Choosing the right tools for your trade

No matter what your trade, choosing the correct tools to do your job right is an important thing to do.

If you are a carpenter, you need to choose good quality hand tools – saws, hammers, etc.  I, as a layman when it comes to carpentry do not need the highest quality hammer, because frankly, I would not use it often enough, or with the precision of a craftsman in the trade.  If I want to check my blood pressure, I can purchase a home grade instrument for checking blood pressure.  If I were a doctor, though, I would certainly want to buy a high-quality instrument to use on my patients.

The same holds true if you are, or want to be a professional when it comes to computers or online work.

Some time ago, I got into a discussion with a young man, in his 20’s, who also earns his income online as I do.   He told me that he had recently bought a new mouse, as his old one had become troublesome to use.  I asked him what kind of mouse he purchased, and he told me it was some generic mouse that cost him less than $5.  I was pretty surprised at this because while I knew that this kind of cheap mouse was available, I didn’t expect a professional on the web to use such a cheap mouse.  My friend told me that he always bought this type of cheap mouse, and after a couple of months he would just throw it away and buy another cheap one to replace it.

I told my friend that I always purchased the best mouse I could find, provided that it was comfortable for me.  I guess what I mean is that I would always choose the most comfortable high-quality mouse that I could find.  Normally a mouse will last me for several years before it needs to be replaced.  I often will spend around $100 for a good quality mouse, and I have no qualms about that.

My friend asked me why I would spend so much on something as simple as a mouse.  I explained that I am an Internet Professional.  I make all of my income from the Internet.  I always seek out the best tools that I can buy for my job, just like a carpenter needs to buy a good quality saw and hammer if he wants to produce good quality work.  The same is true for a Web Professional like me.

One of the reasons that this is important is that you don’t want to always have to keep running out to replace a tool.  I don’t want to be in the middle of an important job and have one of my tools fail.  Sometimes, when you are doing creative work, you don’t want to be interrupted and lose your train of thought, and having a tool fail is something that will definitely interrupt your workflow.

So, when you “tool up” for your work on the web, buy quality.  Yes, the price is higher initially, but over time you will be able to use the tool longer and have less frustration with the outcome of the work that you can do with a quality tool compared to a cheap one.

Never skimp on the tools of your trade.