The Financial Times published an excellent column describing how some entrepreneurs believe that the “age of austerity” could benefit private businesses. The UK government is undertaking a spending review to identify items in the public budgets that can be cut. Some entrepreneurs are hopeful that government agencies will take this opportunity to review their procurement policies to see where better value can be gained from small business suppliers. This column reminded me of a 2005 Leadership Exchange event held at Long Beach. A speaker from the California Governor’s office expressed surprise at the quality of service she had received from a small local print shop. Not only was the price the proprietor offered for his services below the bid submitted by a national chain, he followed up diligently to ensure that she was pleased. She had not expected such artisan-like care from a vendor. Do we need to wait for an economic crisis to implement such cost-savings and quality control measures? Shouldn’t this be our normal procedure? I see real opportunities in this economic crisis to create opportunity and was encouraged to read the FT’s column.