I graduated high school in 1983. If I would have picked up a copy of the Clarion Ledger or Jackson Daily News in those days, I would have seen the following: The S&P 500 Index’s top ten components by weighting are IBM, Exxon, GE, GM, AT&T, Standard Oil of Indiana (whoever that was), Schlumberger, Sears Roebuck (conveniently located at Metro Center, where you could get both denim jeans and lawnmowers), Eastman Kodak (located in my neck of the woods in Deville Plaza next door to Swenson’s Ice Cream Parlor and Eckerd Drugs), and Dupont.
I never remember buying a lawnmower from Sears, number eight on the list, but I vividly remember pushing one as a means of employment for most of my childhood. Six dollars was the going rate for my landscaping services back then. Eight dollars if you wanted an edge, as well. Blowers would turn out to be great inventions, but they came too late in my landscaping career. Instead, I used a broom to brush the clippings from sidewalks. What a wonderful day for me when the Jackson City government decided to 4-lane Ridgewood Road. I had a lot of customers that lived on that road. I hated that people on that lost half of their front yard to the additional lanes, but it sure made cutting those big yards easier on me.
I think that is where I first learned about a fair value proposition. It seemed only right to charge less for less and more for more. Charging them the same amount for less work just didn’t jive with me. It still doesn’t. I also learned early on that if you go the extra mile for people, you might just get to stick around and earn your right to cut their yard the next week.
These foundational years were the start of a business philosophy that carries through to today. There are people who are willing to delegate some of their responsibilities to others so that they can have more time to live their lives. They are willing to pay for those services as long as they are provided a great value for what they are paying for.
At The Thigpen Group, we feel like we have a compelling value proposition. We stand behind that value proposition. We invite you to explore our website to learn more about our Wealth Management services and processes. And we welcome an opportunity to have that important initial conversation with you.[vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_btn title=”S&P and Me | Part 2″ link=”url:%2Finsights%2Fblog%2Fthe-sp-and-me-part-2%2F|||”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_empty_space height=”50px”]
