Business

A Japanese company called ALE wants to create artificial meteor showers. Is this the first step toward the sky becoming a massive ad?

By Jonathan Strickland

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

You can learn about leadership in the darnedest of places. Like the 1980s television program "The Transformers."

By Christian Sager

Rooftop gardens and nap pods sound cool, but that's not what employees really value, nor do they help the bottom line, say experts.

By Dave Roos

No child needs a lemonade stand to make money, these days.

By Dave Roos

If advertisers buried hidden messages in commercials or print ads, would you be susceptible to them? Or are subliminal messages just a hoax?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

In the past, you practically had to get an MBA to learn how to write a business plan. But investors today value plans that are sharp and to the point — and you can easily figure it out online.

By Gerlinda Grimes

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

From Disney and Mattel to Apple and Amazon, countless U.S. business staples have started in someone's home. The Internet only makes this feat easier. Could your home be the incubator for the next big online company?

By Gerlinda Grimes

Is it true that online businesses have lower startup costs than traditional companies? Sometimes. Etsy shops are fairly cheap, but it'll be a different story if you're trying to launch the world's next great technology.

By Gerlinda Grimes

Licensing seems so arbitrary — why do you need a license to catch a fish, for example, but not to be a parent? Sometimes, though, you need to follow the rules and get one. Is selling things online one of those times?

By Gerlinda Grimes

Many companies that used to have dedicated business servers are now switching to cloud-based storage solutions. But cloud computing isn't for everyone, so take a few minutes to read this article before you shut down that server.

By Gerlinda Grimes

Improving Google rankings is an obsession for many businesses, and for good reason — it leads to more clicks, which leads to more customers. What can you do to beef up that all-important ranking?

By Gerlinda Grimes

Americans didn't always eat bacon for breakfast — it became a staple thanks to a cleverly created public relations campaign in the 1920s. And diamonds for engagement rings? Another clever PR job.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

Is two days too long to wait for that package? Amazon's counting on it.

By Clint Pumphrey

Some dot-coms were flat-out terrible ideas, while others were simply ahead of their time. What's the story behind these online companies with real-world failures?

By Alison Cooper

The idea of an incubator sounds like something forged in the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, but the business incubator concept dates back to 1959. Could a tech incubator be better than starting your business alone?

By Dave Roos

If you've had to work for someone to earn your weekly paycheck, the idea of being your own boss may seem incredibly liberating. Thanks to the rise of e-commerce, it's easier than ever to start your own business — as long as you have a few skills.

By Patrick J. Kiger

You have a great idea for the next disruptive technology, but you sure could use some cash and advice in order to attract a big-pocket investor. Could an accelerator be the answer?

By Dave Roos

Congratulations, you're opening your own small business. You'll face many decisions along the way, and one of the most important is determining the best business structure.

By Julia Layton

Forming a limited liability company (LLC) for your business -- a popular option -- may be to your tax advantage. Find out whether it is right for you.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

Whether you own a neighborhood coffee shop or a used car dealership that pulls in a few million, you need make sure that you're smart about your taxes (even if you hire a professional). Ready for a quick crash course?

By Julia Layton

It seemed like a good idea when AOL merged with Time Warner. But it wasn't. Here are 10 super bad business decisions and why they seemed really great back in the day.

By Dave Roos

Not every buggy whip company died with the advent of the motorcar. Some nimble businesses are able to reinvent themselves to keep pace with modern life. You might be surprised at what some of today's biggest companies used to do.

By Dave Roos