Louisiana


Green Bayou

With almost $1 billion in new taxes, Louisiana is hedging against a long-standing dependency on cheap energy and good ol' boy charm.  Read story

Businesses Affected by Katrina Receive Grants

April 20, 2007 -- As many as 200 small-business owners in Louisiana affected by Hurricane Katrina received up to $18,000 this week under ...  Read story

Down In The Dumps

Business can't afford it. Government can't enforce it. But this month a new law regulating the hazardous wastes of small companies goes into effect anyway.  Read story

Personal Income Rising

Following a slowdown earlier this year, U.S. income growth picked up over the third quarter, the government reports.  Read story

States Report: Turning The Tables

We were halfway through a breakfast interview in Baton Rouge, La., when Kevin Couhig the assistant secretary of industry and commerce for Louisiana, solem...  Read story

The Economy This Week

Small-business optimism improves; jobless claims surge.  Read story

Gulf Coast Businesses Slow to Claim Loans

Less than half of the businesses approved for post-Katrina loans have cashed in so far.  Read story

Richard Zuschlag on Landing Government Contracts

The CEO of Acadian Ambulance on how to land government contracts.  Read story

At a Glance

Charts providing information on the features of Inc. 500 companies.  Read story

Personal Income Up in Second Quarter

Sept. 28, 2005 --Strong earnings in real estate, professional services, and other entrepreneurial sectors helped jumpstart personal income...  Read story

Where Segway Finds Traction

We've taken a spin on the Segway and it's a lot of fun. But who is buying it?  Read story

Jobless Claims Surge

Despite job gains at smaller firms, more workers are filing for unemployment benefits.  Read story

The Economy This Week

Small firms brace for tighter credit; storms cause surge in jobless claims.  Read story

Is It Time to Change Your Will?

Experience teaches us that the only constant in life is change. But we don't always keep up with the important details - such as updating wills and other ...  Read story

Rebuilding the Gulf Coast Brick by Brick

Dec. 2, 2005 --A new federal job re-training program is offering Gulf Coast hurricane victims a chance to help rebuild their shattered com...  Read story

This Week's Economic Roundup

Small-business owners expect economy to slow down; retail sales inch higher.  Read story

Bayou Boycott Spurs Buying

Anti-French sentiment in Louisiana proves to be a boon for small business.  Read story

Your Tax Dollars at Work

There are some new faces at the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Gone are veep wannabe John Edwards (now a Harvard fellow) and former...  Read story

The Best and Worst Legal Environments to Do Business In

March 2004 --Some places are better than others when it comes to doing business, and one reason-according to corporate attorneys--is that ...  Read story

Report On The States: Best Of Show

Minnesota's tax and wage rates are well above tha national medians. But aggressive bank lending and investments by local SBICs make it one of the top states ...  Read story

Percolating Profits

A new generation of "virtual" business incubators is jump-starting start-ups nationwide.  Read story

Capital: The New Activism

1. California 6. Colorado 2. New York 7. Texas 3. Minnesota 8. Oklahoma 4. Connecticut 9. Rhode Island 5...  Read story

This Week's Economic Roundup

Higher prices lead to weaker consumer spending; factory orders on the rise.  Read story

Divorce American-style

Who gets what when the marriage ends? It depends upon where you live.  Read story

The SBA All-Stars

A look at the Small Business Administration’s rankings of the best field offices turns up some surprises. The agency’s western outposts tend to outperfor...  Read story

Best Of Show Business Activity: Trouble In The Oil Patch

1. New Hampshire 6. Florida 2. Colorado 7. Georgia 3. Alaska 8. California 4. New Jersey 9. Massachusetts ...  Read story

This Week's Economic Roundup

Leading indicators drop for fifth time in eight months; Fed halts interest rates.  Read story

Top 25 Cities for Doing Business in America

If you're looking for cities large, medium, and small where job growth is robust and economies are strong, head to the ones on this year's Top Cities list. F...  Read story

What The Rankings Mean

In years past, INC.'s annual Report on the States ranked the business climates of the 50 states through a formula that took into account roughly a dozen v...  Read story

Bankers' State of Mind

Listing of states with the worst and best nonperforming loans.  Read story

Black Entrepreneurship, the Sequel

Some thoughts on how the recent emergence of more black-owned small businesses reflects on a proud history.  Read story

Unemployment Rising

Employers are shedding payrolls to cope with tighter credit and weaker earnings.  Read story

Hard-to-get Property-Casualty Coverage

Advice on how to get affordable property-casualty insurance.  Read story

Katrina Strains Businesses Outside Its Path

September 2, 2005 --Montgomery, Alabama's 6,000 hotel rooms have been full since Sunday, but evacuees fleeing Katrina's destruction contin...  Read story

The Economy This Week

Leading economic indicators inching back up; consumers facing higher price tags.  Read story

Tax Breaks For Angels

To foster technology transfer, states reward early-stage investors.  Read story

Esop's Rising Stock

What's behind the spread of employee stock ownership plans.  Read story

Reagan's Secret Export Program

The government has a great program to match American companies to foreign export markets. Too bad the companies have never heard of it  Read story

Private Lives;

A sampling of America's pacesetters shows that the CEOs are as diverse as the products and services they sell.  Read story