Leadership
The Case Against Vacation Policy
IT consulting firm Bluewolf lets employees take as much vacation as they want, whenever they want-as long as they meet their goals
Smart Answers
Rising Health-Care Costs Hurt Small Biz
A survey of some 4,000 self-employed individuals and business owners with 10 or fewer employees finds most can't afford to offer health insurance to employees
Small Business Financing
The Lowdown on Strategic Investments
This kind of cash infusion can be a boon to your small business, but beware: There can be complications
Getting Started
Intrapreneurs and Adaptive Persistence
Author Gregg Vanourek on applying entrepreneurial principles to your life, why a recession can be a good time to start a business, and more
Getting Started
A Conversation with Michael Gerber
The small business guru and best-selling author argues that anyone can become an entrepreneur
Getting Started
You Don't Have to Ditch the Day Job
Here are seven tips on how to launch a successful Internet outfit without leaving your desk
Getting Started
Alumni Networks: Knotting the School Tie
While tapping former classmates to help build a business isn't a new idea, getting in touch with them is getting easier
Small Business Financing
Bush Names Small Business Administration Chief
But Sandy Baruah, a Commerce Dept. official, has only limited small-biz experience, and, if confirmed, will have only a few months to serve
Policy
Room at the Top of the SBA
Steven Preston is out at the Small Business Administration, leaving business leaders and politicians wondering who's next
Small Business Financing
SBA Loans Plummet
The total of the agency's flagship 7(a) loans is down 18%. The agency blames the economy; others cite the flight of banks from the program
Small Business Financing
Business Bankruptcies on the Rise
Tighter credit, rising commodity prices, and slipping sales aren't slamming just Wall Street;
now small businesses are getting hit
Sales & Marketing
Indie Filmmakers Hit Their Target
Taking cues from musicians' Internet business models, filmmakers are transforming the movie biz by handling marketing, distribution, and DVD sales
Sales & Marketing
Wolfgang Puck vs. Wolfgang Zwiener
Two restaurant chains with similar names are about to square off in a trademark-infringement showdown
Sales & Marketing
The Escalator Pitch
Veteran entrepreneurs and financiers have long understood the need for succinct pitches. Enter the Twitpitch. It's not what you think
BW Chicago
A New Strategy for an Old Tannery
Horween, supplier to the NFL and NBA, is making a bundle, but whether this fourth-generation tanner can make it to a fifth is anybody's guess
Success Stories
A Health-Care Entrepreneur-Turned-Farmer
The local foods movement and concern for the environment are among the reasons for the growing popularity of community-supported farming
BW Chicago
Not Just for Celebrities
Russian-born jewelry designer Lana Fertelmeister's line is popular with Hollywood. Now she wants to expand into accessories and clothes
Success Stories
Centuries-Old Family Businesses Share Their Secrets
Other enterprises can benefit by borrowing strategies from these companies that have prospered generation after generation
Technology
Do Reputation Management Services Work?
A new industry promises to help counter negative search results on the Web. Hiring one of these fixers may make nasty comments go away
Copyright 2005, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.