In this economy, there are advantages to being moderate in size. Our company is not one of the 50 largest construction companies in the country. We do not have the same resources that our larger competitors maintain. But we are nimble.

Being “right sized” in any field can be a real plus. It’s easier for us to connect personally with our customer relationships. It enables us to be more value-oriented. When challenges arise, we have the flexibility to quickly make changes. This is the way we operate.

Last evening I was talking with a strategic partner Bill Parrish, who runs WP2DC in Los Angeles County, about this economy and how to prosper. Our thoughts:

• Dominate your niche. Focus on what you can do and then do it better than anybody else.
• Make yourself noticed. Stand out to be different. Find those things that make your company a leader.
• Satisfy employees. Smaller companies do not have to be as rigid as larger corporations. That makes it easier to attract creative types who thrive when given greater flexibility.
• Be innovative. Being moderate in size means you have to try harder. That is a good thing.
• Move quickly. Large corporations, much like large ships, often change course slowly. Moderate size organizations can react rapidly to a shift in the marketplace.

The size of our company gives us certain strengths. It is up to us to build off those strengths, and use our size to our advantage. Being larger is not always the same as being better.