Back To Basics!!

Well, in these dark economic times, sometimes you have to take a step back, and go through a new door to a new path.

And sometimes, you get knocked on the head and pushed....

Either way, in today's Brave New World, whether you choose to or not, you may have to reinvent yourself and go a whole new direction. That is what I have faced this year- 18 years in an industry - RV, Marine, and Auto lending- that is now in tatters. No new jobs, most lenders bailing out as fast as they can, and no new companies expected to jump in for a couple of years. What to do now?

While I am looking for the Next Big Opportunity, I am doing a bit of this, and a bit of that, to keep from going crazy and out of my wife's hair. This week's adventure has been volunteering at the concession stand at the local AAA baseball team games to support my daughter's soccer. Yes, I'm living the dream. I have got a fair amount of ribbing from friends... "from National Sales Manager to 'would you like fries with that?' way to move up!". But hey, it is something to do, and I have to do something to fund my daughter's soccer habit- "Dad, the new Nike Vapor cleats are out, and I NEED them, they are only $225! Pleeeeeese!"

So, armed with my health card and a bit of trepidation, I have begun my career at the Third Base Grill. And what have I found? After 18+ years in professional organizations and executive roles, I found that the issues are exactly the same ones I faced running a $750 million business.

Staffing and Personnel:

First- it is all about people. You have to have the right people in the right place to be successful. 8 volunteers, some with experience, some teenagers with no experience, 1 cook who doesn't want a bunch of rookies destroying his kitchen, and one older lady who is sure she knows how to do everything better than everyone else. So the first management issue of the day is deploying your resources in the most efficient way to maximize their skill sets. "Teenagers, you get the drink cups and wrap the hot dogs. Yes, you must wear the gloves when you touch the food- I don't care what they look like." Louis, while a very nice, competent, and hard worker, doesn't speak English so well, so he can't really be a server- fill up the candy racks and the pretzel racks.... and so on...

Supply and Demand, and Market Conditions:

It's Opening Night! How many people are going to be here? How many hot dogs do we need? You don't want so many that they get old and cold, but having 30 people impatiently waiting for dogs after the second inning because you ran out and it is going to take 10 minutes for them to steam. Now the pretzels are gone, too. Quick, get more from the warmer... There is a huge ebb and flow, from chaos before the game to calm, to rushes between innings. Preparing for the rushes by completing the necessary tasks during calm times is critical to the team's success. Proper planning for the 'market conditions' and time management skills are a must, if you want to keep Bob, Mary, and their 2.5 kids up to their eyeballs in hot dogs, licorice, pop corn and cold refreshing drinks.

The Best Laid Plans......

Everything is ready, the staff has their game faces on, the gates open on a beautiful 75 degree evening in Las Vegas,.... and the beer lines are all frozen up. The beer won't pour, or if it does, it is 2/3 foam. OK, this is bad. NO BEER?! Near riot ensues. Get the maintenance guys NOW, before the natives get agitated and begin plundering the gift shop next door! Moral: You can never account for outside influences on your business- you have to be able to solution quickly, and keep your customers happy while you solve the issues. The old addage is true- how you handle adversity with customers is at least as important as how how handle the good times.

So, I survived day one at the Third Base Grill... and I had to go back to the basics, and found the keys to successfully running a business are the same from a multi-million dollar business to a concession stand. It is a great learning experience.

Next blog: Don't Piss Off the Cook!!!