Dossier: Praising the Bar
Sure, everybody needs a passion, but some passions are of a decidedly different stripe. Meet Steven Schmidt, an ardent admirer of all things bar-coded. Read story
Leigh Buchanan
Dossier: Pork Chaps
College roommates turn barbecue into profit. Read story
Managing from A to Z
Looking for a metaphor for business? As our A-to-Z compendium of similes and analogies will show, any metaphor you can think of has probably been used before. Read story
Racket Busters
Ed Cornwell unsuccessfully tried incorporating his ferroconcrete into boat-building and fireproofing materials before finally settling on a sound idea: noise... Read story
Managing One-to-One
Operating under the premise that no two workers are alike, companies that are practicing one-to-one management are figuring out what makes each of their empl... Read story
The Loan Ranger
CircleLending helps manage friends-and-family loans. Read story
You're Nobody Till Somebody Collects You
PeopleCards helps you get your 15 minutes of fame on the Web. Read story
When I Snap My Fingers, You Will Wake Up and Go National
Looking for a franchise to run that specializes in the subconscious rather than sandwiches? Wield the power of suggestion with Positive Changes Hypnosis. Read story
Hot Tip: Spam the Spammers
Here's how one company made lemonade out of lemons by sending its own advertisements back to spammers. Read story
Gentleman's Agreement
A look at recruitment maestro Dan Caulfield's new idea to recruit from companies laying off senior-level employees. Read story
The Inner-City 100: The Asphalt Window
Inner-cities aren't usually thought of as hotbeds of entrepreneurial activity, but they are often harbingers of things to come for the rest of the country. Read story
City Lights
The people, places, and plans behind some 2001 Inner City 100 companies. Read story
Visible Signs of Relief
With aid from the International Rescue Committee, Boston-based Robinwood Inc. has staffed itself with war refugees from around the world. Read story
In the Bank
Michael Sherman, CEO of Sherman Assembly Systems, believes in improving the lives of his workers both in and outside of work. Read story
The English Impatient
In an effort to "Americanize" his mainly Chinese workforce, Thomas Chen, founder of Crystal Window Door Systems, offers English lessons at work a... Read story
Fish Fry
Clearwater Fisheries lowers its energy costs by supplying its biodegradable waste to a neighboring company that turns the material into energy. A match made ... Read story
My Customer's Customer, Myself
Integrated Packaging Corp, located in New Brunswick, N.J., uses his inner city location as a competitive advantage to win customers. Read story
Take My Franchise, Please
Candy Bouquet International CEO Margaret McEntire wants to help build America from within by giving her franchises away to franchisees who set up shop in inn... Read story
After-School Special
The Great America Leasing Corporation is giving back to the community by using its outdated computers to set up an educational computer center for children. Read story
All About Eaves
Leticia Elias, president of Aztec Roofing Sheetmetal Corp., is helping young contractors obtain credit to improve the Hispanic community she serv... Read story
Winnebago Take All
Keith Stevens, CEO of Team 2000 Staffing Services, tells his managers to go out and find workers instead of waiting for them to come in. Read story
Border Fulfillment
Miratek Corp. is speeding up service to its clients by taking advantage of the open borders created by NAFTA and stationing its information-technology-servic... Read story
After-School Special
The Great America Leasing Corporation is giving back to the community by using its outdated computers to set up an educational computer center for children. Read story
The Idealist: Into the Frying Pan
After nearly three decades at one of the country's most prestigious business schools, Eric van Merkensteijn tried managing in the real world. Read story
The Pro: The Rules
Mix seasoned, unsentimental management skills with an industry that hasn't encountered them. Read story
Assemblies of God
Before he could set up a business, the founder of Portable Church Industries faced a more daunting task: inventing an industry. Read story
Send in the Clowns
It's rare to find humor in corporate America. That's why Second City Communications has made it its job to bring comedy to the business world. Read story
Public Displays of Affection
Maybe the noble histories of suction cups, toilets, and kazoos don't sound intriguing to you, but for entrepreneurs who've built museums dedicated to the ind... Read story
On the Street Where You Live
Two experienced founders discuss why more inner-city residents don't seize the opportunity to start companies on their home turf. Read story
The Start-Up Diaries: Mother Is the Necessity of Invention
To create his company, edu.com founder Adam Kanner needed to get the highest-powered talent he could get. And he knew just where to find it. Read story
The Start-Up Diaries: Mother Is the Necessity of Invention
To create his company, edu.com founder Adam Kanner needed to get the highest-powered talent he could get. And he knew just where to find it. Read story
Ode to a Code
A celebration in verse of the 25th anniversary of the Universal Product Code There's codes of ethics, codes of Morse, Cod... Read story
Make Way for Duck Links
After fire ravaged a 28-year-old gourmet- and specialty-food store, Duck Soup created a Web site to maintain customer relations and swim into the world of e-... Read story
The Best of the Small Business Web
Until recently, most small companies didn't have a clue what to do on the Web. Now they're fielding some of the best stuff online. Inc. Technology h... Read story
Best of the Small Business Web: House of the Rising Sun
At Daddy's Junky Music, dynamic online auctions turn aging inventory into hefty revenues. Read story
Best of the Small Business Web: Mr. Blandings Builds His Screen House
New home buyers can make big choices at Lakeside Development's gorgeous site. Read story
Best of the Small Business Web: Hear, Here
Audio-services company On Air Digital Audio brings voice talent to clients -- wherever they are. Read story
Best of the Small Business Web: Seed Money
Starting with nothing, seed seller Prairie Frontier has blossomed into an E-commerce site that has everything. Read story
Best of the Small Business Web: Pitching Camp
US Sports Camps, a profitable and elegantly designed sports camp site, has turned a summer program into year-round sales. Read story
Best of the Small Business Web: A Room with a SKU
Industrial distributor Livingston Haven has created a self-service dream with superfunctional client pages. Read story
