An Ounce of Prevention


"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." I used to hear this old saying from my elders, you know, the ones we were taught to respect, when I was just a kid, but I haven't heard it for a long time. I used to wonder what prevention was and how much of it would make an ounce. At that time I had a real good idea of what cure was and the huge amount of it that would be needed to make a pound. In those days cures weren't sugar coated or flavored to taste like mint or wild cherry or strawberry. I knew that I had no desire to have to take a pound of any cure I had been exposed to up to that point in my life so I was really interested in learning about prevention.

I guess those early lessons stuck with me over the years and as time passed I realized that prevention didn't only apply to illnesses and medicine. I learned, in the school of life, that the cures for almost any problem were considerably more costly and therefore more distasteful than were the measures that could have prevented the problem in the first place.

A simple example that everyone can understand is changing the engine oil in a car. Everyone knows that if the oil is changed regularly at the recommended mileage intervals and checked at least at every fill-up of the fuel tank we can expect to use our cars for several years and often for hundreds of thousands of miles without having to deal with the problems of engine failure on the highway, towing, delays in reaching our destination, unplanned hotel expenses and costly repair bills. All of which leave, what is commonly referred to as, a bad taste in our mouths (like what we used to get from those cures mentioned earlier).

There are preventions for almost every kind of problem; exercise, proper rest and diet for good health. Regular oil changes for extended engine life. Door locks for home and business security. Insurance for protection against catastrophic loss and as a man that I have known for more than twenty years who heads the loss prevention department of an insurance company based on the coast recently told me, loss prevention measures to help keep insurance rates affordable and business costs under control.

The list of course goes on but let's focus here on loss prevention as it applies to problems managing dealer demo plates. The prevention needed is a good demo plate control system that has been designed for the purpose. A reputable provider will be able to tell you exactly what prevention is needed and how much it takes to make up that ounce that will equal the pound of cure. They can even tell you how much the prevention you need will cost so you can allow for it in your business plan. What no one can tell you, and what you can't allow for is the cost of the cure for a problem involving a demo plate for which you have not provided adequate security. That cure could leave a bad taste in your mouth for a long time.