The best never rest

It takes passion and drive to achieve continuous systems improvement

By: Tom Gegax

• Manage your meetings. Disorganized meetings waste time and drain energy. Productive meetings run on tight pre-meeting preparation and strict protocol.

• Troubleshooting is a year-round sport. Beyond high- concept theories like Total Quality Management, tell your people that their company is a work in progress. Dedicate yourself to continuous process improvement. Constantly scout the competition, abandon bad systems, establish internal hotlines and consider partnering with consultants.    ■

This article is one of a series from “The Big Book of Small Business” by Tom Gegax with Phil Bolsta. Copyright 2005, 2006 by Tom Gegax. Published by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers.

Best-selling author Tom Gegax, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Tires Plus stores, served as that company’s chairman and CEO for 24 years. By the time he sold the company in July 2000, it had mushroomed from a concept sketched on a restaurant napkin to a market leader with 150 upscale stores in 10 states and $200 million in revenue.

Thanks to Tom’s warm-hearted, tough-minded approach to management, and his team’s relentless focus on customer service, the company’s turnover rate ranked among the industry’s lowest, and its guest enthusiasm index reached 98%. He was named Modern Tire Dealer’s Tire Dealer of the Year in 1998 and a Midwest Entrepreneur of the Year by Inc. magazine.

In 2000, Gegax founded Gegax Management Systems (www.gegax.com) to help growing companies raise profits and reduce stress through fast and affordable business management guidance.

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