When your value isn't clear, price becomes the only thing left to compare. Recently, I was speaking with a friend who, as it turns out, buys promotional products. As he knows I ply my trade in the industry, he was quite candid with his dissatisfaction with his current distributor. “They’re fine,” he said. “They get us what we ask for, pricing seems to be right, and the overall service seems to be decent. But, honestly, I don’t see much difference between them and anyone else.

Running a business is one thing. Doing it when life shows up is something else entirely. As a solopreneur, I’m militant about controlling the chaos that comes with running a business on my own. Like others, I’ve spent countless hours building systems, managing my calendar, and planning weeks, quarters, and even years well in advance. Over time, we convince ourselves that as long as we’re disciplined, organized, and focused, everything will keep moving in the right direction.

Frankly, that's the point. Everyone in business is searching for the next big idea, breakthrough strategy, or the “easy button” that will instantly unlock explosive growth. However, the myth of overnight success is exactly that, a myth. The truth is that the most successful businesses are built on something far less exciting: doing the same small things over and over again, long after everyone else has gotten bored and moved on.   Let’s face it, consistency is boring. There’s