Growing Business

A recession is a great time to think like an entrepreneur.
PHOTOSBrands Born in Bad Times From FedEx to Microsoft, a look at the companies that were created in recessionary times and managed to thrive.

With the national unemployment rate near double digits and credit markets tight, now is a great time to start a business. Really, it is. Think about it: thousands of workers can’t find jobs, so the talent pool is large and cheap. Good jobs seem less secure as companies cut hours and salaries so people are more likely to risk working for a startup. True, loans and venture capital funding are harder to secure. But even that is more of a hurdle than roadblock. Read more…

Main Street vs. Wall Street
A year after the financial meltdown, small businesses are still being alienated by their banks.
The Recession’s Winners and Losers Not everyone suffered during the financial crisis. A look at those who won and lost big during Wall Street’s meltdown.

By Kevin Kelly | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Sep 16, 2009

One year ago this week, Lehman Brothers closed its doors. Financial panic, obvious from the rapid decline of stock markets, spread like a contagion. The meltdown obviously hurt me, like many people who had much of their retirement savings loaded into equities. Of course, the panic spread when the federal government effectively took over the insurer American International Group and its mind-boggling debts a day later. But the impact the unfolding financial debacle might have on our family-run plastic packaging manufacturer didn’t hit home until a day or two later, when I called our banker at Wells Fargo & Co. and asked for an increase in our credit line. Read more…

Improving Foot Traffic Appeal
Tips for Sprucing Up Business Curb Appeal This Spring
Jan 30, 2010 Katelyn Thomas
As weather begins to warm and foot traffic increases, many small business owners are realizing that it is time to give their offices or stores a face lift to make their businesses more appealing to all those potential customers strolling by. Businesses with a renovation budget will repaint, replace all the furniture or make other big changes. Does this mean that businesses that are struggling to make ends meet aren’t able to improve their building’s appearance this spring? Not at all. For those that don’t have money in their budgets for a big makeover, there are still plenty of small things that can be done to spruce up the building or office. Read more…

Ideas for Helping Small Businesses Do Better
Struggling Business Advice
Jan 17, 2010 Katelyn Thomas
When a small business is struggling to succeed, the business owner needs to look for ways to turn things around fast so the business starts turning a profit.

Many small business owners who manage to eke out just enough money to keep the business running are constantly stressed and worried. Sometimes, it wouldn’t take much for them to begin to do better financially, but they are so overwhelmed that they can’t see what they need to change. Other times, they feel like they can’t make changes because the changes would involve treating staff members like the employees they are instead of friends. For a small business owner who feels like he or she just needs a little help to turn a struggling business around, Read more…

Growing Concerns It’s hard to complain when your company grows by more than 1,300 percent. But for Clear Align, a maker of surveillance equipment for the military, success is proving to be difficult to manage. By Carlye Adler | Newsweek Web ExclusiveDec 29, 2009 | Updated: 10:48 a.m. ET Dec 29, 2009

Angelique Irvin isn’t your typical defense contractor: she’s a suburban mom who swears by organic products, and the daughter of the founder of the literary journal Calyx (which was started in her childhood bedroom). Read more…