Origins
Six short articles describe the unlikely events that triggered the start-up of companies appearing on the 1998 Inc. 500 list. Read more
Writing a Business Plan
Recent Writing a Business Plan Articles
Inc. 500 Index
The fastest-growing private companies in America in 1998, listed alphabetically. Read more
Hot Tip: Competitive Hiring
One company found information on a competitor by paying close attention to incoming résumés. Read more
Market Research on the Cheap
Brewing company executive remains a bootstrapper at heart. Read more
Outsmarting the Competition
Gain sales and market share with tips on outmaneuvering the competition. Read more
Spies Like Us
An interview with Tom Stemberg, CEO and chairman of Staples, Inc. Stemberg describes the industry information he gathers by playing mystery shopper at his co... Read more
Confessions of a Corporate Spook
For Staples CEO Tom Stemberg, spying on the competition isn't just a good benchmarking tactic. It's crucial to his business's growth. Read more
More Confessions of a Corporate Spook, Competitive Research Article
Why spy exclusively on your competitors when there are so many other industry leaders to learn from? Read more
What's the Key to Great Forecasting?
It helps to start with good, accurate data. Here are 6 pieces of information to gather. Read more
Best-Laid Plans
A business owner writes a business plan with PlanWrite Expert Edition, but decides it's geared more towards large corporations. A software review. Read more
Start Up. Cash Out. Repeat.
Sunil Paul and Mark Pincus, founders of FreeLoader, sold their company shortly after its inception. Can a new breed of entrepreneur use selling out as a star... Read more
A League of Your Own
A look at the exploding number of women business owners and the increasingly sophisticated network of female advisors, mentors, and venture capitalists who a... Read more
Is Big Back? Or Is Small Still Beautiful?
The current boom in mergers and acquisitions in today's market seems to suggest that bigger is better. Not so. Here's why smaller companies have distinct adv... Read more
Quote: Business Plan
Jaye Muller, president of Jfax.com Inc., on his first business plan. Read more
Texas Super Bowl
The University of Texas' International Moot Corp. Competition, the most well known of the country's intercollegiate business-plan tournaments, is a launch pa... Read more
Breeding Technology Entrepreneurs in Iowa
The University of Iowa prepares its engineering students for the business world by offering a technology entrepreneurship program. Read more
Peter's Principles
Book editor Rubin talks with Peter Drucker about how he built a long-standing brand around his own knowledge and how to prepare for a career as a solo act. Read more
Due Diligence
CEO Norm Brodsky explains that a complex business plan drawn up for investors can yield unrealistic numbers or mistakes. He suggests that entrepreneurs first... Read more
Women Entrepreneurs: Managing Perceptions, Managing Guilt
An experienced entrepreneur suggests tactics for managing age-old perceptions at work and guilt at home. Read more
Grandma Got Run Over by Bad Research
Although market research suggested ample customers, Irene Viento's upscale children's clothing store, GrandKids Ltd., closed after three years of soft sales. Read more
Four-Star Staff Schooling
One restaurant owner savors the sweet taste of good service after paying for his staff to sample the competition. Read more
Changing Your Swing
When he couldn't convince major sports chains to take his line of golf clubs, this entrepreneur explored other sales and distribution channels--with surprisi... Read more
Bootstrapping at Showtime
A CEO gives cash-strapped companies advice on participating in trade shows. Read more
Close to Home
Keep the business cycle in mind as you plan your sales strategy. Read more
Bulletin Board
A collection of 11 short articles on technology. Topics include how a Web site can be bad for business, different types of laptop cases, incorporating online... Read more
