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Recent Press Releases (U.S. and international) for magazine issues and staff changes may be found below. Please note that for many issues there exists only a highlights sheet, while for others there may also be a full press release. The cover of FSB's current issue is pictured at right. Please contact the appropriate communications staff member with any questions.
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Highlights of the May 2008 Issue of FSB: FORTUNE Small Business
How illegal immigration is dividing a town's business owners, by David Holthouse, page 22 More than 30 small towns and suburbs across the country have recently enacted immigration ordinances, including Escondido, Calif,; Farmers Branch, Texas; and Valley Park, Mo. At the same time, statewide laws that punish business owners for employing illegal immigrants have been passed in Arizona, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. While many are passionately in favor of this, merchants and restaurateurs in these areas report declines in revenue of as much as 70%.
Full-disclosure menu, by Ian Mount, page 14 More cities are requiring restaurants to tell how much fat is in that burger. Smart owners are embracing the trend. To fight an obesity epidemic, dozens of cities and states are considering laws that mandate the posting of nutritional information on menu boards. Officials are targeting chains, because according to a study by market research firm NPD Group, that's where Americans eat 64% of their restaurant meals. While the various laws and proposals differ, most demand that chains with at least 15 restaurants display a calorie count for each dish on or next to menu boards, and post more extensive information elsewhere in the restaurant. Sit-down chains must insert the information into individual menus.
Magical misery tour, by Julie Freese, page 29 Two Las Vegas realtors profit by helping clients find bargains in foreclosed homes. Barbara and Marshall Zucker are essentially offering real estate's answer to speed dating. They screen houses, select the best dozen, and then take prospective clients on ten-minute viewings of each property. FSB investigates the Foreclosure Express.
Steeled for growth, by Mina Kimes, page 47 How a Minneapolis scrapyard got wired. Michael Zwiegbaum was able to grow his revenues 500% in three years by incorporating a system that weighed, tagged, and snapped digital photos of every batch of scrap metal that entered his Minneapolis scrapyard. FSB uncovers how Zwiegbaum is helping the scrap-metal business catch-up with corporate America.
*PLUS: Pullout section — Small U.S. companies take Europe by storm,, from the FSB editors, between pages 48 & 49 Where in the world should you expand or outsource? China and India have captured a lot of attention over the past five years — and yet in that time 75% of all American investment abroad has gone to Europe. U.S. companies, small and large, still earn more money from European customers than from the rest of the world combined. Sure, the weak dollar and the strong euro can make the Old World a risky bet. But there are new opportunities on the Continent too, with barriers coming down and red tape being cut in the West, and untapped resources in the East. FSB presents three stories about entrepreneurs who found their European edge.
Investing in your work environment, by Brandi Stewart, page 50 Entrepreneurs are finding that creating eco-friendly offices costs a bit more up front but can deliver lasting benefits. Increasing numbers of entrepreneurs expect to recoup extra expenses from outfitting a green office with energy savings — and possibly better health (green products emit fewer toxins). It can cost 2% to 4% more to establish a green office, but competition among eco-friendly suppliers is helping to cut prices. Even if your firm stops short of a green overhaul, taking smaller steps can deliver substantial savings.
Growing a new organ, by Patricia B. Gray, page 59 A small biotech company bets that human cancer cells can cure liver disease. Some 15,000 Americans are on a waiting list for a liver transplant, and it is a grueling — and ghoulish — vigil. Most organs available for transplant come from someone who has died in an accident. And more than 6,000 patients will die waiting for a transplant each year. That's why San Diego-based Vital Therapies is working on an artificial liver, similar to kidney dialysis machines, to help keep patients alive — and give their livers a chance to regenerate. FSB explores the inner-workings of this device.
Tickets, anyone?, by Adriana Gardella, page 60 — Houston The top finishers at the 2008 Rice Business Plan Competition may put scalpers out of business, help you control the elements, and give your neural stem cells a place to chill. This year, for the first time, FSB co-sponsored the Rice University business plan competition, and a record 234 entrants from universities worldwide — twice as many as last year — battled to make it to the semifinals. Ultimately 36 teams (each of which included at least one student) faced off in four categories: life sciences, sustainability, information technology, and consumer goods and products. Since the competition began seven years ago, 192 startups have reached the semifinals. An impressive 66 of those are still in business. FSB introduces the next round of tomorrow's stars.
COVER STORY: Who's stealing your business?, page 68 Fraud is on the rise as technology makes it easier for competitors and con artists to rip off your products, ideas, and cash. Learn from entrepreneurs who got wise the hard way. As if you didn't have enough to worry about. Fraud of all sorts — embezzlement, business identity theft, patent infringement, and product counterfeiting — is increasing. The median loss from embezzlement cost small companies $190,000 in 2006, up from $98,000 in 2004, according to the latest numbers from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. The advance of technology has made it easier than ever for the unscrupulous to victimize your business. PLUS:
Working vacation, by Mark Svenvold, page 86 — Big Timber, Mont. When a rancher opens his bunkhouse to visitors, city folk from all over the world pay him to labor there. This vacation would not satisfy patrons expecting a fancy dude ranch. The agenda, light on sing-alongs and cookouts, provides an entrée into the unvarnished daily life of a modern working ranch. FSB heads up to the Crazy Mountains.
Flowers of the season, by Brandi Stewart and Diana Rosenthal, page 98 Mother's Day blossoms from independent growers. FSB discovers Tulips.com's tulips, Waldor Orchids' Phalaenopsis Chain Xen Pearl, Greengable Gardens' Dutch irises, Oregon Coastal Flowers' calla lilies, Hawaii Blooms' red heliconia, and Eufloria Flowers' roses.
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