Melinda Emerson

Author, Speaker and Small Business Coach

What initiates the need for business insurance? If you are in business, you need insurance. The question is - what kind of policy is appropriate? And this is true even if you are a home-based business.

Heidi Golledge

Founder and CEO, Cyber Coders and CareerBliss

If you look at the current employment numbers there is a quality job out there for just about every graduate -- if only they would have been guided toward courses of study that would give them the skills most in demand.

Rebekah Epstein

Founder, Fifteen Media

Despite the ups and downs, being an accidental entrepreneur is the best thing that ever happened to me. Now, as graduating college women are faced with that impending sense of doom, these are the tips that I wish someone would have told me.

Gina Harman

CEO, Accion U.S. Network

Conviction. Optimism. Passion for results. Innovation. All words that describe the entrepreneurial spirit -- all apt descriptions of what drove the 18 women who graduated Monday night from the 10,000 Small Businesses program.

Richard Koch

Author, The 80/20 Pinciple

One of the most amazing and hopeful things about the universe is that evil does not last, because it cannot embody the spiritual longing of humans, the thirst for truth and beauty. Only ideas, firms, causes and people with integrity can build something wonderful and enduring.

Danielle Hrzic

President and Co-Founder, Gourmet Gorilla

A 10x10 kitchen, a few employees and a passion to improve the quality of school lunches in the Chicago area -- that's how Gourmet Gorilla began. My husband and I started our business because we saw a need that we wanted to fill.

Women & Co

Personal finance source for women

Is your desk seeming cluttered and dulling your creativity? Are your colleagues giving you dirty looks about your growing paper cup collection (the ones with last week's coffee stains on them)? Here's what a few organization experts advise.

Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti

Key thought leader and visiting scholar on the impact of technology on society, education and work

When applying for a position it is most beneficial to properly "market your brand" so that an employer can easily evaluate your candidacy based on how you specifically are qualified and how you are better equipped than the competition.

David Peck

Author, Exec Coach at Goodstone Group; writes 'Recovering Leader' blog

Who in your organization knows the most about how to make it better? Generally, it's not the managers or leaders -- it's the people doing the actual work.

Kristina Wilson

Owner, Sitters Studio

There is no denying that the STEM fields are vitally important to our country's growth and economy. But as we look to small businesses to boost the future of America and drive job creation, I certainly believe that we will never harness our true potential without STEAM.

Landon Ray

Founder and CEO, ONTRAPORT

What is it that big, stodgy corporations have discovered about running a business that keeps things chaos-free? The answer is that big businesses have discovered 'process' and they've run with it.

Young Entrepreneur Council

Invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs.

What's your favorite startup quote of all time? The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs.

Ciara Pressler

Founder, Pressler Collaborative

In my work launching new businesses (or fixing businesses that have plateaued), one place I see entrepreneurs in every industry get stuck, frustrated, or misguided, is in attempting to apply old models to new business.

Valerie Jarrett

Senior Advisor and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls

Supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs has been a priority for President Obama since Day One of his administration. Why? Because he knows small businesses are responsible for creating two out of every three new jobs in the United States.

Kevin Powell

Public speaker and activist; author, 'Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and the Ghost of Dr. King: Blogs and Essays'

Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone, just like college is not for everyone. But how do you know if you never even try?

Plinio Ayala

President and CEO, Per Scholas

A well-designed workforce system can help small businesses find and retain a high-quality labor force, at very low cost, but a poorly designed workforce system can be a costly distraction, to small businesses and job-seekers alike.

Rafi Bildner

Founder, October Mountain Farm

Our nation was built upon a network of small, diversified farms. While it's clear that the local food movement is thriving in many regions, as a producer, it became apparent to me that there are serious policy issues that must be addressed before this movement can fully thrive.