Why looking back helps take your business forward
Time flies when you’re having fun. So, if you’re not careful, you’ll miss the chance to pause, reflect, and take learnings forward for the future.
That’s why business anniversaries are a brilliant circuit breaker. Hitting a major milestone, whether that’s one, five, 10 or fifty years, makes you stop and think. Not only are they a great reason to celebrate (who doesn’t love a party or a bit of cake?), it’s also a fantastic PR opportunity to promote your business milestone in the press.
TMPR is celebrating 15 years as a B2B PR, communication and content agency this month. And while we’re doing all the above to mark the occasion, we’re also practising what we preach. Taking the time to look back so we can take key learnings forward.
Turns out our last major reflection point came after a decade of trading, with a two-part article delving into the origins of TMPR and taking the story through to our 10- year celebration.
Well, five years on from that, here’s what we’ve learned and how we’re using it to improve the way we do business.
Change is the only constant
As a business, we’ve seen more change in the last five years than we did in the first decade. We could easily blame AI and technology advancements for this, but it’s more than that. Having a growth mindset and an agile business model has served us well to date and is definitely something we’re taking forward to navigate future unknowns.
Being human sets us apart
In a world where technology is becoming increasingly dominant, we’re staying true to our core values and that means being human. The way people communicate has shifted exponentially in the last five years, and as B2B communication specialists, we’ll continue to champion the power of in-person connection and the importance of storytelling in effective communication.
Stay in your swim lane
TMPR has been on a bit of a rollercoaster in recent years, which has sometimes seen us stray outside of core services. Rooted in trying to be as helpful as possible to our longstanding clients, we’ve since realised that staying focused on our strengths is the best way to support them. That’s why we’ve doubled down on B2B PR, communication and content services, and are prioritising the development of our extended collaboration network – so we can still help clients by bringing in the right expertise.
Put yourself out there
Flying under the radar might feel like a safe option, but nobody ever achieved growth from sitting in their comfort zone. This is just as true on a personal level as it is for business. Let go of fear and get out there to be seen. Speaking from experience, five years ago TMPR kept a low profile while quietly delivering exceptional work for B2B clients across the UK and globally. We’ve started to change that, and it’s our vision to be South Wales’ most wanted B2B communication and content agency.
Access the right support
It’s no coincidence that the step-change in TMPR’s evolution came after our founder and director Louise attended the Help to Grow Management course at Cardiff Business School back in December 2023. Almost three years on, investment in processes and platforms has driven operational improvements, with a clear roadmap in place to maintain progress. All this has been assisted by TMPR retaining Graham Morgan from Business Pathfinder as a mentor after the course ended.
Build a strong community
Becoming part of a wider business network across South Wales has played a critical part in TMPR’s journey in recent years. Identifying the right communities and then playing an active role in them has led to improved business performance across the board. While attending events helps to upskill the TMPR team’s understanding on evolving topics, it’s also a great way to build collaborator connections and raise our own profile.
If you’re not sure where to start, these industry organisations have been invaluable to us in recent years – and will continue to be a strategic part of our growth.
Finally…
Time flies when you’re having fun. If the fun stops, it’s time for something to change.
Thankfully, after 15 years there’s hopefully still fun to be had with TMPR, starting with a party bash this week!
