CATEGORIES

How Small Shops Take Big Risks - It's not easy for mom-and-pops to try something new, because they rarely have a safety net to fail.But there are ways to innovate cautiously-as one small business on our list, All My Heart tattoo studio, has found.

The Charlotte, North Carolina, studio is airy and suffused with natural light. In the reception area, there are modular chairs, midcentury couches, and a vase of fresh flowers on a Japanese-influenced cabinet. But the real surprise goes beyond aesthetics. All My Heart's owner, Graham Beech, isn't just playing with a new look; he's trying out a whole new business model. Historically, tattoo shops have wanted to control the clientele, and use the tattoo artist as kind of a cog in the wheel, Beech says. What's different about our business is that the client is the artist, and they have their own individual clients.

5 Ways to Multitask Your Fall - From a corporate office to working from the living room, Emmy Award winner Mario Armstrong has five new products designed to make putting in the hours more enjoyable.

From a corporate office to working from the living room, Emmy Award winner Mario Armstrong has five new products designed to make putting in the hours more enjoyable.

You Can Hire Like Netflix - The streaming platform built an incredible team with a strategy called

Looking for a job? ClassDojo has 15 positions open, but heads up: The bar is death zone high, and they're in no rush to hire. The children's education company has a team of 220 and a hiring rate of 0.09% of those who apply.How can a company grow while hiring that slowly? The answer is "talent density", a concept that's gaining steam lately.

Speedy Growth Killed My Startup - We seemed to be rocking it-lots of press, major partnerships. Then we learned the harsh consequences of overlooking our customers.

Three months after I launched my company, we were featured in The New York Times. Other national outlets followed. The attention led to partnerships with Shake Shack, Bombas, Urban Outfitters, and hundreds of other major brands.You might think this sounds good. I sure did when it happened. Hockey stick growth is a sign of success, right? But it wasn't. My company, This App Saves Lives, had fallen into one of the most surprising and ultimately fatal traps for entrepreneurs: We grew before truly understanding our product-market fit. That mistake would ultimately result in the demise of our business.

How to Hire for the Future - Small businesses are struggling to find quality labor. So flip the conversation: Show workers how your business will set them up for opportunity.

Small businesses have a hiring problem. According to the July monthly jobs report from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), 19% of small businesses rank the inability to find quality labor as the single most important issue facing their company, while 38% reported job openings they could not fill. Overall, 49% reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill.

Three Pivots to $100 Million - How do you find a working business model? Do it like Rowan-a brand that reinvented itself many times before finally piercing the ear-piercing market

If you have a tween girl, you've probably heard of Rowan. It's the cool brand for piercings, where licensed nurses insert hypoallergenic studs into thousands of ears every day. With more than 500 employees, it's on track to have 65 stores and an annual run rate of $100 million in revenue this year.But in 2017, Rowan was just a fledgling startup with a great idea and a bad business model. It survived because founder Louisa Schneider was willing to pivot, and pivot, and pivot again, until its mission, profit, and market all clicked into place.

Trust Equals Sales

For their business to work, Dianne and Gabrielle Melillo need more than customers. They need a community that has total confidence in them.

HOW TRUST SAVED KFC

The former CEO of Yum! Brands explains how he turned around a struggling KFC and the important lesson it offers for anyone in franchising.

THE CURSE OF GROWING TOO FAST

FAIRE is a platform for small businesses, but it grew big the wrong way-almost becoming a $12 billion wreck. Here's how it fixed the problem, and why you should think twice before skyrocketing.

HOW TO ASK FAMILY FOR MONEY

Your friends-and-family fundraising round doesn't have to be scary and awkward. Here's advice from one of the world's leading investors.

MY MVP EMPLOYEE

One amazing team member can make an outsize impact on your business. We asked some of the shops on our list to share their No. 1 team member-and what makes them so special.

HOW TO BOUNCE BACK FROM A BAD REVIEW

A one-star review can hurt your egoand your business. But it's possible to prevent (and remedy!) this scary scenario.

America's Favorite MOM POP SHOPS 2024

HOW WE PICKED 150 BUSINESSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

The $414,000 Side Hustle

I have a day job-and a highly profitable interior design company on the side. Here's how I did it.

'Only the Strongest Are Going to Survive'

Brian Lee cofounded companies like LegalZoom and ShoeDazzle-and he believes a lot of conventional business wisdom is backward. Sure, it's harder to raise capital. But it's actually cheaper than ever to start a company. by JASON FEIFER

The Better Way to Fail

The next time something you do flops, here's a new way to learn from it.

Making the Midlife Leap

After getting laid off in her early 50s, Keri Gardner decided she wanted to control her own fate-so she bought a franchise with her 401(k).

A Quick Guide to Franchise Ownership Costs

Franchising costs money. Here's what everything means.

This Doughnut Franchise Is Hitting the Road

To grow, DonutNV needed a steady supply of delivery trailers. So last year, it started making them itself.

3 Steps to Find Your Perfect Franchise

There are many brands out there. Finding the right one is up to you.

This Fencing Franchise Is Ready for Growth

Superior Fence & Rail nearly doubled its sales in one year. How? By stepping back and focusing on fundamentals.

What Are a Franchisee's Role and Responsibilities?

If you're going to be a franchisee, you should know exactly what's expected of you.

This Dog-Training Franchise Is Zooming Ahead

After a rough few years, Zoom Room made major changes...and has emerged as a stronger, faster, very well-behaved business.

What's the Real Damage?

Most clean-up companies just fix messes, like fire or flood damage. But 911 Restoration's new CEO saw an opportunity to help with the other emergency they often encounter: customers' emotional trauma.

Mental Health Services, Franchised

The U.S. is facing a growing mental health crisis. Ellie Mental Health wants to be the solution.

2024 BUYER'S GUIDE - 1,546 Franchises to Buy

Want to own your own business? Search this comprehensive list there's something for everyone here!

'How AI Helped My Business'- Seven companies share how AI solved their common problems, like recruiting and customer service. You can follow their lead.

There are countless ways to use artificial intelligence at your business-so many, in fact, that the possibilities can be overwhelming. That's why we're starting with the basics. Here's how seven very different companies are using AI to help tackle essential problems that most businesses experience.

What I Had to Unlearn From Google- In Big Tech, people can build and wield reputations over long periods of time. In startups, you speak through action alone.

| launched a startup after years of working in Big Tech. To succeed, I'd need an entirely new way to work and think.

AI Tools That Actually Work - 20 AI tools that you can use now

The market is full of AI tools, but which ones are legitimately useful? Here's a rundown on 20 you can use now, recommended by entrepreneurs who love them.

Your Next Assistant May Be a Bot - For decades, we've been waiting for technology that can handle tasks for us

For decades, we've been waiting for technology that can handle tedious, time-consuming tasks for us. Finally, we're on the verge of getting it.