
While being a supermodel is hands-down out of the question for most of us, Heidi Klum's business sense is something that can inspire and motivate any working girl. She's smiling on the cover of
InStyle's December issue and inside the magazine she spells out her
five rules for success. The rule below is my favorite.

A gift card isn't considered as thoughtful as something chosen especially for the recipient, but it's still a nice gesture and can make a great stocking stuffer. When companies go bankrupt they usually refuse
to honor outstanding gift cards, and this uncertain economic climate
has businesses using advertising to channel any bankruptcy concerns. For example, J.C.

After a
busy Summer of fulfilling orders for flowers and cakes to be showcased at same-sex weddings all over California, vendors are now seeing their business cut at the worst possible time.
Voters passed Prop. 8, which effectively bans same-sex marriage in the state, and the demise of gay marriage is unfortunately
hurting the businesses that supported same-sex couples.

Owning a business is a future many of you would want — 70 percent of you said
you'd love to be your own boss. If you had the opportunity to put your entrepreneurial spirit to use, what type of business would you want to own?
Source

Insurance giant AIG is having a hard time overcoming its greedy image, but it's hard to change public perception when the company keeps making self-indulgent mistakes. People were infuriated by news that AIG sent its top sales executives
on a posh $442,000 retreat just one week after the government approved an $80 billion bailout for the company. Old habits, they die hard.

Last month it looked as if Linens 'n Things was
doomed to go out of business, and when no bidders stepped up to keep some of the stores open the chain had no other choice but to admit its non-existent future.
According
to The Wall Street Journal, the coalition of liquidators in charge of shutting down Linens 'n Things could start the going-out-of-business sales today. Whether they begin today, tomorrow, or next month, liquidation is inevitable and as with all of these situations there's no guarantee about what will be on the shelves.

Tipping was brought to the US from Europe after the Civil War and was met with opposition — six states even passed anti-tipping laws that prevented diners from having to tip. The laws were later repealed, but the angst toward the tradition of tipping lives on in the minds of many American customers.
San Diego, CA, restaurant owner Jay Porter observed that tipping was not only a point of contention for his customers, but was also causing tension between his staff members and adding to the stressful environment.

Coupon clipping is a cornerstone of countless families' food budgets, and it's a part of consumer culture that has seemingly existed forever. Like all things, the idea of companies printing coupons to be clipped by shoppers did start somewhere. Do you know which brand first introduced the concept?

Starbucks' water practices became the target of a recent investigation led by British newspaper The Sun, and if accurate, the findings are disturbing to conservationists. The investigation was prompted when a UK couple alerted a Starbucks employee to a running faucet, and the employee acknowledged its company policy to keep water running throughout the day to prevent germ buildup in the taps. Imagine what the water bills must be like!

If there's anyone that knows how to hold her own in a room full of men, it's a woman that has worked on male dominated Wall Street. So, is it only natural that after the Street has morphed
into something very different than it was just one month ago, Playboy is trying to recruit
current and former female employees to show off their valuable assets?
The magazine is trying to recruit 20 women to recreate the "Women of Wall Street" feature it published 20 years ago, and is especially hoping to get some women with more "senior job experience."