In 34 years, workshops have matured, moving, for the most part, from a craft or make work operation to a facility that provides 'real' work for people. Go into almost any shop around the state and you will see work from major manufacturing firms. Go into a large retailer around the state and you will most likely be able to find products that have been assembled or packaged by a workshop. It is that factor that indeed provides our employees with pride and fulfillment, knowing that they are a part of the commercial mainstream of our society. This commercial aspect not only provides 'real' work for employees, it also keeps the workshops operating, since on the average it accounts for 70 percent of workshop revenue.
Some workshops are good at obtaining work.
Obviously it is a little easier to obtain in the major urban areas than it is in rural areas. There are, however, rural shops that secure work from customers in urban areas and transport it to the workshop. Some rural shops have been fortunate enough to have a good source of contract work right in their own community. Other shops have been innovative in developing their own service oriented businesses or products. The challenge to you, managers, staff members, board members, is to do better.