As 2011 comes to an end, it’s natural to think about New Year’s Resolutions. Similarly, throughout the country, people seem to be following the Tim Tebow story with a mix of awe and amazement. Yet the “experts” continue to question his ability to be an effective NFL quarterback.
How do those two things apply to doing business in our fair valley?
Much like the medias continued focus on what Tim Tebow can’t do, I’d suggest that a valuable (and achievable) New Years Resolution would be to spend our time focusing on what we CAN do. From a business standpoint in the Vail Valley, there are many things outside our control – from weather (come on, Ullr) to the national economy to the price of airfare in/out of the Eagle County Airport. Sure, these things impact our business. But much like Tim Tebow continuing to lead the Broncos to unlikely wins despite all the odds (and the expert opinions), we have the choice to focus on what we can do and what we have control over.
Here at the Vail Valley Partnership, we are trying to apply similar lessons by focusing on what we have control over and providing additional ways to help our member businesses through a variety of marketing programs and member benefits. Our members consistently utilize our benefits to improve their operations and their marketing reach. Some examples include:
Customer Service – our Platinum Service Program participants promote their high customer service scores in their advertising and use the program to constantly reward & incentivize their employees, resulting in consistently higher customer satisfaction and awareness of customer service as a point of differentiation in a crowded business environment.
Marketing – our members are able to utilize our marketing benefits, from Trippons.com and destination guest lead share programs to our Vacation Planning Guides and website promotions, to drive awareness of their businesses to both destination guests and the local community.
Cost-savings programs – expense savings are available to our members with member-only opportunities to save on everything from workers comp insurance to credit card processing to payroll to office supplies. We’ve got cost savings programs available to cover many areas of your business.
But much like the Denver Broncos, we are also continuing to re-invent ourselves to better serve the community. As we enter 2012, we’ll be focusing on a few key new programs to add value to our members and the business community.
As you may have seen, the Partnership is working to consolidate operations with the Economic Council of Eagle County. This new partnership will result in increased form & function moving forward with new resources available to the business community including the Economic Resource Center and the new Health & Wellness Initiative. These programs will share information, research and data with the community and will help continue to drive the Vail Valley as a Health & Wellness destination via medical tourism efforts while working closely with interested stakeholders to drive our economic development efforts moving forward in this emerging field.
Back to the Broncos (after all, the playoffs start soon). What can we learn from Tim Tebow and the Broncos? One lesson would be to not be afraid of re-inventing yourself to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up surprising everyone in the playoffs.
John Fox and John Elway, from a business standpoint, should be credited with focusing on what Tim Tebow CAN do and building around those unique skill sets. Apply the same to your business and maybe, just maybe, you’ll see similar results.
PS – have a safe & happy New Years Eve, and Happy New Years to everyone from the team at the Vail Valley Partnership.
As always, I encourage all member businesses to get engaged with the Partnership and to contact us with any suggestions you may have to help us better serve you. Call us at (970) 476-1000 or stop by our offices in Avon at Traer Creek Plaza to share your feedback.