Small Business School
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Small Business School Small Business Schoollast update: May 2007 Small Business School|Small Business School Small Business Schoolgo to the homepageSmall Business School
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Rustic Elegance At Oregon Log Homes
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Let Others Take Over
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MIKE: When we moved to the location we're at now, which is on the highway, we started to experience some growth and found out that first we need some more people, mainly in the office. You know, we were always trying to do most of the work ourselves, so we started adding people. When we got the award for this home, we added more people, which was good. I mean, that's the point where we hired people that were heavily qualified.

Up to that point, it was always a little scary to bring someone in. You kinda have that sense of, `Well, I don't want to bring him in. He might be overqualified for this business.' Well, that's not the case. The higher quality of people you bring in, the faster your business is going grow.

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SMALL BUSINESS SCHOOL
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1. Be Bold
2. Make It Perfect
3. Listen To Customers
4. Budget For Marketing
5. Be Visible
6. Think Like A Customer
7. Win An Award
8. Say Yes
9. Let Others Take Over
10. Teach What Repeats
11. Automate Art
12. Sell A Dream
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HATTIE: So do you think you would have grown faster had you done 10 years ago what you did just five years ago, which is bring people like Jeff in?

MIKE: I think we would have, yes. I think definitely now I totally rely on the employees that we have in that company. I am not a businessman. I grew up cutting logs and so I'm a builder. So to get into the business end of it, the entrepreneurial end was very difficult for me 'cause when I would look out in the yard I'd say, `Boy, they should be doing faster. They should be going quicker.' I think the main thing I've learned is that you have to let your employees--if you're making money and your business is doing well, they're doing something right, leave 'em alone. And that was the hardest lesson I think I've ever had.

HATTIE: Because they could never do it as fast as you can.

MIKE: Never.

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