Control What You Can Control

This oil change place in Toronto has every right to increase their prices. They even have the right to raise their price from $19.95 to $29.95, although I would question the logic behind raising the price of your product by a rather large 30%.

But when you do decide to increase your price, don't have your cousin Louie buy a Number 2 at the dollar store and slap it on your sign in the middle of the night.

This place might have the best oil changes in the city. But I'll never find out, because this hack-job of a sign makes them look cheap. Would you get your oil changed at a shop that you knew cut corners like that?

It's difficult enough to convince people to use your service instead of your competitor's. There are so many factors you can't control. Maybe your competitor has better parking. Or a bigger marketing budget. Or maybe they get more traffic because they're next door to a Starbucks.

But control what you can control. Make sure your sign doesn't look like it was made in a Grade 2 art class.

photo credit Joe Middleton