The 2 Most Important and Simple Money Questions
Money often is the elephant in the room. These are my favourite two questions to cut through the noise and offer clarity:
- What does this party cost? and
- Who is this party for?
1. What Does the Party Cost?
This isn’t just about the price tag. Asking about the cost should include financial investments and the time, resources, and energy you’re committing. Imagine you’re planning an elaborate company event or a product launch. Do you know the actual costs? Consider the obvious (venue, food, marketing) and the hidden (employee overtime, creative exhaustion, potential stress on personal relationships). Each decision, big or small, has its price.
Why it matters:
Understanding the cost allows you to make informed choices. By examining every aspect of cost, you can prioritize where your resources are best spent, ensuring you’re not just splurging on flair when your budget needs to focus on impact.
2. Who Is the Party For?
The next layer is knowing who benefits from this investment. This question is often left unanswered. Are you investing in an event that will help your customers, team, or broader stakeholders? Or are you creating something that merely looks good on paper? When you know who it’s for, you can align your resources, messaging, and purpose. The more specific the target audience, the better the investment can be tailored for maximum return.
Why it matters:
Clarity on “who” avoids misalignment. By keeping the true beneficiaries of your efforts front and centre, you ensure that your investments build trust, engagement, and loyalty with the right people. After all, a carefully curated event for clients differs from a morale-boosting celebration for employees.
Answering these two questions serves as a filter for effective decision-making. Each investment, whether of time, money, or resources, should pass through these questions to ensure it’s purposeful and sustainable.