This article was written by Michelle Weger.
Are you using the right tools for your business?
Recently, Nabil and I rented a rototiller while redoing our backyard.
But we did learn a valuable lesson: always make sure you have the right tool to do the job.
We needed to rototill our yard because we want to re-seed it.
And before the rototiller broke (for reasons unrelated to how we were using it), it was technically doing what it was supposed to.
It was turning up the soil – slowly.
So slowly that we could almost watch the grass re-grow behind us as we worked.
Any time it hit a rock, it stopped… even if the rock was small enough that it shouldn’t have been a problem.
And even though we worked outside all day and kept working until it got so dark it was too dangerous to keep going, we still only got a small strip of the yard done.
That meant renting the rototiller for yet another day… and then the handle fell off.
Tired and frustrated, we went to a big-box store to rent another rototiller.
They only had one option there: a much larger rototiller that was much more expensive. Since we didn’t have much choice, we rented it.
I understood why it was more expensive when we got home and proceeded to complete rototilling the rest of the yard, including the strip we’d already done.
I was so excited about the effectiveness of this rototiller that I also did part of the front yard before the four hours we had rented it for were up.
Choosing the less-expensive option meant we were struggling, frustrated, and unable to do the job we needed to do.
Spending more up front on the better tool means you will come out ahead.
By spending a bit more up front, we:
- Finished the job faster
- Didn’t have to spend the whole weekend struggling
- Were happier and less frustrated
- Saved money in the long run
The same can be said for your website.
I see this all the time when talking to future clients.
“Why would I pay for X when I can use Y for free?”
“But this platform is less expensive than that platform.”
“Can’t I just use the free version?”
And sure, you can. Depending on the size of your business, it may even make more sense to use a free platform. When you’re just starting out or running your business as a side project, using a free or inexpensive platform that limits your customization in exchange for the ability to do-it-yourself makes sense.
If you’re still using those free options when you’re trying to grow your business or make six figures in a year, you’re using the wrong rototiller.
Depending on the size of your business, you should be investing in a website that
- Is easier to use
- Saves you time and money
- Can be customized to suit your business needs
- Maximizes your profits
So make sure you are using the right tools, not just the less expensive ones
Trying to save a bit of money by using something that isn’t suited to do the job you need it to isn’t actually going to save you anything: not time, not stress, and not money.
That might mean investing in a better CRM, increasing the automated processes in your business, or simply making sure your website is set up to earn you money instead of being a sunken cost.
If you’re not sure what tool you should be using, you’re not alone.
I didn’t know what rototiller would be best for the job I needed to do. If someone had shown me the difference between the two and explained why one would be better than the other, it might have changed my mind.
