Read about business growth strategies used by successful entrepreneurs

  • Amy Nelson’s secret: Give clients control May 22, 2014, 8:39 pm  EDT

    Amy Nelson’s secret: Give clients control

    Amy Nelson started her home health care business when she was just 18 years old and couldn't even get a $3,000 bank loan. Now 12 years later, she's running a $50 million company that employs 4,000 people.

  • Brian White ​found a smarter way to ante up May 22, 2014, 8:39 pm  EDT

    Brian White ​found a smarter way to ante up

    Brian White started to chase his dream with a weak hand. Between credit cards, home equity, and cash he probably had $20,000 on hand — hardly enough to start his own printing business. But last year he had sales of $7.5 million — a long way for a guy who started in a townhouse basement.

  • Buzzient builds its enterprise buzz May 22, 2014, 8:16 am  EDT

    Buzzient builds its enterprise buzz

    Timothy Jones’ professional path shifted the moment he saw the aftermath of planes flying into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11.

  • Scott Galloway's business of telling stories May 21, 2014, 8:40 am  EDT

    Scott Galloway's business of telling stories

    Susie Films founder Scott Galloway has a genetic predisposition to reaching others through the power of story. His love of storytelling was born from growing up the son, grandson and great-grandson of ministers.

  • ​Single mom builds $33 million company from her basement May 20, 2014, 8:13 am  EDT

    ​Single mom builds $33 million company from her basement

    Many successful entrepreneurs aspire for years to open their own business before they finally get a chance. But for Karen Cooper, president of SmartIT Staffing, she said “it was almost a necessity.”

  • Contreras-Sweet takes lead at SBA May 19, 2014, 7:55 am  EDT

    Contreras-Sweet takes lead at SBA

    The newly appointed administrator of the Small Business Administration, Maria Contreras-Sweet has been described as a fierce champion who understands what it means to start a small business.

  • Amethyst Technologies' Kimberly Brown learned the science of business May 18, 2014, 7:58 am  EDT

    Amethyst Technologies' Kimberly Brown learned the science of business

    Kimberly Brown didn’t go looking for cash or credit before taking charge of Amethyst Technologies. Rather than worrying about financial backing, she set her sights on gaining expertise.

  • After a bootstrap beginning, ReTargeter hits its mark May 17, 2014, 9:54 am  EDT

    After a bootstrap beginning, ReTargeter hits its mark

    The founder believes that the company's bootstrap years were a major boon to attracting angel investors.

  • Home brewer turns hobby into millions May 16, 2014, 9:17 am  EDT

    Home brewer turns hobby into millions

    When Omar Ansari’s then-girlfriend gave him a home brewing kit 20 years ago, he wasn’t particularly excited about it. But his company, Surly Brewing, has rapidly grown into Minnesota’s fourth-largest brewery, earning national acclaim for its hoppy brews along the way.

  • SBA program helped new company survive as it built customer base May 15, 2014, 8:02 am  EDT

    SBA program helped new company survive as it built customer base

    When Mark Gibson and his wife co-founded their IT startup in 2000, they had no intention of growing a large company – they simply wanted a flexible business to support their family. Fourteen years later, IT consulting company Netwise Resources has grown from three employees to 35 employees.

  • ​Ryan Gilbert wants SBA to mean 'Speedy Business Administration' May 14, 2014, 9:34 am  EDT

    ​Ryan Gilbert wants SBA to mean 'Speedy Business Administration'

    Does your company need a small loan and can’t wait a month (or two or three) for your bank’s loan committee to make a decision? San Francisco-based Better Finance is a company that uses its financial technology to help banks process SBA loans faster — much faster.

  • ​Military vet uses SBA program to help fund his business May 13, 2014, 6:09 pm  EDT

    ​Military vet uses SBA program to help fund his business

    Col. Richard Elam and his wife, Kimberly, both active military in the Florida Army National Guard, launched a company that rents mobile entertainment equipment like rock walls and laser-tag setups with the help of the SBA.

  • Elocen CEO's experience lends company an edge Jun 14, 2013, 1:01 am  EDT

    Elocen CEO's experience lends company an edge

    Necole Parker is preparing for a long Monday — finishing the last of four proposals to be submitted for construction jobs in the last two weeks, three ...

  • Samovar Tea Lounge has expansion plans: Update Jun 14, 2013, 1:00 am  EDT

    Samovar Tea Lounge has expansion plans: Update

    Beginners to Bigshots featured Jesse Jacobs and Samovar Tea Lounge in the 2004 edition. Here we catch up on what has happened with the business since ...

  • Ready for takeoff after 30-year Army career Jun 14, 2013, 1:00 am  EDT

    Ready for takeoff after 30-year Army career

    Even if it were true that the entrepreneurial spirit is born and not made, it would still remain that this characteristic comes with no birthright of ...

© 2014 American City Business Journals. All rights reserved. Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 12/23/13) and Privacy Policy (updated 12/23/13).

Your California Privacy Rights.

The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of American City Business Journals.

Ad Choices.