A tool is something you use to get a result. Suppose you wanted to dig a hole in your yard. What are some of the tools you could use to do this?

•You could kick and scrape at the ground with your hands and feet (a ridiculous example, but viable)
•You could use a spoon
•You could use a shovel
•And depending on the size of hole you want, you could use a backhoe (assuming you know how to operate one)
•Or you could hire someone else to dig it for you

Every tool has a cost associated with it. For example:

•Kicking and scraping – free, but a lot of time and physical strain
•A spoon – around $5 and less time then kicking and scraping, but not much less
•A shovel – around $20 and way less time than a spoon
•A backhoe – several hundred dollars, practically no time for the digging, but rental, set up and return time factor in
•Hire someone – more than a shovel, less than a backhoe, and you could be doing something else that would generate the money to pay for the person doing the digging

Soul-o Secret: Whether you realize it or not, you make tool choices everyday. Do you own a cell phone? Cell phones have become a perceived necessity somehow. But actually they are a tool of convenience. You pay a monthly service fee for the convenience of being able to make and receive calls at exactly the moment you desire. Would you consider developing your own cellular network to avoid the monthly fee your provider charges? Probably not.

It makes sense to delegate tasks that are outside the realm of your area of expertise, are things you don’t do well or simply don’t like doing.

For example, it has been traditionally accepted that every business owner should seek the counsel of an attorney and an accountant. I agree that advice from these professionals is necessary, but is not enough any more.

The marketplace is more complex than ever. It is not enough to be a master at what you do if you are not also a master at impressing it upon others. And the tools for doing that most effectively are changing and evolving all the time.

Planning (knowing what you want to do and how you want to do it) and marketing (making sure everyone knows what you are doing and how you are doing it) are vitally important to the stability of your business. Are you approaching these areas with your bare hands, a shovel, or the help of a skilled professional?