I’m not going to sugar coat it – 2021 was really hard – it was a year of constant change and adjustment.

The lockdown, and then the easing of the lockdown, has allowed us to get back to the people and things we love but adjusting has brought challenges too. The uncertainty and the constant media coverage caused us all anxiety and hit us all hard.

There has been so much positive change in 2021, but even positive change can lead to stress and worry, and it can take time to readjust to things we have not done for a while.

Feelings of anxiety are likely to pass with time as we get used to the “new normal” but it’s important to do what we can to take care of our mental health. I think that is one of the biggest changes we have seen and experienced in 2021 – even in our industry- people are talking openly about how they are and their mental health. We have seen people being much more open about how they feel, without feeling isolated or lonely when they are struggling.

Another observation is that customers appear to be more demanding. Maybe it is a result of many more people working from home, having more time available or simply seeing more that needs to be fixed or resolved.

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but as we know block management can be widely misunderstood, and often undervalued. So, it is even more important now to be clear about what is included and what is not included in their management charge. Also being clear about what is defined as an “emergency” and what is not, and sticking to, and enforcing your work boundaries.

There were so many takeaways from 2021 – here are our top 21:

1. Change can be scary, but it doesn’t need to be.

2. There is always something positive you can do – all is not lost!

3. We are a lot more resilient than we think.

4. If you’re the brightest person, then you’re in the wrong room – surround yourself with talented people who are more experienced than you.

5. I do believe you can have it all – but you can’t do it all. Running a business is like being an elite athlete – you need a support team around you.

6. You need to build a service business on solid, sustainable foundations.

7. Invest in the best accountant you can afford and follow their advice.

8. You need to build your boundaries – working 24/7 is not a sustainable strategy. Be clear on your boundaries. When you’re off and your out of office is on – honour that.

9. Build for success and recruit your team before you need them.

10. Invest in yourself and create a plan for continuous professional development.

11. Customer service – always go that extra mile, over deliver, maximise and delight client expectations

12. Marketing must be consistent – whether you post on one of all social media channels, whether you blog, or TikTok – do what you do consistently!

13. People before profit – every time.

14. Find a balance that works for you – everyone talks about work life balance but when you are going through a growth phase it’s all hands-on deck. So, plan in the time to rest, review progress and recharge your batteries before you start again.

15. Take responsibility, ownership, and accountability – the buck stops with you – always.

16. It’s important to give back to your community – build it into your business plan, not as an afterthought.

17. Be kind, but don’t expect kindness – not everyone is built the same way.

18. Have a robust Management Agreement and reference it when you need to. Use the lease as king – always.

19. Under promise and over deliver – every single time. Say what you’ll do. Do it. Say that you’ve done it.

20. Work harder on yourself than you do on your business, and you’ll grow your resilience and conquer your confidence.

21. Plan your business, plan in time to rest, recharge and restart yourself and your business. Make no apologies – everyone needs to build in down time.

Business Growth

We are so grateful that our business experienced significant growth in 2021- we more than tripled in size! We celebrated five years in business, and we learned so much. It wasn’t all plain sailing and at times we were over extended, but we took the learning, and the feedback, we plugged the gaps and grew as property managers as a result.

We now manage blocks in Bristol, Cheltenham, Bath, Swindon, Stroud, London and Bromsgrove and the company is consistently growing.

I had a goal to manage twenty-one blocks in 2021, and we totally smashed that goal.

We have won some brilliant awards: Property Hero Award, Small Business 100, Property Manager Award 2020 and the Influencer Award in Property Management 50 Awards 2021, and we were identified as the one to watch.

We are also finalists in three categories of The News on the Block Awards 2021. Fraser Allen Estate Management is a finalist in the Property Management Company of the Year category and in the new category for 2021 the Pandemic Response Award, and I am finalist in the Regional Property Manager of the Year Award. It’s going to be an exciting evening and we can’t wait to see everyone else.

We are so excited and looking forward to new challenges and new opportunities for 2022.

If you like the sound of the way we work at Fraser Allen and you’d like your property to be in safe hands, then please call 01242 399150 or email us on [email protected] and let’s see how we can support you.