Part memoir and part examination of a new business model, the 2005 release of The Company We Keep marked the debut of an important new voice in the literature of American business. Now, in Companies We Keep, the revised and expanded edition of his 2005 work, John Abrams further develops his idea that companies flourish when they become centers of interdependence, or “communities of enterprise.” Thoroughly revised with an expanded focus on employee ownership and workplace democracy, Companies We Keep celebrates the idea that when employees share in the rewards as well as the responsibility for the decisions they make, better decisions result. This is an especially timely topic. Most of the baby boomer generation—the owners of millions of American businesses— will retire within the next two decades. In 2001, 50,000 businesses changed hands. In 2005, that number rose to 350,000. Projections call for 750,000 ownership transitions in 2009. Employee ownership—in both the philosophical and the practical sense—is gathering steam as businesses change hands, and Abrams examines some of the many ways this is done. Companies We Keep is structured around eight principles—from “Sharing Ownership” and “Cultivating Workplace Democracy” to “Thinking Like Cathedral Builders” and “Committing to the Business of Place”—that Abrams has discovered in the 32 years since he cofounded South Mountain Company on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Together, these principles reveal communities of enterprise as a potent force of change that can—and will— improve the way Americans do business.

"Rejecting the myth that short-term profits are the only indicator of business health and wealth, John Abrams shows how building a company to serve the needs of people (employees and owners), community, and the environment can be a successful business plan as well. Part entrepreneurial business plan, part guide to democratizing the workplace, and part prescription for strong local economies, The Company We Keep marks the debut of an important new voice in the literature of American business."--Publisher's description

This easy-to-read guide is your detailed road map to solo success, whether you're a self-employed newcomer or a seasoned pro. It's packed with nuts-and-bolts information, money-saving tips, and invaluable insight, not only on getting your one-person enterprise off the ground, but on making it - and keeping it - a success. This newly revised and expanded edition includes the latest on technology and the Internet, a host of hot, new solo business ideas, and a thoroughly updated resource section.

"Become Your Own Boss is a must-read if you're thinking of launching a business of your own." --Jean Chatzky, bestselling author of Money 911 and Financial Editor, NBC Today Create a successful business this year! Written by America's #1 Small Business Expert, this essential handbook shows you how to launch your own business in just twelve months. Using her years of experience in business development, Melinda Emerson guides you through the process with step-by-step instructions for developing an effective marketing plan, setting a budget, and maintaining your business once it's up and running. She also offers brand-new strategies for obtaining financing through means like crowdsourcing as well as social media techniques that help build your business--all of which has been updated for today's market. With Emerson's expert business advice, you will finally follow your dreams and become your own boss!

Information Technology time management expert Dominica DeGrandis, the reveals the real crime of the century--time theft, one of the most costly factors impacting enterprises in their day-to-day operations. The solution to preventing these value stream delays? Make the work visible. In this timely book (title not final), solutions and preventative measures are illustrated and methodologies outlined for immediate application into daily work.

From one of today’s leading experts in content marketing, Content Inc. is the go-to guide to building a solid small business by establishing a loyal audience before you sell products or services. In these pages, Joe Pulizzi provides a lower-risk, more effective way to create a path to success by re-engineering the process that so often leads to failure: You’ll learn how to develop valuable content, build an audience around that content―and then create a product for that audience. Content Inc. walks you through the entire process, showing how to: Choose a marketable content topic Figure out where little or no competition exists Choose your top channel for disseminating content Build long-term customer loyalty Monetize your product or service Expand your content into multiple channels Sell your content asset or scale it into a large enterprise This updated edition includes new and enhanced coverage of platforms like TikTok, SnapChat, and Instagram, a new section about the exit strategy for the model, more practical how-tos, and current examples of companies that have successfully implemented these strategies. Content Inc. provides an ingenious approach to business based on a profoundly simple concept: Having a singular focus on audience, and building a loyal audience directly, provide the best, most nuanced understanding of what products ultimately make the most sense to sell. Apply the methods laid out for you in Content Inc., and create the business of your dreams.