Entrepreneur Magazine August 2010

AUGUST 2010 | ENTREPRENEUR.COM

50 REALLY COOL CITIES TO START YOUR BUSINESS

MEET DREW BREES, NEW ORLEANS QUARTERBACK, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER AND CHAMPION OF ENTREPRENEURS.

ENTREPREN

EUR

TRUST YOUR CRAZY IDEA

AUGUST 2010

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Scan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhomeScan & PDF: worldmags & avaxhome

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Entrepreneur + August 20102

table+of contents

30 The turnaround artistJim Pohlad inherited a failing teamthe Minnesota Twinson the verge of disap-pearing from baseball. What saved it? Thinking like a small business. By Bruce Schoenfeld

58 Innovation nationEntrepreneur identies 50 U.S. cities and 10 lifestyles energizing businesses of all shapes and sizes.By Jason Ankeny

72 Green falloutThe era when green marketing meant sunny logos and big environmental claims is over. Just ask BP. By Jason Daley

84 But where is the money? While small business gets talked up in the economic recovery plan, lending to small business is still downby $40 bil-lionfrom what it was two years ago. Karen G. Mills, head of the SBA, is taking questions. By David Port

90 Losing the dream,but saving the storeThe recession is driving more mom-and-popbusinesses to transform into franchises.By Tracy Stapp

98 Ring it upShoppers are venturing out again, so itstime to browse Entrepreneurs top retailfranchises of 2010.By Tracy Stapp

+Features

Pho

to

Dav

id J

ohns

on24 The championDrew Brees led the New Orle

ans Saints to its rst-ever Super Bowl title.

Now hes backing local entrepreneurship and the citys econ

omic revival.

By Jason Daley

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Pub Date: NonePublication: See Slug BelowAd#: 9962A

Im Mark. I love wine, so I made it a full-time job. One of the things that helps me be the boss of my small business is this new feature in Excel 2010 called Slicer. It lets me lter data so I know exactly whats selling. Note to self: order more Pinot.

See how you can make it great with new Ofce 2010 at ofce.com/2010.

>

PUBLICATIONS: Working Mother, Entrepreneur, PC World, Family Fun, Parents, Parenting School Years, Scholastic Parent & Child, Wired, Money

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table+of contents

17 Going ForwardBusiness UnusualWatch out, bikers and bladers. The ellipticaltrainer has zipped out of the gym and ontothe streets.

18Ask a ProHow do I deal with a PR nightmare?

20You Should KnowAndrew Zimbalist, sports economist.

22 Jargon22 10 Essential Tweets

38 Almost FamousYour edgling business doesntnecessarily need a complex strategydocument, just some basics.

76 Wacky IdeaThe boozy, manly, camouage

-frosted cupcake.

41 TechShiny Object of the MonthHiVis speakers turn your computer ormobile device into a portable studio, com-plete with quality audio.

42Cant live with it,cant live without itTo iPad or not to iPad?

44 Six must-have iPadbusiness appsOur votes for some of the latestand greatest.

48 Mobile entrepreneurDavid Heinemeier Hansson of 37signalsgives his take on cutting the cord inAmerica; and an app whose optical recog-nition technology lets you scan bar codesand run your business from your iPhone.

51 WebWebsite to WatchGetGlue recommends movies, music andbooks based on your interests.

52 Build a WebsiteSidestep sticker shock by creating a de-tailed budget for designing, building andlaunching your site.

54Home remodelinggets retooledA web-based platform lets contractorsmanage customers, vendors and subcon-tractors, schedule work orders, createand track invoices and order materialsfrom wherever their work may lead them.

65 MoneyWhos Getting VC Now?An upstart maker of glass baby bottlesgets the attention of green-friendly VCs.

66Do you believe insuper angels?An early-stage investor by any name canbe just as useful to funding your business.

78 Start It UpCollege StartupsHow to turn a class project into a multimil-lion-dollar business. (No degree required.)

80Finance for StartupsThe Credit Card Act is good for consum-ers, but no so much for businesses.

82Strokes of Genius

124 Back PageFor pro athletes, entrepreneurial endeav-ors are a natural play.

+Departments

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alie

Bra

sing

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My name is Aaress, and if my job was a person Id marry it. I run one of the most popular womens tennis websites. My partners and I are constantly updating the site, and use new OneNote 2010 to share ideas, photos, articles everything. Its a digital notebook we can all access over the web. Even with our smartphones, which have been a total game changer. No pun intended. See how you can make it great with new Ofce 2010 at ofce.com/2010.

>

PUBLICATIONS: Entrepreneur, PC World, Wired, Money, Scholastic Parent & Child, Parenting School Years, Working Mother, Parents, Family Fun

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table+of contents

+Columns12 Editors NoteIf you have a crazy idea, pursue it. It might be the best idea youve ever had. By Amy C. Cosper

14 FeedbackOur Twitter followers and Facebook fans respond: Whats the difference between a small-business owner and an entrepreneur?

56 Doing GoodA Colorado painter provides free make-overs for crisis-stricken homeowners.By Gwen Moranoran

70 Personal FinanceBeware of hidden (or, at least, sneaky) charges on your phone, cable and utility bills.By Rosalind Resnick

110 Franchise InkAt Margaritas restaurants, every painting, tile, chair and artwork is direct from Mexico. By Jason Daley

116 OpportunitiesJason Fry won the lottery and invested in Batteries Plus. By Jason Daley Ph

oto

Dav

id J

ohns

onOwner Jim Pohlad, mastermind behindthe Twins turnaround.



In Michigan, Green is the New Gold.If you invested in an alternative energy company fi ve years ago, you would have been considered odd. Today, people would call you a smart entrepreneur. Theres no doubt that alternative energy is the future. It is, indeed, where the money is. Alternative energy companies are certainly pushing the Green needle towards great success; and its happening right now in the land of the automobile. Yes, Michigan is fast becoming the hub for the powers of wind, solar, battery and alternative fuels. Companies like United Solar, the worlds largest manufacturer of thin-fi lm solar panels and Cobasys, whose battery systems enable hybrid electric vehicles around the world, are typical of the businesses that now call Michigan home.

If youre looking to build or expand your alternative energy company, its a good time to talk to Michigan. To get information on our far-reaching Venture Michigan Fund, contact the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.SM Click on MichiganAdvantage.org.

MichiganAdvantage.org

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Question of the month, submitted by rrthompson:

+online now

table+of contents

Ask Entrepreneur Our small-business advisors can answer your burning question

How do I secure a line of credit for my business if my personal credit is poor?

I'm currently funding my 3-year-old business with personal funds. I need some work-

ing capital for upcoming projects and marketing.

We asked Ryan HimmelCPA, registered securities analyst and founder and CEO of

BIDaWIZ.com, an online reverse auction marketplacefor his expert opinion. Among his tips:

Make sure the accounting and banking of your personal funds are kept separate

from your business.

Seek a strategic partner with a strong balance sheet and a complementary business model.

Go to alternative sources of nancing, including regional and community banks and

the Small Business Administration.

For Himmels full answer, visit entrepreneur.com/ask/answer19350.html

Have a pressing small-business tax question? Sign on to entrepreneur.com/ask,

where Roni Deutch (aka The Tax Lady) is waiting to help you. Look for feedback in

next months issue.

From twitter.com/entmagazine

Weigh in on EConnectCheck out the recent poll results from oursmall-business social network, EntrepreneurConnectthe place to talk about what mat-ters most to entrepreneurs. Also, create aprole at econnect.entrepreneur.com andjoin the 67,000-plus members.How do you stay productivethroughout the day?- Schedule set work times and break

times: 19%- Create a daily to-do list: 65%- Exercise: 12%- Other: 4%How will the new healthcare reformlaw affect your small business?- Positively: 30%- Negatively: 36%- Im not sure, its all a littleconfusing: 30%

- Other: 4%

Pho

to

iSto

ckph

oto.

com

/la

or

Winning strategiesLearn how to expand your network, trainskilled employees and use top marketingtechniques at the free Winning Strate-gies for Business conference. Plus, pitchyour business to the editors of Entrepre-neur for a chance to appear in the mag-azine. The conference takes place Oct. 5in Long Beach, Calif. Register atentrepreneur.com/winningstrategies

Green contest winnersIn the online feature How to Take YourBusiness Green, nd out who receiveda $10,000 green ofce makeover inStaples and Entrepreneurs Green YourSmall Business Challenge.entrepreneur.com/greenofce/winners

Mompreneur CenterRead about balancing business withfamily, women-led businesses andmore at Entrepreneur.comsMompreneur Center.entrepreneur.com/mompreneur

Top 5 retweets

1Check out Entrepreneur's annual list of100 brilliant ideasWhat was your most brilliant idea?

2 Look for an Entrepreneur mag iPadapp set to drop this summer.3 Productivity tip of the day: Measureyour marketing results

4 The only place where success comesbefore work is in the dictionary.Vidal Sassoon

5 Stop procrastinating! Five strategiesto help you beat one of the mostcommon time killers

Cast your voteThe UPS Store and Entrepreneur are proud to announce the 15 nalists for Entrepreneur

magazines Entrepreneur of 2010 awards. Now were asking you to help us select thewinners: an established business owner, an emerging business (less than four yearsin business) and a college entrepreneur. Go online to entrepreneur.com/e2010 andentrepreneur.com/e2010college from July 26 to Sept. 10 to read their stories, getinspired and vote for your favorite entrepreneurs. The winners will be featured in Entre-preneur and honored at a luncheon in Atlanta in January 2011.



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Vol. 38, No. 8. Entrepreneur (ISSN 0163-3341) is published monthly by Entrepreneur Media Inc., 2445 McCabe Way, Ste. 400, Irvine, CA 92614. Periodical postage paid at Irvine, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Entrepreneur, P.O. Box 8542, Red Oak, IA, 51591-1542. One year subscription rates in U.S.: $19.97; in Canada: $39.97; all other countries: $39.97; payable in U.S. funds only. Please mail all subscription orders and changes to Entrepreneur, Subscription Department, P.O. Box 8542, Red Oak, IA, 51591-1542, or call (800) 274-6229 or (515) 362-7461, or log on to entrepreneur.com. For change of address, please give both old and new addresses and include most recent mailing label.Entrepreneur considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; con se quent ly, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/or investment inherently contains certain risks, and it is suggested that the prospective investors consult their attorneys and/or financial professionals. Entrepreneur is sold with the un der stand ing that the publisher is not rendering legal services or financial advice. Although persons and companies men tioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither Entrepreneur Media Inc., nor any of its employees accept any responsibility whatsoever for their activities. Advertising Sales (949) 261-2325. Entrepreneur is printed in the USA and all rights are reserved. 2010 by Entrepreneur Media Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will be returned only if ac com pa nied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All letters sent to Entrepreneur will be treated as un con di tion al ly assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication or brochure, and are subject to Entrepreneurs unrestricted right to edit and comment.

editorialvice president/editor-in-chief Amy C. Cosper

executive editor Michalene Busico

editor-at-large Jason Meyers

associate editor Brenda Wong

staff writer Jennifer Wang

special projects editor Tracy Stapp

editorial interns Michelle Juergen, Arshi Khan

contributing writers Jason Ankeny, Mikal E. Belicove, Jonathan Blum,

Ericka Chickowski, Jason Daley, Joel Holland,

Ivy Hughes, Kate Lister, Gwen Moran, Dan OShea,

David Port, Rosalind Resnick, Bruce Schoenfeld

art & design creative director Megan Roy

design director Ri ch ard R. Olson

assistant art director Corey Hollister

contributing designer Nancy Roy

entrepreneur.com vice president, site development David Pomije

editor, womenentrepreneur.com Eve Gumpel

sr. channel editor, tech and e-business Justin Petruccelli

channel editor, startup/finance/management Kimberlee Morrison

community editor Kara Ohngren

channel editor, sales/marketing/grow Tanya Payne

it director Patrick Freeman

systems and networks administrator Hristina Moneva

ad operations director Michael Frazier

traffic coordinator Jose Paolo Dy

online marketing manager Landin Gee

online ad traffic coordinator Madison Bui

online syndication editor Petya Yordanova

director, site operations Jake Hudson

senior web designer Veronica Skaggs

web design specialist Brian Wilkins

production associates Kevin Murray, Nicholas Jennes

senior application developer Joseph Norris

web application developer Mahendran Arullendran

l.a.m.p. developer Cindy Sheek

junior l.a.m.p. developer Tuan Nguyen

marketingvice president, marketing Lisa Murray

marketing communications manager Lucy Gekchyan

associate marketing manager Laura Brown

senior graphic designer Jane Maramba

graphic designer Andrew Chang

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executive staffchairman/ceo Peter J. Shea

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entaugust10 010 masthead.indd 10 6/15/10 1:44 PM06152010145536


2010 United HealthCare Services, Inc. #1 For Small Business claim based on UnitedHealthcare membership systems (May 2009) for groups with 2 99 employees. Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. Health Plan coverage provided by or through a UnitedHealthcare Company.UHCEW447518-001

Yourbusinessis thebackboneof America. Andweve gotyour back.

When your employees need care, you want to make sure its the best. With UnitedHealthcare, your employees can choose the right doctor for them from the nations largest single proprietary network of physicians. And with our extensive database, we can direct them to doctors who meet the national medical standards and practices guidelines for quality of care and cost efficiency. See what makes us the #1 carrier for small business at uhctogether.com/ent, call 1.877.232.8831, or contact your broker.

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editors+note [

Speaking of crazy ideas ...W

hen the notion of a sports

edition made its way to the

Entrepreneur newsroom (which

consists of four editors and a Wii),

it was, not surprisingly, met with a

certain amount of hesitation. Its in-

sane. How can a business magazine

dedicated to entrepreneurs pull off a

sports issue? Needless to say, we like

it best when were told something cant

be done. We trusted our crazy idea on

this one, and so we present the very

unlikely, rst-ever sports edition of En-

trepreneur magazine.

Digging into sports team transforma-

tions proved to be powerful and thought-

provoking. Ten years ago, the Minnesota

Twins had bragging rights as baseballs

worst team. They were the real-life Bad

News Bears. Fans turned their backs on

the struggling organization, the stands

were all but empty, and the franchise

was on the brink of dissolution. But Jim

Pohlad, who owns the Twins along with

his brothers, had a different take on the

situation. The thinking? Turn the team

around by approaching every move as a

business. They created a business plan

replete with growth and expansion strat-

egies. Pretty bold for a team one small

step away from a dirt nap.

The transformation plan played to

the strengths of the franchise. Pohlad

acknowledged that they could never

compete dollar for dollar with big guns

like the New York Yankees. But what they

could do was become the most efciently

run business in baseball. Bruce Schoen-

felds story on Page 30 dives into the

Twins journey from peril to prosperity. If

you are a small business looking to com-

pete, his sage advice is required reading.

Equally inspiring but no less sporting

is Jason Daleys conversation with Drew

Brees, New Orleans Saints quarterback

and patron saint of the city of New Or-

leans (Page 24). Brees is known for his

cunning on the eld, but off the eld he

is equally skillful: He is a business owner,

a franchise proponent and a supporter of

entrepreneurship in a city still recover-

ing from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

There is no greater tale of rebirth than

the one taking place in New Orleans, led

by the entrepreneurial efforts of people

like Brees, who is spearheading a Trust

Your Crazy Ideas program in partnership

with the citys Idea Village organization.

His superstar status is palpable in a city

that has become iconic not because of

tragedy but in spite of it.

Brees and Pohlad are proving that trust-

ing your crazy idea worksand that the

entrepreneurial spirit in sports is thriving.

Amy C. Cosper

Editor in chief

Follow me on Twitter, @EntMagazineAmy

Phot

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Drew Brees

Jim Pohlad

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+feedback [

Whats the difference between a small-business owner and an entrepreneur? Robert Bitto An entrepreneur is a creator and an innovator. A small-business owner may or may not be. Imumba Nyaywa A small-business owner pulls up his shutters at 9 a.m. and calls it a day at 6 p.m.

An entrepreneur is always open for business! Brian Schwartz Small-business owner eats crab legs. Entrepreneur eats ramen noodles. Barbara Brandt I am a small-business owner, not an entrepreneur. I want to be my own boss, do

something I enjoy, make a good living and enjoy my life. I do not want to take big risks in the hopes of making the millions or the headlines.

Leslie Fishlock A small-business owner has already determined his potential: small. An entrepreneur has already determined the world is his oyster.

Rhea Lana Riner As an entrepreneur, I feel that we bite off huge tasksand then gure out how to chew it.

Trep of the monthAFTER READING the June prole of Pata-gonia founder Yvon Chouinard, Candace

Ruiz of Denver sent us this shot of her

wearing her old, favorite Patagonia jacket.

And we mean old: She bought it in 1984. And its the same as the

day I got it, she says. No wear and tear, no holes and it protects

me from the Colorado wind. My partner and I recently launched

our own company, Business Service Corps, and Chouinards story

was the inspiration we need to build in the emerging market of

corporate social responsibility. Candace, were impressed (and we

dont mean by the jacket). Congratulations, and enjoy a one-year

subscription to the magazine.

Now the competition is on for August. In honor of this months

sports theme, post a photo of you with Entrepreneur magazine at a

sporting eventbaseball to pingpongat our Facebook fan page:

Facebook.com/EntMagazine.

The next 12 issues could be on us.

Totally rippedMY STAFF and I get so many great ideas from

your publication. I tear

out pages of special in-

terest as I read, and in

June, I practically tore

out every article and ad.

Thank you, Entrepreneur.

Alisa Armstrong

Big Bear Cool Cabins

Big Bear Lake, Calif.

Call for you, Dan SPRINTS CEO Dan Hesse should focus less on telling

everyone where he thinks

things are going (The

new power of mobility,

June) and focus more on

his companys customer

service. Hey, Dan, your

customer service blows.

Al Stratton

Orlando, Fla.

CORRECTIONS

An article in Junes Technology

department (A More Polished

Voice) gave an incorrect rate

for RingCentral Ofces hosted

phone service. For service with

four lines, VoIP soft-phones, fax

service and real-time routing to

cell phones, the monthly rate is

$24.99 per user, not $99.

The June feature Entrepreneurs

100 Brilliant Ideas incorrectly

stated the location of Relay Rides.

It is Boston, not Baltimore. The

feature was also unclear about

Terracyles policy of paying for

trash. It pays 2 cents for each chip

bag or drink pouch to the charity

or school of the collectors choice.

Declare yourself EVERY DAY we put a question to our Twitter followers and Facebook fans, and your smart, lively responses never

disappoint. But weve never seen a discussion take off like

the one that did when we asked: Whats the difference be-

tween a small-business owner and an entrepreneur?

More than 200 of you responded with strong opin-

ions about the two campssome of you might say the

two speciesand everyone was certain about which

one they belonged to. Self-employed vs. risk-taker.

9-to-5 versus 24/7. Crab legs vs. ramen noodles.

Choose your tribe, then join this months discussions

on Twitter, Facebook and EConnect (and with some

luck, pick up a weekly gadget or magazine subscription

giveaway exclusive to our members).

SHARE YOUR COMMENTS. Write to Letters, Entrepreneur, 2445 McCabe Way, Ste. 400, Irvine, CA 92614; fax (949) 261-0234; or contact us at [email protected]. Letters may be edited for brev-

ity and clarity. Pho

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FIND USONLINETheres a whole world of Entre-preneur online, and our Face-book fans, Twitter followers and discussion groups are buzzing 24/7 about what matters to entrepreneurs most. Come join the conversation with our edi-tors and readers: Become our fan on Facebook:

facebook.com/EntMagazine Follow us on Twitter:

@EntMagazine Join our online community:

econnect.entrepreneur.com

entaugust10 014 feedback.indd 14 6/18/10 11:44 AM


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Entrepreneur + August 2010 17

going+forwardTrends, issues and data to keep you on top of your game

BUSINESS UNUSUAL

On your left!Watch out, bikers andbladers. The elliptical trainer has zipped out of the gym and onto the streets.

AS FITNESS EQUIPMENT GOES, theworlds rst elliptical bicycle is pretty

darned impressive. Its got the sleek

curves of a high-end road bike, the clean

lines of a Razor scooter, a pair of shiny

carbon-ber elliptical pedals, a smooth

hub-and-crank stride mechanism and a

steering column that collapses for easy

storage. Plus, its not awkward using it

(think Smith machine): Just hop on and

start stepping.

We knew we were onto something

when we showed a prototype and people

were telling us to make that exact model,

says Bryan Pate, one of the ElliptiGo

inventors. It was Pates bad knees that

started the whole thing rolling: In 2005,

he had to stop running and found that

neither elliptical trainers nor cycling

were satisfying alternatives. I wanted

something that would emulate the feel of

running outdoors without beating up my

knees, Pate says. It didnt exist, so he g-

ured hed have to create it himself.

He called his friend Brent Teal, a fel-

low Ironman athlete and mechanical

engineer, who set up shop in the garage

and cobbled together the rst prototype

out of chromoly steel, modied roller

blade wheels, wooden boards and old

triathlon bike parts.

Fast-forward to this past January

four prototypes, millions in investor

funding later, Pate and Teal opened

headquarters in Solana Beach, Calif., and

so far have sold 250 bikes at $2,199

each, including two to a Napa Valley-area

police department. Theyve had glowing

testimonials from Ultramarathon Man

Dean Karnazas (who rode the ElliptiGo

from San Francisco to Los Angeles as a

warm-up for the L.A. Marathon), Nike

Project Oregon runner Adam Goucher

and three-time Olympic pentathlete Mi-

chael Gostigian.

ElliptiGos buzz is growing, thanks to

regular test ride events and its Epic Ride

campaign, where Pate and Teal enter the

ElliptiGo in challenging biking events such

as the California Sierras 129-mile Death

Ride. This month, its the 10,000-foot

Cycle to the Sun climb in Maui.

Theyre hoping to deliver 2,000 bikes

after the summer marketing push, which

would make them a small prot by years

end. And in 2011, the goal is to move

11,000 and possibly introduce lower-

and higher-end models. But their main

objective is to kick off a new industry.

Thats our business model, Teal says.

Its not about making a cool bike. Its

about introducing a whole new way of

getting around and, at the same time,

getting a good workout.

Hes not exaggerating that last bit:

The eight-speed reaches speeds upward

of 25 miles per hour. Perfect for when

you want to blow past all the gawkers.

Jennifer Wang

Trailblazers: ElliptiGoinventors Brent Teal, left,and Bryan Pate.

Photos

Jeff Clark

entaugust10 017-022 Going Forward3.indd 17 6/25/10 12:10 PM



SlammedQ:How do I deal with a PRnightmare?

A: There are times when you can get away with burying your head in the sand, but a business crisis isnt one of them. You need to

drop everything and x it. Now.

Small-business owners think they can put

their heads down and outwork everything,

says Ronn Torossian, founder of 5W Public

Relations, based in New York. But you cant

outwork crisis. For the people it impacts, it

will feel like the end of the world.

Torossian has seen major corporations,

small businesses and celebrities through a fair

number of troubling times (Lil Kims perjury

case and nancial scandals of a Fortune 100

company). By now, hes got a few standard

rules for managing crises of any scale.

First, he says, come up with a message

that addresses what went wrong and how

youll handle it. Dont wait to apologize.

Then communicate that message to ev-

eryone whos been affectedin person, if

possible. A newsletter wont cut it, and letting

the media provide updates will make matters

worse. And dont pass things on through law-

yers or spokespeople. Delegating raises the

probability of more disaster. Warns Torossian:

It wont keep your employees from all walk-

ing out or vendors from suddenly saying, We

want immediate payment because we dont

know if youre going to be here next month.

Work on your delivery, too, because how you

say things in public can be more important than

what you actually say. (Wrong: Tiger Woods

13-minute ramble of an apology. Right: Bill

Clintons direct, sincere four-minute apology.)

Americans are very forgiving, but they need

to believe you actually care, Torossian says. So

leave the script at home and be prepared for

scrutiny, because if youre uncomfortable, it will

show. Do everything you can to make yourself

and your audience more comfortablegrab

water, enunciate, avoid jargon and fancy words

and be ready for discussion. Speak compassion-

ately and honestly, and dont pretend to be on

a higher level than your audience, he advises.

Its the best way to put people at ease.

In the end, be resigned to some fallout. Not all

will be forgiven, but you can minimize the dam-

age. Fortunately, Torossian says, small-business

owners can move faster than big companies, and

they should take advantage of that. J.W.

Pho

to

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ang

ASK A PRO

Ronn Torossian:Dont wait to apologize.

going+forward



74693_UPS_UP0_180.inddPeter Hopersberger / Heather Yuhas3-22-2010 2:39 PM phopersberger_G5_06685

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Online or in-person. Were the Nations Largest Printing Network*.

*Claim based on number of retail locations. Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. is a UPS company. The UPS Store locations are independently owned and operated by franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. in the USA and by its master licensee and its franchisees in Canada. Services, pricing and hours of operation may vary by location. See theupsstore.com/print for further details. Copyright 2010 Mail Boxes Etc., Inc.

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going+forward

Title: Sports economistWhy you should care: If there wasa title for best sports economist,Zimbalist would probably clinchit. Hes written 19 booksabouthalf of those on the business ofsportsand is the go-to guy forquotes and commentary when-ever a new stadium goes up or afranchise starts to falter.His next book of essays, Circlingthe Bases, is due in November,and it packs in analyses on howthe sports industry is prevailingduring the economic downturn,along with ruminations on salarycaps, steroids and gender equal-ity. But despite plenty of changesin the last couple of years, onethings for sure: Zimbalist andhis cohorts are still very muchin demand. Not bad, consideringtheyve already got the sweetestgigs of everyone studying thedismal science.Quote: Statistically, between70 percent and 85 percent ofa teams on-eld success is ex-plained by factors other thanpayroll. J.W.

You should

KNOW ANDREW ZIMBALIST

Talk about expansionTHE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE of-cially kicks off its 2010 schedule

Sept. 9, when the Minnesota Vikings

take on defending Super Bowl champs

the New Orleans Saints. But the season

unofcially launches Labor Day weekend,

when the growing ranks of the fantasy

football faithful converge on bars, base-

ments and barbecues across the nation

for their annual league drafts. The latest

Fantasy Sports Trade Association data

pegs the number of fantasy gamers in the

U.S. and Canada at 30 million, and the

industry continues to expand, embracing

sports from mixed martial arts to reality

TV shows. Theres even a sitcom devoted

to the hobby, FXs raunchy The League.

So far, fantasy gaming remains as re-

cession-proof as the professional sports

it mirrors: 8 percent of gamers plan to

devote more time and energy to their

fantasy team this year than in previous

years, an FSTA survey found, and 71

percent say they will be just as commit-

ted as in 2009.

Whats the appeal? Its fun. Its social.

Its an outlet for smack talk. Hell, if you

know what youre doingand catch a

few lucky breaksyou might even win a

few bucks. Jason Ankeny

Why people play fantasy sportsIts something fun to try65.8%To play with my friends61.9%To compete52.3%

To win money, prizes or trophies34.5%To socialize with others32.6%To network with co-workers or clients11.2%

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Prepared by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. All rights reserved. 415.392.0669

Released on 5/13/10Print Output at 100% Reader 1

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Pubs

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Associate CDArt DirectorCopywriterProofreader

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Eurographics 39431 Version:01 05-27-10 dk

AF

EVO - Features

Details/Fitness, Sports Illustrated, Self,

Atlantic Monthly, Money, Wired, Charlotte

Magazine, The New Yorker, O Magazine

FIRST IS FAST.

FIRST IS GENEROUS, SHARINGINTERNET WITH UP TO EIGHT WI-FI ENABLED DEVICES AT ONCE.

FIRST ALWAYS BRINGS SOMETHINGNEW TO THE PARTY, LIKE FRONT ANDREAR-FACING CAMERAS.

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going+forward

The juice box grows upTHE GENIUS IS in the packaging: a shiny12.7-ounce pouch with a straw. Think

Capri Sun juice pouchbut lled with

an icy, ready-to-drink margarita.

Thats the concept for the Cordina

Mar-GO-rita, a portable (and very

drinkable) cocktail from Big

Easy Blends, a New Orleans

company started in 2009 by

Sal LaMartina and partners

Antonio LaMartina and Craig

Cordes. With distribution in

only 13 states, the cocktails

monthly sales have already

exceeded $100,000, and Sal projects

annual revenue of $60 million in less

than ve years.

Weve got plans for GO-jitos, pia-

GO-ladas and strawberry daiq-GO-ris,

he says. Were going to change the way

people enjoy frozen cocktails.

Thats right. Straight out of the

freezer or pulled out of the cooler

like a beer. And youll avoid get-

ting scolded at for having a glass

poolside or on the beach, which

is how LaMartina & Co. hit on the

idea in the rst place. J.W.

ClofceDenition: Literally a closet converted into an ofce. But any work space that provokes claustrophobia or thoughts of David Blaine is a clofce, too.Usage: I get loads of work done in myclofce. Two words: Verilux and Adder-all. J.W.

The Singapore clofce: The nerve center of reader Suelynn Yaps music events company in Holland Village, Singapore.

STEVE DUNCAN WAS giving a speech, and the news wasnt good. His industry was down$12 billion in 2009, and he needed to drive the point home. I thought there would be

a website out there with good quotes, says Duncan, director of market intelligence for

the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, in Milwaukee. But there wasnt.

So he built one, launching NumberQuotes.com in February. Type $12 billionor any

other numberin its search box and get a list of equivalencies. For instance, $12 billion

is roughly the GDP of Jamaica. Or enough to buy everyone in Huntington Beach, Calif., a

Cadillac Escalade. Or every single person on the planet a cup of Starbucks coffee.

In just the rst month, NumberQuotes got more than 21,400 unique visitors. Not

bad, when you consider thats greater than the number of college history teachers

employed in the United States. J.W.

NumberQuotes.com is worth a click for quick comparisons

Um, thats how much?

10 essential tweetsCATERINA FAKE,CO-FOUNDER OF FLICKR

As you might expect, the womanwho helped create the way we in-stantly share photos is way into thewhole Twitter phenom. @Caterinahas 17,000-plus followers, and Fakefollows 426 feeds herself. Her top10? A mix of money, tech, art andinspiration that no doubt is inuencingHunch.com, the collective decision-making engine she is working on now.

@anildash The voice of reason ontech and media issues. Also: Funnyand into soul music.@etsy For shopping and content links.@fredwilson Youre missing out if you're not following one of the rst investors in Twitter.@jenbee Links to art and newsfrom Jen Bekman, the founder of 20x200.@kickstarter A repository of brilliant ideas.@om Om Malik, founder of the tech blog @gigaom, to learn where things are heading.@pkedrosky Paul Kedrosky is pro-found and fascinating on nance, the economy and tech.@the99percent Inspirational quotes and ways to increase your creativity.@zachklein Thoughts from Boxees CPO and all-around polymath.J.W.

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Our best headphones. Since we introduced the worlds first noise cancelling headphones over 20 years ago, we have conducted continuous research to improve this tech-nology. Now, we have engineered significant advances in noise reduction to make the QC15 headphones our quietest ever. Exclusive Bose technologies electronically sense more of the sounds around you, reducing more noise across a wider range of frequencies. And we didnt stop there. We developed a new ear cushion that further reduces unwanted noise and helps create an extremely comfortable fit. It works in harmony with the electronics to deliver a better listening experience. Mark A. Kellner of The Washington Times says they reproduce music with extreme clarity, fidelity and definition.

Try them for yourself risk free. When you fly, the engine roar fades even further away. When you listen to music at home or at work, fewer distractions get in the way. Less noise, along with our acclaimed lifelike sound, a fit that stays comfortable for hours and the quality you expect from Bose. It all adds up to a combination of benefits unmatched in the industry. Seth Porges of Popular Mechanics states that Compared to the competitionthe QC15s are vastly superior. You can relax and appreciate music, movies or just some serenity more than ever before. We invite you to try QC15 headphones for yourself risk free for 30 days. And when you call, ask about making 12 easy payments, with no interest charges from Bose.* Were so sure youll be delighted, well even pay to ship them to your door.

Quieter than ever before.Introducing Bose QuietComfort

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To order or learn more:

1-800-729-2073, ext. Q7968 or visit Bose.com/QC

*Bose payment plan available on orders of $299-$1500 paid by major credit card. Separate financing offers may be available for select products. See website for details. Down payment is 1/12 the product price plus appli-cable tax and shipping charges, charged when your order is shipped. Then, your credit card will be billed for 11 equal monthly installments beginning approximately one month from the date your order is shipped, with 0% APR and no interest charges from Bose. Credit card rules and interest may apply. U.S. residents only. Limit one active financing program per customer. 2010 Bose Corporation. Patent rights issued and/or pending. The distinctive design of the headphone oval ring is a trademark of Bose Corporation. Financing and free shipping offers not to be combined with other offers or applied to previous purchases, and subject to change without notice. Risk free refers to 30-day trial only and does not include return shipping. Delivery is subject to product availability. Quotes reprinted with permission. C_008472

Welcome to an even quieter world.

New.

BOS73468A_Q7968.indd 1 5/21/10 1:12:26 PM

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DREWBREES

innovators+

CLED THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS TO ITSFIRST-EVER SUPER BOWL TITLE. NOW HES BACKING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE CITYS ECONOMIC REVIVAL. CTBREentaugust10 024-028 innovators.indd 24 6/29/10 3:34 PM


Entrepreneur + August 2010 25C CHAMPIONTHEBy Jason Daley | Photography by David JohnsonDrew Brees has been the toast of New Orleans ever since the native of Austin, Texas, came to helm the Saints in 2006. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback kept his team on track in the wake of Hurri-cane Katrina, when many feared the city would lose its NFL franchise and the homeless team played one perpetual road game after another. To top that, Brees led the Saints on a multiyear campaign that culminated in a 2010 Super Bowl ring and a reminder that even the worst crisis couldnt keep down the spirit of the Crescent City. >>>entaugust10 024-028 innovators.indd 25 6/15/10 1:28 PM



But Brees wants to be more than just a

symbol of the cityhes hoping his sup-

port of entrepreneurship can help New Or-

leans achieve an economic renaissance.

For one thing, hes jumping in as an

entrepreneur himself: Brees recently

inked a deal to develop the Jimmy Johns

sandwich franchise in the Big Easy, and

his ByU Gear clothing is sold throughout

the Gulf, with a portion of the proceeds

going to charity. And in the last seven

years, hes helped the Brees Dream

Foundation raise more than $5.5 million

to fund charitable causes in his foot-

ball hometowns of West Lafayette, Ind.,

(where he played for Purdue University),

San Diego (where he started his NFL

career with the Chargers) and, of course,

New Orleans.

Most recently, Brees teamed with The

Idea Village, a New Orleans nonprot that

fosters entrepreneurship in the city, to bring

a Trust Your Crazy Ideas business plan com-

petition to New Orleans high schools.

Our inspiration with Drew started in

the fth week of the 2008-2009 season,

says Tim Williamson, co-founder and CEO

of Idea Village. The Saints were down with

one second to go, at the 1-yard line. The

coach wanted a eld goal, but Drew talked

to him and said we should go for it. In our

mind, it epitomized an entrepreneurthe

years of preparation and trust and passion,

and the moment the coach looked at Drew

and said, I trust you.

The entrepreneurial community is

trusting Brees, too, relying on his sup-

port and example to help jump-start a

new class of Louisiana businesses. We

caught up with Brees in May while he

was scouting for Jimmy Johns locations.

What stimulated your interest in en-

trepreneurship?

Ive always felt that Im pretty business-

minded, and, certainly, I think my time

in the NFL has exposed me to pretty in-

teresting ideas. Its spurred that creative

entrepreneurial mind-set on even more.

Im preparing for life after football and

thinking about what I like to do and what

I want to be involved in.

Has living in New Orleans inuenced

your entrepreneurial interests?

New Orleans after Katrina was a land of

opportunity. The rebuilding efforts in New

Orleans really started with creating the

[economic] foundation again; there are

so many opportunities to help the city

grow again and reestablish itself. Weve

watched industry grow in areas where it

hadnt been prevalent, and that creates

jobs and opportunities for people. All

those are great things and great opportu-

nities for young entrepreneurial minds.

Do you feel as if youre contributing

to the city?

As much as weve been able to do here

with the Brees Dream Foundationlike

rebuilding schools, parks and play-

groundsits also great to establish

businesses in town that are going to cre-

ate jobs and provide opportunities for

others and allow people to fulll their

dreams. We just retained the franchise

rights for Jimmy Johns here in New

Orleans, and well be opening up our

rst store here very soon, and, hope-

fully, there will be many more of those to

come. Were constantly nding ways to

do things like that to build up the infra-

structure and the industry and the job

market and the other things in New Or-

leans that are so important to sustaining

a really high quality of life here.

How did you get involved with

Jimmy Johns?

It all starts with just really loving the

product. I was exposed to Jimmy Johns

during my freshman year at Purdue. I ate

there all the time and had it delivered to

my dorm room all the time. I just loved

innovators+

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the sandwiches. But then the entre-

preneurial juices started owing, and I

started thinking about the type of or-

ganizations Id like to be involved with,

the direction I wanted to go and what

Id like to create. Honestly, I missed

Jimmy Johns so much from my time in

the Midwest, and I thought that it was a

great t for what we were doing in New

Orleans. The culinary arts is a big thing

down here; there are the great restau-

rants and the great chefs; and so much

of the culture is surrounded by food

and dining. Its kind of neat to be part

of that somewhat by owning my Jimmy

Johns franchises.

Whats ByU Gear?

It started three years ago when we

were looking for creative ways to

raise money for the Brees foundation.

We had to be creative because most

people in New Orleans were trying to

rebuild their own homes and lives and

didnt have a lot of extra money. At

rst, my wife and marketing manager

and I would come up with ideas for

T-shirts to sell, but now were looking

for designers from Idea Village to be

involved. The clothes are in stores in

the Greater New Orleans area. And now

we offer the ByU Gear service to other

businesses. If they need 1,000 shirts,

they can contract with us. We structure

the proceeds so a portion is going to

the Brees Dream Foundation. We came

out with a line of shirts designed by the

team during the playoffs, and we made

$275,000 in three weeks. Thats an ex-

ample of what we can do.

Is there an entrepreneurial culture

among NFL players?

Yeah, absolutely. The one thing youre

blessed with if youre lucky to play long

enough in the NFL is that you should

have made some pretty good money, and,

hopefully, youve taken care of that the

right way. Obviously most guys in the

NFL are Type A personalitiesthats how

we got here in the rst place. You need

to have the drive and work ethic to get to

this level, and a lot of that carries over to

what we do off the eld. You see lots of

guys get involved in businesses. I think

were all used to being successfulwere

used to being able to go out and accom-

plish a goal or task or whatever it might

be. But you need to make sure youre

getting involved in something that youre

truly interested in, that you truly care

about, that youre going to be able to put

the time and effort into to see it through

and watch it succeed. Thats what I feel

we do with the Brees foundation here in

New Orleans and nationwide, because

thats going to be one of my passions

when Im done playing.

How did you get involved with Trust

Your Crazy Ideas?

Weve been in talks with The Idea Vil-

lage now for over a year, and we feel

like theyre an organization doing great

things for New Orleansattracting

young entrepreneurs, giving them the

resources they need to help their crazy

ideas come to fruition and become

solid business plans and models that

not only help themselves but help New

Orleans grow. Our thought was, how

can we reach out to the younger gen-

eration and not just the kid getting out

of collegeto the high schoolers? So

many of them are highly intelligent and

have great ideas, and when you can give

them an opportunity and the resources

to really put something together and

gain condence and learn about the

entrepreneurial mind-set, its a posi-

tive thing. Were starting off with four

schools. We go into each and create this

brainstorm room for them where they

can meet and create a business model

for an entrepreneurial crazy idea, as

we call it, to raise money for a cause or

project within their school. In December,

were going to have an event where all

the schools and teams present their busi-

ness models to us and then were going

to award the winner. The Brees Dream

Foundation will match funds raised by

the winning team.

How does learning about entrepreneur-

ship help disadvantaged kids?

In a lot of ways, entrepreneurship is just

creativity. Nothing is too crazy of an idea

if you have the vision and desire and work

ethic to put it together. You need the

perseverance to get told its crazy and get

knocked down and continue to believe in

what youre trying to put together. If you

ask the most highly successful entrepre-

neurs, there are plenty of times people told

them their ideas wouldnt come to fruition,

and look at them now. I think everybody

starts at that point. That entrepreneurial

mind-set teaches so many great lessons.

Anything youve learned on the eld

that applies to the business world?

When you start a season, every year is a

new year regardless if you have veteran

players. Circumstances change, things

change. Its a new year every year. You

know your competition is getting better

and better and tougher and tougher, and

you have to evolve and get better as well.

At the beginning of each year, you work to

put that team together, you work to gure

out the dynamics, you work out how

youre going to piece it together and put

everybody in the best position to succeed,

just like you do with a business. Every-

body has a specic role in order to make

the business go. You know there are going

to be bumps along the way. Theres going

to be adversity, but you know its going to

make you stronger, going to make you

better. You have to ght through it, move

forward, get knocked down, get back up.

There are so many lessons that you learn

in football that you can carry over to the

business world.

JASON DALEY IS A FREELANCE WRITER

BASED IN MADISON, WISC.

innovators+ Entrepreneurship is just creativity. Nothing is too crazy of an idea if you have the vision and desire and work ethic to put it together.

entaugust10 024-028 innovators.indd 28 6/15/10 1:28 PM


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The artistturnaround

BY BRUCE SCHOENFELDPHOTOGRAPHY BYDAVID JOHNSON

entaugust10 030-036 twins.indd 30 6/16/10 1:03 PM



JIM POHLAD INHERITED A FAILING TEAMTHE MINNESOTA TWINS

ON THE VERGE OF DISAPPEARING FROM BASEBALL.WHAT SAVED IT?

THINKING LIKE A SMALL BUSINESS.

entaugust10 030-036 twins.indd 31 6/16/10 1:03 PM



Theres a buzz in the air in

downtown Minneapolis on

an overcast April afternoon.

Baseballs Minnesota Twins

are poised to play the Red

Sox at Target Field in only the second

regular-season game at the new ballpark.

As fans file in, nearly all for the first time,

their sense of anticipation is palpable.

What they encounter is a strikingly

original facility that features limestone-

topped dugouts, a four-story, glass office

tower with a roof deck where fans can

watch the game from bar stools, even a

shimmering wind-activated sculpture by

artist Ned Kahn. This is the best of the

new ballparks in all of baseball, someone

says, and he doesnt get an argument.

Look around, and its hard to believe

that just 10 years ago, the Twins were

a financial failure, all but deserted by

their fans and on the brink of disap-

pearing from baseball. How they have

become one of baseballs strongest

franchises ranks among the more re-

markable turnaround stories in recent

business history. And it only happened

because the owners were determined to

run their big league sports team like a

smart small business.

A small business worth hundreds

of millions of dollars? Well, yes. In the

world of Major League Baseball, the

Twins are small, indeed. At their nadir,

in 2000, their player payroll was just a

tenth of the New York Yankees, and the

small-fry Twins were one of baseballs

weakest franchises. They played in a

corner of a football stadium, the anti-

septic Metrodome. Their attendance had

dwindled from a league-leading 3 mil-

lion in the 80s to just over a million, or

barely more than 10,000 a game. Fans

were alienated, the team was anchored

at the bottom of its division, and its few

desirable players were counting the years

until their contracts expired and they

could leave.

That winter, baseball commissioner

Bud Selig proposed contracting the

sport from 30 teams to 28 as part of

labor negotiations. The Twins owner

at the time, the late Carl Pohlad, tenta-

tively agreed to a $150 million buyout

to dissolve his team. Pohlad immedi-

ately became a villain: a billionaire

ready to sacrifice four decades of local

history for a cash payment. Around the

country, fans started wearing Twins

caps in solidarity with the beleaguered

teams struggle against the Lords of

Baseballincluding its own owner.

Contraction didnt happen. And today,

Pohlads earnest and unpretentious son

Jim, who owns the franchise with his two

brothers, is being feted as a hero. His

Twins are in first place, the defending

American League Central champions.

They have reached the postseason play-

offs five of the past eight years. Their

payroll is a respectable 11th in the

league, with revenues to match.

Earlier this year, Pohlad signed

catcher Joe Mauer, the American

Leagues top hitter and Most Valuable

Player and a St. Paul native who was cov-

eted by major-market teams from New

York to Los Angeles, to an eight-year

contract extension. And Target Field fi-

nally became a reality, after years of civic

debate and dithering, cementing the

teams presence in Minneapolis.

The Twins transformation began

when the Pohladswho also own banks,

radio stations and car dealershipsem-

braced the same kinds of strategies that

enable scrappy small businesses of all

sorts to take on the big boys. Can we

entaugust10 030-036 twins.indd 32 6/16/10 1:03 PM06162010131814



compete with the Yankees and Dodgers

in terms of revenue? Jim Pohlad says.

No, we cant. But we can compete in

every other way.

These days, they do. Their journey

from peril to prosperity offers significant

lessons for any small-business owner.

1. identify your StrengthSLarge-market teams can lure established

stars with huge contracts, then sign new

ones if those dont work out. They can

spend their way out of their mistakes,

says Bill Smith, the Twins general man-

ager, who has been with the organization

for 23 years. For much of that time, the

Twins tried to build their team by sign-

ing established players as free agents.

But because they couldnt afford the

stars, they ended up overpaying for me-

diocre talent. Unlike the big-city clubs,

which consider paying players theyve

benched (or even released) a cost of

doing business, the Twins were stuck

with these bad acquisitions in the same

way a small company might be stuck with

an ill-conceived expansion strategy or a

misguided line extension. As a result, the

team didnt have a winning season from

1993 through 2000.

What followed was a hard look in the

mirror. The Twins were never going to

compete dollar for dollar against the big-

gest teams, that was clear. But Jim Pohlad

realized that they could be as efficient

as anyone at recognizing and nurturing

young talent. That meant skipping the

big free-agent contracts and spending

that money on scouting and additional

minor league staff and instructors. And

it meant instituting a philosophy of

promoting players from their own farm

system. If you do it right, Pohlad says,

the impact can be even greater than

signing free agents. Not just one star,

but a steady flow.

Developing a young baseball team

as in developing anything with strong

potential in a businessdoesnt pay

immediate dividends. And a team filled

with players nobody had heard of wasnt

likely to solve attendance problems. Still,

the Pohlads didnt waver. If its the right

way, Pohlad told then-GM Terry Ryan,

whod advocated the youth movement,

well have patience.

The 2000 team had 17 rookies. It lost

93 of 162 games. We had a payroll of

$15 million, says Laura Day, the teams

senior vice president for business devel-

opment. We were scuffling, trying to get

fans to the Metrodome. But ownership

was committed to a plan. By 2001, many

of those rookies had developed into

strong major-leaguers. And in 2002, the

franchise emerged from the ashes to win

94 games and the division. The Twins

were a baseball version of the Little En-

gine That Could, and Minnesota started

to fall in love all over again.

2. offer a unique exPerience Its a sports truism that winning draws

fans. But small crowds were only part of

the Twins problems. Sharing the Metro-

dome with the NFLs Vikings and Uni-

versity of Minnesotas Gophers, they had

few opportunities to generate income.

They couldnt sell premium seating or

make money from suites. They received a

share of concessions but didnt have full

control of the product.

We were probably the worst team

in baseball in terms of revenue sources

available, Pohlad says.

At the same time, the game-day expe-

rience in the Metrodome was not what

the Twins wanted. They couldnt choose




the brand of hot dog or ice cream,

couldnt hawk souvenirs from a team

store, couldnt tie the current Twins

to the past with displays and signage,

couldnt provide sun-hungry Minneso-

tans with a day of outdoor baseball. One

by one, new ballparks were opening in

Houston, Seattle, Cincinnati, Milwaukee,

Pittsburgh, St. Louis 13 in the new

millennium alone. The Twins, arguably,

needed one more than any other team.

The day the [state] Legislature finally

passed the approval for a new ballpark in

2006 was one of the most important in

the history of our franchise, says Jerry

Bell, the team president at the time.

A stroll around Target Field reveals

why. Concession stands sell local

county fair favorites, from turkey legs

to walleye-on-a-stick, and iconic

Schweigert hot dogs, the original

brand sold at Bloomingtons Metro-

politan Stadium in the 1960s during

the dawn of the Twins franchise. A

ring of luxury suites extends from

right field around home plate to left

field. Instead of portable kiosks sell-

ing Twins merchandise, six permanent

shops are spread among every level.

Rentable conference space enables

the franchise to make money during

the off-season and when the team is

on the road.

Most important, the open-air set-

ting offers casual fans a reason to go

to the ballpark during the summer,

when the last thing Minnesotans want

to do is sit indoors. When rain started

to fall during that Boston game, fans

gave the weatherand the fact that

they were sitting outside in ita

rousing ovation.

3. connect with your cuStomerSFor years, the team had run a winter

caravan, a road show spread over a few

days in the dead of January that brought

players, coaches and executives to small-

town high school gyms, meeting halls and

hotel ballrooms in the five-state area that

defines Twins Territory. Rather than cut

back when attendance dwindled, the own-

ers expanded the caravan to 90 stops and

to two weeks. In groups of 100 to 1,000,

Twins fans in Minnesota, northern Iowa,

North Dakota, South Dakota and part of

Wisconsin were able to make personal

contact with players. That dovetailed with

the catchy ad campaignsGet to Know

Em, then Get to Know Em Betterthat

introduced fans to these new faces.

Since they didnt have summer sun-

shine or their latest free-agent acquisi-

Nothing is so

successful that

it cant be mis-

managed. If you

lose sight of what

youre doing, it

could be here

today and gone

tomorrow.



tions to sell, the Twins made their players

as accessible as possible. Emerging stars

were asked to continue to participate in

the caravan and other promotions. And

the team did its best to keep the roster

stable, letting fans develop favorites.

When players come and go every year,

it just becomes kind of a revolving door,

Pohlad says. We didnt want that.

The Twins also needed to keep tickets

affordable, coupled with special discount

nights, Kids Days and other promotions

that lured fans back to the Metrodome.

That has continued at Target Field,

where family season-ticket plans start at

$10 a game, as cheap as any in baseball.

The ownership transition from father

to son also helped revamp the teams

image. As it happens, Jim Pohlad is as

regular a guy as its possible for a scion

of a billionaire family to be. His forth-

rightness not only helped to persuade

the state Legislature to fund $350 mil-

lion of Target Fields construction after

years of dickering, it also offset the fans

perception of Carl Pohlad as penurious

and uncaring.

Despite the turnaround, Jim Pohlad

cautions against assuming that the

Twins struggles are over. Its a humility

that small companies in every field might

profitably emulate. Dont assume om-

nipotence, he says. Dont take anything

for granted. Nothing is so successful that

it cant be mismanaged. If you lose sight

of what youre doing, it could be here

today and gone tomorrow.

4. remain loyal to your emPloyeeSBaseball is a transient business, but the

number of Twins employees who have

20-plus years with the club is startling. In

the years since winning the World Series

in 1987, the team has had just two presi-

dents, three general managers and two

field managers. The relationships that the

Pohlads have with the people theyd hired,

and their willingness to let the people do

their jobs, was as important as anything

else in what the Twins have been able to

accomplish, says team president Dave St.

Entrepreneur Magazine August 2010

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Transcript of Entrepreneur Magazine August 2010