Entrepreneur Magazine: April 2005

Honor Roll
By teaching everything from planning to perserverance, the schools in our 3rd Annual Top 100 Colleges and Universities give their students a competitive advantage in the real world.

Bon Voyage!
Wherever your business destination may be, and whatever your budget, the winners of our 12th Annual Business Travel Awards will help you travel in comfort and style.



Be Your Own Boss Features
Top Notch
Meet the industry leaders of our 2005 Franchise 500®.

Fear Factor
What's really holding you back from starting your own business? These 31 tips will help you face your fears and finally get the guts to become your own boss.

Biz 101
Chew on This
Cater to customers with food allergies, and you'll be sure to get a good reaction.

Count Me In
Scared of numbers? With these accounting tips, you won't be.

Anger Management
How to deal with irate customers without losing your cool

View From the Top
See how a year's worth of changes helped our tech makeover winner take her business to new heights.

Biz U
My Hero
Let a mentor guide you on the path to success while sidestepping the potholes.

Innovations
Top Honors
Winning a contest can catapult your invention into the mainstream.

Opportunities
Baby Love
One couple's desire to welcome their new child inspires their small-business dreams.

Think Ink
This franchisee is making his mark with a printer cartridge shop.

What's New 04/05
If you can stand the heat, then get in the kitchen.

Smart Ideas
Smart Ideas 04/05
Getting kids cooking, non-violent computer games and more

Success Coach
Monkey on Your Back
Do all bad habits hurt your business? Decide which ones to give the boot.

What's Your Problem?
Legal Issues
Make sure to answer these three legal questions when starting a homebased business.

Biz Travel
Fare Well
Before taking off, learn how to get the best deals on airfare.

Books
Work It
Take these disciplines, add lots of hard work, and master the art of running your company.

Capitol Issues
Thin is In
With new rules, the SBA hopes to cut big companies from its procurement numbers.

Forward Features
All the Rage
Angry consumers are using the internet to get revenge. How can you keep them happy?

Raising the Bar
The new affordable impulse buy is all about the Benjamins.

Out to Lunch
Midday meals and business deals are pairing up again.

Space Cowboys
High-profile entrepreneurs pursue the final frontier.

In Full Boom
Economy got you down? Change may be on the way.

Get Wiki With It
Boost group productivity--and cut down on e-mails--with Wiki.

Bottom Dollar?
Weakening U.S. currency could change how you do business.

Present Sense
New IM programs tell you where everyone is.

Sharing the Love
What's it really like being married to an entrepreneur?

Forward Snapshot
Snapshot 04/05
Dawn Barnes, 40s, founder of Dawn Barnes Karate Kids Inc. in Santa Monica, California

It Figures
It Figures 04/05
Distracted during conference calls, productivity at home and more

Seen and Heard
Bright Ideas
Spark your marketing genius by reading what other innovative entrepreneurs are up to.

Tech Toy
Lap of Luxury
This chair remembers just the way you like it.

Wheels
For All Van Kind
With plenty of cargo space and luxury features, these minivans are one giant leap for your business.

Women
Lonely at the Top
Success can be isolating, so learn how to stay connected.

Almost Famous
Well-Read
From cutting hair to inspiring hispanic readership, Rueben Martinez's novel idea is a story for all ages.

Editor's Note
School of Thought
No matter what you studied, your education can help guide you.

Feedback
Feedback 04/05


Resources
Resources 04/05
Websites, organizations, events and more to grow your business

Lead Buzz
Lead Buzz 04/05
Sexual harassment training, biometric employee tracking and more

Lead Snapshot
Return Engagement
Not your typical turn of events when Splitsville brings an ex-couple to begin a business

Legal
Fee-dom of Choice
Do you know your legal service billing alternatives?

Real Deal
The Flinch
One technique every deal-maker should master

Smart Moves
Keeping It Fresh
R&D is being neglected in too many companies. Here's how to ensure your product pipeline is flowing with imaginative and innovative ideas.

Staff Smarts
Thumbs Up
Using biometrics to keep your employees honest and save you money

Dollar Signs
Strike a Match
Offering company stock in your 401(k) plan can be risky business--learn how to avoid getting burned when playing with matches.

Funds
Working Assets
Looking long term with multi-cap growth funds

Insurance
Prep Work
Build your case to get major insurance claims.

Money Buzz
Money Buzz 04/05
Dotcom benefits for charity, VC investments and more

Money Snapshot
It's in the Cards
This day-spa owner uses gift card sales to give her cash flow a total makeover.

Personal Finance
Trust Exercises
Incentive trusts can get your heirs to jump through hoops for your money, but is one right for your family? Weigh the pros and cons.

Raising Money
Just Your Size
Don't make assumptions about a bank's lending methods based on size alone--here's how to find the bank that can help you cash in.

Tax Talk
Taxing Speeds
Keep your taxes in check in spite of fast growth.

Ad Wisdom
Lay it on the Line
If you want your e-mail to get opened, craft a compelling subject line.

Flash
Right as Rain
Want to get your business on the media's radar? Start rainmaking.

Net Sales
Get the Word Out
You don't have to entrust your announcements to snail mail anymore--the internet makes sending press releases easy and effective.

Retail Register
Fast Forward
Take a peek at the high-tech future of retailing.

Sales Success
Means to a Friend
No business is an island--solid connections are key to success. Make friends as well as customers with these time-tested tactics.

Sell Buzz
Sell Buzz 04/05
Promotional booklets, telemarketing's alive and kicking, and more

Sell Snapshot
Show on the Road
How do you overcome a ban on your product? Take to the streets, and educate consumers.

Tactics
Dare to Be Different
Successful marketing means standing out from your competitors. Here are 4 steps to shedding your look-alike image.

Buyer's Guide
Reaching Out
Range-extending options for your Wi-Fi setup stretch your dollar to the max.

Connections
Out and About
This ultraportable, voice-enabled memory stick gives new meaning to the term "mobile phone."

Digital Edge
Feel the Power
Faster than your current wireless network, able to send data leaping over cubicle walls in a single bound--it's Super-Duper G.

Gear
Gear 04/05
Tiny Macs, multi-function printers and flat-screen monitor reviewed

Net Profits
Happy Returns?
E-tailers are rethinking their policies to curb return fraud. Should you?

Tech Buzz
Tech Buzz 04/05
Improving online map services, expert web surfing and more

Tech Snapshot
Write Here, Write Now
This husband-and-wife publishing team is helping bloggers get their words out.

Wireless
Get the Message?
Life beyond text messaging

It's a Go
Avantgo is moving fast.