Entrepreneurs often look at doing it themselves, trade, or even getting it for free to save them cash. The only benefit is to preserve cash while the disadvantages can be large:
- Quality is often lower.
- Lower in priority for service (late delivery, missed deadlines, longer timelines, etc.)
- Harder to find someone to do it.
- More time spent on starting task and managing task where that time can be spent elsewhere.
The end result is less value, less productivity, and less sales. Whether you decide whether to do it yourself, get it for free, trade, or hire someone depends on the urgency, complexity, your ability, and availability of others.
Two solutions are either to master these issues or to hire someone. As Seth Godin puts in his blog yesterday, “Pay for Stuff“, sometimes it is best to avoid getting it for free and to pay for it. The value of more productivity, faster, better quality, leads to more sales and more profitability.
How appropriate to say this on Labor Day (the ironic day of doing no work celebrating those that do work): The objective is to develop the ability to determine to pay or not to pay. If you do not want to pay for things, the next challenge is to manage getting it for free, trade, or doing it yourself so you do not suffer the drawbacks.
Otherwise, it can only cost you quality, service, and your time. Ultimately, this leads to lower sales and profits. Sometimes its best to spend some money to make some money.
