June 2010

COVER STORY

2010 Top Small Company Workplaces

Building a great culture is both a strategic decision and a moral one. Here's how that decision can lead you to success.

FEATURES

A Little Enlightened Self-Interest

Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard and Winning Workplaces's Ken Lehman on why companies that treat employees well are succesful.

A Look Inside the Un-Factory

Good friends, good food, good times. Yes, this is a chemical company, but it feels less like a factory than a combination greenhouse and family garage.

Team Building With the New York Jets

Woody Johnson was determined to create a superior workplace for organization. Here's a look at the facility he built.

Testing a Company's Commitment to Transparency

When executives at Return Path decided to sell a division, they also had to decide whether they would bend their commitment to openness and transparency.

How to Build a Beautiful Company

Employing leadership by consensus, the Sky Factory's Bill Witherspoon has set out to create the perfect business.

Why I Sold Zappos

With credit tightening and investors eyeing the exits, was selling his company really the only way to save it?

The Way I Work: Blake Mycoskie of Toms Shoes

Blake Mycoskie, founder of Toms Shoes, built a lifestyle business based on social entrepreneurship.

COLUMNS

Street Smarts | Norm Brodsky

Norm Brodsky on When It's Time to Sell

Should a business owner take an offer to sell his struggling business? Columnist Norm Brodsky offers his advice.

Get Real | Jason Fried

Never Read Another Resume

37signals co-founder Jason Fried never wastes time reading resumes. That's just one of his tips on hiring great workers.

THE GOODS

4 New Rugged Notebooks

We put models from Dell, Panasonic, HP, and Lenovo to the test.

4 iPad Apps for Business

Programs that help you track flights, create slideshows, and more.

3 Online Database Services

New software offers companies innovative ways to store and manage data in the cloud.

4 New Desk Phones

Models from Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent, and AT&T that are smarter and sleeker.

A New Event Service

Poken promises its users networking, with a twist.

A Way to Revive Waterlogged Gadgets

The story behind the invention of the Bheestie bag starts, predictably enough, at the bottom of a pond.

Things I Can't Live Without: Jason Pomeranc of Thompson Hotels

A look at the gear that Jason Pomeranc of Thompson Hotels brings with him when he visits his company's 10 properties.

Luxurious Long-Hauls

United Airlines, Emirates, and Swiss Air are offering some cool new amenities for first- and business-class travelers, including private cubicles with larger TVs and lie-flat beds.

My Favorite Collaboration Tool

Entrepreneur Tim Miner explains how he uses Yammer, a Twitter-like messaging system for businesses.

Does Every Home Theater Need a 3-D TV?

Looking to watch Avatar on DVD as it was meant to be seen? We test new 3-D TV models from Panasonic and Samsung.

A Wireless Phone Charging System

The PowerMat offers users an easier way to power up their phones.

PASSIONS

CEO Passions: Collecting Rare Books

Edward Surovell, founder of Edward Surovell Realtors, spends his free time collecting rare and antiquarian books.

INNOVATION

Innovation: Taking Aim at Gas Guzzlers

Transonic Combustion, founded by Mike Cheiky in Camarillo, California, in 2006, has a simpler solution reducing gasoline consumption: a superefficient fuel injector designed to integrate easily into conventional cars.