
It's the most wonderful time of the year...for so many people. And then there are those who have lost so much and are struggling, desperately. Without a doubt, 2020 will have more than its share of disappointments as well as stories - those about wedding cancellations, loved ones have died in hospitals with no one by their side, business shutdowns and closures of businesses that have been in families for generations. Yet there are still stories about overcoming these challenges. At the beginning of this "pandemic," I posted a paragraph on Facebook assuring our business associates as well as friends that we were in it for the long run and that we needed to make certain we would bounce back since we are so heavily hospitality driven. Knowing the survival of our community depends on our businesses staying open, in early to mid September, I had numerous people (friends and business acquaintances) reach out regarding the status of our business. It was always followed by, "If there was anything we can do, I will". Our response was always the same, "We are open and why would you say that?" But as an owner of a small business there is something else that's been a critical lesson...
We must choose what we say, carefully.
Words matter and are more powerful than anyone can imagine. So many out there who throw out a list of businesses who have closed, or are hanging on for dear life - only to be wrong about the information they have shared. For some, that means what could have been business is now redirected somewhere else. Such was the case with our operation. There was recently an article appearing where the writer was interviewing a competing business owner. A paragraph in the article implied that transportation businesses in our area had shuttered their doors. I'm not sure if this information came from the competitor or from the writer. Regardless, it was baseless and was not fact checked because NONE of the three livery providers in our area have closed. Unfortunately, totally misleading and unfounded information continues to spread and not just from this article, but from others in the field. It must be true that during times of desperation, desperate people do and say desperate things. And, for this, we are so disappointed.

I am reminded of a childhood story where a young boy would see his baseball coach pick up an apple on his daily walk to the ball field - without paying. At the end of every week this coach would settle the bill with the produce owner for the apples he had eaten that week. But the boy didn't know this and told his friends and parents. Eventually, everyone in town suspected the coach of theft. In the end, no one wanted to play for the coach. The conclusion of the story shows the effects of the boy's loose words and other's misleading assumptions when the boy offers regrets to his coach. As a lesson the coach releases a pillow full of feathers on a windy day, and asks the boy to pick up each feather. It is impossible.

Coming back to Black Label Transportation; besides a number calls that have come in, I have had drivers reach out to me to ask if this was true. Folks, words do matter and they have consequences. We, like so many others out there, have been doing our best to significantly change business models and are modifying equipment to meet demand. All small businesses are doing that. While not the over the top crazy stream of work we had in March of 2020 and then lost within 24 hours when everything went silent, we are certainly at a level that is "doable" and climbing. Despite what you might have heard or continue to hear, Black Label Transportation Group is and remains open to serve all. Thank you to faithful clients - both old and even new. We are absolutely becoming a stronger and more resilient company as America begins to emerge from this economic crisis. To all our struggling business associates and friends...please let us know how we might be of help to you. And please, as a small business owner who shares the same challenges as so many owners out there, make sure you know your information is based on facts. May your New Year be abundantly filled with joy and success,

Janlyn & Angus
Commentaires