Grateful for Good Works

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/.