A small shop couldn't complete with a factory for something generic like shovels, it has to be custom stuff. I used to work at a metal shop that did that, till earlier this year, as a design technician on programming the cutter and press break.
My wife worked there, too, but the company hit financial troubles. She found a new job at a shop making ducting and delivering it. I ended up in a bakery for a couple of months.
People that work outdoors are far tougher than me!
I've been a food runner, a cashier, store support, retail systems technician, and done tradeshow setup all across the country. There's a job fair at the Naval Shipyard in town that I'm hoping might have something I could do.
I work from home, love my job and make a great salary. I also have ~10 years of food service experience and would prefer to go back to that than to hear my office-working coworkers complain about the same shit I hear in the monthly meetings every day.