Avoid the dabblers
It is a great temptation in business, especially for start-ups, to take the cheapest option when spending money on buying in services. It is very often dangerous to do this because some people just play at business. Often the really cheap option will be a part-timer who does not depend on the part-time earnings to make a living.
A part-timer might be a dabbler; a student who likes building web pages but only when he is not out having a drink with his friends, or an employed “bookkeeper” who works on sales ledgers beyond her comprehension a couple of evenings a week. These people are unreliable because they don’t depend on the money you pay them, they may not be up to the job and they are easily distracted so will not give your work their best attention.
We all need to remember to see the value in services we buy in, know what we expect and how much added value to our business we will gain.
If you don’t know who to engage ask for recommendations from those who have bought the services you want. If they are not happy with their suppliers they will tell you so you will also find out who not to employ.
One of my clients ended up paying a fortune to have a good bookkeeper repair the mess left behind by the cheap part-timer. A friend had to get someone else to start again with his website when the dabbler disappeared back to Uni.
You can’t beat a great testimonial for your new service provider. Phone a friend if you are not sure.
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- Delivering the goods (onourbikes.com)
