Proverbs for Business (Part 11)

Hay-Making Time

Proverb 10:5– Make hay while the sun shines—that’s smart; go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid. 

“Make hay while the sun shines!” I’ve heard that little saying my whole life. I don’t guess I ever took the time to really sit and think about it. I suppose that as a kid I would have thought it meant to do your farming in the daytime rather than at night. But as an adult, I know that isn’t what this means. 

Actually, the Bible didn’t really use this wording of Proverb 10:5. This version is from The Message translation. A more common translation (The English Standard Version) writes it this way, “He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.” That translation is easy to understand for sure, but doesn’t have the same zing as The Message.

In any case, the translators of The Message version used that phrase about making hay because it has been a part of our American English vernacular since the dawn of this country. In reality, etymologists tell us the phrase originated in the mid 16th century. No matter when it came to be, the meaning is still the same: you have to make hay when it’s hay-making time.

In business like farming, there are seasons. In farming, you plant in the spring and you harvest in the fall. If you miss your opportunity to plant and water your crops in the spring, there won’t be anything to harvest. In business, you do business development all the time. That is a perpetual season that never stops. But as for the fulfillment of the business that has been developed, we must be diligent to “harvest” those opportunities as soon as possible. For if we delay the harvest, we may miss the revenue related to those opportunities altogether. We can’t go fishing when there’s a harvest to bring in.

Let’s get more specific. If our project development team delays the procurement, pricing, and proposal-making season, the opportunity to win the deal may pass. But it’s not just the project development team who must pay attention to hay-making season. Finance and administration also must not miss opportunities to bring in revenue. The billing and invoice cycles are just as important as business development in the first place. We cannot get distracted by other important issues and miss the urgent matters of bringing in revenue. 

Lastly, the sales team must understand the “seasons” of sales opportunities. If they spend time rearranging their office and organizing their desk more than they spend planting the seeds of potential sales, then there will be no harvest to reap. Hay-making time is important for everyone.

As you go throughout your week this week, remember that you must make hay while the sun is shining. In other words, you’ve got to be diligent to keep your eye on what’s most important. There’s plenty of time for leisure fishing, but not during hay-making time.  

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Jason Duncan is President & CEO of Energy Lighting Services. When he is not working with his team to help produce some of the most amazingly efficient LED retrofit projects on planet earth, he coaches entrepreneurs and small business owners on how to get results through integrity. You can reach Jason through LinkedIn, Instagram, or through his company's website. Subscribe to his YouTube channel for weekly videos.