It has arrived. We are well into Black Friday, although we are in the middle of a pandemic. We have entered the sales weekend of the year.
Black Friday.
Small Business Saturday.
Cyber Monday.
I’m a businesswoman. Why don’t I feel like participating? Honestly, I never do. I never have.
Maybe it’s that I don’t understand it. Perhaps it’s that I don’t believe it’s worth it.
Help me process.
So, let me see if I get this right.
We spend all year working our asses off doing what we love to do, and it all comes down to one weekend of the entire year?
Make this make sense. Honestly, I don’t believe you can.
Here’s how I started my Friday. The day after Thanksgiving.
With my feet resting on my ottoman, I turned to Netflix and began watching a movie that has been on my list for over a year. Today was the day I discerned to tune in. This movie is entitled Lionheart, which is in Nigeria. The film begins with the owner of the business having a heart attack. With the owner’s daughter and brother stepping in while he gets well, they learn the company is in financial trouble. They are in debt. No one would extend their loan or grant a new one.
The business owner’s daughter is the director of the company, a transportation company called Lionheart. She walks into the building and finds no one at their desks. As she proceeds to the conference room, she hears singing and sees her uncle and the entire staff singing praises to God, having prayer, and singing. As they close out a time of devotions, the owner’s brother says, “I’m going to change a lot of things in this establishment. Prayer will have to be one of them.” The uncle then looks at his niece and says, “It’s not all about money. God is the provider of money.”
Those words were like a breath of fresh air. Yes, it’s just a movie, but those words were confirming to my soul.
You see, as one who provides services and a host of a news and political show, and author of several books, and a consultant, where do I fit into the picture of the most powerful sales weekend of the year?
What’s my offer? Should I be racking my brain trying to find something to sell or discount? I would instead start my day singing and praising God with the confidence of knowing that it’s not all about the money. God is the provider of money. Either I believe Him or not.
A book, discounted? They are already discounted on Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
Discounting sponsorship ads on my news show? They are already priced fairly.
Decreasing publishing consulting for new authors? They are already generously priced.
Now what?
We are taught to place a value on our time, services, and products. We are taught to offer content that is billable and worthy of hire. We are instructed to make an investment, yet, on the weekend after Thanksgiving, we throw all of our learning out of the window for what?
Call me silly, but I’m afraid I have to disagree with charging clients a price of value all year and then suddenly drop the prices to possibly gain new clients. That’s unfair to the clients who paid the original price.
Let me use a product to explain my thoughts.
I purchase a dining room table from the showroom of a furniture company. Two or Three weeks later, I learn the set has been discounted. I will call up the store and ask for the difference and indeed receive a credit. Why is having a coaching client any different? I would rather set a price and charge people accordingly. To me, this is seeing my clients and customers as people I am grateful to and will honor them; thus, there’s no need to play a pricing game, right?
This is how I see it. If I am living my purpose and operating in my gifting with passion while listening to God to price accordingly, there’s no need for me to spend hours, if not weeks and months, preparing for this weekend.
Furthermore, who says that I have to fall in line and do what everyone else is doing? I don’t, and you do not have to either.
For me, I have decided to rest and trust God for all He has for me. I would rather start my day with prayer and not live in the shadow of what the world is calling me to do.
Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday is the world’s way of doing business, yes?
Let me know where you stand. What say you? Do you agree or disagree? Don’t forget to share why?
Ready. Set. Go.
#BlackFriday #SmallBusinessSaturday #CyberMonday
We went shopping on Black Friday once and said that we would never do it again. It’s not worth it. I can’t see myself giving my hard earned money away on one day only to feel cheated a day or two after Christmas when the retail stores have a sale on the goods that where on sale the days before Christmas.
Kenneth, I guess back in the day I can understand the hype, but then what? I firmly believe it’s not worth it. You can find those deals before and after this weekend. For me, I value my customers too much to play a money game with them. The price is the price. Maybe I am what they call, “Ministry-Minded.” Thoughts?
So unfortunately not enough folks understand the economics of the big box ability to run deep discounts on this weekend. I also liken this to the cable or cell deals the big names use to sway consumers to their business only to gouge them a year later to make up for their reduced margins. For my small business the offers I make are set by our compliance department, thus I’m protected on to a degree. To make it equitable to both local and distant shoppers I offer a tax free weekend and through the holiday I’ll offer the occasional free shipping. I don’t see a reason for any small business to offer more than make sense for their bottom line. I definitely feel it is unfair for shoppers to expect more.
But at the end of the day, if doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense.
Adrienne, yes! The cable or cell phone deals are excellent illustrations. Here’s a transparent moment. I would play the game with the telephone companies. They would send me a check, and if I cashed it, that meant I would switch over to them. This was early in the game. I would cash the $200 check and switch; then, my old company would send me a check for $300 to switch back within thirty days. I know I did it for at least three years in a row. Free money, okay! Then the companies got smart or started working together, and those deals went away. Now the banks will do it. However, small companies can not weather the deep discounts or free money deals. It doesn’t make sense.
I myself have never done Black Friday shopping and probably never will. Why, because I’ve always been on a budget and didn’t feel the need to get up early to stand in line for something that is going to be discounted even lower once Black Friday was over. you know next years products are already stocked to the ceiling to be put out. It isn’t worth the fight for me. To answer your question about if you should give discounts on your products? You have to do what you feel is your worth for all the time and energy you have given to get your job completed. Now if you see that you have done Exceptionally well and it is in your heart to lower your prices during Small Business shopping weekend, then do so. That’s between you, God and your heart.
The price is the price and I believe my price is fair for what I do (I know the my prices are lower than most) but I still get complaints about my price and people wanting a discount.
You do a lot Gail and your prices are fair for what you do and a lot of times you go above and beyond.
Wasn’t it just a year ago that we were doing #NoBlackFriday and all black folk were either not shopping at all or only shopping with black business owners?? How long did that last? You are not alone in your position and have raised very valid questions. I applaud you for being honest and going against what we’re told. It doesn’t make sense, especially when you provide quality service and business all the time. Thank you for this refreshing perspective!