Wiktionary, the free online dictionary, defines benefit of the doubt as “a favorable judgement given in the absence of full evidence.” When we start out doing something new, like marketing our fledgling business, someone giving us the benefit of the doubt (and trying our service) is about all we can hope for. We’re still an unknown. We don’t have a …

Are we disappointed when we go to a concert and it’s too loud for us to get some reading done? Do we get upset when we can’t get a hamburger from the teller at our bank’s drive through lane? No, we don’t. We’re expecting a specific outcome from those interactions, and we’re not disappointed in the least (well, the hamburger …

Everyone embraces change when they start a new enterprise. We’re all receptive to trying different things, attempting to figure out exactly what we need to do to achieve success. But once we get a taste of the good life, things start to change. We become self-assured and complacent, thinking that we’ve got it all figured out and don’t need to …

We all like to think that we’re an original. That we’ve come up with some great idea that’s unique, that’s special, that no one in the history of mankind has ever thought of before. And, the vast majority of us would be wrong. …There is nothing new under the sun. The Bible; Old Testament; Ecclesiastes 1:9 Hell, even that quote …

If you own a business, you’re constantly bombarded with spam promising you wonderous results for your bottom line if you just buy their list of industry contacts. For my business, it’s a list of all the real estate agents located in my state. The spammers promise me that by buying their list (and using it to send a bunch of …

All too often we find ourselves in a rut. Complacently following the same well-worn script. Indifferently repeating identical steps that we’ve traversed thousands of times. Desperately clinging to our worn out routines, so we don’t have to think about anything new. Until one day it happens and we find ourselves becoming that old dinosaur we used to make fun of …

Some people stubbornly resist any type of criticism. They can’t stomach even the smallest amount of negative commentary on their work, and move quickly to cut off any perceived challenge to their supremacy. We should welcome all criticism with open arms. Legitimate criticism provides an avenue for us to examine what it is we’re doing and gives us an opportunity …

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. Buddha When I came across this quote, it got me thinking about sharing our skills. Some people are hesitant to share their knowledge with others, as they believe that by teaching others they’ll somehow …

Our customers have many choices, so it’s not always a given that they’re going to pick us. The more we know about their mindset (and the more we act on that knowledge) the better our chances. For home inspectors, our clients are often woefully uninformed. They’ve likely got more questions than that flip house has code violations! Knowing what they …

We think we know exactly who we’re doing things for, both in our business and personal lives: our target audience, we call it. It seems pretty straightforward. But like most things in life, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. There are always other forces at work, unknown variables that come into play, other people involved that can be …