Coach Van Gundy shared many anecdotes from his years of coaching in competitive sports and most of the lessons learned could directly apply directly to managing a small business. One story centered on his observations of players and their competitive demands to “get them the ball!”

Sometimes players explain a loss or event their departure from a team using the phrase, ”I just didn’t get the ball enough.”  As a former athlete, I’ve heard this plea from players in both football and basketball huddles alike. It is just part of the competitive spirit and the competitive game, that every player wants to win, and believe they can best their particular defender. However, Van Gundy crystallized for me the management challenge of dealing with an entire team of extremely wealthy, extremely talented and highly experienced players who all say, “get me the ball!”

Believe me, there are times in any competitive play when you are convinced that you can beat your defender.  I was never a particularly outstanding player, but I have felt this way myself. (OK…once)  Likewise, I am positive that many college receivers made the plea in their huddles as they surveyed me in the opposing defensive backfield.  At some point, every player feels that their practice, preparation, skill, or experience has prepared them in such a way that they can catch a pass, make a block, or score a basket, and regardless of whatever the other team does, they just wont be able to stop you!  While this may not always true or accurate, it is part of the competitive spirit in athletics, …and in business.

But, when is the plea, “get me the ball” an experienced and accurate assessment of the defense (competitor) that could mean victory for the team, (company) and when is this just a selfish attempt to “hog the ball?” (get promoted or get a raise) As coach Van Gundy illustrated, knowing the difference in those motivations are the key to victory.

In business, employees can be very similar to competitive athletes.  Some employees may demand that only their ideas be adopted, insert themselves in every decision, or make every presentation, regardless of how that affects the company.  Others may bring you a true insight on how they can provide you with the competitive edge to win in the business arena. It is up to you, as the manager or small business owner to decide when to call a time out, design a creative play that will allow your team to score…but we are in  final minutes of 2011.  What ideas do you have for a strong finish in December?

Chalk Talk by Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy

However, this weekend I witnessed the harsh reality of life in the bird world.  As I backed my car out of the driveway, a hawk swooped into the drive and captured a small bird in his talons.  It was a swift and precise maneuver that stopped me in mid sentence.  (as you know, that is really hard to do!) The hawk paused for a few seconds with the small bird firmly in its grasp, and then flew off with its prey.  It was over in 20 seconds, with my wife and I watching in stunned in silence. The brutal reality of survival in the bird world was just illustrated in front of me… an aggressor and it’s prey, the death of one giving life to another…Was this the penalty for the small bird making the wrong move, or reward for the hawk for being swift and strong? …or just the reality of life in the bird world?

So, how does this apply to business?  In this difficult economy, I witness the daily fight for survival in the business world. There is beauty in a new business idea, and combined with the anticipation, and excitement of running your own business, however, there are many hawks out there in the business world too!  There is the constant possibility of a swift and strong aggressor just waiting to swoop in and capture an unsuspecting prey. Many small businesses have died, only to give life to other new businesses.

For existing businesses, there is great satisfaction in making a sale, or winning a contract, but there are always those unforeseen obstacles that could put you out of business in the blink of an eye.  Business survival is just as competitive as survival in the bird-world. As small business owners, we need to stay cautious, and stay alert, although unless we leave the nest, we can never experience the thrill of flying… so what to do?

I say remain nimble, cut your costs, stay close to your clients, and… work like crazy to become an eagle so the hawks start looking out for us!

We have already attracted 40 members! (that means only 60 spots left!) At our kick-off meeting Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resorts gave an inspiring talk on entrepreneurship and their importance to an innovative business environment and robust economy. From Walt Disney, as the ultimate entrepreneur, to the creative methods of Zappos Shoes, Meg gave our new initiative a great start, and we are extremely grateful for the support that she, and the entire Walt Disney World team provides to our ongoing efforts at the E-Center.

It is a tough economy for everyone, especially a non-profit organization who supports 13 other non-profit organizations! The 100 club members have provided a critical financial boost to our efforts in a very difficult time and I am amazed daily at the folks that are pitching in not only support our current efforts but to expand our efforts to serve the increasing demands for the services of our resident organizations.

Just another example of how our region is unique…cooperation, collaboration, and providing real support and not just lip service. That is why Entrepreneur Magazine referred to Orlando as “The Coordinator” when listing us as a “top 10 City of Starting a Business” in their August ’09 edition…

Thank you to all of those who support us through volunteering, coaching, referrals, sponsorship, and 100 club membership! We can’t do it without you!

Brian is also a college friend of mine.  Whether it was playing football together, vamping on the college radio station, or just having a beer, he was always very funny, and always a genuinely nice guy!  We have connected occasionally since college as he would come through Orlando on tour and it was always nice to catch up on families and careers, but it was still a treat to visit him backstage (see my facebook page) and attend his show on Friday.

People were bringing their kids to the show, and the crowd roared with laughter for 90 minutes and my sides are still hurting from the ab workout.  It was great fun to see Brian in action at a craft he loves, and being successful in a fiercely competitive industry.  But, what make me so proud of Brian is that he has accomplished all that success and still remains kind, and considerate of others.  He is still that genuinely “nice guy” that I met 30 years ago.  Great success/ Great Guy…and they said it couldn’t be done!

However, you can’t just ignore the needs of all the stage one companies (less than 10 employees and less than $1 million in sales).  They make up 90% of the businesses in Florida!  It seems obvious that without stage one businesses surviving, there will be very few stage 2 companies tomorrow.  At the Disney Entrepreneur Center, we assist any size business, and it is no surprise that about 90% of them have fewer than 10 employees and sales of less than a million.  We want to accelerate the potential for a first stage businesses to become a second stage as quickly as possible, because that should create an exponential increase in jobs…but, not every stage one business wants to grow into a second stage business, not every seed you plant will sprout, and some seeds may never get planted.   Our creative and supportive environment provides fertile soil for innovation, but before you can harvest, you must plant, water, weed, feed, and show some patience! (and in my case, protect the plants from the #$%$# raccoons)

So, if we ignore and postpone addressing the needs of our struggling “main street” garden, we do so at our peril.  Innovation does not have a single recipe and it operates on a time schedule all it’s own. There are no two entrepreneurs that are alike, nor two businesses the same;  but as any gardener will tell you, if we do not invest in the seeds, and tend to our main street garden, there will certainly be a smaller harvest for the economic garden down the road.

As we look forward to a new year there are still many uncertainties and many of our local businesses are still struggling to adapt to a changing economy, however, business must go on!  I have begun to adopt the “it is what it is” attitude when it comes to things that I can’t control.  I gather all the information I can about a topic, make the best decision I can based on the information that I have at that time, and then move on! We can no longer afford to wait for what might happen, what could happen, or what we would like to happen, …we just need to go out and make it happen!  

In our role as an individual, as an employee, or a small business owner just trying to stay afloat, we need to get pro-active in 2010!   Making a decision to move forward (even without knowing exactly what the future may hold) will force us to be pro-active and look for solutions rather than be re-active to a changing marketplace, a new tax policy, or government edict.  Many times we just have to “do what we do best” and start “doing what we can” instead of “waiting to see,” so we can be in a better position to take advantage of “whatever happens”   (have you heard any of those in 2009?)

There is an entrepreneurial  saying that may apply in this economic environment: “the harder I work, the luckier I get.” so I have decided that 2010 can be a great year of opportunity for those who get proactive, work hard, focus on what they can effectively impact, and become the best at what they do.  Sounds simple, but sometimes I think we get so involved in all the activities, that we forget what we started out to accomplish.

So, look around, see how you can pro-actively improve yourself, your organization, your cients, and your community, regardless of what happens in Washington, in Tallahassee, or just down the street! I believe that each of us have a daily opportunity to have a positive impact on those around us and the clients we serve… and the rest of the stuff… well, “it just is what it is!”

We arrived downtown just in time to be caught up in the sea of loyal fans streaming together toward the Amway Arena.  No sooner had I parked than the Redi-Pedi bicycle cab appeared to whisk us to the arena in a flash.  As we jumped out of Catherine’s chariot I spotted the ticket office and got in line.  The line moved quickly and soon I was jolted into the reality of the moment….The game was SOLD OUT!   How could this be?  No tickets?  No game?  No Magic…. No way!  Wasn’t there a ticket czar to appeal to?  Wasn’t there a bail out program for those poor fans who failed to plan?

I turned slowly to break the news to the Magic’s second biggest fan when a booming bass voice rose above the crowd noise….”hey man, you need a couple of tickets?” Life began to move in slow motion as I glided across the street to the friendly fellow who was waving two tickets in the air.  Could this be fate?  Was I about to complete the perfect spontaneous vacation plan?  Hope was running high.  Christmas angels burst into song….

As I neared my newest best friend I noticed that he was one of a dozen folks sporting a fistful of tickets and all of them seemed so anxious to get us into the right seats with the best view of all the action…and then I received the initial price estimate for those fans who had failed to plan ahead…(there is a reason that these folks are called scalpers!)

My wife and I located a bench to steady ourselves and discuss our plans for such a large purchase.  We considered taking on a new mortgage,  possibly cashing in some stock or returning a few Christmas presents, but after careful consideration we decided that watching the game from a downtown watering hole with big screens, replays, plenty of drinks, and free popcorn was more in our budget…. and ironically we ran into a few other spontaneous folks who had made the same decision, shared some scalper stories…and we had a really good time cheering on the hometown team!

On the way home after a great comeback win, I pondered how the evening had turned out. Washington could learn a few things from this experience.  The free market works!

1)   The game was sold out – (good product attracts more customers)

2)   The scalpers got paid a premium for thinking ahead and taking the risk of buying multiple tickets – (raw capitalism)

3)   I did not plan ahead and that did not warrant a bail out. —(Sometimes you don’t get everything you want and you are never too big or too small to fail)

4)   I found a creative and affordable way to enjoy the game. (Innovation and creativity will always emerge in a free market)

5)   The local pub recognized a need in the marketplace  (budget minded, spontaneous and thirsty magic fans)

6)   Competition is part of the process – (winning is not guaranteed)

–The Magic won!  Bucks lost

–Some scalpers made great money – some were left with tickets unsold

–We failed to plan ahead – we did not get in the game- nobody was to blame – our responsibility!

–The $6 beer place sold us two – the other place.. well you get it!

7) Today we are looking at which games we would like to attend in the future so that we can buy the tickets in advance and if my schedule changes…. who knows…. I might just try scalping them….although… what if I commit to purchase tickets in advance and the government names a ticket czar to guarantee that no fan is left behind, no matter how late they try to buy a ticket, and that those who purchased in advance could subsidize my ticket price, or set an income cap for scalpers….Maybe I should just wait?  Yes? No? Maybe? Who knows… stranger things are happening today….

During this season of hope, always remember that you are so much more than what you do for a living, to keep life’s challenges in perspective, establish your priorities, and never, never, never give up on your dreams!

One evening as I received an update from my “project manager,” he mentioned a visitor who had dropped off a flyer advertising his new lawn care business and was offering a great rate.  Now, my son has worked in all of my businesses for many years, so he knows my style and my exacting standards, so when he took the time to tell me about Lester’s cold call, I paid particular attention.  You see, Lester had been laid off for some time, and had not located a new job, so he decided to “make things happen” and start his own lawn care business.  My son said, “Dad, you would like this guy” and somehow I knew he was right.

I called Lester the next day and hired him to help out with my yard projects.  (Maybe there was hope that my “projects” could be completed by Christmas!)  Lester showed up the next day and he made quick work of the lawn and even trimmed a shrub on the way!  I asked him about doing some mulch and by the end of the week he had that done too.  I asked Lester about his foray into his own business and he just smiled and showed my his list of appointments.  “I knew if I could just get a few clients, the rest would come” Lester said, I figured if I cold called long enough, and did what I promised to do, then more people would want to hire me.”

From that cold call, through my son’s screening, and to closing the sale, Lester has been a true study in persistence, integrity, and hard work.  He has cheerfully performed every task I have assigned and he has over delivered on every promise.  I have watched his client list grow and I enjoy talking with him about managing company growth, re-investment in new equipment, and the importance of cash management.

Yesterday, Lester stopped by to drop off a Christmas card for my family and to let me know that he would soon get to the various projects in the back yard.  I laughed and told him not to worry about me until after Christmas, because my project manager had finished the entire list and returned to London, my project list had disappeared,(except for a few shopping items)  and it was time for us to enjoy the holidays!  As we shared a cup of coffee and some fresh baked cookies,  we both agreed that he would be busy for a long time with my yard projects, and that 2010 could be a much better  year for small businesses that want to work hard and make it happen!

In a tough economic time many companies believe that the right strategy is to lower your price , however, dropping your price, even just a little, requires a significant increase in volume just to make the same profit as before.  Sometimes a price reduction is required to create activity, but sometimes adding value to the offer (instead of dropping the price) will accomplish the desired sales. 

Pricing will sometimes affect our perception of the value of a product or service too.  Have you ever considered buying something and then deciding not to purchase because it seemed so cheap that you thought it might not be any good?  On the other hand, I have often decided not to buy because something cost too much.  So, it is extremely important to do your market research, and know your expenses before you set your price, and then be ready to defend it with good knowledge of your value.

PS.  Just had an example of poor pricing strategy today.  Went to get the car serviced today and was quoted $38 to change a tail light bulb.  Price at the parts store- $1.99/ time to install-5 minutes/ personal satisfaction – priceless!