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April 2008

BEST OF THE BLOGS

"Thank God for this economic downturn. While big public companies are downsizing, entrepreneurs flourish. Real estate, equipment, acquisitions, employees, and money are all on sale." -- Clint Greenleaf, By the Book, blog.inc.com/by-the-book.

Deals

"Just a Tad Sweet"

Seth Goldman knew what the critics would say: that he was a sellout, willing to toss to the curb everything he had built in exchange for a big payday from a multinational corporation. When Honest Tea, the beverage company he co-founded in 1998, announced that Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) had purchased a 40 percent stake in the company, Goldman was ready for the critics. He hears them. But if there's one thing he believes he has earned over the past decade, it's the benefit of the doubt. In His Own Words Read Why We Sold a Stake to Coke on Seth Goldman's blog. Q&A Goldman offers his take on social responsibility and discusses the company's growth plans in a Q&A from last fall.

New Blog

SOLD!

Sales is perhaps the most pressing issue for entrepreneurs, especially in an economic downturn. Greg Winston is here to help. Winston began his career with Xerox, where at one point his year-to-date sales figures were 10 times those of the average rep. Now he shares his innovative ideas and methods through his consulting firm, Sales2saleS.

On motivating a sales team: "You should routinely sit with your team and explore what they want out of life. It's not about bringing in the Johnson account; it's about the down payment on the rep's dream home. People come to work for very personal reasons, and the more we help them get there, the more revenue they bring in."

The Google Gold Rush

Get Bought by Google For many technology start-ups, getting swooped up by the world's biggest search company has become the ultimate goal. In fact, a growing number of small ventures are launched for the sole purpose of being acquired. So what does it really take to woo Google? Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), and what they're doing now. www.inc.com/articles/2008/03/google.html

Slideshow: The Google Millionaires

A slide show of the entrepreneurs who have made millions selling companies to Google.

Is your industry hot or not? Check out our valuation guide. Then, head to Inc.com for a slide show of the most- and least-valuable businesses.

Most popular

1. The 2007 Inc. 5000
   Here is the first-ever Inc. 5,000, the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.
2. How We Did It: Lessons From America's Smartest Entrepreneurs
   Slideshow
3. 30 Under 30: America's Coolest Young Entrepreneurs
   Slideshow
4. Slide Show: The Sexiest Businesses in America
   Slideshow
5. Tech Data to Distribute VMware www.inc.com/news/articles/2008/02/19techdata.html
   The deal includes VMware's entire suite of virtualization products.

Inc 5000

Is your company one of the nation's fastest-growing private businesses? Inc.com is accepting applications for the 2008 Inc. 5000. Find out how to apply (and check out the 2007 list) at www.inc5000.com.