Small Business News and Advice - Fortune Magazine

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.

It sounds like the plot for a Footloose sequel: Small-town officials try to shut down a local saloon by wielding an antiquated ban on outdoor dance halls.

Web 2.0 (or Bubble 2.0, as critics see it) has serial entrepreneurs buzzing with plans for a fresh hit. Will they fly high or get zapped?

For May, a tasting menu of new food books with small-biz hooks.

Dear FSB: How do we go about getting insurance for our business? We own an office services company.

When Chris Barlte moved his real estate firm into a larger office, he worked eco-friendliness into the culture of the San Francisco-based company.

More cities are requiring restaurants to tell customers how much fat is in that burger.

Dear FSB: My wife and I are owners of a small, incorporated business. We are the sole officers of the corporation. Will we come out ahead financially by removing ourselves from the corporate payroll (i.e., avoiding the corporate payroll taxes) and paying ourselves strictly by way of dividends?

Dear FSB: I'm looking at marketing my Internet business, and at least three ad agencies called to say they'd provide services to attract customers to my new online e-store and Web site. They're asking me to pay between $2,000 and $3,000 to have a first conversation. Is this normal operating procedure for an ad agency? Also, would love suggestions on how to get traffic to my e-store. And do I need a business license for my online store?

Dear FSB: My sister just started her own business and I'm trying to set up her payroll on Intuit's QuickBooks. The program is asking me for addresses to which to send state taxes and federal taxes. I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I need to. Is there a list of "what to do" when paying employees? Who to register with? Where to send the tax payments, etc?

Dear FSB: I am a management consultant and I write business plans for small-business owners. I currently charge a flat fee for this service, requiring 40% up front and 60% upon completion. I have experienced some difficulty with collecting the second payment. What advice can you give on how to eliminate this problem?

Dear FSB: Can an LLC declare a dividend?

When he discovered that the Philadelphia Museum of Art planned to host a major exhibition of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo's work, chef Dionicio Jimenez knew he had to do something special.

Peter Pap Oriental Rugs was one of the biggest names in antique Oriental rugs when we last visited the company ("Rugs to Riches," May 2007).

In this economic dip, the lessons found in Jim Champy's new book, Outsmart! ($22.99), should prove particularly apt for any business owner looking to grow. The management consultant who co-authored the bestselling Reengineering the Corporation, Champy introduces us to entrepreneurs who thrive amid chaos by outsmarting and outpacing their competitors. Here are a few of their stories.

It seems counterintuitive, but Jon Jordan, CEO of Southern Audio Services (SAS) in Baton Rouge, wants to curb the number of dealers who are selling his car speakers.

When Michael Zwiegbaum took over as CEO of Alliance Steel Services in Minneapolis three years ago, the 40-year-old scrap-metal company had grown rusty.

Dear FSB: I work as a professional keynote speaker and am interested in finding a salesperson who will accept a commissions-only pay structure for booking me. How do I target my search, and what career expertise should I specify in my search criteria?

Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are developing do-it-yourself ethanol production devices - fueled by sugar and yeast.

Dear FSB: How do I move properties in Pennsylvania that are in my husband's and my name into our Pennsylvania LLC? The county recorder of deeds said it's the same as any other real estate transfer.