Crocs, the company and product name for those brightly colored rubber clogs that Mario Batali and others wear, recently made a decision to close their manufacturing facility in Quebec, Canada. The factory there employed 669

people, and the company cited high labor costs and a slowdown in sales for their plant closure.

While I am sure the fashion world is rejoicing in the slowdown in sales of the mostly hideous footwear, what caught our eye was the quote from Raymond Bachand, the Quebecois minister of economic development, innovations and

exports: “This is a pure case of savage capitalism. They decided to flush away Quebec.”

Now I have no idea what savage capitalism is, but if our dear French-Canadian friend defines it as moving production to a lower labor cost venue, then I am all for it. The key to capitalism is three-fold:

• Easy entry and exit from a market
• Free flow of information
• Asset holders make independent economic decisions

Quebec may not be happy about losing the 669 jobs, but it should be more unhappy about creating a business environment where quality work can be done cheaper elsewhere.

Recently we were advising a company that was hiring a new class of sales reps. In the interviewing process, one of the candidates did not fit the profile that was being explored. He didn’t have the experience, education, or general background they were looking for. What he did have was a lot of tenacity and energy. He had done a lot of research on the company and was fervent in his efforts to get the job. We advised giving the guy a shot, and the company hired him.

Unfortunately in this case, the hire is probably not going to work out. His other skills (e.g. written communication skills) seem to be lacking in a manner that keeps him from being successful. In the next few weeks, the sales rep probably is going to be let go.

Even with this failure, we still would advise hiring someone like this again in this exact situation. Being hungry and tenacious are great attributes to inject into a start-up environment. Effort and raw energy often make up for a little less education and employment history. But there are some general warnings to keep in mind when hiring these types of fliers:

• The position being hired should not be 100% mission critical. Your CEO or senior positions should be the only exact fit for which you are looking. One bad sales rep in a class of 3 or 6 will not cripple your company. A bad CEO or VP of Sales will.
• Be ready to cut the person loose. If a person isn’t making the grade, cut him or her loose sooner rather than later.
• Make sure you give him or her the initial training and environment for him or her to be successful. If you cannot support an under-qualified person, think twice about hiring him or her.

If all of these things can be accomplished, finding a diamond in the rough can be a great thing for an emerging company.

“I have no idea how people hit the snooze button, you have a chance to be better today.”

This is a quote from a Tiger Woods interview that I heard on ESPN. It really struck a chord with me because it made me realize that the reason Tiger is great is all wrapped up in this statement. Tiger doesn’t play golf to make money or get the recognition. He plays to be great. That is why he works as hard as he does. It is 100% complete inner drive and focus. He wants to improve every day because he will be a better golfer, even if he is the only one that recognizes he is getting better.

Entrepreneurs should look at their companies the same way. Make things better because you know you can make them better. Thinking something is just good enough when things are going well leads to a discontinuation of inventing and creating. Every day is an opportunity to make your company better.

So the next time you are tempted to hit the “snooze button” on your business, think of Tiger and his relentless pursuit of perfection.