Taking advantage of stimulus
Most entrepreneurs know that one great way to get a boost to a new business is to get in on the ground floor of some massive new government spending program. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the "stimulus plan" has been viewed through that lens from a lot of different perspectives, from solar panel manufacturers to highway flaggers. There's no question it has provided benefits to businesses prepared to take advantage of it. But there is another aspect to the stimulus plan that everyone can learn from and take advantage of: the structure.
Time points out that in addition to all the stated benefits of the plan, an underlying theme to it has been the advancement of certain Democratic ideals and programs, programs that might not otherwise have ever seen the light of day in such a torn partisan Congressional environment. Whether you are for or against these things (solar energy, increased broadband internet capacity, carbon-neutral homes and transportation, electronic medical records) probably determines whether you think the whole plan was innovative or sneaky. Either way, it's something you can learn and use in your own business. The old saw about crisis and opportunity still applies, and it's not really sneaky. If you have to make major adjustments in response to an immediate problem for any reason, you are just being smart if you can also find a way to ensure that they also support your long-term goals.