Nelson Craig Entrepenuerial Mason

In an economically repressed region, during a recession, and out of season for your chosen profession, many would find it difficult to get work. Not Nelson Craig, a self employed mason, who has been force to turn several potential clients down due to over booking. Craig's business is based out of Masardis, a small town in Aroostook County Maine. I chose Nelson Craig for this article to see what makes made him different from others who are not fairing as well during these hard economic times.
When asked about how he maintains such a high client base Craig responded,”Reputation, that is it in a nutshell in this area.” Reputation to Craig means doing the best possible job for his clients, and hoping they spread his name to their friends. Craig takes great pride in his work making it easy for clients to recognize his skills and devotion to giving them a good product. He has done work for several lodges in the area that have brought him business from around the world. This summer Craig worked for a Swiss family who had visited one of the lodges on vacation.
Craig claims his key to being busy all year round is to not limit his work to only masonry. In the winter he does cabinetry, ceramic tile jobs, flooring, dry-walling, and just about any other carpentry work. The easiest way to stay busy in Aroostook County is to diversify. “I specialize in masonry with 35 years experience, but I have worked closely with family who specialize in the carpentry trades,” says Nelson Craig. Craig's family has a long lineage of carpentry; his grandfather, father, brother, and uncles have all been in the trade. When masonry business is slow like in the winter he is able to fall back on this knowledge. Craig credits a big part of his success to accommodating his clients. Often situations arise in the construction industry when extra or alternative work for a client presents itself. Nelson Craig claims that taking on that extra work for the client gains their respect and shows that he is willing to accept changes by the client. He still gets compensation for these jobs over the estimate cost but the ability to adapt gains him credit in the clients eyes.
The biggest idea to take away from Nelson Craig's entrepreneurial mindset is adaptivity. It is easier to survive in a constantly changing economy if you can change with the times.