Entrepreneur

WHEN YOU narrow your path, you limit your chances of finding what will make you happiest. That’s something I’ve learned personally—and witnessed happening to others—throughout my career. As we begin a new year and set new goals, it’s a lesson worth r

I’m a little numb at this point,” Michelle Pfeiffer said, “and not sleeping a lot.” That was back in 2019, when the world-famous actress was on the cover of this magazine and about to launch her first company. She was an accidental entrepreneur: Afte

“In sex and relationships, no means no—always. But in business, when faced with a ‘no,’ we apply our company value to the problem: ‘Challenge the status quo with love.’ There is likely a logical reason for the rejection or refusal, so I open a dialog

How fast should you grow? From the dawn of the dot-com boom in 1995, all the way up through 2020, Silicon Valley had an answer that inspired many others: hyper growth. That’s what made headlines, hypnotized investors, and drove a winner-take-all ment

Pat Kinsel was almost living in a convenient, digital future. It was 2013. He was selling his social search company to Twitter and managed to e-sign every document from the back of a taxicab in South Korea while traveling for business. Then he return

FOR MORE HOW-TO STORIES OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS, VISIT ENTREPRENEUR.COM/WOMEN Cardi B fans everywhere know these lyrics: Got a bag and fixed my teeth, hope you hoes know it ain’t cheap. They’re from “Bodak Yellow,” the rapper’s breakout song. But they’r

I bought a competitor. That isn’t unique, of course, but here’s what is: At the time, my company was 6 months old and had failed to manufacture anything. The acquisition would cost us almost every dollar we had. You don’t see this move in the traditi

HAVE A PROBLEM WE CAN SOLVE FOR YOU? TELL US AT [email protected] I’m worried about my employees burning out. What can I do to help? —MILLER, COLUMBUS, OHIO INSTEAD OF thinking about ways to prevent burnout, invert the question. Ask how you can

Jimmy Fallon became a talk show host in 2009, when he replaced Conan O’Brien as the face of Late Night. Fallon had never done anything like it before. So as he prepared to take over, he turned to the man who knew the job better than anyone. “I can’t

Chieh Huang walks the 150,000-square-foot floor of a Boxed fulfillment center. Nestled between the New Jersey Turnpike and a quaint residential neighborhood—just 20-odd miles from his childhood home—this place could comfortably fit more than 400 of t

At age 52, I felt like a complete failure. My marriage was dissolving, I sucked at my sales job, and every financial opportunity seemed to slip away. Then I spoke at a fundraiser for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, because I lost two

Jocelyn Lincoln was not prepared for the weeping. Lincoln is the chief talent officer for Kelly Services, a global staffing firm, and she’s been in the recruitment business for 22 years. Over that time, she’s witnessed an evolution in attitudes—with

Nothing stays the same in franchising, and that’s true for the Franchise 500 list too. Every year, companies move up or down depending on their previous year’s performance. Some have giant tumbles; others have triumphant rises. This year, five brands

When Kathy Gosser retired from Yum! Brands after 35 years, she was grateful for all the franchise industry had given her. But she was also aware of how unattainable that opportunity can be for others. “There are a lot of different barriers to entry,”

Can you start a food delivery business without opening your own restaurant space? Can you give tours of senior care centers when no one is allowed in nursing homes? Can you train someone to repair a transmission over Zoom? Can you start an education

STARTED FRANCHISING/1964 TOTAL UNITS/7,567 COST TO OPEN/$575.6K-$3.4M If you want to glimpse Taco Bell’s vision of tomorrow, head to the frozen tundra of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. There, just after the snow melts this spring, a sleek new building cal

Could you see yourself starting a business in the next two years? If so, you’re in good company. Millions of Americans spent lock-down figuring out how to take the leap, and many of those people are turning to franchising to help them do it. So what

When a franchise brand tries attracting new franchisees, they often run into the same problem: Potential franchisees think they’re not the right fit when in fact, they might be perfect. Why? Because oftentimes, people assume they need a certain kind

Year began/franchising since This shows how long a company has been in business and how long it has been franchising. Both are good to know when you’re trying to decide whether you should go with an established system or a newer concept. Available U.