Unprecedented. Challenging. Tumultuous. Uncertain. 

We’ve heard just about every adjective to describe the year 2020, and in some ways, it’s exciting to bid adieu to a year that was weird and hard, and welcome in what we hope will be a fresh start. 

For me, while there were many challenging moments, like figuring out how to run a business with a preschooler and little baby at home without childcare for several months, it was a year filled with opportunity and abundance. Personally, I’m ending the year with incredible gratitude and love for my family, my team, and my clients. (Want to read my full 2020 recap blog post? Click here )

My team and I spent some time going through our entire client portfolio to see what wins they all experienced this year too, and it blew me away so I thought I’d share with you. Sharing these wins is, in no way, meant to take away from the tough things that many people experienced this year too – illness, death, depression, loneliness, fear, insecurity, poverty, injustice – but I often find hope and inspiration when I see others’ successes and I hope you will too. 

Without further ado, the 100 Degrees Consulting 2020 Client Wins:

Many nonprofits were hit incredibly hard this year. Uncertainty in the market caused a significant drop in charitable donations, and many organizations could not operate their programs because of the pandemic. But nonprofit leaders are some of the more adaptable and resilient people I know.

• Landed partnerships with major companies to help support programs
• Secured significant grant funding, some specifically for COVID relief and others for general operating and program support, ranging from $10k to $3M
• Adding staff to help with grant writing, fundraising, and operations
• Increased net income by up to 100% from last year
• Pivoted in-person experiences, programs, and galas to virtual events that were highly successful
• Acquired a $150k low interest SBA loan to support production of artisan goods
• All of our nonprofit clients received fully forgivable Paycheck Protection Program funds to help support payroll expenses during Q2 and Q3

Businesses didn’t fare much better across the US. As we sadly watched small businesses in our local towns close their doors, many online businesses did really well in a new reality where we’re all spending our time behind our phone and laptop screens. Entrepreneurs and small business owners are innovative and determined and our clients had some major wins:

• Grew net income by 100%+ from last year which means these business owners were able to save for houses, increase their charitable donations, and grow their team – what an amazing ripple effect on a whole community!
• Pivoted sales outlets; moving from in-person events to online, from online to strategic shop locations, from Facebook advertising to organic reach, from organic avenues to Facebook advertising. So many leaders tried new things this year that worked!
• Added new team members to keep up with increased workload
• Acquired new companies to help further expand their reach and support their mission
• Opened retirement accounts and began contributing monthly
• All of our small business clients received fully forgivable Paycheck Protection Program funds to help support payroll expenses during Q2 and Q3

I move very quickly, too quickly sometimes, and forget to celebrate the wins, no matter how big or small. So before diving directly into the new year, I am celebrating our client wins across the board and thinking about the words that describe the amazing leaders we work with:

Resilient. Innovative. Adaptable. Creative. Determined.

What was one of your favorite wins in 2020, big or small?

(Are you looking to set yourself up for stability, clarity, and success in the new year? First, download our Profit Playbook for a template to help you easily visualize your numbers, then schedule a call to chat with a CFO! Click here to get on our calendar)