If You Choose Not to Decide

Life happens. The world moves on, whether we want it to or not. The seasons change, the tides rise and fall, and Presidential politics nauseate us. These are events that occur, despite our wishes, hopes, or desires.

As painting contractors, we face other inevitable events. Low priced contractors compete for business. The economy fluctuates. Customers don’t understand what is required to produce a professional paint job. While these too are inevitable, we have some control over their outcome.

As business owners we have many options: the market we serve, the prices we charge, the image of our company, our sales process, our company culture, and much, much more. And the options we select will ultimately determine the results of our efforts.

But a funny thing often happens on the way to the Forum. As we are being drug before the lions, we forget that we have a choice. We forget that the business we own, and virtually every aspect of it, is something that we create. And that creation is the result of our choices.

Too many painting contractors plod along, year after year, repeating the actions of previous years. I know, I’ve been there and done that. It is probably not a huge surprise, but if you do the same thing year after year, you should expect the same results year after year.

Aristotle identified the fact that all humans are born tabula rasa (literally, blank slate). We possess no knowledge at birth. Everything we know is learned. And what we learn is a matter of choice.

The information required to build a better business is readily available. It is up to you to seek out that knowledge and implement it. That is a choice that each of us has. But if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

© BEP Enterprises Incorporated 2008