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Affordable Health Care, by Michelle Andrews, page 44
With the rising cost of health insurance an increasing problem for small businesses, some entrepreneurs are turning to consumer-driven health plans to keep costs down, reports FORTUNE Small Business in this month's cover story, Affordable Health Care. Consumer-driven plans typically combine a high-deductible insurance policy and a tax-advantaged, employee-managed medical account that covers some or all of the deductible. Critics say these plans simply shift more costs to employees, especially sicker ones. But proponents argue that not only are they good for individual businesses but they might also help fix our nation's broken health-care system. FORTUNE Small Business goes inside one company's experience with a consumer-driven plan to uncover the benefits - and obstacles - of this popular heath insurance option.

Plus: A full exam of other options, such as dropping out altogether, taking advantage of local initiatives, and arranging to have your business insure itself.

Breaking Big: Hot Knots, Maggie Overfelt, page 57
In this month's Breaking Big: Boosted by QVC, a Chicago couple is ramping up sales of their gourmet pretzels. "We want to be the Ben & Jerry's of our market," entrepreneur Scott Holstein tells FORTUNE Small Business.

Spy vs. Spy, Richard Martin, page 59
"Spyware", malicious software that tracks web surfers without their knowledge, is slowing down computers at small businesses - and creating marketing opportunities for others, reports FORTUNE Small Business. Spyware can zap an entire company's performance by slowing down a network. Almost unheard-of a year ago, it is now a virulent Internet plague to rival spam and viruses. And making it go away is turning into a market of its own.

So You're Marvelous. What's Next?, by Brian O'Reilly, page 65
This month, FORTUNE Small Business introduces "Small Biz Makeover", a new monthly feature that helps a successful firm propel itself to the next level by enlisting on-site advice from America's top experts in retailing management, technology and so forth. In this issue, Brian O'Reilly profiles a gourmet-food-chain owner in Fairfax, VA, who was stumped on which way to grow. FORTUNE Small Business sent three wise men to help him cook up a new strategy. What they told him—and how he took it—might surprise you.

Buggy Software, Josh Taylor, page 71
Is this the right time for small business owners to embrace the web? The owners of Barnes Exterminating thought their tiny pest-control firm couldn't afford a website. But according to a recent survey, nearly a quarter of all shopping-related Internet searches are for local services and products, and about 64% of Internet users say search engines yield better results than a traditional telephone directory. Now Barnes Exterminating says they can't afford not to have one.

The Persuaders, by Richard McGill Murphy, page 74
Worried that your employees will join a union? Perhaps it's time to call Peter List. For the last decade this former union-honcho has dedicated his life to advising companies across the country on how to fend off union-organizing campaigns. And with unions increasingly turning to small businesses to attract new members, no business is too small to be concerned, reports FORTUNE Small Business. In fact, List estimates that 60 percent to 70 percent of his clients have been small business owners. List talks about his union battles, shares tips for fighting organizers, and tells FORTUNE Small Business that poor management is the number one reason union campaigns are sparked. Bottom line? "If you're not listening to your employees," List says, "The union is."

Cellars Market, by Eilene Zimmerman, page 82
After helping his father organize his extensive wine collection, a light bulb went on for 43-year-old Jeff Smith, this month's "Free Agent." Operating out of a spare bedroom, Smith launched Carte du Vin, a company that helps serious wine collectors get organized. Charging $2 to $2.50 a bottle to inventory and organize a cellar any way a client wants, Smith expects revenues of $250,000 this year.

Here Come the Brides, by Daisy Chan, page 84
What do cake toppers and women's tuxedos have in common? The rise of same-sex marriages, say some in the wedding industry. With an average individual discretionary income of $38,000 -- 35 percent higher than the national average -- gay Americans are expected to add a nice chunk of change to the $120-billion-a-year wedding industry. FORTUNE Small Business profiles three small business owners who are tailoring their offerings to meet this new demand. "I'm floored nobody out there is doing this yet," says Jill Story, owner of a bridal store that sells clothing for what she calls "forgotten brides" -- those remarrying, pregnant, or lesbian. "If you are smart, you will jump on this bandwagon," says Todd Evans, whose company places ads in gay publications.

Q&A: Following the Leader, by Maggie Overfelt, page 88
"If you see a business model that's working, you'd be stupid not to follow it," says Mark Pincus, a 37-year-old Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur who has made a career out of riding the wake of hot tech trends. Pincus tells FORTUNE Small Business how being a copycat can be a virtue -- and whether his latest company has legs.

Mavericks on Main Street, Ellyn Spragins, page 90
At Main Street Resources much of the investment money comes from the same place it is going to -- namely, the entrepreneurs. It is a novel approach that partners Dan Levinson and Marshall Kiev hope will allow successful entrepreneurs to put their experience, insider knowledge, and hefty rolodexes to work to finding attractive businesses to invest in. It is an idea, reports Ellyn Spragins, that is re-writing the rules of Wall Street. "Most financial firms view themselves as four people sitting in a room writing checks. We view ourselves as a real company, with a strategy of taking care of our CEOs and our investors," says Levinson.

DEPARTMENTS:
In Part One: Smart small companies are finding ways to benefit from outsourcing. Plus: Meet the small business owner who was nearly crowned the nation's manufacturing czar. A company's cancer drug gets a $60 million injection from investors. Farewell to the inventor of clam strips. Can an entrepreneur cut red tape to sell more affordable hearing aids? Catching the Waves: Inventing a portable nuke detector. The Rim Reapers: Fancy rim makers are the "Lords of Bling." Frontlines: Confessions of a recovering economic pessimist. Inspire: When doing business in a new city, it pays to go local. Off Hours: Take a tour with a hotel inspector who has no reservations about telling innkeepers what makes for satisfying stay. Gear: Gifts made by small craftsman for grads and dads. Giving Back: A wealthy entrepreneur becomes a class act at his old school in inner-city Baltimore. Wheels: Learn how to makes sense of conflicting rankings of cars such as the Volvo XC90 and the Mitsubishi Montero Sport. Off Hours: classic TV memorabilia. The Edge: A simple device that makes delinquent debtors obsolete.

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Caroline Gallagher
212-522-2134
caroline_gallagher@timeinc.com

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