Being Prepared

The minimum required of a professional is being prepared. For example, a building contractor buys materials all the time. With time and experience he or she knows what materials to have on hand at all times. Here a contractor might show up to repair an electrical problem without switches and outlets on his truck. Here, a business is quick to charge for their time yet they are wholly unprepared to do the job. This can be doctors, lawyers, accountants and service providers. If the company is unprepared time and time again, it is a way of life. If being unprepared is temporary or time to time it probably derives from some personal problem management problems.

Some service people do not mind being unprepared. There is extra money in always running to the lumber yard, hardware store and the like. To them all of this is billable hours. This is certainly an ethically questionable practice and should be evaluated in terms of analyzing what other questionable practices this business is involved in.