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…

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…

Being a Disciplined Home Business Boss
by: Lawrence Roth

Leaving the corporate world for a home business is exciting. Being one’s own boss and making one’s own decisions is a great feeling. However, one still needs to have discipline to be effective at being a home business boss. In my home business I have found at least two things that one must be persistently disciplined about in order to achieve success.

First is the work schedule. A home business like any business requires work and often a lot of work. While it is true you do not have to get up at daybreak and put on a suit and tie to drive to work, one does need to set a work schedule and stick to it. Read more…

A Business Idea With Legs
LittleMissMatched’s stores and Web site cater to fashion-forward tweens. But as the company grows, it’s struggling to maintain its unique brand identity.

Courtesy LittleMissMatched
What’s In Store: Inside a LittleMissMatched retail shop
By Carlye Adler | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 8, 2009 | Updated: 12:17 p.m. ET Dec 8, 2009 Read more…