[Narrator Introduction] This is the case of the two companies.
Governor: As Governor of this great State, I authorize a grant of one million dollars to each to these two teams. This is going to be a grand experiment on how business will be done from now on around here.
On the one hand, we have a highly specialized team of business professionals pretty much doing business in the traditional format. The other team is comprised of some unusual characters comprising what is known to the public as the Inner Illumination Team.
Out of the many teams submitting business proposals for this experiment, the two teams here today were selected. The first team was selected because, frankly, the professionals on it have proven themselves before in the business community.
The other team was selected because, well, they were such an oddity with how they proposed to do business that they really peaked our interest. We would really like to see if they can achieve what they have set out to do in their business plan. Out of fairness to them, we will not disclose the highly unusual practices and goals they have laid out in their plan. They are a team comprising of social scientists, an engineer, medical people, and so forth.
The State will provide the property to be used for the business locations, and then the teams will have up to six months to get up and running as viable businesses. Each team will select a product or service to provide to the public.
Our investigative team will be watching each team from start to finish. The investigators will be researching all angles of each business to see how efficient they are, how beneficial their product or service is to the community, how they are impacting the environment, and so on. The winner of this experiment will then go on to larger things with State support.
[The first team meets to discuss their strategy]
CEO: Boys, can you believe our luck? The State actually had the lack of foresight to pick a team of nobodies; people who are not even business professionals. This will be a cakewalk!
Team Member: That may be so boss, but don't you think we should spy on them just to make sure? We can probably have their location bugged before they move into the place.
CEO: That would be a waste of resources, which we could use for other things, like our salaries! We do not need to concern ourselves with a bunch of social scientists. What are they going to do, build a bunch of rat mazes? <laughter>
This will be business as usual, minus the corporate spying of course since there is no real competition this time. All we have to do is pick a product and get going. What has research come up with on the product?
Research (female): Our computer model shows that we can produce a children's toy, probably either in China or another cheap-labor country. This will allow us to keep our production and labor costs low. We can then just hire one fulltime receptionist and any other staff can be hired as temporary workers. Then we can just concentrate on marketing and distribution.
We can probably mark the toy up at least 500 percent for a nice profit.
CEO: Sounds good. Let's keep our costs as low as possible on this thing. With the State pitching in the million and supplying the location, we should be sitting very nice financially.
Team Member: Boss, the State investigative team would like to sit in on our meetings.
CEO: You know we can't do that! Tell them we will send them a memo.
[The Inner Illumination Team is discussing their strategy]
Addison: Greetings, everyone. [Hello Addison, Aho, Hey buddy] This is a great opportunity for us to show how things might be done instead of the standard American way of doing business. I open the floor up to any ideas and suggestions on how to proceed. Yes, Naruto?
Naruto: Should we secure the location in case of corporate espionage?
Addison: I am sure that they think we are not worth the effort at the moment. However, as things start popping around here they may start to get curious. Go ahead and put your people in place to protect the operation. Yes, Lindsey?
Lindsey: I recommend that we do a community survey to see what the people actually need. That way we can provide a beneficial service or product for them.
Addison: That is a great idea. Perhaps we can have a town meeting and discuss the possibilities with the community. Make it happen. Go ahead Catharsis.
Catharsis: We know the other team is going to probably produce some cheap shoddy product and use the enterprise to line their pockets with cash. What can we do about that?
Addison: As long as it is legal, there is not much we can do about it on the surface. However, you may want to alert the State Consumer Product Division and Consumer Reports to test their product for any unusual lead or other toxic levels. That way we can probably stop the product from going to market in the first place. That should put a kink in their profit arrangements. Yes, Waneta?
Waneta: Addison, Zhi and I will make sure that the business location is healthy and comfortable for our workers and staff. We want the place to be a welcoming and fun place to work at.
Addison: That is excellent. Kailoken why don't you coordinate with Lindsey to recruit people during the town meeting as employees.
Kailoken: Will do Addison. I will make sure that the people hired are appropriate for the business.
[The first team gets word about the community meeting]
CEO: This is an interesting development. Perhaps we should get some of our people into that meeting to see what happens.
Team Member: Good thinking boss. I can always give the word to disrupt the meeting so badly that nothing is accomplished.
CEO: Yeah! Or, we can call in a bomb scare on the place. That should clear the place out nicely.
[Naruto and his security team are screening people at the door]
Naruto: Welcome…welcome…go on in…hold up here! Let me check your bag sir.
Man: Why, there ain't anything in here worth bothering about!
Naruto: Let me check inside the bag or you will have to leave it in your vehicle.
Man: Fine, I will leave it in my car!
[Naruto signals to one of his people to follow the man. The man makes a call to the police to call in a bomb scare. Naruto's security team records the incident and holds him for the police. Meanwhile, inside the meeting.]
Lindsey: Welcome everyone! We are pleased to see all of you here this evening. The purpose is to get your opinions on what you feel the community needs as well as hiring some good people to make it happen. Feel free to raise your hand. Yes, maam?
Woman: What kind of company are you? No company I ever heard of ever asked us what we wanted. They usually just try to shove whatever it is down our throats while making us feel good about it. I like this. We could use a good community center to do things at.
Lindsey: Okay, anyone else?
Man: This may not be the type of business you are in, but we could use a clinic since the large hospital is so far away. It is quite difficult for many people to get there.
Kailoken: Thank you sir, any other suggestions?
Woman 2: We could use a good library around here.
[The next day at the first team's office]
CEO: What is the status on that community meeting?
Team Member: Well, boss…our guy got nabbed by the police for making a bomb threat.
CEO: What, how did that happen? Can they trace him back to us?
Team Member: He had our literature in his bag and was using a company phone to make the threat.
CEO: What kind of dimwit did you hire? Make sure public relations covers this up today. Say that the phone and bag were stolen from us. That should do it.
[At the Inner Illumination Team's office]
Lindsey: We learned that the community needs services more than they need a product.
Addison: Excellent work Lindsey and Kailoken. Based upon what the community suggested, I do not see any reason why we cannot combine the clinic, community center, library, and some of the other things into one location. Of course, the topless suggestion will not be suitable for this project.
Kailoken: I found enough good people in the community to help our staff run the place.
Addison: Let's lay out the plans based upon this information and make it happen!
[The six-month deadline has arrived and the Governor is stating the results to the community]
Governor: It is my honor to be here today to announce the winner of the business competition. But before we get into the announcement of the winner, it has come to my attention that some members of the specialized business team were arrested for bribery of State officials, making bomb threats to disrupt the other team's activities, transporting their product in crates that contained a suspicious white powder, and other assorted items.
Putting the arrests aside, let's look into the State investigative reports on the two teams. The report on the first team's business shows that the operation would have been highly profitable to the owners, produced a product that was substandard for the community, and did not hire that many people from the community. We judge that the first operation would not have put anything much of value back into the community.
Now as far as the second team's operation is concerned, while not as profitable as the first team's business, it gave back substantially to the community. Not only do members get a place to work at, they have a place to socialize, read a book, and get a checkup. I understand they even serve good healthy food and beverages there. My investigative team could not be more pleased with the outcome. Therefore, I declare the Inner Illumination Team as the winners!
[Applause]