Remembering back to an old economics class, the teacher stated that businesses provide a good or service to a client in return for some form of compensation. Vendors and suppliers may provide the necessary resources to a business to sell to / use for their clients. These concepts can be applied to an individual, a household, or a large corporation.

On an individual level, a person can offer goods or services. Goods may be in the form of art generated by the individual, produce grown, the result of a hobby, etc. Services may be in the form of selling your time laboring for a company, offering to mow another person’s lawn, etc. By thinking in terms of a business on an individual level, we all become a “business of one”. We are not inclined to think of a business on a personal level run by emotions, but more of an entity operating on business principles.

For a business to survive, it must be marketable to solicit paying clients. We will always have to sell ourselves on a continuing basis. A problem starts to arise when people believe they do not have to maintain their marketability. Some folks start to mix their personal lives into their business and are surprised if there is a conflict. Others may fail to keep up with the current market and allow their skills to become obsolete. There are numerous reasons why an individual or business may loose their marketability. Many of these issues can be avoided if we continue to focus on our marketability and how we can solicit tomorrow’s clients.

-M