A new decade is the perfect time to take stock of achievements and set goals for the future. For WeWork\u2019s global network of thousands of member companies, it\u2019s a time to refocus and realign on what\u2019s important (and what\u2019s not) for growing their businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As they head into the New Year, a diverse group of members share their ambitions for the year ahead and strategies to achieve them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGrowing up and scaling is the name of the game for 2020,\u201d says Brandon Perlman, founder and CEO of Social Studies<\/a>, an influencer marketing<\/a> agency with a headquarters by WeWork<\/a> space in New York City. \u201cIt\u2019s about process, efficiency, methodology. We\u2019re moving away from selling everybody everything at every price.\u201d His motto for the year: Less is more. \u201cWe\u2019re going to do fewer deals, but higher-quality ones\u2014bigger deals,\u201d he says. \u201cSaying no will be a trend in 2020.\u201d The company will also expand its expertise in the food and beverage space, which made up 50 percent of its business in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For 2020, \u201cthe big goals are getting new [operational] systems up and running and tripling revenue again,\u201d says Carmel Hagen, the founder of plant-based food company Supernatural<\/a>, a Food Labs<\/a> member at WeWork 511 W 25th St<\/a> in New York. She\u2019s looking to partnerships to achieve both goals\u2014with fellow WeWork member Relish Food Project<\/a>, a financial services and accounting company, for the first (\u201cOur operations have outgrown my personal skill set,\u201d she says), and with strategic growth partners for the second. \u201cWe try to focus on sales growth opportunities that have a dual purpose\u201d of revenue and brand affinity, says Hagen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Impact is baked into the business model of sustainable sock company Conscious Step<\/a>, a member company at WeWork 109 S 5th St<\/a> in Brooklyn, New York, that donates<\/a> a percentage of sales<\/a> to nonprofit partners. Founder and CEO Prashant Mehta says they generated almost $200,000 in donations last year. \u201cYou start as a small business, and you don\u2019t really make a dent, and then, as you grow, you start to see the impact you can have,\u201d he says. In 2020, he hopes to make the company\u2019s production process more sustainable by traveling to learn more about sustainable practices. But it won\u2019t happen all at once: \u201cIf you start head-on on January 2, you burn out faster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re starting with a focus on how we can facilitate organic connections<\/a>,\u201d says Caitlin Kawaguchi, director of marketing and partnerships at sustainable jewelry company Bird + Stone<\/a>, a member at Brooklyn, New York\u2019s WeWork Dumbo Heights<\/a> that donates<\/a> 10 percent of its profits to organizations that support women and other causes. Last year the company experimented with a matching campaign to fund reproductive health clinics, raising over $1,000 in a few days. \u201cWe\u2019ve received stories from women who have fought for equal pay, who are running for office, or who are lifetime environmental activists, and we see tremendous potential in connecting all of these incredible leaders committed to driving change,\u201d says Kawaguchi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Blue Ox Marketing<\/a> founder Cody Fisher, who will become a member at WeWork Gotham Center<\/a> in Queens, New York, in January, plans to build on his company\u2019s business success\u2014by listening. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be intentional about spending more time with clients, providing on-site workshops and trainings, as well as just being out in the business community,\u201d he says. Last year his company helped clients triple their revenue, secure funding, and launch new products. \u201cIf we can continue to provide [clients] with the greatest value possible, the growth will take care of itself,\u201d says Fisher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy business goal is always to create value, whether that means closing more deals or tightening margins,\u201d says Michon Vanderpoel, director of licensing and partnerships at educational media company Timbuktu Labs<\/a> and a member at WeWork Studio Square<\/a> in Queens. In 2019 his team closed over 50 licensing deals. Key to Vanderpoel\u2019s success is utilizing a cost-benefit approach: \u201cYou must think creatively about your dealmaking and weigh the cost of effort versus return.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kathleen Brown<\/a>\u2014who launched cancer wellness platform Buddhi from WeWork 220 N Green St<\/a> in Chicago\u2014believes that the health of her team is the key to her company\u2019s success. (Her first hire was a former WeWork employee.) \u201cI need to prioritize our wellness because the business cannot succeed without it,\u201d says Brown. She plans to achieve this by breaking down her goals by month, week, and day, and prioritizing \u201cnonnegotiable\u201d daily activities\u2014meditation, 4-6 cups of greens (and no sugar), and movement\u2014and a weekly \u201cchill activity.\u201d \u201cNo one wants to support a company that champions people taking care of themselves if I\u2019m not doing it myself,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\nFind the right partners<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pursue sustainability at a sustainable pace<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Create connections among communities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Invest in face time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Embrace a value-creation mindset<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Focus on employee well-being<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n