It’s tough running a small business. Sometimes all you want to do is get your head above water and have the freedom to take on bigger jobs. I can think of dozens of projects I’ve wanted us to take on but have had to refuse as we simply could not make it work logistically. Up until recently, we’ve had to say no to big commercial building projects as we’ve been a business that specialises in building houses and small commercial buildings. We’ve built a reputation for our quality of work and timely completion of projects, but that’s probably because we never bite off more than we can chew.
We recently found ourselves in a tricky situation. We were offered money to take on a huge shopping centre project. One of the biggest shopping centres in the southern hemisphere had bought some neighbouring land and was looking to extend its location. The only issue was we definitely did not have enough steel beams. Melbourne was going through a bit of a steel beam shortage, and there was no chance that our tiny little business was going to be granted the amount of steel we needed for this job.
What on earth does a company do in a situation like this? We didn’t want to say no as we knew it would be good money, but we also didn’t know what actions to take. Steel was a crucial part of this job, and it was not something that could be substituted. I decided all I could do was start putting out the feelers to top-rated structural steel fabricators and suppliers near Melbourne who would be able to help us. Unfortunately, many said they did not have enough steel for this size of job. Everything seemed a little hopeless until one steel company decided to get in touch and tell me they were eager to be part of the project. After a phone call and a visit to the location, I could tell these people were the real deal and could help me out. The project is currently underway as I type.