Virtual Success
Teens bypass after-school jobs for virtual world businesses where the money earned and the skills learned are real.
Archive for July 9, 2008
Slippery oil prices hit stocks
Iran says it tested missiles in the Persian Gulf, and oil inventories fall more than expected, causing oil prices to yo-yo. Alcoa kicks off earnings season with better-than-expected results. Cisco Systems' CEO hints at executive changes.
How do I assure clients I’m not going broke?
Ask FSB's tips for reassuring customers in a jittery home-building market.
Changing course: Expansion can be the wrong move
When I sold the idea for create-your-own stir-fry restaurant to a group of ten investors, I told them that the big payoff would come with the exit strategy: acquisition by a large restaurant company.
The savior of the SBA?
President Bush's recent nomination of Santanu "Sandy" Baruah to head the Small Business Administration (SBA) was met neither by celebrations or jeers in the small business community, but by a resounding "Who?"
Tour de France marketing hits uphill stage
While Lance Armstrong chased his record-setting Tour de France winning streak, a number of American businesses rode victoriously along. For Trek Travel in Madison, Wisc., the mid-'00s were boom times: 500 travelers each year booked $5,000 trips to see Lance in action, giving the two-year-old company $2.5 million in revenue a year from the Tour de France alone.
Tax the Toys R Us giraffe!
When the Massachusetts passed its much-delayed state budget last week, it included an obscure tax-law change that could be crucial for small-business owners concerned about unfair competition. By becoming the 22nd state to adopt "combined reporting" legislation, Massachusetts lawmakers are hoping to put a stop to a longstanding practice that, they say, gives large corporate chains an unfair advantage over their smaller competitors at tax time.