Serial entrepreneur and noted Inc. columnist Norman Brodsky swears by knowing the critical numbers of his business. But in addition to reviewing the sales and profits, Brodsky, who is in the document storage business, tracks the number of new boxes stored. Reviewing information like that, lets him know the score before the monthly financials are prepared.

When Steve Hindy started the Brooklyn Brewery he and his partner planned on selling beer through one of the beer distributors serving the New York area. After all, starting a brewery was enough of a challenge. On the advice of a peer, Hindy decided to hire their own drivers and distributed the beer themselves. By handling their own distribution, they were able to build critical relationships with store owners and customers that ultimately lead to their success.

Looking for new revenue streams, the founders of The Resident, a leading New York neighborhood weekly newspaper, decided to launch Encompass Media, a non-traditional media company. In doing so, owners Don Winter and Michael Travin were able to leverage their existing support staff. More importantly, some advertisers in The Resident became the first clients of their new venture.

Napoleaon Barragan, founder of 1-800-MATTRESS, views other bedding stores as potential partners, not competitors. If someone in Kansas calls 1-800-MATTRESS to make a purchase, Barragan will take the order and call a local bedding store to make the delivery. This allows 1-800-MATTRESS to expand nationwide without building distribution centers in every city.

Expanding a wine business in New York is tough. By law, a company cannot own more than one retail location. To grow, Peter Morrell, CEO of Morrell & Company, a leading wine merchant in Manhattan, got very creative. Morrell and Company now owns a wine storage facility, a restaurant, and a wine auction business, among other companies. He even licensed the Morrell name to another owner of a retail wine store.