Inc. Magazine: April 1, 2004,

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Why 20 Million of You Can`t Be Wrong: A long-time Inc. contributor surveys the current entrepreneurial scene and reports his findings. How do things look? John Case
Twenty-five Entrepreneurs We Love: Why? Courage. Flair. Brains. Modesty. Influence. Perseverance. Conscientiousness. Resilience. Heart. Tenacity. Drive. Optimism. Humility. Doggedness. Brilliance. Vision. Amiability. Guts. Patience. Character. Energy. Passion. Discipline. Determination. Focus. And there`s more where that came from.

The Joys and Perils of Attack Marketing: What`s a small coffee company doing impugning the business ethics of the world`s most handsome popcorn and salad-dressing pitchman? Rob Walker
A Scam to Watch Out For: It`s called cramming, and it may be lurking on your phone bill. Nicole Gull
Five Ideas to Watch: A pick-me-up patch, haggling made more marvelous, and more. Nadine Heintz
HR Dept.: The Dog Ate My Excuse: Proof that workers will say anything to get a day off. Bobbie Gossage
Economics: The State of Being Hip: Why Michigan`s economic policies are linked to music acts. Rod Kurtz
Q&A: The Entrepreneur Stays in the Picture: Why the Envy director employs entrepreneurs in his films. Patrick J. Sauer
Update: Dear Mr. Bush: Thanks For Your Concern: The President pays a call on an Inc. letter writer. Bobbie Gossage

Going Global: The Outsourcing Dilemma: Corporate America has been using cheap overseas labor for years. Does it make sense for your company? Eric Wahlgren
Managing: Guard Your Exits!: With the job market slowly recovering, brace yourself for a tidal wave of employee turnover. Jess McCuan
Employee Benefits: A 401(k) for Health Care Costs: Finally, a way to trim health insurance costs without sticking it to your employees: health savings accounts. Karen Kroll
Case Study: Colin Johnson had a bold plan to transform his consulting firm. But when things went awry, sticking to his guns meant risking everything. Alison Stein Wellner
Marketing: Dude, Where`s My Ad?: In a world increasingly cluttered with ads, your best shot at grabbing customers` attention might be targeting them in their cars. Ellen Neuborne
Getting Started: Brains For Hire: Each year, countless professionals leave their corporate jobs to become consultants. But launching a consultancy is a lot harder than you might think. Suzanne McGee
Ask Inc.: When Partnerships Go Bad: When partnerships go bad. Plus: Do you really need a publicist?

Street Smarts: What`s New?: Like Inc., columnist Brodsky is celebrating his 25th year in business, and much has changed in that time--including how Brodsky thinks about his chosen profession. Norm Brodsky
Grist: Trampling on Our Icons: If politicians and economists love entrepreneurs so much (and they say they do), why do entrepreneurs face so many hurdles, whether they`re starting their business or attempting to expand it? Adam Hanft

Gadgets: Gearing Up: The latest tech toys you`ll want, including Kyocera`s Koi camera phone and OQO`s Ultra Personal Computer. Bob Parks and Mark Spoonauer
Private Lives: Hoop Dream: A happy entry in one entrepreneur`s basketball diary: "Today I bought the Atlanta Hawks. Patrick J. Sauer
Cars: In the Driver`s Seat: With its retractable roof, GM`s Envoy XUV cuts hauling tall orders down to size. Patrick J. Sauer
Trends: Sleeper Hit: Give them your tired...: MetroNaps launches the "midday rest facility," where naptimes are scheduled all the time. Lora Kolodny
Q&A: Extreme Flextime: For one company, 9 to 5 is no way to make a living. Brad Wieners
Culture: Quick Picks: Out this month: a new release from rocker Lou Reed, a hefty biography of Alexander Hamilton, and a DVD boxed set on America`s favorite pastime. Rowan West; Michael Dirda; Craig Offman; Larry Smith

Editor's Letter: Reflecting on the current business climate and an unstoppable force. John Koten
Mail: Ted`s Wild U-Turn: Ted Turner comes home; tricky definitions; and yet another reason to charge more.

Going Solo: Each year, thousands of professionals walk away from corporate America to strike out on their own as consultants, as writer Suzanne McGee discusses in "Getting Started," on page 61. But while shaking the vestiges of the daily office grind can be a liberating experience, it's also a sobering one. Here, Inc.com shares the advice of a few self-employed business owners on where you can find help in managing business life on your own at www.inc.com/keyword/solo.
Book Excerpt: Ricardo Semler, the CEO of Sao Paulo-based holding company Semco and the author of The Seven-Day Weekend, has a somewhat different way of managing employees. Actually, it's not so much how he manages but how he doesn't. In this month's Q&A on page 91, Brad Wieners discusses with Semler his unique management style. On Inc.com, you can read more about his approach in an excerpt from his book at www.inc.com/keyword/semler.
Apply For The Inc. 500: The official 2004 Inc. 500 application is available on Inc.com. If your company's total net revenue (or, for financial companies, total net income) has more than tripled in the most recent four years, 2000-2003, you stand a chance of making this year's list. Don't miss out on the opportunity to tell us about your company at www.inc.com/keyword/inc500app. Deadline is May 1, 2004.