Simply put, Steve Miller likes to tinker.

                Once Steve gets an idea in his head, he’s not letting it go until after he’s studied it closely, taken it apart, reassembled the pieces, and see if he can’t make it perform better.  He’s not afraid of getting a little dirt under his fingernails in the process.  The Boynton Beach, Fla., registered nurse created his own small business success in his spare time simply by chasing his ideas.

                “When I started in nursing, more than one of the other nurses told me that I wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer because I couldn’t remember step-by-step procedures and had to write them down on three-by-five cards.” said Miller.  “So instead of letting their negative remarks get to me, I started to view myself as a really good spoon and not a knife.  I realized I needed to find a role where spoon qualities were essential because I considered myself the best there was.”   

                Miller’s first foray into the business world was establishing a 16-page health resources magazine that combined both holistic and mainstream medical resources.  He talked to magazine publishers and did the research.  A publication like that just didn’t exist before and Miller saw a need for people to be aware of all options in order to make better health decisions.

                “I started the business in my spare time.  I didn’t make much money and I eventually sold the magazine.” said Miller. 

                Working as a registered nurse paid the bills until one day when one of his businesses ideas would take off.  After leaving the hospital at the end of the day, is when Miller truly went to work.  Needless to say, days were divided by work and sleep but Steve didn’t see it that way.

                “I was doing something I enjoyed.  So working an 80 to 100 hour week did not seem like it was work.  Anyone who is considering opening their own business should pursue something they have a passion for because then you won’t notice those long hours,” said Miller.

                Following his own passion for the sea and sailing led Miller to open his own south Florida charter sailing business in south Florida.  For someone raised in Boulder, Colo., this was truly someone not afraid to chase a dream.  He learned to sail, bought a sailboat and after a few years was running family and couple charters to the Bahamas. 

                “That was the happiest time of my life,” he admits.  “People came from all over the country to do something they dreamed of doing.  They were so appreciative and I loved teaching, sharing, and showing off the coral reefs, islands and the ocean.”

                Many entrepreneurs imagine turning a personal passion into a personal business.  Like the Chinese proverb that professes:  “Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life,” Miller was living through that principle.  But his passion didn’t blindfold him from one important reality:   he wasn’t making much money.

                “I was a contract nurse between charters and that’s what allowed me to keep my charter business.” explained Miller.  “That’s how I managed to keep it going.  When I didn’t have a charter, I returned to nursing at local hospitals.  I was getting older but I was not saving money for my future. “

                With the realization of the cold, hard facts before him, Miller made a very difficult decision.  He gave up his charter business and went back to nursing full time. 

                “Sailing around the Caribbean was a great experience for me.  You’re a part of a special community where everyone comes together when someone else is in need.  You fix things on your own and if you don’t know how to do something, there is someone else who is willing to help and show you how to do it.”

                It wasn’t long after he was back to working full time as a nurse when Miller came upon a business idea that was the inspiration for his next company.  Having worked at dozens of hospitals in several states over a few decades, Miller turned his attention toward medical waste and how hospitals recycled the precious metals from used in cardiovascular devices. 

                “Being the seat-of-the-pants type of guy I am, I wanted to figure out how the cardiology recycling process worked.  The various companies involved with recycling provided poor service and I thought that I could do better.”

                Admittedly, Miller tried some “do-it-yourself” home recycling projects to understand the complexity of the process.  But that was just the type of thing you’d expect from someone who likes to tinker.

                Miller also received some sage advice and direction from a no-cost business mentor program through south Florida’s SCORE network.

                “Herb Douglas was my business mentor and his guidance and input was crucial,” said Miller.  “Small business capital was not my concern as working out of the home minimized costs, but I don’t think I would be where I am now without Herb’s mentorship and input from the other great staff at SCORE.” 

                Through his own efforts and a lot of research into recycling and refining processes, Miller formed Electro-Physiology Reward or EPreward.  Unlike other medical waste companies, Miller says his EPreward is structured like a co-op for purchasing medical catheters from hundreds of hospitals and then provides rebates in a very transparent transaction. 

                “The most rewarding part of my business is having employees who are successful.  I can leave the office and do other things and I know my employees are collaborating and being productive.  I see one of my main roles as a business owner, is to provide them with everything they need to do their job as best as they can.  We also have a profit sharing program where everyone benefits from business success, and our least paid employee makes over two-and-a-half times the minimum wage.” said Miller.

                Building a successful small business seems only natural for a person who likes to disassemble and reassemble components to work a certain way.  Miller thinks all small business owners are problem solvers of sorts but not everyone can do it.  He says his employees are the foundation of his success and picking the right ones is as important as selecting the right parts to build an efficient machine. 

                “When we hire a new employee, we look at it more as an adoption into our work family.” said Miller.  “I’m not looking for the best or most experienced person.  Like Ted Turner looking for crew on his America's Cup sailboats, I’m looking for someone who can work well with others, who wants to learn and sees this job as challenge to rise up to.  You can’t teach people to get along well with others, they either have that characteristic or not at this age, but you can teach them how to do specific tasks and their own motivation will move them beyond those functions to excel as an individual and a group.”

                Miller’s nursing background, entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to tinker has led him to develop two medical devices that he has patented and is awaiting on FDA approval.  And unlike television warnings not to try something at home, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Miller tested them on himself.  He is also expanding EPreward into an unused medical product redistribution business to include unused materials that are nearing their shelf expiration date. 

                “Everything I learned from school, hobbies, sports, previous jobs and life experiences I consider as being a ‘tool’ for my next project.” said Miller.  “People may reject a job or a task because they don’t see the way it will fit it to their plans.  But you should take those opportunities when they come because they are a chance to add a tool to your personal tool belt.  There will be a time down the road when that skill will be necessary.  A person with a lot of passion but limited tools won’t succeed.”