One a Day Rant

Politicians and bureaucrats claim to have all the answers to all our questions and solutions to every problem. It is true that government does have the natural competitive advantage over the private sector of not being subject to ordinary taxation. There are plenty of examples of places government tries to compete with the private sector and routinely fails in spite of all of its natural advantages. Government officials and politicians are making grandiose claims that they will give the USA massive change by deconstructing private sector institutions and replacing those with government models of institutional perfection. This sounds like great news to many of the people most of whom don't seem very well educated nor having very good memories of the government games of the same sort in the past that ended in failure.

Giving powerful liberal democrats the benefit of the doubt, it is possible to let them prove that they can deliver what they say they can before they wreck existing institutions mainly in the private sector. We should dare the government to prove that it can do better what it says it can on a small trial test scale before dismantling the country and killing jobs for millions who are dependent on the existing institutions.

Take Health care as one example. The powerful liberal democrats claim they will find cost savings and will not be forcing patents to accept health care rationing. They also say that everyone will get to choose their doctor and that everyone will have equal access to the system. The claim is also that the services will be better and more reliable. Lots of claims and no proof that what they say is possible will work. Let them prove it first. They can take a small state perhaps Hawaii and try out their program there first on a small scale. They should do this side by side with the market economy to see what the actual results will be. The voters should dare them to do this. If the government program is a major success cutting costs and giving better services than the private sector then they win the bet. If their program turns into a watered down Veterans Hospital catastrophe with extra high monopoly prices and substandard doctors staying in the profession and the public is forced to wait in endless lines for care with unbelievably higher taxes to pay for their dream health care system in spite of what is now being advertised as an improvement then maybe it won't prove to be a very good idea.

The way the liberal democrats see the process in transforming national health care is as much of a quick take over and displacement as possible leaving no trace of the present system of health care to compare the results to.

This is their same formula for Energy and Financial institutions where they want to take over and run the institutions so there is nothing left to compare the state of their energy program success to . Ever notice that no matter how badly a government agency there is always a built in PR machine to tell you otherwise?

Then we hear all about the need for a green economy , green jobs, green industries. It is going to be so grand and so green amazing! Right? That green stuff is a PR machine from the beginning! The fact that many local recycling programs waste more energy being green than just disposing of trash in landfills is often left out of the reported benefits to the community equations. Some communities waste so much energy recycling garbage that they consuming more of the earth's scarce resources than they are actually saving! The PR machine has millions of people washing out old cans and bottles using natural gas heated tap water. What might feel good to many in these communities maybe more harmful to the “environment” by the green rules than advertised. Transportation costs for a lot of recycled scrap material can eat away at the benefit and of course cause the need for more diesel and coal based electric production than just having a convenient landfill! Trading scrap metal garbage and bales of cardboard/ newsprint for manufactured goods from china with US treasury bonds is an extraordinarily great deal for the US. We get finished products at bargain prices and they get a ship full of our garbage as ballast. We also give them treasury notes not worth the paper they are printed on. How can the Chinese be such dupes? The Chinese do actually pay good prices for some of our trash depending on the market conditions too so we get some of our worthless dollars back in the transaction too. Recycling programs are uniformly deemed to have succeeded when government's created them as programs. The data however shows that the private sector is actually doing better in this regard especially for tax payers. This is because in some more successful private recycling programs the private companies actually pay people for their sorted trash instead of charging them a fee for collection! You will not find a single government recycling program that is sharing the wealth from the trash cans with the taxpayers!

Government's big plans to national the oil , gas and coal industries are not exactly a new concept. It has been done in quite a few other countries and the outcomes often seems to be a bigger disaster than in just having commercial competition instead of a state monopoly. Pemex in Mexico is a nationalized state oil company that has had infinite resources with the potential to rival some of the biggest multinational corporations and never stood a chance trying. Pemex has proved to be vital to Mexico never the less it is a fiasco. Having Old John D Rockefeller from New York City would be a vast improvement for Mexico's oil and natural gas industry and its total benefit to society compared to the long destructive phase of state control of Pemex. If a national energy monopoly really works better let them prove it competition with the existing Us Oil and natural gas industry first. Even with it's tax advantage it will probably prove itself a disaster compared to the private oil companies.

Government seem as if it would rather just come in and trash existing institutions taking power and control away from the private sector and individuals and then turning around and giving it all away to their better friends. Government advertises how this makes everything :”publicly owned” . That will prove to be nonsense. If the big spending liberal democrats have all the answers then they should prove it in advance of wrecking private institutions that seem to work . Dare them to prove that they can actually stop climate change before accepting their new world transformation process. Dare them to prove that solar and wind energy are reliable compared to the alternatives before taking over the entire system.

If they won't accept the dare maybe there is something they want to hide?

In today's fast pace lifestyle it seems that all aspects of our lives have been modified to speed up the bottom line, which is results. The same is true for the great game of football. The game of football has evolved as such, that size is not so much a factor as much as speed. Don't get me wrong size is still an integral part of the game, but speed is something that can not be accounted for in preparing for a game. With that in mind, the Spread Offense was born. This article is designed help understand this high scoring prolific offense.

The premise behind the spread is to stretch a defense both vertically and horizontally making them defend the entire field. In doing this, one also allows for athletes to make plays in the open field. In essence, what the spread did was place more emphasis on speed. The spread offense incorporates the use of 4 to 5 receivers, and the use of 1 or no backs. Many theories exist as to why teams are using the spread. Some believe that that spread is designed to throw the ball, which is very effective. What people don't know is that many high school and collegiate teams use the spread to run the ball. Why? Spreading people out with 4 receivers makes defenses “show their cards” so to speak. A defense can line up only so many ways to defend the spread. They will either maximize their coverage, which will allow less players to stop the run or maximize the box, which will minimize their pass coverage.

Another aspect of the spread offense that has attracted even your more traditional run oriented schools is the ability to score points, almost at will. The spread offense has increased point production based on the fact that more versatile athletes have been introduced. It used to be that the best athletes on the field were 1 or 2 running backs. Now with the advent of the spread, you have 6 athletes on the field that can score at any time. Furthermore, the spread has introduced a different breed of football player. These football players are basketball type kids, that can utilize many of the skills required for basketball on the football field. The ability to jump, catch, and run are attributes beneficial to the spread. One attribute not commonly associated with basketball is the ability to block. These receivers must screen a man for 1 to 3 seconds for most perimeter run plays. Again, a skill used in basketball.

I hope this article helped you understand the basic concepts behind the spread. That way, when you are watching a college or high school football game you will understand why coaches and players do what they do.

Relationships, relationships, relationships. Just as location is important in real estate, building relationships is essential in doing business with corporate America. It is, in fact the key dynamic in creating a successful business enterprise. Building relationships affords you an opportunity to plant the seeds of growth in order for your business to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive environment.

Taking the time to build relationships is only one aspect of growing your business. There are several to consider when approaching corporate clients. The critical ingredients needed in winning corporate clients are; relationships, research, preparedness, patience, and delivery. It takes a mix of these five ingredients to create a successful recipe for your growing business.

Relationships
“People buy from people they like – who they feel comfortable with,” said Clifton Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of Logical Integrations. Incorporated in 2000, Logical Integrations is a minority-owned services firm that has successfully worked with several corporate clients over the years. Carroll understands that developing relationships is critical to the growth and success of his company. “Relationships are key – it takes a long time,” said Carroll.

His first major client, AT&T was won through relationships he developed while doing training at Georgia Tech’s Incubator. Another corporate client he wanted to do business with was Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. (CCE). It took over two years of communication with them before he secured a contract. Logical Integrations was able to secure the CCE contract because of it’s “competitive pricing, exceptional service, quality products, and by providing CCE with innovation.”

Carroll’s strategy was to learn or research as much as he could about CCE. He also understood that the more you know about a company; its products and services, its customers, and its goals, the more you can add value. Every week, he pulled news articles about CCE, and kept a binder of information about the company. At various functions he would talk with CCE about their business and how his company could provide a value added service.

Carroll also learned the value of developing a relationship with someone within the organization who was able to steer him in the right direction. Finding a person within the organization, such as an administrative assistant, purchasing personnel, end users, or suppliers will go a long way in helping you secure a contract. “You have to be patient, spend time with building a relationship with any entry into a company,” added Carroll.

Elayne Leathers-Hill, Chief Executive Officer of Prestige Design Group, Inc., wanted to do business with United Parcel Service (UPS) for eight years before securing a contract. She also understood the value of building relationships. It is “the number one thing – you can’t just walk through the door,” said Leathers-Hill. Before securing the UPS contract she elicited the help of several people including George Lottier, President and CEO of the GMSDC, who helped her solidify the decision to shift from an embroidery business to a full service uniform business. Leathers-Hill secured the UPS contract through a majority/minority relationship with a company by the name of Riverside. Once Leathers-Hill successfully worked on the UPS contract, she was given the chance to work on other 1st and 2nd tier contracting opportunities. “They need to know you can handle the project,” added Leathers-Hill.

For Barbara Brunetti, President of Fast Signs, in Norcross, Georgia, “building partnerships” is what she believes has contributed to her business success. Although she has been in business for eighteen years, it took more than two years before she secured a purchase order contract from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). By the time she won the contract, she had extensive knowledge of the contract requirements and she was able to explain how her company would bring added value to the project.

Courting a company is a time honored tradition that can take up to two years or longer before winning a contract. A couple of ways to keep your company on the minds of corporations is by talking with them at various events, through correspondence, or by sending birthday cards or holiday cards. If you think about the relationships you’ve developed over your lifetime, some of the common denominators present were time, nurturing, and trust. These are some of the same factors needed when building relationships with corporate America.

Preparedness
So, how can you best be prepared to do business with corporate America? John W. Burgess with CCE offers four steps to take in order for you to have an opportunity to do business with CCE;

1. Provide a product or service that we purchase,
2. Understand the beverage business and how their product/service adds value to our supply chain,
3. Register your certified M/WBE firm at www.cokecce.com/supplierdiversity,
4. Submit a competitive business proposal.

Being prepared also means understanding the corporate culture, its values, and needs, and being able to match those requirements with how your company can provide added value. “Being prepared – you really don’t know when an opportunity is going to come,” said Clifton Carroll. Carroll recommends having a two-minute elevator pitch prepared on your company’s products or services. It’s also beneficial to use your two-minute pitch when networking with prime contractors. However, even before you make a pitch, “ask for an objective opinion,” said George Lottier. “You want to make sure that the customer can visualize the benefit of your service,” he added.

Another important aspect of being prepared is doing your research on a company. There are several ways to obtain information about a company. You can find information from their SEC filing, or go to their website for their annual report; you can also go to Google, type the company name to see recent news or information; become a member of a fee based website, www.hoovers.com to obtain invaluable information such as statistics, executive names, and biographies, or you can create custom lists of companies and industries.

These resources will help you to evaluate whether your company would be a good match, or even if it is a company worth pursuing. Instead of going after the major players in any given market, consider their competitors; you may be able to get your foot in their door. The thing to remember is, the more you know about a company, the more you can add value.

In addition, you may consider the following efforts when approaching corporate clients;

> Do a SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). Know your business; what is your value proposition? Are you willing or able to fill the gaps within your organization in order to grow your business, i.e. hiring sales personnel. 
> Build relationships, attend functions, write articles, speak at events, and join business/social/professional organizations. 
> Create strategic alliances and partnerships in order to bid on larger contracts. 
> Go to corporate America’s websites and register your company online. 
> Be prepared at all times and stay within your companies’ ability when bidding on contracts.

Another valuable element in being prepared is following up on a delayed or denied bid or proposal. “If I didn’t hear from somebody, I would follow-up,” said Barbara Brunetti. Finding out the reason for your delay or denial can reveal information to help you win your next contract. Call to find out the reason for your delay or denial and ask if they could put you in touch with the 1st tier contractor/supplier for a 2nd tier opportunity. Again, even if you are not securing 1st tier contracts with corporate America, you may be able to secure 2nd tier opportunities by networking with prime contractors.

Winning Contracts
Increasing your chances of winning corporate clients requires a multi-faceted approach. Utilize the services of the GMSDC, mentor-protégé programs, training opportunities, 2nd tier opportunities, and by creating strategic alliances or partnerships in order to maximize your chances of survival. Also, contact the supplier diversity personnel at these corporations. In most cases, they will assist you in making contact with the right people within their organization.

Building relationships should be an integral part of any growing business long range planning. It is a critical business strategy that will help grow your business. Remember, once you get your foot in the door, the way to get invited back is by providing a quality product or service, offer competitive pricing, and by continuing to nurture the relationship. Finally, always keep in mind; dealing with corporate America requires both patience and persistence.