2003: The big idea issue

The fourteen companies featured in this article understand which way key indicators like consumer confidence are pointing. But they have managed to raise money by having a good story to tell. And they know instinctively why now is the time to hunker down and build a business. The key word is patience. Now the object is long-term survival in a barren landscape, which puts the emphasis squarely where most serious entrepreneurs like it: on building a company that will last.