Offer thanksgiving;
and pay thy vows unto the most High
(Psalm 50:14)
Last
week, we participated in two business expos. After fielding questions about
concrete, grout, structural steel specifications, bonding capacity, and a strange
yet appropriate concern for this region, the availability and reliability of
drivers to meet material delivery schedules on already time-crunched projects,
I was exhausted. Selling your goods and services while standing without the
support of anti-fatigue mats for hours each day takes a lot of physical
dexterity. I started to complain about my feet hurting; and then I was reminded
of the old saying: I used to complain that I had no shoes, until I met a man
who had no feet. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity
to participate in these small business expos.
I
am grateful for industry organizations who continue to advocate for small and
disadvantaged businesses to become sub-contractors in large, multi-year
projects. As small business owners, it is sometimes difficult to keep track of
bid opportunities, so it is wonderful to have agencies working tirelessly to
match prime vendors gaps with those of businesses available to fill niche needs.
We have to vow to faithfully and actively participate in these networking
venues to demonstrate to potential primes our desire to take on larger
projects.
I
am grateful for business partners and staff who continue to support and sow,
not only in the work we have today, but also toward future good works. As small
business owners, it is easy to be so focused on short-term metrics, resting on
current performance and resource requirements. We have to remind ourselves that
obedience is better than sacrifice, that networking is a requirement for
getting the word out to potential primes about our value-added contributions
toward reducing labor, time, and project cost constraints.
I
am grateful for other small businesses who continue to mentor and
pay-it-forward by recommending bundling and joint-venture proposals. As small
business owners, it is possible to impose self-inflicted limitations on growth,
thinking solely of our own capacity. We have to be committed and wise to the
possibilities of synergies created from combining our resources to present to
potential primes a turnkey solution, instead of our individual crafts.
It
took an expo to remind me that instead of thinking about what we do not have in
our business to offer thanksgiving and praise for what we do have. Through all
of the trials and tribulations that we have faced in operating this business,
we are still here, and for that, I am eternally grateful. I have witnessed a
personal increase in faith as I remain committed to do the works I have been
purposed to do. Though grace, I have witnessed the possibilities become
realities when the focus is less about me and more about the collective we. I
am grateful to the combined efforts and supplication of small business owners.
What are you most grateful for in your purposed works? Feel free to comment,
or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com.
If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions,
please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.
