Out of Control You may think you're on the right track, striving for excellence in all areas. But are you heading for disaster?

Bobby Friedman understands that art collectors looking to framemillion-dollar pictures don't patronize Chestnut Hill FramingInc. because he possesses special technology, a unique location orthe lowest prices in town. "The reason they come to my shop isbecause of me," says the Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts,entrepreneur.

Twenty of Friedman's 42 years have been spent designing andcrafting frames for discerning clients who pay as much as $20,000for them. He knows how to build relationships with customers,understands what they want, and executes their desires in animpeccable fashion. That's why Friedman has resistedtemptations to enter higher-volume businesses, such as framinginexpensive posters, or expand his 11-year-old business beyond itssingle location. "I can't duplicate myself," he says."And I have a good thing going."

You probably wouldn't call him humble, but Friedman issmart, says Christopher Zook, head of Worldwide Strategy Practicefor management consulting firm Bain & Co. and co-author ofProfit From the Core (Harvard BusinessSchool Press). In the book, Zook and co-author James Allen arguethat one of the most beneficial things entrepreneurs can do is findways to expand that build on their strengths while avoiding thosethat don't.