By: Sara Suter, Vice President

As a small veteran owned business, many would have thought that the odds were against us to maintain our staffing levels, gain new business, and secure enough funding to make it through the pandemic. As we kick off our 35^th year in business, we are reminded that resiliency is one of the key characteristics of CBSI’s success. The key to our growth over the last 2 years has been tied to our ability to pivot our business offerings, diversify our clients, and to not be stuck in our own way. As new opportunities came our way, we went back to our strategic plan to ensure alignment and then laid out a roadmap to help us meet the needs of our clients.

With the mindset for growth, we expanded our 20 years of experience in FF&E Management, to become the prime contractor for front of house furniture procurement, warehousing, and installation for the new SDSU Aztec Football Stadium. Working with our partners we have been able to provide key elements to help with procuring over $1 million in custom furniture to be installed throughout the facility in the suites, lounges, and common areas. The ability of our team to pivot into this new role was based on the three key elements:

Right People, Right Place, Right Time

CBSI believes that building up our team, along with their diverse background, is essential for us to secure opportunities. Working as a team rather than as individuals on a project, allows us to provide clients with experts in construction, contracting, prevailing wage, procurement, and project management. Having the right team in place for when the opportunity arises allows us to move quickly into contracting and project implementation.

Processes & Procedures

It’s critical to set the foundation in place before you pivot to ensure a smooth transition. The structure behind your business is not exciting, but if not managed well, will derail your efforts to move the company forward. Our team has spent years setting and continually adapting our processes and procedures for contracting, fiscal controls, safety, scheduling, and project management. Having the foundation in place prior to the opportunity at SDSU has allowed us to move quickly into the role and pivot as the project needs change.

Flexibility

Flexibility is key! As a small business, we can streamline our systems quickly and efficiently, make decisions, process payments, and implement project expectations without a lot of unnecessary internal controls and processes. The alignment with our team on the project keeps all the key players involved to quickly meet the needs of the client and offer solutions that others might not be able to fulfill in the timeline required. Flexibility has been key to pivoting the company over the last few years, and to our success on the SDSU project.

For more insight into our leadership journey and how CBSI can help your team, check out our other blogs and resources at www.cbsisandiego.com.