Entrepreneur Magazine: February 2003

Stay Home?
If the great global future of business is here, so far it's not much to look at. Are you trying to find a path to international success in today's world economy?

It's Really Something Else
Want to know one surefire method to keep your business growing? It's high time you diversified.



Be Your Own Boss Features
Who New?
The top 50 latest additions to the world of franchising

You Are What They Eat
A how-to for the budding restaurateur

Biz 101
Big Deal! Now What?
Congratulations, you've scored a huge client. Now the real work can begin.

Read All About It
What goes on in the VC world? One magazine tells it like it is.

Kids Say the Darndest Things
. . . Especially if you ask what they think of your product.

Tall Tales
Don't believe everything you hear about starting a business.

Innovations
Got a New Idea?
If the answer is "not really," don't worry; just buy the rights to someone else's invention and reap the profits. Now that's a bright idea.

Opportunities
A Perfect Fit
This jack-of-all-trades became a master of one: real estate.

Wedding Planner
Playing matchmaker for brides and businesses

What's New 2/03
Heeding the call for the latest cell phone goodies

Real Life
Road to Ambition
What's it really like to buy a franchise? Read part one of our ongoing series following one couple's exciting trek to entrepreneurial success.

Smart Ideas
Never-Ending Stories
Here's the tale of one entrepreneur who refused to close the book on her favorite out-of-print classics.

What's Your Problem?
Match Made in Heaven
How do you approach a potential partner without stepping on anybody's toes?

Almost Famous
Put It There
This entrepreneur will never find his pockets empty--no matter how many of them he has.

Editor's Note
Time Out


Creative Zone
The Mental Picture
Bringing your definition of creativity into focus

Insurance
Imperfect Fit
What to do when your nonstandard business meets your standard insurance

Legal
Imperial Guard
If you want a global empire, you'll have to tackle international trademark protection.

Management Buzz
Management Buzz 2/03
How elder caregiving affects your business; closing the door on an employee tax scam

Real Deal
Out of Nowhere
Tapping your inner deal-maker

Smart Moves
Worth a Try
Who knows what's going to work? So put as many ideas as you can to the test.

Staff Smarts
Employee Interrupted
Would employees get more done if they were unavailable every now and then?

A+ Ads
Altered State
Don't restrict your ads to the same clichéd images. Break away with visual special effects to create more bite.

Breakthrough
Novel Opportunity
A big deal puts a small publisher on the map.

Marketing Buzz
Marketing Buzz 2/03
Advertising on pizza boxes; getting your business in the world record books

Net Sales
Don't I Know You?
Affiliates can be your best friends--that is, if you treat them right.

Sales Force
Hot for Cold Calls
It's a red-hot marketing tool. But how do you get reps to warm up to picking up the phone?

Sales Success
Booster Club
Persuading your customers to refer you to their friends isn't as hard as you think.

Tactics
No-Fail e-Mail
The art of writing e-mail marketing messages is a valuable one. So why haven't you mastered it yet?

Dollar Signs
Vulture Capital
You can't beat the big creditors to the bones of a bankrupt client, so what do you do?

Funds
World of Opportunity
Domestic funds tasting sour? Try some international flavor.

Money Buzz
Money Buzz 2/03
A 401(k) option for entrepreneurs, getting capital from an IRA and more

Personal Finance
The Man With the Plan
It's time to decide what kind of financial planner you need.

Raising Money
Solid Backing
Even SBICs feel this economy, but they may have the resources to make your deal work.

Tax Talk
You Need a Raise
No use paying yourself less. The IRS is cracking down on disguised dividends.

Biz Travel
Safety First
Can your business travelers defend themselves?

Books
Trust Me?
If employees can't answer "yes," this book can help you.

Capitol Issues
Bend the Rules
Are overtime laws too rigid? congress is looking at ways to increase their flexibility.

Hot Seat
I Dream of Genes
Meet a man with the courage to see human genetics as the business opportunity it is.

It Figures
It Figures 02/03
Online-ad trends, personal use of the Internet at work, a look at how small businesses are cutting their budgets, and more

Smarts Features
There's Risk Involved
Can risking your life on a mountainside make you a better entrepreneur?

I'll Take Seconds
Consumers' good memories have them clamoring for the brands they used to love.

Snowe Days
Ushering in a new leader at the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

Take It Outside
Should you outsource the business processes you can't handle to another country?

Is It Real?
Reality is quickly becoming outdated. Can virtual reality make your business better?

Board Games
Scared your board may be up to no good? Take a hard look at who's serving on it.

Beggar's Market
This business got some fast cash the old-fashioned way: The owners begged for it.

Animal Instincts
Discovering your company's combat style can lead to more productive conflicts.

Playing Well With Others
Being the boss is tough. Do your employees wish you'd get an attitude adjustment?

Talk of the Town
Think your city is too small to build a business in? How does population 650 sound?

Snapshot
Natalie Chanin & Enrico Marone-Cinzano
41, 39, co-founders of Project Alabama in Florence, Alabama

Tech Toy
Digital Fridge
Employees can munch and work on the Web at the same time with this time-saver.

Wheels
New-Car Smell
See what you think of these never-before-seen models.

Women
Proof Positive
Want the full benefits of a woman-owned business? Get your company certified.

Buyer's Guide
Serve and Project
Big on features and small in size, the latest portable projectors are at every mobile warrior's beck and call.

Digital Edge
Head to Head
Where do you stand in the midst of the printer and Ink showdown between Dell and HP?

Gear
Gear 02/03
A space-saving LCD; an external drive that lets you password-protect your disks

Hot Disks
Hot Disks 02/03
Getting organized, voice navigation and more

Net Profits
It's PayPal Time
Online retailers are discovering that alternative payment services fit their businesses to a "T."

Solutions
What's the Story?
If you're in the market for a trustworthy IT consultant, work your connections and find out.

Tech Buzz
Tech Buzz 2/03
PDA prices are dropping.

Wireless
Band Aid
Dual-band adapters give the best of both worlds.

Ring It Up
Giving new meaning to the term "pay phone"