“I Love Surprises. ..And Other Lies We Tell.”

Has this ever happened to you?

You’re on a road trip with your family. It’s been a long drive. The sun is setting on another day, the kids are asleep in the back, you’ve got some good tunes playing and thankfully you’re making great time. By your estimate, if you push through you’ll make it to your destination tonight. Ah, but then, suddenly there’s a cry from the back of the car, “I’m hungry!” shouts one small passenger.  “Yeah, I’m staarrrving!” chirps another. You try to convince your minions that if they can just be patient you’ll all eat dinner when you arrive. But they’re not buying. They quickly grow more irritable and begin to insist they must eat now! Because, as one of them whines, “I’m dying!” You sigh in resignation and then start scanning the area for a place to eat. Before long you come across a couple local restaurants that by outward appearances seem popular and inviting. But once again your kids are quick to voice their opinion, and objection! “Nooo” they shout. “Not that! Ewww,” exclaims the other. So, where do they want to go? “McDonalds, of course.” And so, McDonald’s it is.

Now, had you selected one of the other places you passed along the way you might have enjoyed a menu with a broader selection, and possibly a better burger, and maybe even the opportunity to get a healthier salad. And, truthfully, you don’t even like McDonald’s burgers. So then, what were you all thinking?

The same thing most people think in these situations. That you just want to avoid the pain of an unpleasant surprise and so you choose to go with what you know. In fact, people all over the country make similar choices on products and services every single day. They’re not looking for something exotic, or sophisticated. Yes, they want quality but they’re also looking to avoid the unpredictability of the unknown.  In the end, they want reliability.

So, as you set out to build your own business remember quality is vitally important, but so is reliability.

This much I know.

 -Jeanine