Archives: November 2008

Black Friday reading

Posted by: John Tozzi on November 26

It's worth remembering that, lousy economy and historic financial crisis notwithstanding, most of us have plenty to be thankful for. So I hope you spend Thursday with people you care...

The Big Three and the Small 50,000

Posted by: John Tozzi on November 24

As I was reading about the auto industry bailout on the way into work this morning, a question occurred to me: How many small businesses depend on the US auto...

Health Insurance for Freelancers

Posted by: John Tozzi on November 21

I missed this bit of news because I was away last week, but the Freelancers Union just started a health insurance company in New York. This is a big idea...

How to use small business credit cards

Posted by: John Tozzi on November 20

There's a great discussion about using credit cards in the comments on this post by Justin McHenry on Small Business Trends. He jumps off from an article we published in...

The Future of Tourism in an Economic Downturn?

Posted by: Stacy Perman on November 20

With everyone cutting back on luxury items and non-essentials and companies slashing workforces, benefits and perks, a couple of clever entrepreneurs have introduced a spare hotel for lean times. Enter...

A Nod to Young Entrepreneurs from the State of Massachusetts

Posted by: Nick Leiber on November 19

Now this is cool. The founders of four small companies from our latest national roundup of promising entrepreneurs aged 25 and under are set to be honored at an event...

Is TARP Really a TRAP?

Posted by: Amy Barrett on November 19

The Treasury’s capital purchase program, the system for injecting capital into the nation’s banks, may look like a give away on the surface. But look a bit closer and there’s...

What Are You Doing for Global Entrepreneurship Week?

Posted by: Nick Leiber on November 14

The upcoming Global Entrepreneurship Week (Nov. 17 through Nov. 23) is a series of events meant to encourage young people around the globe to think creatively and turn business ideas...

Fresh Video Series: Bake-It-Yourself Pizza

Posted by: Nick Leiber on November 13

Our ongoing series Fresh profiles standout startups before they become household names. And we're continuing to add videos of some of the featured entrepreneurs to the mix. Catch the latest...

Restaurant Owners: Business Trends Going Forward

Posted by: Stacy Perman on November 13

With consumers keeping a clenched fist around their wallets, discretionary spending continues to drop. One of the places feeling the pinch is restaurants. For the past several months, restaurant owners...

Forgetting to read the fine print: Ouch.

Posted by: Amy Choi on November 12

Or maybe the print, period. I'm generally a pretty astute — some might say obsessive — bookkeeper of my personal finances. I manage mine, and my hubby-to-be's, cashflow carefully. I...

Barbie takes Bratz Back to Court

Posted by: Stacy Perman on November 11

Barbie v. Bratz is back for another legal round. Four months after Mattel’s court win in which a jury agreed to award damages (up to about $100 million) for copyright...

Clean Technology: Off-the-Grid and in the Dirt

Posted by: Stacy Perman on November 11

Two years ago I interviewed Frank Moss. At the time he had just been appointed to head up Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s famed Media Lab as it was entering into...

Where Do You Sell Online?

Posted by: Nick Leiber on November 06

There are dozens of Internet marketplaces where you can set up shop and sell online. But which sites are worth your time? To help answer that question, this afternoon we...

Across the Pond: A Nation of Shopkeepers Debate Their Bailout Too

Posted by: Stacy Perman on November 05

The issues facing small businesses became a front burner item in the recent presidential election that landed Senator Barack Obama in the White House. Over in England a similarly divisive...

Fresh Video Series: Voicemail Blasts from Your Computer

Posted by: Nick Leiber on November 04

Our ongoing series Fresh profiles standout startups before they become household names. And we’re continuing to add videos of some of the featured entrepreneurs to the mix. Catch the latest...

37signals crowdsources elevator pitch

Posted by: John Tozzi on November 04

37signals has a strong brand and dedicated following for making simple and affordable Web-based business software. So I was caught off-guard today when Matt Linderman, writing on the company's blog,...

Banks cut credit card limits, even for prime borrowers

Posted by: John Tozzi on November 03

The Fed's quarterly survey of bank loan officers (PDF here) is out today. No surprise that credit got tighter for businesses of all sizes over the prior three months (the...

New Businesses Rely More on Bank Loans and Credit Cards Than Friends and Family

Posted by: Nick Leiber on November 03

Where do most new businesses turn to for startup capital? The common assumption is friends and family. But a recent report from the Kauffman Foundation shows most actually rely on...