Each and every week the Square Holes team are deep in the bowels of a number of projects, working to mine all of the insights that we can to help grow businesses and support thriving cities.

These insights are used by businesses and organisations to innovate their offerings, move into new markets, track their impact and hone their products and output. Each week we will be sharing a broad insight that we have learnt for you to use in your own work.

Let us know what you find valuable!

Jason: Pain creates change

Pain creates the burning deck for change. Waiting for the economy to rebound or for the good old days to return is rarely the answer. Industries like wine, consulting, retail, and many others, are changing and in some cases shrinking. The real opportunity lies in asking: how do we shift our thinking?

That’s what excites me about what we do at Square Holes. There is an obvious appetite to listen to real people, gain fresh insight and reimagine the future. The past has gone, today is here, and tomorrow is the future we must prepare for. Everything will be okay, we just don’t know what it will look like yet. ?

Dylan: Giving back is good business

We’re currently working on a project for a large organisation in the building industry. A key learning has been that lasting value comes not just from delivering buildings, but from giving back to the communities they serve. Local employment, Indigenous participation and visible contributions such as supporting schools, sporting groups, or community initiatives are all actions (while sometimes small) that build trust and strengthen local economies. Successful outcomes are not only measured in completed infrastructure but in shared benefits created for the community.

Mahalia: Rise of creators

Many people bemoan the rise of creators, as they have gained traction and notoriety outside the traditional structures of success. iPhones and the like have made all of us reporters and documentarians in our own right, with the ability to share important events as they happen. While citizen journalists don’t adhere to the strict ethical and impartial guidelines journalists (should) do, they also don’t have to answer to politically aligned media tycoons or advertising stakeholders. So while it’s important to continue to educate on strong critical media literacy across ALL media and creators – online creators and citizen journalists have a valued role in the information ecosystem.

Think your business or organisation could do with some insights? Contact us here.