CATEGORIES

SHOULD I SPEND BIG ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

Paid ads on social platforms can get your business in front of a lot of eyeballs. But don’t overlook the many other (and cheaper) ways to grow your customer base online.

Crisis Management - SHARING THE PROFITS

The sports drink company O2 is thriving during the pandemic, thanks to a counterintuitive decision: It started giving money away.

NAILING THE VIRTUAL INVESTOR PITCH

When seeking money these days, some things are different—and some are exactly the same.

DON'T SAY IT'S IMPOSSIBLE

If you think something is impossible, it will become impossible. It’s time to think differently.

BUILDING A FAMILY'S FUTURE

After his corporate career, a father wanted to set up his family for generations to come. Now he and his daughter run a Real Property Management franchise—together.

How We'll Thrive

Nothing will ever be the same, we’re told. The world is forever different. That may be true in some ways. We may want and create new things; we may engage with new technologies; we may be focused on new problems to solve. But let’s not forget: We can flourish in this new world, just as we did in the old. There’s still a bounty of possibilities, and an open sky for our ambitions. We do not need to settle for less. We can thrive. We will thrive. Here’s how.

Pivot Now, Thrive Later

Few things will look the same on the other side of this crisis, so don’t hang on to yesterday’s ideas. Here’s how five businesses ditched their original concepts and discovered even greater opportunities.

How We'll Connect

Entrepreneurship is not a solo experience. It’s a collective effort—building a team, finding partners, fostering relationships with consumers that could last days or decades. So while the pandemic has changed the way we connect, it hasn’t changed the simple fact that we must connect. With new tools, philosophies, and work-from-home strategies, we’re setting ourselves up for an interconnected future—whether by screen, in person, or a bit of both.

“Incredible Innovation Comes Out of Dark Times”

Sara Blakely has steered Spanx through 20 years of ups and downs, including personal devastation and global catastrophe. It has taught her a lot about the value of adversity.

The World's Best

Our list of 200 franchises that are expanding (and thriving!) around the globe.

Solve Tomorrow's Problems Today

We can still build sustainable businesses. But it’ll require thinking far ahead—and acting now.

HOW WE'LL FRANCHISE

As the pandemic has unfolded, questions have swirled around franchising. Can food service, its biggest category, survive in a time of social distancing? Will people continue to buy franchises in uncertain times? And can brands make large, expensive changes across hundreds or thousands of units? So far, the answer seems to be: Yes! The pandemic has shown just how resilient and adaptable franchising can be. Here’s what comes next.

HOW WE'LL BUILD

In the pandemic’s early days, celebrated investor Marc Andreessen wrote an essay about the power of entrepreneurship. “Every step of the way, to everyone around us, we should be asking the question, What are you building?” he wrote. “What are you building directly, or helping other people to build, or teaching other people to build, or taking care of people who are building?” On the following pages, entrepreneurs offer their answers.

The Wizard of Whopper

Fernando Machado is the marketing genius who turned Burger King (and Popeyes!) into a buzzy, relevant, always-on-point brand. Here’s how he pulls it off.

Business/Unsual – Schmidt's Naturals – “Naivete Can Be Really Helpful”

Jaime Schmidt built and sold Schmidt’s Naturals for millions. Her advice: Don’t focus too much on the challenges ahead. Just get going.

Calling Out Your Copycat

Founders are turning to social media to make noise when other brands encroach on their intellectual property. It’s a splashy way to defend your company, but can it actually help protect it?

A Laptop That Acts Like a Smartphone

5G laptops are debuting, and they’re promising something entrepreneurs need: nonstop connectivity.

Building a Family's Future

After his corporate career, a father wanted to set up his family for generations to come. Now he and his daughter run a Real Property Management franchise—together.

“As We Get Bigger, We Need to Think Smaller"

When Ben Weprin founded Graduate Hotels, he thought he’d created an eccentric brand that would never really scale. Six years later, it’s raised nearly a billion dollars and is building bespoke lodging next to colleges nationwide. Now he’s wondering: How much can you grow a company that’s based on local charm?

ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS BILLIONS

Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson’s career was stalling. Then Dany Garcia stepped in to help change everything.

THE CRAZIEST BET IN RETAIL

A little startup called Le Tote recently bought Lord & Taylor, one of the country’s oldest brands. What happens next may say a lot about the future of shopping.

Keep the Team Together

If you really want to make your employees happy, stop thinking like a boss… and start thinking like an employee.

Get That First Meeting

One big meeting can transform a startup—but how do you get in front of the right person? Six entrepreneurs share how they scored some coveted face time.

What's in a Name? WHEN THE BRAND IS YOU

After transforming the beauty industry and then leaving her namesake company, Bobbi Brown is leveraging her experience to create more new brands.

THE WAY TO SELL YOURSELF

Our opening sentence is our most important. And too many of us are getting it wrong.

Tap Your Network IT'S WHO YOU KNOW

When I lost my job, I felt like I lost everything. But I hadn’t. Here’s how I built a network that helped me rebound even stronger—and build a multimillion-dollar podcast business.

Location, Location, Location FOUNDERS, GO HOME

To attract the best investors and employees, startup founders once had to move to the coasts. But more and more, they’re returning to their roots to build their businesses.

JOINING FORCES TO GROW

After running her sign-and-awning business for 18 years, Nikki Taheri decided to turn the operation into a FastSigns franchise.

FROM FLYING HIGH TO PIZZA PIE

Former Air Force intelligence analyst Stephanie Moseley became a Marco’s Pizza franchisee. And yes, those jobs do have something in common.

Finding Investors FIRST, GET INVESTORS— THEN, MAKE THE PRODUCT?

When she set out to launch the new paint brand Clare, Nicole Gibbons was told to build first and raise money later. But to really create the startup she wanted, she’d have to go in reverse.