Behind the scenes at Ironfish: our CEO’s EOFY letter to staff
At Ironfish, we are very transparent about our mission, values and the way we seek to do business. We, the Ironfish team, continue to be inspired by our CEO and Founder, Joseph Chou, just as we know many of our customers are. We want to give our investors a good insight into the behind-the-scenes running of Ironfish, by sharing Joseph’s end of financial message to the wider Ironfish team.
We are all dedicated to Joseph’s vision and look forward to working together over the next financial year, and indeed, the next decade, to make Ironfish the most customer-centric property investment platform: a company that is loved by our customers, admired by our peers and a company that our staff are proud to work for.
Ironfish CEO & Founder, Joseph Chou
2017 END OF FINANCIAL YEAR MESSAGE FROM IRONFISH CEO & FOUNDER, JOSEPH CHOU, TO IRONFISH STAFF
What a financial year we have just had!
2017FY was one of the most challenging years for us in new sales, settlements and almost all other areas of our business, caused by changed market conditions, government policies, lending policies and the legacy of the phenomenal growth Ironfish had experienced in the previous 2-3 years.
All these challenges tested our resolve to adhere to our core values, the strength of our business model, the partnerships we had formed both within and outside Ironfish, and the confidence of our people in what we stand for. And yet, it was also one of the most valuable years for us because it made us stop and reflect on our business practices and on ourselves. It brought all of us closer and made us stronger. We asked the question: “Why do we do what we do?” And we revisited our mission, our vision, our culture and our core values.
So why do we do what we do? Ironfish is not just another property company. When we were founded, we had a strong purpose to help thousands of families secure their financial future through successful long-term property investment. We also wanted to create unlimited opportunities for our staff members. We wanted to become a company like no other.
As you know, despite having all the best intensions, most people fail to achieve financial freedom due to lack of knowledge, experience, motivation, fear of taking action and the tendency to give up whenever there are challenges.
As people live longer and longer, many are less and less prepared financially for the last phase of their life – retirement. Australian residential property was, has been and will be in the foreseeable future, the most effective way for most families to achieve financial security. It is also one of the most secure asset class for foreign investors thanks to its 100+ years recorded history showing a clear pattern of steady long-term capital growth.
Though some people rushed into the Sydney and Melbourne markets during the boom period of the last few years, many of them are simply not prepared to deal with the challenges ahead. They do not take enough action, they do not continue to take action or, when things are tough, they may give up altogether. And in cities like Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth where there is no boom yet, many people are still waiting for the perfect time to get started.
For the above reasons, Ironfish’s core value is to help our customers build a diversified portfolio of 4-10 properties and hold them for as long as necessary until they double in value.
Our mission is to bring wealth to thousands of families through successful property investment.
We do this by hiring the best possible people who share the same passion, providing high quality market research and wealth education, sourcing and developing the best possible projects, surrounding our investor customers with the best team and providing them with highest quality service and on-going support.
Our vision for the second decade of Ironfish is to become the most customer-centric property investment platform measured by customers’ love, staff’s pride and peer admiration.
We are in the process of consolidating what we have built, improving everything we do and innovating our systems and processes. In so doing, we will become more efficient and effective, better and stronger.
We will continue to enhance our corporate culture of being “people focused, customer-centric and giving dedicated talents unlimited room to grow”. We will do this by working together and aiming high. Ironfish is all about people, the right people.
No matter how many obstacles, challenges, hiccups and setbacks lie ahead, we will keep our focus firmly on our mission and vision. We will build Ironfish from good to great taking all the true believers with us and sharing the satisfaction and rewards together.