Business and the beauty of the free market

I've been thinking a lot about what to seriously write/post about the
past few days. I've been wanting to post anything, but I just keep
running into this huge brick wall... mainly because I've had nothing to
draw from for the past couple of weeks... getting sick and stuck at
home does that to you, and you're mind starts to focus on just getting
positive and healthy, leaving out the mundane and irrelevant details,
even passively working, and concentrating more on the depth and
regularity of my breaths. Yep, asthma does that to you... makes you
think about breathing. hehehe.



So anyway. What's the root word of business? ... hmmm... breaking it
down, I think we'd end up with... Busy. As in... busy-ness. Which just
focuses on the whole point of business. Keeping busy, in order to find,
seek and take advantage of opportunities to produce and make a profit.
Simply put, you have to keep scanning the market, moving, sensing
opportunities, and preparing yourself for them. Not only that, you have
to be building contacts and partners, with whom to transact/exchange
information, products, services, goods or money.



Around 3 weeks ago, I was having my sister's car fixed in Alabang,
trying to get everything running in tip-top shape. Of course normally,
you'd have to properly canvas and look around first. Get busy. Do your
business due diligence by looking for the best product/service at the
best price point.



But, because I was swamped with things-to-do. I short-circuited the
process and went straight to just one dealer. Who, on retrospect, got
the best of me, because I did not look at other alternatives. The irony
is, my dad trusts this guy, and yet he abused this and made a killing
on me. I feel really bad because I know I should have looked around
more and studied all my options, but when you're pressed for time, or
enamored with the product, logic and due process are hi-jacked.



I ended up overspending for the repair/maintenance/upgrade. Something I
now look at as my tuition fee, in learning about the beauty of the free
market:



1. Information is the best currency... whoever has it, has the leverage.

2. Best deals go to the ones who keep looking. You
will always find a better value. Its just a matter of whether or not
you're willing to pay for whatever is in front of you right
now.

3. When in doubt, or when the seller refuses to meet
halfway,you always have the choice to take your business elsewhere.
That's the beauty of the system. Kung ayaw, di huwag!

4. Don't take it personally. Everyone acts and
behaves in his or her own best interests. So if you get screwed, it
just means you didn't do your job and look further.



Now, go back to the top and read through the post. Don't you think that
all of it can also relate to our relationships? (romantic and otherwise)