The "meaning" of business....

I found this fascinating quote....

"We are all in the business for the same purpose, to improve the lives of our customers. The meaning of life is to improve the lives of others. The only reason anybody buys a product or a service is that they prefer the product or service to the money. It might look like a product or service, but people buy improvements in their condition."

[The Ultimate Entrepreneur's Book, by Richard Dobbins and Barrie O. Pettman, p. 94.]

In my opinion, this is one of the nicest statements of the meaning and purpose of business I have come across....

What people in business want is independence, freedom, or wealth! (Or all three.)

But ultimately what business is about is improving the lives of our customers in one way or another....

The sentence, "the only reason anybody buys a product or a service is that they prefer the product or service to the money," reminds me of what Gordon has written about chattel.... That when you "sell" a second-hand item, it can also be seen as you "buying" their money with your product.

This view holds in any situation where you are selling something.... In reality, you are buying their money with your service or product.

Think about it.... It's an empowering perspective!

- Dien