Small business news - CNNMoney.com

Heart-shaped pizzas hot for Valentine's Day

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:37:08 EST

Candy, flowers and bling may dominate Valentine's Day gifts, but this year, one more item is likely to be among the love offerings: heart-shaped pizzas.

Will your company back your new business idea?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:46:09 EST

"Intrapreneurship" can keep your job and your company interesting and competitive, but it comes with its fair share of obstacles. How to pitch your idea to the powers that be.

A gold mine in sterling silver beads

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:26:16 EST

Dave Schowalter, the son of a former gold miner, hit a gold mine of sorts when he started manufacturing specialty oval-shaped sterling beads.

Why companies hide their eco-friendly bona fides

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:15:19 EST

FORTUNE -- At the Kentucky home of Rob Samuels, the chief operating officer of Maker's Mark bourbon and grandson of founder Bill Samuels Sr., not far from the nature preserve on which the distillery sits, the 54-year-old first bottle the company ever made sits behind the bar. "If we were to open that bottle tonight, it would taste exactly like what we produce today," he says. Maker's is possibly the most environmentally friendly and socially responsible alcohol company in the world, but Samuels believes that the many initiatives the company has taken are just part of doing business. What most customers need to know is only that every time they peel off that red wax seal, they'll get what they are paying for.

Obama loan program turns a profit

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:52:16 EST

An Obama administration lending program set up to funnel cash to small banks was expected to cost taxpayers $1.3 billion. Instead, it will turn a profit of $80 million.

Small manufacturing firms want more from Obama

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:32:15 EST

A new Obama administration push to strengthen U.S. manufacturing has the support of smaller firms, but it might not be enough to stir many into action.

Small biz scores huge Angry Birds deal

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:09:39 EST

A small Seattle-based company hit it big after snagging the first-ever license to make Angry Birds baby products.

Kauffman Foundation Super Bowl ad calls on entrepreneurs

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:22:08 EST

Not many people know the Kauffman Foundation, but after this Sunday a lot more will have an idea.

$34,000 in debt, wants to start a business

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:53:01 EST

Michele Heyward has a big heart. When friends or family struggle financially, she is always there to help with a mortgage or car payment or clothes for the kids. Recently she has been spending more than $1,800 a month on others.

Small biz loan demand up, Federal Reserve says

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:19:01 EST

A growing portion of the nation's banks saw a spike in demand for loans to smaller firms late last year, according to the latest Federal Reserve figures.

Revive Made in USA? Easier said than done

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:51:00 EST

President Obama wants companies to manufacture their products in the United States, but small business owners say that's about as easy as walking a minefield.

Men's underwear leaves the Stone Age

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:27:51 EST

FORTUNE -- The days of over-sized jeans sagging from the derrieres of men everywhere are no more. Skinny jeans, tailored pants, and fitted oxfords are de rigeur, leaving little room for excess fabric in the undergarment department. Boxers or briefs used to be the only question men needed to ask themselves, but today, the options have grown. Five years ago, Tom Patterson was a medical-device sales rep by day and an avid-viewer of CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch by night. "All of the featured products or services ... were created out of personal frustration," recalls Patterson. "I found myself constantly looking around, asking, 'What can I make better?'" During the financial crisis, Patterson was laid off from a sales job he held for six years. During his down time, he realized that one of the biggest fashion annoyances he faced while he was working was a fabric gut -- that baggy bump just above the belt line caused by a loose-fitting undershirt.

Chinese New Year makes U.S. biz uneasy

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:53:58 EST

As China celebrates the New Year by ushering in the Year of the Dragon, U.S. small companies with exposure to the country are doing more hand-wringing than rejoicing.