The Money Trail
In much of the northern U.S., a hidden, lush economy thrives along thousands of miles of snowmobile trails. Here's how this winterland boom began and what th... Read more
Writing a Business Plan
Recent Writing a Business Plan Articles
CEO's Notebook
CEOs give advice on: hiring a mentor; securing a line of credit with letters of reference; passing out praise with paychecks; speeding up government collecti... Read more
Upstarts: Rookie Venture Capital
A look at how three businessmen with no venture capital experience started Redleaf Venture Management. Plus, several shorter articles about why so many green... Read more
Inc. 500 Index
The fastest-growing private companies in America in 1998, listed alphabetically. Read more
Hot Tip: Competitive Hiring
In a tight labor market, it pays to consider where résumés come from. Consider a passing comment that came with a curriculu... Read more
Market Research on the Cheap
Last year Pete Slosberg, founder of Pete's Brewing Co., in Palo Alto, Calif., and the author of Beer for Pete's Sake: The Wicked Adventures of a Brewi... Read more
Outsmarting the Competition
The competition's tough! Increasing sales and market share often means beating the competition to the punch. Take advantage of those times when the compet... 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
Tom Stemberg, CEO and Chairman of office-supply superstores Staples, is a retail junkie. Every week the founder of the $5.2-billion chain keeps tabs on th... Read more
More Confessions of a Corporate Spook, Competitive Research Article
More Confessions of a Corporate Spook --> ... 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
'The first business plan I wrote was 20 pages long. Then I learned it had to be thick--so I repeated everything three times.' --Jaye Muller, presiden... 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
I have a rule that I will do my best to meet with any woman who hasquestions about how I got to where I am. I am happy to serve as a soundingboard for a w... 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
When a cook for Chef Allen's sampled a competitor's fare, he was dismayed to find elegant food being served on cold plates. It ruined the meal, the cook r... Read more
Changing Your Swing
Until you've exhausted all the possible distribution channels, you'll never really know whether you have a best-seller on your hands. When Barney Adams co... Read more
Bootstrapping at Showtime
Trade shows can get your product before a target audience, but the cost of exhibiting is often high. Cash-strapped companies can keep the price down by
Close to Home
Involvement in local business helped Yantis Corp., a $25-million highway-construction company in San Antonio, survive Texas's real estate bust of the late... 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
More Than a Passing Interest
As a former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Inc. 500 CEO John Stallworth tells how he made the jump from catching passes to running a company. Read more
Pop Quiz: Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Inc. 500 CEO?
Let's face it: all those neglected niches out there need someone with your qualities--an intolerance of mediocrity and an overload of intuition and energy... Read more
How Can I Get Employees to Buy Into Our Strategy?
Jennifer Lawton, CEO of Net Daemons Associates Inc., which has headquarters in Woburn, Mass., circulates her annual business plan to all of her 58 employe... Read more
Hoop Dreams: New League Banks on Sisterhood
A look at a women's basketball league that is banking on grassroots marketing and worker solidarity. Read more
The Next Big Things
Inc. asks several ad hoc demographic experts to predict the future and suggest what will be the next big thing. Read more
Where to Find Business Help
Where do small-business owners get information to help them run their companies? According to a recent survey, the most popular sources are magazines and ... Read more
