We love what we do at Admin Slayer. Every year, we like to remind ourselves why we do it. It all comes down to a couple of key beliefs:

1. Small and medium sized businesses are the powerhouses of our economy.

98.2% of all businesses in Canada have fewer than 100 employees. According to BDC, when you add in businesses with up to 499 employees, that percentage rises to 99.8%. These businesses represent more than half of our business sector's economic output.

Only half of new companies survive into their fifth year of operation. But why? According to Business Insider (using U.S. data, forgive us), 82% of failed businesses experience cash flow problems and 23% don't have the right team.

We asked ourselves: What if we could contribute to solving both problems, early on? Imagine the impact on the Canadian economy...

No small dreams.

2. Professional Administration is a profession, and a complex one at that.

Administration requires not only technical skills, but also thoughtfulness, creativity, and interpersonal skills. Responsibilities range through customer relations, record keeping, billing, bookkeeping, project management, filing, data management, social media management, business writing, document and presentation creation, and much, much more.

Great administrators are hard to find. Great administrators work better on teams with collaborative skill sets. Most business owners are great at their business, but not particularly great at leading and managing in an area where they have little to no experience.

We asked ourselves: What if we built a team of amazing, collaborative superstar administrators? What if we built a system that helped them grow and develop, that paid them well, and recognized them for the professionals that they truly are?

Merging these two beliefs into a workable company has taken - and continues to take - significant time and effort. How do you save businesses money while at the same time paying administrators well? How do you grow and develop individuals, and build collaborative teams? So far, it seems to be working out. Like you, we are constantly tweaking and improving our systems and processes, and always with our key beliefs - our WHY - in mind.

Resilience: Our Theme for 2019

We talk a lot about resilience at Admin Slayer. It's a trait that we think is vital in the building, maintenance, and growth of businesses. But, what is resilience?

Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, or stress. It's the capacity to not only recover, but to spring back into shape, stronger and more powerful than before. Resilience is one of the key ingredients for success at anything in life, love, and business.

Why do we need resilience in business? Because business is hard. The movies and magazines send messages of glamour but we know, as you do, that 57 hour work weeks at less than minimum wage (is it still a human rights violation if it's self-enforced?) can be typical for startups and for businesses experiencing the down part of their cycle. There's nothing glamorous about that.

We know we want and need resilience in order to be successful, but there's a difference between talking about it and living it. Living it means finding ways to bring resilience into every aspect of your life. Throughout 2019, we'll be writing about how to build resilience into your business, every single day.

This month, we are encouraging you to develop financial resilience inside your company. Thankfully our CEO knows a thing or two about finance, and you can read her recommendations here.

If it's been a while since you dipped into the Entrepreneur's Survival Guide, our 2017 ebook, this is a great time to read Charlene SanJenko's "How Hungry Are YOU for the Win?". Charlene is the CEO of PowHerHouse, a national women's media organization that supports and empowers women in leadership.

We know you love reading about the slayers. This month, Jessica, our Paralegal Slayer, invites you into her day. You can learn all about how this organized, dedicated slayer supports lawyers and other professionals, all from the comfort of her own home.

To your outstanding success in 2019!