Follow the leaders: imitation is fair game when you're building a successful company

Entrepreneur, Nov, 1998 by Jacquelyn Lynn

Kelly is quick to point out that PSS, whose 1997 sales hit $1.3 billion, began as a small entrepreneurial venture. "We didn't start this company to grow a billion-dollar business," Kelly says. "That was never our intention. I got fired and needed a job, so three of us started this company. Our goal was survival. But because we did so many things right, the company became extraordinarily successful and we got dragged along with it."

Just how did he know what to do? It was partly intuitive, based on his own experience and knowledge of human nature. But mostly, he says, he got his ideas from other companies - and he encourages other business owners to do the same.

"I stole everything I use," Kelly admits. "I attend seminars, I listen to resources, I read four to six business books a month, and I steal ideas. If you're going to remain good at what you do, there are certain things you can learn from other people and what they did to make themselves successful."

Kelly's book teaches readers to adapt his techniques to their own companies. He says the keys behind PSS' success include:

* Structuring an open-book company so every employee knows exactly what's going on and what their role in the operation is.

* Focusing on what customers value - what they're willing to pay for consistently over a long period of time.

* Avoiding getting bogged down with policies and procedures that distract you from your company's real goals.

* Giving employees the authority to do whatever it takes to satisfy customers.

"Build a structure that self-governs," Kelly says. "Set a clear standard of what it takes to service the customer and how to treat each other, and then in those parameters, people will make the right decisions." And when they do, your company is sure to grow.