Are Dogs Expensive?

A question my son asked me yesterday after spending the afternoon with my dad and his dog, Toby.

Expensive is a matter of opinion. 

Dog owners rarely complain about their dog being expensive. Some of them even spend thousands of dollars on their dogs for surgeries, haircuts, toys, food and everything else they feel their dog needs. Why? It's because they love their dog. It's not about the money. It's the value this furry friend brings into their life. You can't put a price on that.

Here's another example. $1,000 per night for a hotel may be expensive to me but pocket change to somebody else. The people who are willing to spend this see the value at hotels that charge this. It's cleaner, more prestigious, the service is better, the food is better, the bed is more comfortable, the bathroom is nicer and they feel good staying there. Are any of those things true? To them it is and that's all that matters.

As a business selling a service or product, what value are you bringing to your customer and what is your customer willing to pay for it?

The trick to getting the answer to this question is making sure you know who your customer is. The person who complains the loudest about you, your product or your service may not be the customer you want. The person who says "it's too expensive" is not your customer. If you have paying clients who love what you offer, talk to them. Get more of them.

Deliver more value than anybody else and you'll succeed in business and in life.

My dad and Toby up at their trailer.