Any time we are faced with the need to purchase products for home or business use, we are instinctively and often subconciously employing a set of priorities in order to arrive at a decision. Whether the item being considered is a car, a refrigerator, a mower, or a new floor, we generally use the same set of priorities.
If you think about it, there are always at least three priorities in play when we are making a buying decision. What are they?
Price
Looks
Durability
Interestingly, if you think about it a bit more closely, these three priorities are hopelessly in competition with one another. While all three are important, and all three are ON our priority list, only one can be in the Top spot.
In practical terms, what this means is that when you place Price in the top spot on your priority list, then by default Looks and Durability will suffer a loss to some degree. There is, of course, a time and place for everything. But if your top priority is, Durability, for example, then you have to be prepared for Price to suffer a hit.
It is a mistake to pretend that all three interests can occupy the same spot on your list. They cannot. You have to pick one. And, when all is said and done, you will be better off for having done so.
This principle is nowhere more evident than in making a flooring decision for you business or home. There are times when Price just IS the most important consideration by necessity. And that is fine, as long as your expectations of Looks and Durability do not exceed their respective spots on the priority list. Balancing your priorities according to anticipated use, long and short term objectives, and the importance of your floor as an element of the overall design of your space is key.
Making quality decisions requires that you utilize all of the expertise available to you. Your Architect and/or Interior Designer can be a tremendous help in setting these priorities. Likewise, Manufacturers and experienced Contractors can offer sound advice as well. And, of course, the staff at Bel Covo are always glad to help out in any way we can.
Once you have gone through the mental exercise of arranging your priorities, you are well on your way to reaching a good plan for the flooring phase of your project. And with the right plan in place, you can rest a little easier knowing what to expect in each of the three areas of Competitive Priority.