When I was 16, I worked for a friend’s dad who owned a painting company. After my first day, I went to their house for dinner.
Their house desperately needed painting.
The irony wasn’t lost on me. But now, running a web development company for 15+ years, I get it.
Why Service Businesses Neglect Themselves 🎨
Client work always comes first. Always. There’s a deadline, a payment, someone waiting. Your own stuff can wait until tomorrow.
Tomorrow never comes.
Our own website looked embarrassing for years. We built beautiful sites for clients while ours sat there, outdated and neglected. Classic cobbler’s children with no shoes.
The Problem with “Later”
❌ What we tell ourselves
- “I’ll update it next month”
- “Clients come first”
- “It’s not that bad”
- “Nobody notices anyway”
✅ The reality
- Next month becomes next year
- Potential clients see your site first
- It is that bad
- Everyone notices
How to Actually Fix It
We finally broke the cycle. Here’s what worked:
- Schedule it like client work. Block time in your calendar. Treat it as non-negotiable.
- Start small. Update one page. Write one blog post. Momentum builds.
- Make it public. Tell people you’re updating. Now you have accountability.
- Hire outside help. Yes, even if you do this for a living. Sometimes you need fresh eyes.
The Honest Take
Your website is often someone’s first impression of your business. If it looks neglected, what does that say about how you’ll treat their project?
The painter’s unpainted house isn’t charming – it’s a red flag.
We’re finally painting our own house. Maybe it’s time you did too. 🏠