Happy New Year!

We thought 2020 was a tough year, but it turned out to be just the warm-up. I think I speak for everyone when I say I found 2021 challenging, both personally and in business. The thing is though, unlike this time last year when we looked at the new year with confidence, it’s hard to look forward to 2022 with a sense of “well that covid thing is over, let’s get back to normal”

But as I write this, I look back on 2021, and there were bright spots. One of the most fun was we had all the Liberate I.T. Australia folks over in New Zealand during the short-lived bubble; it felt just like normal times again. Steve and Jonathan (Sales Manager and Lead Developer respectively) took the plunge and moved to Australia to continue with Liberate I.T’s covid-delayed expansion plans. In early October, in a feat to equal Operation Overlord (D-Day) we took 6 customers live on NetSuite on the same day; all with very positive results. Talking to other business leaders, I’ve found confidence to be strong and that’s certainly reflected in the strong sales that Liberate I.T. had in 2021, in fact during November and early December we were running at one new customer a week. It requires immense confidence to invest in implementing a new ERP system during covid times. I’m sure many companies will be suffering, with their long-term investment plans in disarray, but happily I can report that while many of Liberate I.T’s customers have had to adapt, all have done so successfully, with none going out of business during covid. In fact some of our customers can’t keep up with their order books, particularly those involved in sales of home improvement-type investments. And on a societal level, I look at developed countries like Ireland who have smaller populations than both Australia and New Zealand, yet suffered over 5000 covid-related deaths and think what that would have looked like here and are thankful we didn’t see that sort of grief.

Once again, businesses and people in New Zealand and Australia have been severely tested, and rather than buckling, they have found to be adaptable and resilient. That gives me so much joy. So reflecting back on 2021, I can find successes, one just has to look a little harder. I’m taking those successes and applying them to my thinking in 2022. I’m going to invest. Liberate I.T. is going to continue to expand in Australia, investing in yet more marketing, sales and consulting staff. In New Zealand our focus will be to continue to do what we’ve done so well for the past 10 years, especially ensuring our base of the most experienced and technical consultants in the ANZ region remains as your NetSuite team.

I look forward to seeing you all in 2022. Let’s go forward with confidence. We can do this!

Paul Beattie
General Manager – Liberate I.T.