Boostez Votre Business

Why This Contest Matters So Much

The mechanism by which capital makes its way to young enterprises that could use it to boost their prospects and stoke the economy is broken. I’m not talking about the credit crisis of 2008–this problem existed long before that.

On the one end of the risk spectrum you have the swashbuckling (if somewhat chastened) venture capitalists. Their whole business model is based on identifying young companies with the potential to become the next Microsoft or Google. They swing for the fences every time. Why? Because they need that one big hit to make up for all the flame-outs that make up the vast majority of their investment portfolios.

On the other hand you have the banks. They don’t care about the sexy stuff–they just want to get paid back, with interest. How risk averse are they? Consider this tidbit from a recent story in the Wall Street Journal: Bank reserves now exceed the U.S. Federal Reserve’s regulatory floor by $1 trillion. (That’s trillion with a “t”.) Before the credit crisis, excess reserves–the stuff banks hate to hold because those inert dollars don’t make them any money–came to a wee $2 billion (with a “b”).

This is oversimplifying things a bit, but the question remains: What about the companies that neither have multibillion-dollar potential nor gobs of steady cash to keep lenders happy and fund their growth? Answer: They go wanting. And the economy suffers for it.

We’ve all heard the mantra that small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. Politicians love that line. Platitudes aside, lack of capital remains the most fundamental constraint for any growing small business.

That’s why Forbes will continue to celebrate entrepreneurs who have the kind of ideas, plans and desire worthy of investment. That’s why we aim to educate readers so that, when the time comes, they have the best possible chance of securing their own funding. That’s why we put on the annual Forbes Boost Your Business contest.

On behalf of all our contestants, thank you for your votes. Stay tuned for the announcement of the grand-prize winner on December 10.

Popularity: 58%

Who Should Run The Family Business ?

What are the chances that, out of thousands of candidates for the CEO spot, the son or daughter of the company founder is the most competent of the bunch? Slim to none.

Say you are a member of the Ford family, and your financial security lay in family trusts stuffed with Ford Motor ( F – news – people ) stock. Who would you rather bet on, William Clay Ford Jr. or Alan Mulally, the former Boeing ( BA – news – people ) exec now at Ford’s wheel? In this case, Mulally had the presence of mind to secure $24 billion in funding prior to the recent economic collapse and thus avoided becoming a ward of the federal government, like GM and Chrysler.

The same can be said of the Walton clan at Wal-Mart. When founder Sam Walton died, much ink was spilled over fears that the culture, and thus performance, of the giant retailer would deteriorate. In fact, transition to professional management has yielded relentless revenue growth and profitability.

Remember: It doesn’t matter what the books say a CEO is supposed to do. Figure out what the organization needs, then pick someone who is good at–and passionate about–meeting those needs. And don’t worry about whose name is on the door.

To be clear, I have met many family-member executives who were excellent leaders. But to be fair, the odds are heavily stacked against them.

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Popularity: 2%

Cameron’s Avatar becomes top movie attraction of all time

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The Top 10 CEOs

This article contains the first ranking that shows which CEOs of large public companies performed best over their entire time in office—or, for those still in the job, up until September 30, 2009. To compile our results, we collected data on close to 2,000 CEOs worldwide.

The Top 10 CEOs

1. Steve Jobs

Apple,1997–Present.United States,Information Technology,Insider CEO,MBA No,Country-Adjusted TSR 3,226%,Industry-Adjusted TSR 3,188%,Market Cap Change $150B

2. Yun Jong-Yong

Samsung Electronics,1996–2008.South Korea,Information Technology,Insider CEO,MBA No,Country-Adjusted TSR 1,559%,Industry-Adjusted TSR 1,458%,Market Cap Change $127B

3. Alexey B. Miller

Gazprom,2001–Present,Russia,Energy,Insider CEO,MBA No,Country-Adjusted TSR 2,032%,Industry-Adjusted TSR 2,427%,Market Cap Change $101B

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Popularity: 9%

Managing Work Crews at Home

Most work crews are completing physically demanding work and require comfortable temperatures to work in, if it can be provided. With mutual respect and clear expectations between homeowners and workers, both can leave the project feeling satisfied.

Some home repairs can’t be tackled by even the most talented do-it-yourself homeowner. For such occasions, it may be necessary to hire an outside source. There are a few things to look for when hiring workers who will come into your home which indicate whether their stay will be a pleasant experience or, more likely, a messy headache.

It’s always a nice gesture if workers entering your home put on shoe coverings. Particularly if you have carpeting in your home, shoe coverings keep mud and dirt off the floor. Generally resembling paper boots, the covers slip over existing shoes. Taking shoes off at the door also works to avoid tracking in dirt.

When it’s time to get working, crews indicate respect for the home and its contents when they prepare the travel path in the home sufficiently. From the entry, through the home, to the location of work to be done, the floor needs to be protected from tools, machinery, and foot traffic.

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Popularity: 1%