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Why Investing in Community Made 2018 One of BlueRock’s Best Years


4 min read

The streets of Melbourne are decked out in tinsel and lights, workers are getting a little too merry at Christmas parties around the city and people are gearing up for long days spent watching the cricket, sunbaking on the beach or eating their own body weight in prawns. It must be December – the time of the year when we swap gifts and stories. Stories about the year that was and reflections on the highlights and lowlights of the last 12 months.

In 2018, we witnessed Facebook get into some hot water with a major data breach scandal, Fortnite dominate lives, and Kanye and Kim Kardashian visit the White House. It’s been a big, and sometimes confusing, year. As people around the world begin asking, “Is it December already?! How is that even possible?!”, we look back on ‘the year that was’ and some of BlueRock’s major achievements over the last 12 months.

1. BlueRock Ranked 4th Best Place to Work in Australia

In August, BlueRock was voted the 4th best place to work in Australia in a nationwide survey conducted by Great Place to Work® , a global research company that studies and recognises workplace excellence.

By measuring the culture, staff behaviours and environment of BlueRock, the institute determined that BlueRock was up there with some of the best. We put it down to the importance we place on fun, friendship and ambition – values established by the founders of BlueRock who knew that working in a professional services firm could be a much more positive experience than what had been offered in the past. Turns out you can really love working in your office, and establish strong friendships with your colleagues and clients. Who knew?

The BlueRock culture gives everyone a voice and an opportunity to pursue out-of-the-box and innovative ideas. It’s the entrepreneurial mindset of BlueRock that makes pursuing opportunity encouraged. Couple this with the fact that we all like spending time with one another (and with social activities scheduled almost every week, it’s not hard to do so) and you have a workplace that's built on trust, and the freedom to pursue organisational, departmental and personal goals. We’re a community of happy BlueRockers.

2. BlueRock Establishes Exciting B Corp-Focused Initiatives

At BlueRock, we recognise the power of business to create change in the world. That’s why we’ve always surrounded ourselves with clients and businesses that are doing new and exciting things. Community is very important to the team at BlueRock, so we put an emphasis on building strong relationships with our clients and partnering with and supporting companies with like-minded ideals – companies with a conscious.

We’re also using the power of business to have a far-reaching, positive impact. Off the back of our B Corp certification last year, this year we’ve created the B Corp Collective to really make an impact.

B Corporations hold themselves to the highest standard in the areas of social and environmental impact, transparency and business governance. And the establishment of the B Corp Collective, a task force of passionate BlueRockers, will ensure we continue to have a positive social and environmental impact on the world around us.

In October, we launched the Business for a Better World series of events focused on building and nurturing the community of B Corps within Australia and sharing strategies, insights and learnings to drive more successful for-purpose businesses. We also joined the B1G1 movement. The movement embeds giving into our everyday business. Every time someone works with us, we donate money to environmental and social projects around the world. It’s how we’re helping to create a better tomorrow for everyone.

3. BlueRock Makes the Financial Review Fast 100

Who’s faster? Superman or the Flash? Well, actually, it might be BlueRock. This year, BlueRock once again made the Financial Review Fast 100 , a list of the fastest growing companies in Australia.

When BlueRock started out as a team of 8, the doubters said it couldn’t be done. A professional services firm that offers it all? It won’t work. They’re the kind of comments that made our founder Peter Lalor determined to prove them wrong.

As Pete told CEO Magazine earlier this year: “After 10 years in professional practice, BlueRock was about shaking up the corporate framework I knew – to take the focus away from hierarchy and making money towards living good lives, having fun and allowing people to be who they want to be. I prefer a business that reflects people’s personalities and their desire to be part of a community. Our business focus should always be on living good lives.”

What evolved was a firm that offers a true holistic service: from accounting and finance right through to digital marketing and data intelligence. We’re now helping businesses to automate their systems like never before, developing digital products and launching into the Xero add-on marketplace. Business owners are for the first time gaining access to analytical insights (from business systems) that drive future business direction. The entrepreneurial mindset is what drives us to try different things, seek out opportunity and, as a result, grow as a company. We now have over 180 staff!

Our holistic service offering means we’ve been able to help our clients achieve the best outcomes for their businesses, and the result in the Fast 100 is a testament to our relentless pursuit of opportunity for both our clients and our company, and the great relationships we have within our community.

There’s Nothing Better Than Good Company

As the year wraps up, it’s hard not to get a little sentimental as we spend more time with family and friends. It’s the time of the year when we start to recognise and appreciate the value of having a strong community around us. This is what it’s all about – not only the relationships we have with our fellow BlueRockers, but also the ones we have with our clients and the world around us. When you invest in your community, you make the world a more rewarding place for everyone.

If you’d like to be a part of the BlueRock community or need advice on any aspect of running your business, get in touch. We’d love to help.

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