Entries for October 2007

Here's a question: If you've been successful as an "entrepreneur" in the black market—selling stolen TVs online, say—what are the chances you could be successful taking those same skills into a more legal business setting? Is there any correlation between illegal business performance and legal business ventures? A recent study holds good news for young crooks looking to go straight—and offers a unique take on what, exactly, separates winners and losers in business.

Even in uncertain times, small-business owners tend to keep their chins up. Finding a way to scrape along when credit is tight and energy is expensive is an essential part of the entrepreneurial badge of courage. Still, a survey released this week by American Express shows just how much managers, in spite of their usual stoicism, are sweating it through the market's recent ups and downs—and staying up nights worrying about hiring, healthcare, and cash flow.