David versus Goliath

It is not uncommon for a painting contractor to disparage larger companies. Such comments usually imply that larger contracting companies have bloated overhead, unscrupulous salesmen, and little concern for customer satisfaction. In short, they imply that any painting contractor who is not actively putting paint on the wall is a conman. While there may be some contractors who fit this profile, such blanket claims are simply false.

Those who say such things generally brag about their operations with comments like:
I don’t need to advertise. I get all of my work from referrals.
I pride myself on the quality of my work.
I don’t need to charge inflated prices because I don’t have any overhead.

The truth of these statements is highly debatable, but that is not the point of this post. Further, there is certainly nothing wrong with running a small shop. It isn’t about the size of one’s business.

These comments are typically delivered in an attitude of self-righteous indignation. Goliath (anyone who does not actually paint), they imply, hurts our industry. Goliath, they imply, will do anything and everything simply to make a buck. David, they imply, is the pious guardian of all that is good in our industry.

Every economic transaction is based on the voluntary consent of each party. If one party engages in deceit or dishonesty, fraud has occurred and that party should be charged accordingly. Fraud is relatively rare, and any business routinely engaging in fraud would not last long.

A business cannot grow without offering value to its customers. It cannot grow if its work is of poor quality and its prices are grossly inflated. To imply otherwise is to claim that consumers are stupid and can be easily manipulated.

Whether such comments are motivated by ignorance, anger, or envy is impossible to determine. But regardless, they are ugly.

Any battle between David and Goliath in the painting industry is a fantasy. The real battle exists only in the minds of those who perpetuate these mistaken ideas.

© BEP Enterprises Incorporated 2008