Table of contents: VOL. 16, NO. 2 - March 1, 2006
COVER STORY
Classes for would-be entrepreneurs are a hot trend at America's universities. But can risk taking and originality be learned? (more)

Features
After it launched a portable tentlike structure that lets maintenance workers better contain dust and mold, Los Angeles-based Mintie Technologies watched sales increase ninefold in three years. (more)
These universities offer some of the most innovative programs for fledgling business owners. (more)
Today a lemonade stand. Tomorrow, the world! A nonprofit is helping develop entrepreneurship in children. (more)
What two empire builders wish they had learned in the classroom. (more)
For an independent manufacturer of stereo components, the standard black metal box wasn't good enough anymore. (more)
Monks serve God by selling toner. (more)
A startup helps employees who are sick of navigating the health-care bureaucracy. (more)
Can a small putter maker -- powered mostly by word of mouth -- find the green against bigger rivals? (more)
When our manufacturing business tanked, we recovered by finding radically different customers. (more)
A recent court ruling lays down new guidelines for transferring a business to your kids. (more)
Seeking new sales to Wal-Mart, a produce supplier goes high tech. (more)
An intrepid business owner hits the trail with a trio of rugged ultralight notebooks. (more)
A new breed of computer sleuth helps business owners track misdeeds among workers. (more)
A small U.S. firm hopes to turn old Soviet plutonium warheads into electricity for Russia, and maybe even keep nukes out of the hands of terrorists. (more)
A yacht broker confronts his growing pains with help from FSB. (more)
A maker of parts for the box industry is listening more to its employees. (more)
Three young MBAs hope to profit from selling outerwear for boaters that isn't bulky. (more)
off hours
From bowls made of vinyl records, to handbags made of billboards, see old goods made new by creative small companies. (more)
An Internet search engine aims to make philanthropy as easy as surfing the web. (more)
Three up-and-coming designers are building companies that could change the way you dress. (more)

The new, toylike FJ has charm to spare. (more)
startup


A real estate queen seeks fame on the TV screen. (more)

Buying a Tijuana factory looked like a bargain route to expansion--until our small company got deeply into it. (more)



When it comes to the National Association of Manufacturers and China, the old political cliche is apt: You gotta pay to play. (more)

the edge
Call me old-fashioned, but I get suspicious when a shop wants my fingerprints. (more)
RECENT ISSUES
FEATURES
Entrepreneurs are finding that creating eco-friendly offices costs a bit more up front but can deliver lasting benefits. |more|
More cities are requiring restaurants to tell customers how much fat is in that burger. Smart business owners are embracing the trend. |more|
At the Bitter End, some of the world's best sailors take amateurs - including many entrepreneurs - on a wild ride. |more|
FSB's makeover squad helps a shoemaking couple chart a growth plan. |more|
Facing a dwindling supply of American tech workers, employers struggle to hire skilled foreigners. |more|