On Thursday, I attended a small business event which inspired me to create a brief run-down of 2011 progress, wins, lessons, and AlixCompany goals for 2012. I see great things for AlixCompany in the coming year and do hope you will continue to read and join me as it happens.

Progress:

The year started off with LLC registration and a new AlixCompany brand identity communicated through a new website, Twitter page, blog banner (and moved from Blogger to WordPress), business cards, postcards, and thank you cards.

AlixCompany expanded deliverables to include quantitative research analysis, integration management, and Articulation™ services. Clients have continued to call on AlixCompany for qualitative research services and Planner for Awhile (PFA) reflecting the start-up sell and success of those two deliverables.

Other signs of growth and progress include hiring several contractors for AlixCompany project work and booking three projects at one time in one instance and a few double bookings. I’m reminded of some research completed for Office Depot where we spoke with small business owners and learned about various growth progression points. It truly is an exciting time as I personally experience some of those mentally tagged moments.

My interest in giving back through teaching continued through two classes- Market Research and Strategic Messaging with non-profit BiGAUSTIN. In addition, I presented Understanding Consumer Audiences to a few folks through the Austin American Marketing Association chapter.

Lastly, I hired an attorney to register the trademark for Articulation™. It is most certainly an interesting time for business and I think Articulation™ is the perfect way to describe the optimization and implementation of strategic business plans. Clearly, it’s no longer (just) about advertising or social media, or mobile, or digital, or and or and or… It’s about the Articulation™ and providing the best channel connection(s) through an in-depth understanding of the consumer, marketplace, and product dynamic. Center on strategy. Articulate in a strategic fashion.

Wins:

Business has reflected networking efforts and shows both repeat and new customers in the advertising and marketing sectors. A good portion of my business this year came in from Austin and for this I am grateful.

Areas of wins included healthcare, finance, education, footwear, auto racing, beverage, turkey meat packaging, insurance, animal rights, and beef jerky.

Lessons:

I must plug the leadership class taken through SMU’s Cox Executive Education program. I took the 16 week course 2009 and it has truly put another notch in my professional communication belt. Over the course of the year I have needed these tools on occasion. It is so very nice
to have such tools and the proper training for effective communication as I build my business.

Two specific lessons include:

• There’s real value in understanding the perspective of others. Folks do things based on their center. Centers vary. Often times to communicate in business two parties have to find a new center. Perspective helps here. The ability to take a few moments to understand the other person’s viewpoint is imperative for quality conversation.
• Policy change:  AlixCompany now uses, “We work with you to book our own travel”. A couple of experiences this year in this space highlighting the need for a change. If you travel a lot for research you book travel (and travel) differently. When you’re actually doing the traveling– it’s different. Working with our clients to book our own travel is a win-win for the client (cost) and for the qualitative researcher (getting preferred flights).

Goals for 2012:

I look forward to the potential of new business growth in 2012. Specific goals for 2012 include:

• Firming my international offering- more new news coming on that in the coming months.
• For the Dialogues of this Dialogue blog, I’d like to interview Nancy Tag (who is writing a book on “how to deconstruct ads in order to building better advertising”) and John Gerzema (who is writing another book like Spend Shift exploring the macro shifts of consumer behavior).
• I am working through the materials for a new Articulation™ class at BiGAUSTIN and I’d like to get that in order for a first class early in the year.
• I’d also like to buy some office space if having contractors in one spot provides to be an imperative.

Thank you for your readership and for a fantastic year in 2011.