Business Operations

You can open a can with a can opener, but a can with a pull tab is even easier to open. So, why don't more cans come with pull tabs?

By Dave Roos

If that roll of toilet paper isn't lasting as long as it used to, it's not your imagination — companies are shrinking the sizes of their products while charging the same or even more. Here's why.

By Dave Roos

Amazon began disrupting logistics when it first formed in 1994 — and it's not stopping now. How does it and other e-commerce retailers get stuff to you so fast?

By Patrick J. Kiger

A finance expert explains the anti-takeover tool that Twitter hopes will stop Elon Musk's bid to buy the company.

By Tuugi Chuluun

No doubt you've seen this in a TV comedy: Someone dining at a fancy restaurant forgets their wallet and is sent to the kitchen to work off the debt. (Naturally, high jinks ensue.) But would this happen in the real world?

By Dave Roos

Started with good intentions, the Freedman's Bank was one of the first places where formerly enslaved African Americans could deposit their savings. But it closed down in less than a decade. What went wrong?

By Dave Roos

When you buy most fruits and vegetables in a supermarket, you might see that they're individually tagged with a sticker and a bar code. There's a lot of information in that four-digit code!

By Patrick J. Kiger

Want to put your money where your values are this holiday season? Certified B Corporations are companies that voluntarily commit to verifiable standards of social and environmental accountability.

By Patty Rasmussen

If you've priced out a vacation rental home on one of the popular booking sites, you might be wondering why they seem as expensive as hotels. What's behind the price increase and is it really out of line?

By Alia Hoyt

Cities across the globe are banning or limiting cruise ship traffic, while critics are challenging the resulting loss of revenue. Why do cities want them gone and is there a way to make everyone happy?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

The Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement has been adopted by many big companies around the world. So, how did it start and how does it differ from Six Sigma?

By Dave Roos

The U.S. food supply chain has been rocked by the coronavirus pandemic, but so far, it's still functioning. How long will that last?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Why after weeks and weeks is it still a problem getting toilet paper? Are people hoarding gobs of the stuff or is it more than that?

By John Donovan

Launched in 2010 after the Great Recession, Small Business Saturday (the day after Black Friday) has been growing in consumer awareness in America. But has it been a financial boon to small businesses?

By Nathan Chandler

Independent bookstores aren't dead! The buy local, shop local, eat local movement has kicked in and people are demanding the return of small, independent businesses in a world where the giants are trying to rule.

By Dave Roos

Which drives you crazier when on hold with a company? An endless loop of smooth jazz tunes or hearing "your call is very important" every 10 seconds? Scientists have actually studied what makes waiting on hold worse.

By Dave Roos

According to a new paper by tech company Polycom, "anywhere working" is on the rise in several countries, and employees recognize its advantages.

By Shelley Danzy

With the demise of mall staples like The Limited, the brands hanging on will have to rethink their entire approach to fashion to survive the 'mall-pocalypse.'

By Dave Roos

Is your cluttered desk a sign of creative genius or just chaos? Experts weigh in on whether either is really a true reflection of how your brain operates.

By Alia Hoyt

As more toll roads move away from cash, where does that leave drivers who don't have electronic passes? Or even exact change?

By Jesslyn Shields

You may be surprised at the types of businesses people have put on wheels. Cigar Lounge, anyone?

By Dave Roos

In an effort to discourage food waste, some all-you-can-eat buffets are charging diners whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs.

By Chris Opfer

HowStuffWorks Now interviews Rooster Teeth's Burnie Burns at SXSW on how to crowdfund a feature-length film.

By Jonathan Strickland

A startup app called OneGo aims to find a niche as a provider of all-you-can-fly pricing for domestic air travel, for those who can afford the monthly membership.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Creating a website can be a pricey proposition for a small business. There are grants out there that can fund website development, but the competition is fierce — and the grants often come with strings attached.

By Gerlinda Grimes