? If you want to work with us, reach out. If you want to work for us, apply today.