Later, Mr. Lauzon and his CEO concluded that the business would benefit by shifting to an online, direct-to-consumer model.

WSJ: When It's Time for a Small Business to Bring in a Professional CEO

So once again, Mr. Lauzon hired a CEO, who runs the company today, while he serves as chairman of the board.

WSJ: When It's Time for a Small Business to Bring in a Professional CEO

Lacking experience in this area, the CEO moved into a seat on the company's board of directors, while Mr. Lauzon figured out his next move.

WSJ: When It's Time for a Small Business to Bring in a Professional CEO

Matt Lauzon of Boston did the latter in order to hire a CEO in 2008 for Gemvara, an online custom jewelry business he started a year earlier.

WSJ: When It's Time for a Small Business to Bring in a Professional CEO

One wildly successful example is Gemvara where Matt Lauzon realized he did not need to keep precious stones in inventory but, instead, to show extremely realistic and tantalizing gem settings, with the software support that enables customers to design their jewelry.

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