I love the commercials on TV nowadays. Some of them seem more entertaining than the TV show itself that I have been watching, but regardless of which commercials you watch they all have a common theme; it’s an easy purchase with great results! This has been a long used strategy since the first advertising in general stores and the first soap operas, making you feel the need to purchase these items to make your life better or easier.
A great example of this was a commercial simply selling automotive oil as a way to prolong the life of your motor and avoid costly engine repairs in the future. It was a solidly conceived idea and conveyed a very basic but important message: pay attention to the routine things now or pay a major price for your ignorance later.
On its most basic level, the point of the commercial was that without the proper care and preparation, an engine will succumb to deterioration and failure if not properly cared for. The commercial, however, held a deeper meaning for anyone who has run their own business; woe to the business person who does not take care of the little things before they become the big things.
Nostalgia aside, the message of that commercial is clear to me. A small business will pay its dues in one way or another. The goal of the owner is to limit those dues by making thoughtful and prudent decisions that limit his operating costs and his exposure to costs outside his area of control. In short, though it hurts, the prudent businessman must make investments that will limit his overall costs and allow for the greatest profitability in his company.
Utilizing a Professional Employer Organization for your HR administration ensures that the little things never become the big ones. Hope this makes sense to you, but I have to go now and get my car to the shop to fix the loud banging noise and blue smoke cloud that follows me everywhere!
Jeff Reynolds / District Sales Manager / PEO Canada
