08/30/2006
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Diane Dearing |
Business owner Diane Dearing knows first hand how small businesses in Michigan and around the country can weather the economic storm when it starts to brew. During times of great financial hardship and uncertainty about the future, Dearing managed to save her now thriving business and inadvertently write an inspirational survival story for other small-business owners.
In May of 1995, Dearing opened the doors of her business, Display Structures Incorporated, also known as DSI, and joined NFIB soon thereafter. The company produces displays, sets and specialty metal fabricated items such as store fixtures, event marketing kiosks and decorative architectural elements.
Dearing co-manages the company with her husband, Steve. With his strong background and reputation in the display industry, especially in the area of automotive displays, and Diane's six years of experience with public accounting for small to mid-sized businesses, DSI was extremely successful during its first five years of business. They currently employ 12 people, including her brother-in-law and daughter.
To Dearing, the best part about owning her own business is, "the freedom to chart my own course, set my own agenda and establish my own priorities," Dearing said. "That includes the ability to leave work when there's a family need or other personal priority. It also means I can establish a family-friendly work environment where others aren't afraid to ask for time off for family reasons."
In 1999, the number of projects taken on by DSI had grown extensively, causing Dearing to move her company into a building twice the size as the original. Just as things seemed to be going extremely well for Dearing's company, however, drastic changes were being made in the display industry and the automotive sector. These unexpected alterations coupled with the general economic downturn of the economy and the events of Sept. 11, 2001, marked the beginning of some very difficult times for Dearing and DSI. With nearly 70 percent of DSI's business being focused on auto-show work, Dearing claims that it was essential for her business to diversify in order to stay afloat.
"We tightened the belt until it hurt, scaled back to a skeleton crew and looked for work anywhere we could find it. We diversified our business into different markets and products out of necessity, not good planning," Dearing said. "This is what ultimately kept us from going under like so many other companies during that period of time did."
Dearing said that now automotive-show work represents a very small percentage of DSI's gross sales. Because of the new varied types of jobs, Dearing's business had its best year ever in 2005.
Even with the recent success, Dearing said the biggest challenge facing her company is Michigan's economy, but she credited NFIB for helping small-business owners to form a collective voice to approach legislators in order to help turn around the situation.
"There's still a large, dark cloud over this state, but with the NFIB business owners can really make a difference on issues that matter to them when we choose to speak up and be heard," Dearing said.
Soon after Dearing joined NFIB, she knew it was important for her to be active.
In order to ensure she was informed of state policy, Dearing attended meetings when the Area Action Council was first formed and eventually became the chair. She has also testified at a legislative hearing on the Michigan SBT and is now involved with both the Michigan leadership council and PAC.
"All it really takes is a little time, a little energy and some passion about an issue," Dearing said. "Instead of reacting to issues, I'd much rather be proactive and try to do what I can before policy decisions are made."
