Inc. Magazine: August 1, 2000
- Getting a Life
- Inc. magazine's editor-in-chief discusses having a business and a life; sharing equity with employees; why being first may not be best; Andrew Raskin's latest E-diary entry; and Norm Brodsky's eloquent view of early start-up activity.
- Letters
- Readers react to articles from the May and June 2000 issues of Inc., including "I'm John Burgess. I'm Here to Help You," by Joseph Rosenbloom; "G Is for Guts," by Dr. Steven Berglas; and our Inner City 100 listing.
- Upstarts: Obsession Marketing
- Taking their cue from the Beanie Babies mania, some start-ups hope to create the next big consumer fad. Plus: Q&A with the man responsible for importing the Teletubbies craze to the United States.
- Obit: Pizza Chain's Blockbuster "Deal" Ends in a Bust
- Thinking he had a great deal cooking, Tony Riviera prepared to take his pizza concept national in a joint venture with Blockbuster. But when the entertainment giant changed its mind, an overextended Riviera had to turn off the pizza ovens for good.
- The First Step
- There's so much to do when you're starting a company that the hardest part may be figuring out what to do first. CEO Norm Brodsky advises that, before getting sidetracked by the details, you need to formulate clear goals for your business.
- Let the Good Times Roll
- Sure, your employees are challenged and fulfilled. But are they having fun? Andrew Raskin describes his efforts to create a truly competitive levity package in this installment of E-diaries.
- Start-Up Diaries: A Vexing Catch-22
- Unable to find funding, three nail-salon entrepreneurs are forced to step back from their dream. Plus: Inc. updates the progress of four other start-ups it has been chronicling.
- Who Owns Harlem?
- As an economic-development boom takes off in Harlem, residents hotly debate what path will lead the famed African American neighborhood into a prosperous future. Will its unique flavor and small, homegrown businesses be driven out by corporate projects?
- The Pursuit of Happiness (in an Internet-Clocked, Overnight-Billionaired, 500-Times-Earnings World)
- What happens when a small-business owner starts making decisions based not on growth potential and market positioning, but on achieving balance, peace of mind, and happiness? Paul Eichen, founder of Rokenbok Toy Co., is trying to find out.
- The Nonstop, 24-7 CEO Salesman
- Pat Cavanaugh not only sells more than just about anyone in his industry but also manages a fast-growing company at the same time. What's his secret? A personal discipline that makes the most of his every waking moment.
- The Boom in Employee Ownership
- Inc. gets the scoop on the effects of stock options from Corey Rosen, cofounder of the National Center for Employee Ownership.
- 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 industries they've helped develop, rummaging around in the past yields great benefits.
- CEO's Notebook
- CEOs discuss lowering insurance costs; using employee committees to review potential clients; getting capital from clients; and mastering your supply chain. Plus: "My Biggest Mistake," by Al Shugart, founder of Seagate Technology.
- The Art of the Net
- In cyberspace you can shop for everything, even the ultimate anticommodity of art. But does it make sense? 18 CEOs review several Web sites and advise where to go for what.
- Book Value
- Reviews of four business books -- two wildly different takes on the state of shareholder value, one about why consumers rule now more than ever, and one on how to manage Gen-X workers. Plus: What Orit Gadiesh, chairman of Bain & Co., recommends reading.
- Business for Sale: Southwestern Mercedes-Benz Service Center
- Looking for a deal that will rev up your engines? Consider this independent Mercedes-Benz service-and-repair center. Profile includes price, valuation methodology, an evaluation of the company's prospects, and pros and cons.
