Business Profiles

Learn the key reasons that Walmart has been able to keep its prices low -- cutting-edge technology, a frugal corporate culture and a push to make suppliers sell merchandise at cheaper and cheaper prices.

By Caroline Wilbert

The story of Amazon.com is an e-commerce dream. Find out what Amazon does, what makes it different from other e-commerce Web sites and how its technology infrastructure supports its multi-pronged approach to online sales.

By Julia Layton

MapQuest was a household name in mapping technology, but it was later eclipsed by Google Maps and other technology. What is MapQuest up to now?

By Dave Roos

Beyond putting words on the page, the self-publisher controls every aspect of authoring -- he or she creates the physical book and actively brings it to an audience. It's a uniquely harmonious and satisfying melding of art and business.

By Tom Harris

Are you a collector of furniture, art or antiques? Even if you're not, you've still got to see everything that's available at Red Baron's Antiques. From floor to ceiling, this auction house is packed with the coolest stuff from every period in history.

By Elizabeth Nixon

Need a fast loan? Want to buy a TV for next to nothing? The pawnshop's the place, and what goes on in the storefront is only half the story.

By Marshall Brain