Getting to the Point

A newsletter about the business of life

May 11, 2005

 

In this issue

·  Low Price - High Frustration

·  Others have said

·  On a personal note

·  Profitable Horseman Newsletter



Low Price - High Frustration

20

Recently, I ran across this quote about business I had saved on my computer and I want to share it with you.

"It is unwise to pay too much but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought is incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it cannot be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better."

It makes sense, doesn't it?

It got me thinking about the principle the author is teaching.

I was given an L.L. Bean goose down vest for Christmas one year. It lived a long and useful life and I retired it after twenty-five years of warm and faithful service. Granted, after that many years it was looking well worn and it had been retired for a few years to "barnwear". Fashion is not important when mucking out horse stalls and the vest kept me as warm as it did the first day I wore it.

Although Wal*Mart and its competitors offered vests priced fifty percent less, I replaced it with another LL Bean goose down vest.

The Emerson family of eight can produce a heap of dirty laundry in a record amount of time. The overworked top loading washing machine had simply given up its will to live with us any longer and literally threw out the towel late last summer. I suspected a more expensive front-loading washer would work better for us.

After researching the options, we chose the most expensive front-loading washing machine model costing hundreds of dollars more than the average. Every day is laundry day in our household and we think our almost one-year-old washing machine still runs like a racecar.

Our family passion for riding horses requires an investment in the right saddle for the horse and rider. A poor fitting saddle can rapidly make sport turn into torture. Saddles of the best leather and made by the top craftsmen feel more comfortable and last longer than any of the economy priced models available. We can feel the difference every time we ride and so can the horses.

As a businessperson, keep in mind that competing for lowest price for your product or service will always cheapen what your customer is delivered and cheapen his opinion of you. Consider that quality still has a chance in the market place.

As a consumer, keep in mind, especially on garbage day, that quality is less expensive in the long run.

Who is the new age business guru whose wisdom I shared with you in the beginning of this article? A very wise man named John Ruskin - in the year 1890.

I help small business owners develop their vision about the products and services they offer. Creating a three year vision is one of the eight key strategies for more profit in less time in small business. Would you like to know more? Click here.



Others have said

"There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey." -- John Ruskin

"My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income." -- Errol Flynn

"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of." -- Jane Austen



On a personal note

man

I have recommended that several of my clients and friends look into experimenting with a blog or web log. A blog is a low cost/high value method for marketing what they do.

I read several blogs regularly since they are short, informative, and have posts that are very timely. A blogger can post to the internet instantly. I haven't counted all of them, but I'm told that there are millions of blogs now.

Not wanting to be left out, I started a blog about some of my business observations recently. Curious? Click here



 

Doug

Thanks for reading. Please forward this newsletter to anyone that you think might enjoy it. The subscriber list continues to grow. Thanks for your efforts.

Newsletter topic ideas and comments are always welcome. Send me an e-note.

Life is short, ride hard.

Doug



Profitable Horseman Newsletter

cowboy

I also write a weekly electronic newsletter for Professional Horsemen. If you are interested in the business world of horsemen, or have friends in the horse business,take a peek. I am spurring others on to help me promote this newsletter.

Click here to read newsletters

8 Key Strategies for More Profit in Less Time

Does your business need a plan to simplify and create more profit in less time? Find out what the 8 key strategies are. click here

 

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email: doug@douglasemerson.com

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