ABSTRACT. Carolina Health Staffing provides temporary (locum) jobs for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologists (CRNAs). The firm was founded in 2004 by Steve and Max, both CRNAs themselves and had exhibited nice growth and profitability. By 2009, they had been joined by a third, equal partner, Jerome, who was to assist them in their plan for the immediate future: (1) increase their geographic scope; (2) do permanent placements of CRNAs in addition to the locum business; and (3) gradually expand into locum and permanent placement of other medical professions. At this juncture, the business was beginning to face some challenges as well, including the looming potential loss of two major clients accounting for nearly half their revenues and a potential lucrative joint venture. Carolina Health Staffing exhibits much of the classic symptoms of small business growing pains and of some of the stereotypical entrepreneur types. The organization can be analyzed for some of the “typical” mistakes a small business makes, especially a business that fills such a unique niche that it can almost do no wrong at first. While designed to fit a small business class, the issues could also be pertinent for the strategy professor looking for a small business example. With a little creativity, the marketing aspects of Carolina Health Staffing can be analyzed and a marketing plan put together for it. The learning objectives are as follows: 1. Analyze growth issues in a small business 2. Plot different growth strategies for a growing small business. 3. Examine different entrepreneurial types and the effect on a small business. 4. Realize the importance of a well written mission and vision statement. pp. 21–29

Keywords: small business; managing growth; temporary employee services; health care