Small Business

Vying for a school lunch revolution

Riding the wave of a larger school lunch reform movement, Revolution Foods aims to deliver healthy food to the cafeteria table, without sacrificing profits. More

How small businesses grow, even in a tough economy

This year's Inner City 100 companies have fought off a sluggish economy through a combination of smart investment and savvy strategy. Here's how they are doing it. More

Main Street's uneven recovery

For some small business owners in Sayville, New York, Main Street feels like a "ghost town." Play

The booming oil boom business

Illinois-based Elastec/American Marine has seen demand for their oil cleanup products grow since they helped cleanup the Deepwater Horizon spill in the gulf. Play

100 fastest growing inner city businesses

From a Brooklyn craft brewer to an event tent designer, America's urban core is home to a host of novel, fast-growing small businesses. Here's the top 100. More

Industrial ghost town? No, startup boomtown.

In the next 10 years, more than a billion square feet of urban industrial space will be vacant. Already, small businesses are laying claim to the post-industrial lots, often at a bargain. More

Brewing a bigger business in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Brewery has grown from a small brewery to a craft beer powerhouse. Launching it to No. 67 on the Inner City 100. Play

Mobile banking for Spanish speakers

With Refundo, Roger Chincilla and Grimaldy Dominguez have set out to empower their community through mobile banking. More

From tiny jungle town to a gourmet city shop called MarieBelle

Long before Maribel Lieberman launched MarieBelle, a gourmet chocolate shop and factory in New York City, she was a little girl growing up in the jungles of Honduras. More

El Pichy Films: A joke turned into a company

What started as a joke between two cousins, dubbing American films with Cuban slang, has become a full-fledged video production company. More

Entrepreneur left Colombia and never looked back

A Colombian fashion designer traveled to the United States to learn English and improve business back home. She stayed instead and launched Kanti Organics. More

Cutting the cost of prescription glasses

Online retailers say that stylish prescription frames can be purchased online for a fraction of the cost. Play

Best states for small business

New Thumbtack.com/Kauffman Foundation survey of 6,022 small businesses reveals their most, and least, business-friendly states. More

Manufacturers to banks: We need money now

U.S. manufacturers, in the midst of a business boom, say banks aren't easily giving them the loans they need to ramp up production. More

Romney: Obama worst for small business since Carter

Mitt Romney has called President Obama the worst for small business since former President Jimmy Carter. He said Obama's made it "harder for small business to thrive." More

Winner of Wal-Mart's 'American Idol'-like contest is...

HumanKind Water: The bottled water company with a social conscience wins most votes, and top prize, in Wal-Mart's 'American Idol'-like contest. More

Selling America's bunkers

Edward Peden and his wife run an unusual business: 20th Century Castles sells old missile sites as bunker homes. More

From Honduran village to chocolatier

Maribel Lieberman, the founder of Mariebelle Chocolates, says that immigrant entrepreneurs shouldn't be afraid to start a business in the U.S. Play

Banks slash retailers' debit card fees

With every swipe of a customer's debit card, retailers must pay transaction fees to the card issuer. But those fees have been sliced almost in half, due to a government cap that was imposed last year. More

Startups a smaller share of U.S. businesses

The last 30 years has seen a steady drop in the share of young firms compared to all firms, and the trend persisted in 2010, according to a new report. More

Cosmetics for aging women: Worth a million

Julie Mahloch discovered that few places addressed beauty questions for older women. So she started a website that did and made a million dollars in revenue. More

End of FDIC program may hurt small firm lending

An FDIC program insuring small business accounts is set to end later this year. The move could hurt community banks' lending to small firms. More

Unique summer camps

Forget roasting marshmallows and singing campfire songs. These 5 summer camps have kids doing Hollywood stunts, launching businesses, and learning the ins and outs of becoming a secret agent. More

5 ways small biz can attract big clients

Winning business from the Fortune 500 is a great way to put your company on the map. More

Digging up $60k of truffles a year

Jack Czarnecki hunts rare black and white truffles in Oregon to use for his restaurant and truffle oil business. Play

Training for the zombie apocalypse

Zombie Survival Course in southern New Jersey shows campers how to hotwire a car, suture wounds, and ward off the undead with specially designed combat tactics. Play

I can't find qualified employees

Although millions are unemployed, some small business owners are having a hard time finding employees with specialized skills. More

China offshores manufacturing to the U.S.

Stung by rising costs at home, big Chinese manufacturers now see the U.S. as a more lucrative spot to open plants in America. More

John Paul DeJoria: Adventures of a serial entrepreneur

You know Paul Mitchell and you know Patrón. Now meet John Paul DeJoria. More

How can I get financing for a small biz start-up?

You may have a great idea, but without a comprehensive business plan and some money of your own to get started, getting a loan or grant will be tough. More

Digging up $60k of truffles a year

Jack Czarnecki hunts rare black and white truffles in Oregon to use for his restaurant and truffle oil business. Play

Inside the NFL Draft factory

NFL hopefuls like Trent Richardson spend a lot of time and money in training academies like Athletes' Performance to try to improve their draft stock. Play

Innovative financing for small business owners

These small business owners bypassed traditional bank loans for innovative funding strategies to keep their companies afloat. More

Connecting bestsellers to the real world

Small Demons plans to mine printed works for the content inside, connecting people, places, and other things mentioned inside. Play

For entrepreneurs, are incubators worth the trouble?

While many entrepreneurs vie for admission to prestigious incubators like Y Combinator, some are opting out, at least for now. Here's why. More

How to get 4,000 people to take off their pants

Improv Everywhere's Charlie Todd describes what it takes to get strangers to act in unison, even if it's just for fun. More

U.S. Postal Service closings make small businesses nervous

As the U.S. Postal Service inches closer to a May 15th deadline for hundreds of facility closures, small business owners are weighing the impact it could have on them. More

Zip-lining adventures generate a million bucks

Ken Stamps' belief that more Americans want to do zip-lining in the states has paid off. His U.S. company Navitat Canopy Adventures recently made a million dollars in revenue. More

From private banker to high-end butcher

The meat business was in Terry Walsh's blood. Even so, he needed to learn a bit more before he could make the move from banking. More

Artwork made from your DNA

DNA11 creates portraits made from an image of your genetic code that you can hang in your living room. Play

Buffett Rule would only hit 1% of small business owners

As the U.S. Senate considers the Buffett Rule, a tax hike on the rich, they should note only 1% of small business owners are millionaires. More

Small firms avoiding loans, citing slow recovery

Still swimming in recession debt, small firms are staying away from loans. That stark reality contradicts complaints that major banks have been holding back credit from them. More

Baseball is my business

These 6 entrepreneurs built successful businesses from America's favorite pastime. More

From selling stocks to serving sandwiches

When the financial crisis hit Dubai, one stockbroker decided to trade stocks for sandwiches and open his own restaurant. Play

60 seconds to pitch Warren Buffett your business plan

Finalists at Rice University's Business Plan Competition were given 60 seconds to pitch their business to an imaginary Buffett on Thursday. Out of the 43 pitches we heard, here are Fortune's favorites. More

A Googler's advice to budding entrepreneurs

Google's Guatam Gandhi took home the top prize at the Rice University Business Plan Competition in 2004. He talks to Fortune about the startup climate in the U.S. and what aspiring entrepreneurs ought to know. More

Alabama's sweet manufacturing boom

Alabama is enjoying the best pickup in manufacturing activity and new factory jobs in five years. More

The banker who became a butcher

From Wall St. to gourmet meats; Terry Walsh left a lucrative banking job to pursue his dream of opening a Chicago butcher shop. Play

'Youngest-ever black CEO' charged with fraud

Ephren Taylor has written three books and touted his business success on national television. Now he is being charged with fraud. More

Your private driver via smartphone app

Uber offers a luxury car service to smartphone users, but the company charges a big premium for the convenience. Play

Upcoming small business competitions

Small businesses and startups looking for money can enter these 7 upcoming small business competitions and win as much as $100,000. Deadlines to apply are in April, May and June. More

JOBS Act opens fundraising doors for small firms

The new JOBS Act promises to help small companies with big dreams, allowing them to make investors out of everyday folks with fewer federal regulatory burdens. More

Turning flip-flops into a $1 billion brand

Makers of Havaianas flip-flops are riding the 'made in Brazil' tide and hoping to double sales. Play

Startup targets fracking water filtration

Austin-based startup Omni Water Solutions has developed a water filtration system that fits in the trailer of a big rig truck. Play

A farm for battle-weary veterans?

Veterans Farm in Jacksonville, Fla., helps rehabilitate soldiers who suffer from PSTD and depression while building their business skills in horticulture. Play

Charging iPhones using hydrogen power

SiGNa Chemistry has created a compound that when combined with water can create hydrogen to power iPhones, bikes, and even disaster areas. Play

Draw Something's fast rise and quick sale

A day before Zynga acquired his company, OMGPop CEO Dan Porter told CNNMoney that he wants his company to be able to make more offbeat games. Play

Cashing in on the Olympics

As the Summer Games approach, business picks up for a California leotard maker that outfits aspiring Olympians. Play

Pricey undies, made in the U.S.A.

Hanky Panky is one of very few apparel makers that makes its lingerie in America. Play

Turn your iPhone into a walkie-talkie

Voxer CEO Tom Katis hopes to build a freemium business off of his app that brings walkie-talkie functionality to smartphones. Play

Ohio's long road to recovery

The housing crisis and a wave of factory closings hit Ohio hard during the recession, but the state is starting to show small signs of recovery. Play

Inhaling caffeine. What a shot!

CNNMoney's Aaron Smith tests Aero Shot, the new caffeine inhaler that contains 100 mg of caffeine in one breathable serving. Play

Serious car-pimping in L.A.

Take a peek inside Galpin Auto Sports in Southern California where some of the most creative customized cars get their looks. Play

Making 'whoopie' from home

Amy Bouchard of Garinder, Maine, started a stay-at-home busines by turning her knack for whoopie pies into a profit. Play

Thanks Starbucks! Now I'm your competitor

The Gelato Fiasco got a loan funded by money from Starbucks' campaign for American jobs to open up shop down the block. Play

Loans based on your eBay and Amazon sales

Online lender Kabbage offers advances to small business owners based on their success as online merchants. Play

A wonderland of chocolate

Koppers Chocolate factory is the oldest and largest factory left in New York City. Play

Using social networks to boost biz

Stella + Dot, a direct sales jewelry company, uses social media to help increase sales. Play

Where Hollywood stars get dressed

The Western Costume Co. has been dressing Hollywood since the days of silent film. Here's how they got started 100 years ago. Play

Rising from Kodak's rubble

Despite Kodak's bankruptcy, the photography company has influenced many small to midsized companies in Rochester, N.Y. Play

Is this the future of mobile payments?

SCVNGR founder Seth Priebatsch hopes his new LevelUp app can use deals to get customers to pay for goods with their smartphones. Play

Converse searches for music 'All-Stars'

Sneaker co. Converse's new recording studio offers free, no strings attached sessions to indie bands in the hopes of social media hype. Play

Leaving the plastic (and fees) behind

Dwolla, of Des Moines, Iowa, is taking on credit cards by allowing users to transfer money and pay for items on their phones for a small fee. Play

Saving a Made-in-America business

After the New England Shirt Company shut down in 2009, Robert Kidder, a former worker, reopened it as a bespoke shirt manufacturer. Play

From jobless to whoopie pies

One couple in Massachusetts started a whoopie pie bakery after losing their jobs in the financial industry. Play

From jobless to whoopie pies

One couple in Massachusetts started a whoopie pie bakery after losing their jobs in the financial industry. Play

Hospital battles infections with robots

Technology startup Xenex manufactures a robot which uses UV light to disinfect hospital rooms that is showing some promise in cutting patient infection rates. Play

Scuba Santa swims with the sharks

Santa Claus actors like Bob Abrams take the temp job to the extreme, swimming in a shark-filled aquarium. Play

How I sold my startup 4 days after launch

About.me Co-founder Tony Conrad explains why he sold his startup four days after launching it and says 2012 will be a difficult year for tech companies. Play

Can a miracle berry end world hunger?

Chef Homaro Cantu is creating an inhalable form of the berry that will alter your taste buds into thinking bitter but nutritional weeds found everywhere are tasty. Play

Poppy Harlow crushes car with tank!

In Kosota, Minnesota, a small business lets people drive battle tanks and crush cars ... no joke! Play

SoundCloud: The YouTube of sound

Fresh off the launch of its San Francisco office, SoundCloud shows off its iPad app. Play

Georgia's hottest export: Chopsticks!

Georgia Chopsticks is the only U.S. manufacturer that exports the ubiquitous utensil to China. Play

Restaurants of the future

Chef Homaro Cantu serves innovative dishes using molecular gastronomy at his restaurants and runs his business through cloud computing technology. Play

Hot young business stars: My first success

Three of Fortune's 40 Under 40 picks talk about their first professional success and how they knew they had made it. Play

Breaking technology's diversity barriers

Attempting to bring more diversity to Silicon Valley, a pair of African-American entrepreneurs created an incubator to support minority-led startups. Play

Inside America's oldest brewery

Yuengling brewery started nearly 200 years ago in Pottsville, Penn. It turns out more than 2 million barrels of beer a year and is still family-owned. Play

Outsource your errands to a TaskRabbit

Sites like TaskRabbit and Zaarly let users outsource their everyday errands to people looking to make some quick cash. Play

How Haagen-Dazs got its start

Despite its foreign-looking name, Haagen-Dazs was the brainchild of a young entrepreneur who grew up selling ice cream in New York. Play

Slinky: Imitated but never duplicated

Other manufacturers have tried and failed to duplicate the classic toy, which is why every slinky sold in the world is still made in the U.S.A. Play

Behind the scenes of 'As seen on TV'

Inventors get five minutes to pitch their products to Telebrands, a major 'As Seen on TV' marketer. Play

Tech helps realtor overcome deafness

Jackie Roth has been deaf her whole life but, through the use of a unique technology she has been able to become a successful realtor in New York. Play

How Chick-fil-A was hatched

Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy started his first business at 8 years old, and is credited with creating the fast food chicken sandwich. Play

Get paid to climb wind turbines

Rope Partner trains and hires climbers to assess damage and perform maintenance on wind turbines. Play

Wedding bands from aerospace metal

The recession led jewelry designer Scott Kay to use cobalt, an affordable metal popular with the space industry. Play

Rent a $2,300 outfit for $175

Startup Rent the Runway is a company born out of the recession where you can rent high-end designer fashion for a fraction of retail prices. Play

NBA lockout slams small businesses

Cancelled games and the NBA lockout have local businesses and arena workers concerned about their bottom lines. Play

Return to main page

Apple to DOJ: Bite me
Postal Service offers $15,000 buyouts to 45,000 mail handlers
Farmers hit the jackpot in Kansas oil boom
How Tim Cook is changing Apple
Summer gas prices - as good as they'll get