Company Structures & Ownership

Entrepreneurs in the 2010s are poised for a comeback. And a lot of credit for that belongs to Generation Y, or what I call "Generation Entrepreneur."

Your business needs direction, and writing a business plan will provide it. But make sure to include these components -- and avoid a few common mistakes.

For a smart small-business owner, there's no such thing as downtime. When business slows, it's the perfect time to step back and do some strategic planning.

A tax-policy advocacy group's study of the 280 most profitable companies finds that they pay far less tax than small businesses.

Lower than expected revenue and the failure of discount retailer Syms suggest that small retailers will face major challenges this holiday season.

Want to make a Gen Y worker happy? Don’t give her a raise, just let her use her own smartphone.

Harry McCracken can't get enough of his Google Voice service. Here's why it -- or a similar tool -- might be a great fit for your small business, too.

American Express' second annual event aims to jump-start small business retailers. Here's how your business can join the fun.

Big banks don’t really care if you leave them, and that's exactly why you should do it anyway. Also: busting the government-regulation myth.

As the Fed ponders the right road to economic recovery, the pace of small-business hiring is still stuck in neutral.

The credit crunch is killing small businesses. If we're serious about creating jobs, we need to get serious about solving this problem.

Small businesses need effective tools to measure and track their online marketing efforts. Kout isn't one of those tools.

Think you're ready to be a franchisor? Make sure you're prepared to overcome these common hurdles to growth.

No matter how much you invest in social media, all roads still lead to a single marketing destination: Your company's website.

The New Yorker says “Big Is Beautiful” and small businesses have been overhyped. But like other critics of small businesses, they’re missing the point.

Windows 7 could have - frankly should have had - a good run too

Lucas Sommer was a struggling music engineer when he decided to take on a day job to pay the bills. But when opportunity knocked, he didn't hesitate to answer.

Some stores say they'll open at midnight the day after Thanksgiving. Should small retailers consider extending their hours, too?

When a small business needs to hire salespeople, manufacturers' reps can be an affordable, effective alternative to an in-house sales team.