Topics > Opinion
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Sheepless Nation! States of Independents Project Videos
Scott Ballum | July 26, 2010
We're hitting the road! Sheepless founder Scott Ballum is driving from California to Maine—and back—to discover innovative and unique small businesses wherever they may be. Wednesday, July 28: Austin, TX Only a few days on the road, and I am already learning a lot. Number one on the list: schedule more than 6 hours to check out the amazing indie business scene in Austin! I had a very ambitious day scheduled, thanks to some friends who recently moved to the area, but low sleep, high heat, and rolling thunderstorms put a bit of a damper on the day.
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A New Deal for Local Economies: II. The Birth of Corporations
Stacy Mitchell | July 26, 2010

While signs abound that people are rediscovering the benefits of an economy rooted in community and small-scale enterprise, all of this activity, though widespread, is still quite modest. It exists largely on the margins and is unlikely to coalesce into a wholesale reorganization of our economy unless we change the rules. 


Project
Sheepless Nation! States of Independents Tour
Scott Ballum | July 24, 2010
We're hitting the road! Sheepless founder Scott Ballum is driving from California to Maine—and back—to discover innovative and unique small businesses wherever they may be, and documenting the trip in videos as we go here , please check it out and follow along!
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A New Deal for Local Economies: I. The Good News
Stacy Mitchell | July 19, 2010
Let me begin by sharing some good news. Scattered here and there, in my country and in yours, the seeds of a new, more local and durable economy are taking root. 

Locally grown food has soared in popularity. There are now 5,274 active farmers markets in the United States. Remarkably, almost one of every two of these markets was started within the last decade.(1)  Food co-ops and neighborhood greengrocers are likewise on the rise. 


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Radical Shopkeeping: Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the People
Scott Ballum | July 13, 2010
There's a neighborhood I've heard about, with the most remarkable sense of community. On one block there's a giant warehouse outfitted for woodworking, photo studios, computer rooms, and painters studios. Across the street two women collaborate with building owners to build rooftop gardens and parks.
Resource
Big Box Swindle - The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America's Independent Businesses
| June 16, 2010
In less than two decades, large retail chains have become the most powerful corporations in America. In this deft and revealing book, Stacy Mitchell illustrates how mega-retailers are fueling many of our most pressing problems, from the shrinking middle class to rising pollution and diminished civic engagement—and she shows how a growing number of communities and independent businesses are effectively fighting back.
Video
Google and Sheepless.org Seek Out Community Makers
Scott Ballum | June 14, 2010
Sheepless.org champions the small businesses that make our communities more sustainable, accessible, creative, and fun.
Resource
REWORK: The new business book from 37Signals
| April 4, 2010
Finally, someone's saying what we've all been thinking. Don't throw out all the lessons you've heard from a previous generation of business-makers and owners, just remember you're not running their kind of business. This is the new way of approaching work, the future of entrepreneurship, and a massive call to believe in yourself. Brief, to the point, and fantastically illustrated... with a Sharpie.
Short
2010 Is Awesome, a.k.a Assume the Sale
Emily Warren | April 2, 2010
 Ever since the new year I've been feeling great about 2010 as a whole.  I'm convinced that by comparison to 2009, 2010 will gleam.  It'll be more productive, a refresher course in feel-good achievement. Maybe it's the springtime air of late that's romancing my outlook, but even so, I know that 2010 is going to be "the" year in work and in life.
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Guest Editorial: Networking and the Artist Entrepreneur
Erin Loechner | March 29, 2010
I hate networking. I know, I know. Total heresy. Let me explain…Networking, in the traditional sense, makes my stomach churn. You know the scenario. Business cards, three piece suits, Las Vegas conferences. The norm. Sure, it may work, but it lacks one key ingredient in a successful personal relationship: sincerity.I’m a firm believer that if you can’t offer sincerity, you can’t offer much. And as creatives, if our heart isn’t in our work, it can get pretty ugly. And I’m not talking metaphorically here. Really, it’s ugly.