I have absolutely no interest in being an accountant, a dentist, a doctor, a teacher or a lawyer. But there are many people who love to do those things and thrive on it.
What I am interested in is creating physical areas, building buildings and making space so people can do what God put them on this planet to do. That is actually one of our values at Stone Development. We want to create spaces where other people can succeed. That’s what we get excited about, and that’s what God has put us here to do.
Everybody has their own talents, and this is ours. It’s what we specialize in. In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith writes about the division of labor and how individuals can get better at specific skills over time and are, therefore, able to specialize in that skill. This is good for society as a whole, as needs are met and everyone advances. Back in those days, he wrote about dairy farmers who traded with sheep farmers, potato farmers and brick layers. They each had different skills they could trade for other products and services
Today, we might talk about the guy who comes to cut the grass, the person who cleans your house or the IT specialist who works on your computer. I can do those things, but they can do it quicker, easier and more efficiently than me. As they do, I can spend my time doing what I’m good at.
Look at it from a business standpoint. The small business may have HR, marketing, advertising, IT, sales, operation and management all within a few people. The larger the firm, the more specialized each department becomes, and the more efficient. We are a small firm, but specialization has allowed us to thrive. We love putting together projects, designing facilities and building buildings. We get to do what we do best to earn a living and pay others to do what they do so they can earn a living as well. It’s just a big cycle.