I think there is a big difference between making sure you are getting a good value when purchasing services, and trying to nickel and dime someone.
Many people focus primarily on the dollar amount spent, and nothing else, but you have to be careful that you aren't obsessing too much over an amount of money.
The following is a quote that we came across a few years ago, and has stuck with us ever since:
"It's unwise to pay too much. But it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.
There is hardly anything in the world that someone can't make a little worse and sell a little cheaper and people who consider price alone are this man's lawful prey."
- John Ruskin 1819 - 1900
Sorry for not making this blog article web 2.0 specific, but sometimes you just have to share common, everyday principles that, in the long run, will help you and your business succeed!
