2020 was a tumultuous year, to say the least. From Covid-19 lockdowns to the stress of an election year, we all have had our fair share of obstacles to overcome. When we think back on 2020 for PeopleLift, however, we will feel notions of accomplishment and satisfaction. Despite the stress and uncertainty this year brought, it was one for the books and a massive part of our growth story.
In January of 2020, PeopleLift was a fraction of what we are now. With only a couple employees, we were a ‘lifestyle, boutique’ business – happy with the few clients we had. Moving into April, Covid-19 became a large part of ours and everyone’s lives. We lost our entire enterprise class within 45 days. Our revenue dropped to just 5% of our normal income, and we lost 100% of our expected revenue over the next 70 days. We had to cut our team and make personal sacrifices. We had to question “Should we even keep going?”
The answer was yes. Instead of saying goodbye to PeopleLift, we shifted our focus into sales and marketing. We proposed ‘volunteer hours’ for the staff we had cut – all but two declined. We forged on, constantly questioning how we could make this work. We stood by our values and committed to the betterment, not only of the business, but to all of the lives involved with it. And then something special happened: clients started saying yes. By November of this year, we more than doubled our revenue in March, and our team of 4 has grown to a team of 12. Our hard work paid off more than we ever expected. As we like to say now, “We’re a real company.”
Despite all of the stress, pain, and heartache we endured, both professionally and personally, we are reminded of how important it is to keep looking ahead. As hard as it is to keep your head up and keep going, it will prove to be worth it.
So what’s next for PeopleLift in 2021? We scale.
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