Reflections on 29 years

As Cavill + Co celebrates 29 years this week, I find myself in a reflective mood. I’ve witnessed several crises that have impacted both big and small business during this time. From the Dot-com crash of 2000, the GFC of 2008, to the lingering economic impact of COVID-19, I’ve seen first-hand how each event has strained both business and non-profit sectors. And now the ongoing war in Ukraine is disrupting supply chains and increasing prices, and we’re seeing inflation and a cost-of-living crisis. This has hit non-profits especially hard – demand for services has skyrocketed while donations have dwindled.

Despite it all, I’m still here, doing what I love, on my terms. I’ve expanded my impact through BePartnerReady.com®, a venture I co-founded with Millennial Georgia McIntosh, empowering non-profits to create transformative corporate partnerships.

Reflecting on nearly three decades of navigating such challenges, I’ve identified three core insights that have helped me not just survive in business but thrive — lessons that I believe are just as crucial for non-profits and businesses moving forward. They are 1) Diversify income streams 2) Cultivate a Positive Mindset and 3) Nurture Relationships.

1. Diversify income streams

Although my niche is matchmaking non-profits to corporates, I’ve developed various processes based on client needs. That doesn’t mean creating a new product for every request—though my ‘creativity monster’ would love to! If it’s a one-off request, I typically refer clients to others. But if I get the same request multiple times and a client is willing to co-develop and trial a new process, I dive in. This led to creating HeartSmart® (my matchmaking process) and Framework (my CSR/ESG framework), as well as a whole new income stream: training non-profits to become strong partners. My modular Toolkit was born from seeing how unprepared non-profits were when pitching to corporate clients, leaving them vulnerable in negotiations.

The key to diversity: identify and mine different audiences, offer varied products, and utilise multiple delivery methods (F2F, online, etc.). Always seek feedback to anticipate market shifts but be discerning about what you develop.  If you have a creativity monster like me – be careful not to feed your business to it!  Product development can be fun but it’s time consuming, so be prepared to question if it’s worth the effort (despite what the monster says!) Be prepared to let go of some products so you can focus on those that have the greatest potential. My modular process for non-profits, once a side hustle, has evolved into BePartnerReady.com®, now my top income generator.

Two companies that failed to adapt are Blockbuster and Kodak—both relied on a single product and didn’t evolve with market changes, leading to their downfall.

 2. Cultivate a Positive Mindset

Running a business, large or small, requires the right mindset: tenacity, belief in yourself, positive and persuasive personality, valuing your time, and staying open to learning and new approaches. Reciprocity and honesty are essential—acknowledge people’s value and be authentic and transparent. Develop self-awareness – know your strengths and delegate what you’re not good at. Take calculated risks, view failures as learning opportunities, dust yourself off and get back on the horse. Stay customer focused. Starting a business is easy; turning it into a fully functioning, thriving, enduring success is the challenge. Develop grit, stick to your values, and never quit.

Richard Branson exemplifies this mindset—he’s visionary, takes risks, learns from failure, and leads with empathy, optimism, and resilience. To him, business is also about having fun.  

3. Nurture Relationships

Just as small businesses are the backbone of Australia, relationships are the backbone of any business. Invest in them. I’ve been fortunate to have some fantastic employees over the years – it’s so important that there is alignment with values as well as ensuring they have the right skills to do the job. I’ve always believed in the power of partnership and all my business ideas have come to fruition from the brain power and investment of industry partners.

Customers who like you as a person and value your service will refer you to others. Never treat a supplier as just a supplier, they’re just as important as customers – when you find the right ones stick with them and support them.

At the start of my business, I created a ‘relationships document’ that outlines my personal and company values, and importantly, how that manifests in day to day working. If a client resonates with it, we’re aligned; if not, we don’t proceed. Work with people you like, and who share your values.

And finally, talking of relationships, ensure that your life partner is fully on board with your vision because there will be numerous times when the business takes precedence over social events, and you want them to be understanding and supportive. Enrol them at the outset.

Hailey Cavill-Jaspers

Note: written by Hailey with some research provided by her trusted AI ‘Robert the Robot’