Many small-business owners report a sense of isolation. They say it can be hard to find someone to talk to who can empathize with their concerns. It may not be appropriate to share those concerns with employees. Friends and family members may not appreciate the stresses of business ownership. In Conversations, we present the concerns, the struggles, the joys of ownership that only business owners can fully appreciate. In their own words.
Articles in the Series
From Surviving Katrina to Spreading the Word About Entrepreneurship
After Hurricane Katrina wiped out his construction business in New Orleans, Kevin Langley refocused his life as he rebuilt his company, traveling the world as head of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization.
September 20, 2012, Thursday
Leaving Investment Banking to Turn Around a Family Nut Business
Jeffrey Braverman left Wall Street and concentrated on increasing the Newark Nut Company’s Internet sales.
April 19, 2012, Thursday
A Groupon Alternative Aims to Offer Small Businesses a Better Deal
Constant Contact’s chief says its SaveLocal service picks up where daily deal sites like Groupon and LivingSocial fall short.
March 14, 2012, Wednesday
Bankruptcy Becomes Unaffordable for Small Businesses
Legal changes and increased costs have pushed troubled companies to liquidate their assets instead of reorganizing, says Chuck Benjamin.
February 29, 2012, Wednesday
After South Boston, Opening a Restaurant Is Child’s Play
Barbara Lynch grew up in a tough environment and started cooking for pay at age 13. She now runs nine culinary businesses in Boston that produce $19 million in annual revenue.
January 05, 2012, Thursday
Bringing Manufacturing Back to the United States
A maker of tap handles for home brewers plans to shift production as labor costs in China rise.
October 13, 2011, Thursday
AHAlife Brings Sense of Discovery to Online Shopping
AHAlife, a Web shopping site founded by Shauna Mei, offers niche products suggested by people considered to be trendsetters.
June 30, 2011, Thursday
Wells Fargo Bankers Defend Their Small-Business Lending
Two of the company’s top executives spoke about the criticism levied against them and the challenges of doing business during the economic crisis.
May 26, 2011, Thursday
Letting Go Is Hard, Some Business Owners Say
Paul Spiegelman nearly sold a majority interest in his call center company, Beryl, in 2010, but he abandoned the deal.
May 12, 2011, Thursday
Lessons Learned From an Unsuccessful Retail Venture
Some questions for the founder of the online marketing firm OrangeSoda (and the owner of 300 pairs of sunglasses).
April 14, 2011, ThursdayCollecting From Slow Payers - Small Business Guide
Even in a tough economy, there are ways to get paid without hiring a collections agency or alienating clients.
April 07, 2011, Thursday
Chief of MultiFunding Assesses Small-Business Credit Markets
Ami Kassar started MultiFunding to help small businesses find and negotiate loans.
February 10, 2011, Thursday
Convincing Even the Skeptics to Go Green
L. Hunter Lovins, president of Natural Capitalism Solutions, says making your business more environmentally friendly is just good business.
February 03, 2011, Thursday
Reflections of a Car Dealer Who Didn’t Pay His Taxes
Gary Barbera was once a Chrysler dealer with annual sales exceeding $100 million. Now he owes nearly $150,000 in taxes and fines and wears an ankle bracelet monitor.
December 16, 2010, Thursday
Eric Lefkofsky, Groupon Backer, on Why Social Media Is Hot
Eric Lefkofsky, a businessman with an estimated worth of $750 million, extols the virtues of Groupon, a social-coupon Web site he bankrolled.
November 18, 2010, ThursdaySEARCH 34 Articles in the Series:
MOST POPULAR - BUSINESS DAY
- Sites That Pay the Shopper for Being a Seller
- Economic Scene: Health Care as Income for the Poor
- Advertising: At Ad Week, the Vital Role of Digital Marketing
- Auto Sales Are Highest in 4 Years
- Bucks: The Boom (and Bust) That Your Mortgage Bonds Built
- Economic View: For the Wealthy, a 28 Percent Solution
- DealBook: T-Mobile Seals Deal With MetroPCS
- DealBook: In Market Rebound, a Windfall for Wall Street Executives
- Stephen Frankfurt, Artist on Madison Ave., Dies at 80
- Chief Steps Down at a Company Serving Electric Cars
- BP Posts Unexpectedly Large Loss
- The New York Times Co. Posts a Loss
- U.S. Economy Slowed to a Tepid 1.5% Rate of Growth
- Los Angeles Times Editor Openly Defies Owner's Call for Job Cuts
- Helping Hand for Time's Print Empire
- Holding Up a Mirror to Journalism - The Media Equation
- Bold Strategy for Growth in Japan Leaves Blanks to Fill
- Cheil Worldwide Completes Deal to Buy McKinney
- Small Businesses Open Storefronts on Facebook
- Europe's Auto Industry Has Reached Day of Reckoning
