So a few weeks ago my front door suddenly refused to open. Usually my husband sorts out things like this but he was out of town. So I reached out to my friends to recommend someone who could fix my door.

The first recommendation I got was for someone who does all kinds of fixture work in the home- plumbing, carpentry, door locks etc . I gave him a call and he came to check my door. He was able to figure out the problem but said he will need a few days to find the broken part.

He promised to come back during the weekend to find the part and get it fixed. He came and we went searching together for the part but we couldn’t find the particular part for my door. He was of the opinion that they had probably stopped manufacturing the model for the broken part and I will have to change a lot more on the door to get the door fixed. He said he would ask around and get the part and come back to fix my door.

This went on for about two weeks! I was getting frustrated and tired. Really, how long can it take to fix a broken door!

Coincidentally during this time my neighbour had recommended a locksmith : someone who specialises in door locks, that she used a few weeks before. She told me how much it costed her, about £200 and I thought that was pretty expensive! Mr Fix-it-all was going to charge me £40 for labour plus the cost of the replacement part. So in trying to “save cost” I decided not to call the locksmith.

But as we were approaching the third week, still with a broken door, guests coming through the side door (including delivery guys) and Mr Fix-it-all still looking for the replacement part, I knew I had to do something quick. This was becoming embarrassing!

So with my tail between my legs I called the locksmith. LOL!

Mr Locksmith was able to come two days after my call. He came, assessed the situation and was able to replace the broken part THERE AND THEN. He had all the necessary tools and parts needed for my door.

In total I spend £133 (including labour). I felt so at peace I did not mind dishing out that amount especially after 2.5 weeks with a broken door! Who knows I might have ended up spending as much with Mr Fix-it-all.

Imagine if I had called Mr Locksmith as soon as my neighbour gave me his details, the door would have been sorted weeks before.

Lessons Learnt

And this got me thinking about business. Someone who is a generalist- has not carved out a niche and is a jack of all trades cannot charge as much as a specialist. They are also not likely to give you the optimal results you want. They might provide the service you need but it would most likely take them longer.

However a specialist will get you targeted results quicker. Yes their services may likely be more expensive but that is the point. You get what you pay for.

When I started out in business, I wanted to be known for everything: technology, coaching, writing. I wanted to help everyone. However as I have grown in my business and sought help from mentors and coaches, I have now specialised in coaching and mentoring Christian Mums on maximising their time to manifest their dreams.

I have become more effective this way and my clients get optimal and tangible results. They are also happy to recommend my services to others.

SO tell me in your business or career are you are generalist or a specialist?

As a customer would you prefer to go to a generalist that will take forever to help you fix your problem or go to a specialist that can sort out the issue faster and more effectively?

Photo credits: Image by vectorolie at FreeDigitalPhotos.net