Startup Trends

$100 Million Loaned to U.S. Veteran Entrepreneurs

By Deborah Brown - Mar 28, 2008 - 9 Comments

In the past five years many thousands of U.S. men and women have left their homes, their families and their careers to serve and protect our country. Now as they return home the old job may not have the same appeal. Or they may simply be ready to transition to civilian life and the next … Read More

Starting a Business? Cover Yourself

By Deborah Brown - Mar 27, 2008 - 8 Comments

If you are starting a business or just dreaming of it, you can expect the startup stage to be heady, exhiliarating, challenging, rewarding and sometimes scary -- all at the same time. You'll be encountering new things all the time -- problems and responsibilities you may never have had to deal … Read More

Startup Culture Shock: Is Startup Life Life?

By Tim Berry - Mar 10, 2008 - 13 Comments

So I think somebody struck a nerve. So what do you think of this tip to save money: Fire people who are not workaholics. Come on folks, this is startup life, it's not a game. Don't work at a startup if you're not into it. Go work at the post office or Starbucks if you want balance in your … Read More

Born Entrepreneurs?

By Scott Shane - Feb 25, 2008 - 13 Comments

People often use the phrase "born entrepreneurs" when referring to people who seem to have something that makes them innately entrepreneurial. Most of this discussion is casual and doesn't really consider whether some people are, literally, born with a genetic make-up that makes them more likely … Read More

Is Franchising a Viable Option For Veterans?

By Joel Libava - Feb 19, 2008 - 9 Comments

If I were the Director of Franchise Development for a franchise company, and I wanted to find new franchise owners for my concept, one group of people I might want to target is the large number of war veterans that will eventually be returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Here's why: 1. The … Read More

Aspiring Entrepreneurs: No Money? No Problem! Get Started Today

By David Bohl - Feb 17, 2008 - 21 Comments

Many of us have aspirations to own our own business - to be our own boss. Every year hundreds of thousands of small businesses get started by people just like you and me; people who have an idea for a product or service and follow through on it. You may have an idea for a business but think … Read More

New Business Ideas: Wacky Gizmos

By Steven Teo - Feb 10, 2008 - 4 Comments

Talk about gadgets, and everybody is after the same things: the latest, the fastest, most powerful, most advanced, etc. Yet makers of gizmos and gadgets are looking into fresh ways to make geeky consumers get excited about their products. They are increasingly incorporating unusual, wacky and … Read More

The Baby Boomer Path to Starting a Business

By Mark Miller - Feb 7, 2008 - 10 Comments

We've all heard the predictions. Baby boomers won't retire -- they'll start second careers. And many of them will become entrepreneurs. What does that really mean? In many cases, they'll be sole proprietors -- people who set up one-person shops that leverage the expertise and contacts built up … Read More

New Business Ideas: Design is King

By Steven Teo - Feb 3, 2008 - 6 Comments

Design is the new mantra for many business executives and owners. Apple's business success is due partly to the irresistible yet practical design of its products, including the bestselling iPod line. A winning product design is key to attracting influential customers who will in turn spread it … Read More

Starting a Business at Age 50+

By Anita Campbell - Jan 31, 2008 - 10 Comments

Mark Miller, one of our contributing experts here who covers Baby Boomer entrepreneurship, produced a video interview you should catch. He interviews Jeff Williams, founder of BizStarters, which helps entrepreneurs age 50 and over start businesses. Mark also launched a new website about … Read More

Fortunately, Americans are Becoming Less Likely to Start Businesses

By Scott Shane - Jan 28, 2008 - 39 Comments

The proportion of the U.S. population that is starting businesses is shrinking. Data from the Federal Reserve show that the proportion of America households that own a business declined from 14.2 percent in 1983 to 11.5 percent in 2004. Data from the Small Business Administration shows that, on … Read More

How to Increase the Odds of Staying in Business

By Staci Wood - Jan 25, 2008 - 6 Comments

You've probably seen the scary statistical odds regarding starting your own business - over half fail within the first 5 years. Ouch. So what can you do? What DO you do - to improve those odds and not become a statistic yourself? Well, you can start by doing some industry research. Scott … Read More