Jones Soda, the struggling maker of cult-favorite soft drinks, has agreed to be acquired by rival Reed's at a deep discount in a deal worth just shy of $10 million, the companies said Tuesday.

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:57:34 EST

In 2002, a group of Babson College entrepreneurship students ran out of room on their whiteboard. They had spent hours brainstorming new business possibilities, and the sudden space crunch threatened to cramp their creativity.

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:48:19 EST

Shuttered General Motors dealers hoping to get their business back should stay near the phone. General Motors is in the process of calling 661 dealers targeted for shutdown to offer them their franchises back, company executives said Friday afternoon.

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:57:08 EST

When Dr. Bradley Block, a family physician in Florida, began to investigate electronic medical record systems for his four-doctor practice, he discovered that many of the largest firms in the field were not particularly interested in his business.

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:51:01 EST

Main Street businesses shed another 18,000 jobs in February, bring the tally of jobs lost from America's small businesses to nearly 3 million since February 2008, according to a report released Wednesday by payroll processor ADP.

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:13:04 EST

Added incentives for banks to make Small Business Administration-backed loans will continue through the end of March, thanks to a fresh funding infusion authorized by Congress as part of Tuesday's bill extending unemployment benefits.

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:59:41 EST

Like many aspiring rock stars, Jared Gutstadt, 32, used to split his life in half. He held down a day job editing television shows for clients like Disney, MTV and VH1. He kept his nights free for what he really wanted to do: make music.

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:54:44 EST

Dozens of entrepreneurial hot sauce bottles line up on a typical grocery store shelf, but only two or three boast significant market share. Tops among them is Tabasco, which has been made by the McIlhenny Company out of Avery Island, La., since 1868. The company, still family-run and privately held, won't disclose its financials, but analysts estimate that the iconic brand -- which supplies countless bars, first-class airline cabins and the U.S. military with bottles of its red sauce -- owns about 20%-25% of the market.

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:52:32 EST

It's a chicken-and-egg problem that's plagued the credit markets for a year: Small businesses become riskier lending bets in a downturn, prompting banks to slash their lending. But tight credit cuts off the financing companies need to hire and grow, which in turn drags on the economy and causes more businesses to fail.

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:55:10 EST

When Jim Ball ran a traditional call center in Golden, Colo., in the late 1990s, employee turnover was rampant. Often, Ball was forced to hire just about anyone who walked in the door because few people were willing to commute to the call center and sit in a sterile cubicle for minimum wage.

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:58:10 EST

A batch of new restrictions aimed at curbing the most egregious credit card practices kick in Monday, but business owners will need to stay alert -- the new rules don't cover cards used for corporate purposes.

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:22:48 EST

In 2005, Harvard Business School student Josh Green was working as an intern at E Ink, the Cambridge, Mass., company that developed displays for the Amazon Kindle. His boss asked him to find an overseas manufacturer of electronic display components. How hard could that be?

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:59:33 EST

Small business loans continue to dry up at the nation's biggest banks. Eleven top TARP recipients -- including Wells Fargo, by far the nation's largest lender to small companies -- cut their collective small business loan balance by more than $2.3 billion in December, according to a Treasury report released late Tuesday.

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:37:24 EST

Olympic sponsorships don't have to cost millions. Meet 5 small companies with oddball official deals.

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:55:12 EST

For two years, Dr. James Smouse of Atlanta Oral and Facial Surgery tried to convince his younger partners to participate in a cash balance pension plan, a unique defined-benefit plan that offers business owners the opportunity to make hefty, tax-deferred contributions toward their retirement savings. But until the recession hit, they weren't interested.

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:13:46 EST

For years the online-software company HotSchedules had its head in the clouds.

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:58:18 EST

Looking for a business challenge? Try getting seven people in as many locations to sign a 45-page contract.

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:22:02 EST

When I moved to New York City from Calcutta, I wasn't planning a catering career. I had come to earn a master's degree in lighting design from Parsons the New School for Design. But as a foodie, I was dismayed by the city's Indian eateries: The good ones were pricey, while the more affordable restaurants served two-day-old curries.

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:13:50 EDT

A while ago I needed to hire an accounts payable person for my picture-framing business. We put an ad in the paper and received a good number of applications. One candidate jumped out from the pile: He had exactly the right background, and it didn't hurt that he asked for a slightly lower salary than we were planning on paying.

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:23:38 EDT

Like many retailers, Jim Hobart knows the value of a good testimonial.

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:02:17 EDT