In the workplace, ostracism is much more common than harassment.

By Nicole Hong It's the kind of story people hear all the time.Two years ago, Rick Stender found out that a local business he liked—a custom-bike maker—was in big trouble. The shop needed money to import extra bike parts for the holiday rush. And banks wouldn't extend any credit to such a young company.Many people would have tried to give the store some extra business by buying a new bike, or urging friends to stop in. Many others would have simply shrugged.Mr. Stender wrote a check for $20,000.The loan helped the shop, Affordabike, weather the holidays.

By Barbara Haislip It's one of the ironies of entrepreneurship.Entrepreneurs generally don't like strict rules and red tape. That's why many of them give up jobs at big companies and strike out on their own.

By Neil Parmar Social enterprises are getting a hard lesson in the realities of doing business.In recent years, more startups have appeared that aim to do traditional nonprofit jobs—such as training the homeless or providing services for the sick—while trying to make money.

By Alina Dizik Local commercials can come across as cheap, amateurish and downright goofy.But those are their good points.Big national brands can spend a lot of money on commercials that are almost as entertaining as the shows they interrupt—big casts, continuing story lines and stellar production values.Small businesses can't afford any of that. So how do they fill 30 seconds without breaking cardinal rules of marketing, like not boring viewers and not overloading them with information?The answer, say marketing experts, is to embrace the limitations of local ads.