Santa: The Consummate Entrepreneur
Most people think Santa Claus only works one night a year.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, product
distribution takes place on one magical night, but Santa's
operation runs year round and is one of the largest
manufacturing and distribution operations in the world.
You've probably never considered the fact that Santa is the CEO
of a large organization that not only distributes a vast
assortment of products throughout the world, but does so in a
single night with just a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. Sam
Walton would have killed to have Santa's logistics manual.
Do I believe in Santa? You bet your red longjohns I do. I
especially believe in Santa's entrepreneurial spirit. Just
consider all he does from an entrepreneurial point of view and I
think you will start to believe, too.
Santa Is His Own Company Spokesperson
Santa is a brilliant marketer and knows that his image is the
best marketing tool he has. No other face is as recognizable and
no other entrepreneur has inspired so many songs. You'll never
hear "An Ode To Jack Welch" on the radio ten times a day.
Santa's Customers Love Him
Just say his name around a group of kids and watch their little
faces light up like Rudolph's nose. You will never see Bill
Gates get that kind of reaction. Heck, he can't even make his
own kids smile.
Santa Sets The Bar For All Entrepreneurs
When you list the traits of the perfect entrepreneur, Santa gets
the highest marks. He has passion for his work. He loves his
customers and will go to great lengths to make sure they are
happy. He has the ability to spot consumer trends and bring
products to market quickly. He can lead a large organization
with a wink of his eye. He inspires those around him. He is
tireless. He is dedicated. He is loyal. He is persistent. And
above all, he is jolly. Name another jolly entrepreneur (other
than Dave Thomas of Wendy's fame). I bet you can't.
Santa Is A Great Leader
Can you imagine trying to manage a few hundred giddy elves who
are shut in year round and spend their off hours drinking spiked
hot chocolate and doing who knows what with fairy dust? It would
be enough to drive even the best of entrepreneurs to hide out at
the North Pole. Somehow Santa manages the task without pulling
his whiskers out. I expect he has a management system that
promotes from within. The hard working elves get into
management. The slackers are stuck cleaning up after the
reindeer.
Santa Perfected "Just In Time" Manufacturing
Santa heads up one of the largest, most diverse manufacturing
operations in the world. His product lines range from rag dolls
to toy trains to rocking horses to baseball gloves for the
little kids, to iPods and cellphones and diamond rings for us
big kids. Santa's factory runs year round, twenty four hours a
day, seven days a week and never, ever suffers from cost overrun
or production shut downs. Santa perfected the "just in time"
method of production that is used by many of the world's largest
manufacturers today.
Santa Pioneered Global Product Distribution
Santa is the king of single channel distribution. How else could
he deliver millions of presents to good little girls and boys
all around the world on a single night? Santa's distribution
process is a closely-guarded secret (elves and reindeer are
required to sign iron-clad nondisclosure agreements), but I
expect it involves a highly detailed logistics plan and the best
CRM software on the planet. You never hear about Santa calling
up a kid and telling them a present is backordered until July.
Santa's Delivery & Tracking Systems Are Second To None
If you think FedEx is number one at tracking packages think
again. Santa's track record is spotless. He has never, ever
missed a single delivery or left a box sitting on the porch in
the rain. Every package is delivered in perfect shape, right
under the tree.
Santa Wrote The Book On Customer Satisfaction
Santa proudly boasts a 100% perfect customer satisfaction
rating. You never hear about class action lawsuits and Better
Business Bureau complaints against St. NIck. Santa makes sure
that his customers are happy and if they aren't, he'll come back
next year to make things right. If JD Power could find him, I'm
sure they would give Santa their Christmas Customer Satisfaction
Award.
Santa Claus Is Watching You
Not everyone believes that Santa is the perfect entrepreneur.
There are those kids who complain that Santa never brings what
they ask for, but we grown ups know that Santa brings the gift
that is deserved, not necessarily the gift that is asked for.
Here's a little Christmas tip from your Uncle Tim, boys and
girls, ladies and gents: If you get a lump of coal in your
stocking this year it's because you were bad and that's what you
deserved.
It was not because Santa dropped the ball.
Merry Christmas everybody!