Dan Starr feels the need for speed

Indianapolis -- Just because things are speeding along, that doesn’t mean it’s time to ease up on the gas.

In so many words, that was one of the messages that Do it Best Corp. CEO Dan Starr delivered to the co-op members during the recent Do it Best Spring Market here at the Indiana Convention Center.

“One of my favorite quotes comes from Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric,” Starr said from the Market Kickoff stage. “If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, then the end is near.”

So far in fiscal 2016, sales are humming along for Do it Best Corp., which operates on a fiscal year that ends in July and which doesn’t report quarterly. Top line sales are up 6% year to date. Still, he cautioned against a if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it mentality. Rather, he said there’s no time like the present to work for improvement.

“If you’re waiting for the perfect time to grow your business, stop waiting because the time is now,” Starr said. It’s also a good time to grab advice from a lumber trader, invest in new product categories or enhance a customer’s shopping experience with a store makeover, he said.