About the case study guide for each episode of the show
Meet Matt Seeley, the son of the founder and the now the CEO/owner
of Quality Bending & Threading of Detroit, Michigan

and meet some of our resident gurus. Maybe it is time for you to become one, too!
Key Ideas.
Key Idea #1: Show up and mind the store.
Matt's father, Russ started this company in 1960. Every day Matt watched his father go to work. During holidays and on weekends, Matt went to work with his father, and through the years, he gradually learned the business. In every industry, companies come and go. The company that plants deep roots will weather the winds of change. Changes must take place smoothly so that the customer is not uprooted. In this case, Russ is turning the reins of the company over to Matt. But he must do so in such a way that their customers experience no interruption in service. To them, Quality Bending and Threading will be no different under Matt as it was under Russ.

You think back: What are the chances of a business lasting 35 years?

Answer: Very slim. Most companies which make it past the first five years will not survive a transition from father to son. Go to Boardroom Inc. to study one company that is struggling in the transition from the founder to the next generation and go to Medallion Funding to see how the third generation is thriving. Also today Brian Jacobsen is president of Madison Park Greeting. When we took our cameras there, his mother told use about how she was preparing to turn the business over to her sons.

Key Idea #2: Be honest.
If youwant your business to reach sustainability, honesty is the foundation upon which you must build. Customers will take their business elsewhere the instant they suspect that you are dishonest in any way. In addition to being truthful, honesty means admitting your mistakes even before the customer notices it; it means using the best ingredients you can find; it means testing your product so you can guarantee quality; it means you deliver when you say you will. Why would a business person be anything but honest? He/she may think they can make more money by cutting corners; however, that is never true. The cut corners create unhappy customers who then become former customers.

What do you think? Has someone cheated you? How do you feel toward that person? Webster's Dictionary says honesty means"having a good reputation." Can anything be more important in business than a good reputation?

Answer: No. A good reputation is the way you create and maintain customers -- the lifeblood of your business.


Key Idea #3: Love the entire process.
While it is not necessary to know how to do everything in any one business, Matt can perform every job in the company which he believes makes him a better supervisor as well as more appreciative towards his employees.

There are many companies here at SmallBusinessSchool.com who are run by men and women who came up through the ranks and who know every job. Study Marc Katz, Harry Rosenthal, Ebby Halliday, Cheryl Womack and Lanny Lancarte. There are also great owners like Paul Scharfman, Grace Tsujikawa and Ella Williams who have never done the kind of work their employees do. There is no one right way.

What do you think? What is the advantage of not knowing how to do the work your employees are doing?

Answer: You are forced to lead and not get caught up in the doing.

Key Idea #4: Reward the people around you with your approval.
This takes no money-- just a piece of yourself. You can raise the energy level in your office simply by noticing when people do something right. I know you're busy, and you think, "I'm paying these people. What else do they want from me? "They want your approval. Set a goal to give positive feedback to at least one person every day.

What do you think? When was the last time a person you respect gave you their approval and what did the behavior look like?

Answer: Just a few minutes ago when we got off a conference call, Bruce told me, "You are really good on the telephone." Bruce is my husband and business partner and his approval is very important to me. His affirmation was simple and to the point; it didn't cost him anything and I was energized by the comment.

To study business owners who are excellent at giving approval to the people who work with them, go to Darlene Jeter, Dale Crownover, Cheryl Womack, Ebby Halliday, Gary Walls or Bill Sugars.

The Gurus: And now a word about business gurus.
Key Idea #5: Be thinking about your time for wisdom.

Some shows only go to the gurus. This show goes to folks who have been out in the trenches and are working through the battles successfully. We ask, "Can you tell us how you did it? Advise us!?! How'd you do it?" We believe all small business owners by the time they turn 55 years old begin reaching a time for wisdom. We have grown beyond the "Me." The kids are leaving home (hopefully) and the generation ahead is passing on. The "We" is reaching its fullness. We are become the elders, the wise one, the thoughtful ...the ones who speak from the depths of experience. Might we call this final phase of our life, "the Thee." We are capable of being insightful; we can generalize and make universal statements based on our depth of experience. Our role is to become the mentors and advisors to the next generation. Even within their professional trade associations, there are plenty of opportunities for those of us over 55 to begin sharing our insights.

If you are over 55, in all probability, you've become a guru, too.

So, what do you think? Are you ready to become the senior advisor? ...a member of the board? ...a guru within your industry?

Answer: Look at these examples:

The Closing of this Show

Go to this episode's other pages:Overview / Profile, transcript, video or home page.

COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. We invite your comments and questions. Was the show inspirational and/or educational? We hope this show is both!

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