Photo by Istock

Punxatawney Phil’s ‘six more weeks of winter’ prognostication lacked a certain punch this year, given the mild winter weather enjoyed in much of the lower 48 so far.  If this is winter, bring it on, many residents are thinking.

As I donned a light spring jacket to run some Saturday errands and bustled out to a car warmed by no more than the February sunshine, I noticed thick green stems poking up several inches from the flower-bed mulch.  Daffodils in Detroit!  I must get that garden-seed order in soon (and is it my imagination, or did garden catalogues arrive weeks earlier than they used to?)  A few minutes later I wheeled past a two small-engine showrooms with forlorn “Great deals on snowblowers” signs; one even had a dozen of the shiny virgin machines parked hopefully on its tarmac.

A weak winter is the best of times and the worst of times depending on one’s line of business.  And the presence or absence of snow and cold during the months it’s expected can ripple throughout a regional economy long past the first day of spring.  So you might want to take a look at winter winners and losers, and talk to them about the long-range effect of seasonal booms and busts.

For example, sagging snowthrower sales may seem like a trite story angle … till you delve in and realize the lack of commissions means the small-engine sales rep won’t be buying a new car this year, or buying new furniture, or sending a child to camp or college.  So for this story, try to go beyond the immediate loss or gain in revenue and find out how that change will affect other businesses and individuals.

According to an EarthSky forecaster,  this January was the third least-snowy since 1966.  As this Associated Press story, “Balmy weather brings plenty of economic surprises,” mentions, retailers are plagued with excess and profit-eroding investory of unsold winter merchandise – like bulky coats that take up storage space and must be unloaded even at discounts of 70 percent or more.  (The AP story is an excellent roadmap of ideas you can apply locally, from airport de-icing services to sales of cold and flu products.)

Electric and gas utilities sales are down as households and businesses demand less heat-producing power — bad for them, great from a personal finance angle.

Where I live, ski resorts recently published an advertising supplement; was it planned or a last-ditch effort to counter unfavorable conditions, I wondered.  This report says nationally, lack of snow has – surprisingly - minimal effect on occupancy at resorts due to booking and refund policies; presumably vacationers made plans predicated on normal precipitation.  But what are they doing once they arrive?  Perhaps spas, retail boutiques, driving ranges, restaurants and other alernatives to the slopes are enjoying some winter sparkle.

Construction employment hit a two-year high in January as the gentle weather kept activity levels high, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.  How are remodelers, builders, handymen, fence installers and others faring in your area, and what’s the ripple effect on suppliers, hardware stores and related services?

If you’d rather look further ahead, check on seasonal businesses gearing up for spring. Are pool companies, deck builders, window cleaning crews, patio furniture firms and others gearing up for a jump in business?  Are they borrowing more to finance inventory, or hiring additional staff, or otherwise changing from recent years’ business model?

Agriculture is eyeing the 21012 extended forecast, with last year’s drought and flood survivors wondering when and what to plant this year.  Are they shifting strategy?  What about nursery suppliers – the U.S. Department of Agriculture just changed the plant hardiness zone map that millions of home gardeners use to decide which plants will survive in their yards.  This is a fascinating development on a number of fronts – many locales ended up in warmer zones – and probably affects the purchasing and sales plans of regional nursery retailers and wholesalers as well as consumers.  It’s hard to go wrong with a business-of-gardening story and this year already is sprouting with many good angles.

Of course, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration site is an excellent resource too but for a different perspective, look into companies like WxRisk.com, which focuses on weather forecasting and commentary aimed at businesses and traders.  You’ll gain an idea of why, say, the weather overseas might end up affecting a corn grower in Nebraska or a Texas rancher.

By Flickr user Kjunstorm

Now that one major TV-watching spectacle is over for 2012 –  the Super Bowl – there’s only a week left until armchair experts will settle in front of the tube to call out critiques and accolades as they root for their favorite contenders in the Westminster Kennel Club’s annual dog show at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

About 3.5 million viewers, according to this Media Life article, will tune in to the USA Network Monday night to root for their favorite Yorkie, Dandy Dinmont, Portuguese water dog or plain old beagle in the event which the WKC says in this fact sheet has been held since 1877.  (note the TV schedule on the WKC site, some segments will be aired on CNBC). The show usually permeates pop culture for a day or so, with winners appearing on morning shows and wire services covering the highs and the lows, like when one of last year’s awardees bolted her cage and went running down an airport runway, never to be seen again.

Why not tag along and give readers a look at business angles from your local pet breeding and show scene?  It’s a relatable topic and one that is made for cute centerpiece art and fun multimedia elements.

Dog breeding is a touchy topic at the best of times, and it may be tough to write about the industry without addressing the controversy.  But you certainly can show legitimate breeders’ business model — what costs go into producing a healthy litter, from medical care to food and shelter to advertising?   What sort of profit margins exist and how does area competition affect the price of ‘hot’ breeds.  What happens to imperfect dogs that don’t fetch top dollar or can’t meet the specs to get official papers?

If breeding is regulated in your state – only 35 do so – you can get the statute at this interactive map provided by Michigan State University’s law school; reading the laws — which in some cases also pertain to pet stores, pounds and kennels, other business angles — will provide a number of story ideas and question fodder for your breeder interviews.  The Michigan State animal law portal also offers a search feature; you can look up cases by state involving pet breeding and puppy mills among other issues.

And it’s worth noting, though not strictly a business angle, that according to the law site, several states are considering animal abuser registries similar to exisitng sex offender registries, to track those convicted of cruelty.  That’s a tip for your metro or state reporter; be worth talking with local legislators and animal welfare societies about the chances of such a law in your district.

A companion piece to the business-of-breeding article would be personal finance caveats for prospective buyers — how to shop for a desired breed, what to look out for, what to expect in terms of annual care and feeding costs, options for pet care while on vacation and the pros and cons of pet insurance.

Or you could focus more closely on the dog show industry.  Again, the personal finance angle has a lot of possibilities; this Yahoo! Contributor Network posts offers a good rundown on the cost of campaigning an animal; you could do a more colorful and local version by talking with various dog owners, handlers and show officials.  Find area participants through local kennel clubs; here’s a nationwide directory of some 500 affiliates.

Don’t forget about the careers angle; according to Modern Dog, top handlers can earn six-figure annual incomes trotting Rex and Rhoda around the ring.   And of course, equipment suppliers, show promotors, advertising sponsors and other related businesses all are fair game for interesting nuggets of business news.

Finally, what effect does the dog show circuit have on area expo centers, hotels and other venues?  I was shocked last year when the manager of one of Michigan’s largest convention venues told me that a dog show was his bread-and-butter event.  Who knew?  And he said trade from dog show participants and spectators was also an important source of revenue for the area’s motel operators and restaurants.

By Flickr user Like_the_Grand_Canyon

Nearly a month into New Year’s resolutions, I have a feeling that millions of Americans’ resolve is withering just as grocery ads are touting fattening Super Bowl snack foods and bistros are starting to advertise succulent Valentine’s Day specials.  Between now and Lent, more than a little noshing will take place – so take advantage of the zeitgeist to do a little update on trends and tribulations among your region’s restauranteurs.

We all buy food and eat, and nearly everyone has been or knows someone who has been a food-service worker at one time or another, making any informative article about the industry of high reader interest. Nearly 10 million people work in restaurants and other food-service businesses in the United States, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which offers occupation and wage stats for the sector - the nation’s 61,000 chefs, for example, make a median hourly wage of $18.39, compared to $8.78 an hour for some 2 million waiters and waitresses.

Some angles to look at:

Prices. Food inflation has been a hot topic the past two years, and according to a recent entry by the industry bible Nation’s Restaurant News, menu prices will reflect that in 2012 by rising 1 percent to 3 percent.  And according to the magazine’s latest operators’ survey, 64 percent expect better sales in 2012 despite the higher tabs, with 58 percent predicting a more profitable year for themselves.  There are other nuggets in the survey well worth taking a look at.

Food trends.  Market research firms and trade groups are out with 2012 trends predictions that make for fun follow-up stories; this article from QSR Magazine (serving quick-service restaurants, hence the acronym) forecasts a variety of consumer behaviors that business writers can latch on to – from more lunch visits and business meals in 2012 to social media to competition from grocery stores and convenience stores selling food-on-the-go.  (My supermarket, located near several office and light-industrial parks, just remodeled to add tables, more coolers for ready-made sandwiches and fruit cups, a huge olive bar, self-serve salad buffet, deli/cheese area and prepared food counters; I’ve often been curious as to who’s buying those $6 twice-baked potatoes and $17 slivers of gruyere for lunch.)

Other trend stories have predicted that meatballs are out and meatloaf in, that cupcakes are history and layer cakes are this year’s indulgence.  The the New York Daily News quotes trendspotters as saying that – yikes! – pigs’ ears and bone marrow are among fads to watch in 2012.  Why not poll local chefs, food distributors, grocers and restauranteurs about food trends on the local scene?

Home delivery.  Burger King was sizzling in the news recently with news that it will test home delivery, encroaching on territory generally ceded to the more travel-friendly pizza products.  You can use this peg – and the notion that, as the LA Times reports, 48 million food deliveries will take place on Super Bowl Sunday– to take a look at the market for home delivery of ready-to-eat food and groceries in your area.  From traditional dealers like Schwan’s to new attempts by Amazon to services like SendAMeal.com that promise to whisk steak and other delicacies to doorsteps on demand, the market for COD cuisine seems to be on the uptick.

By Flickr user Benny Mazur

There’s a hip new name for the secondhand goods deals that long have been dear to the heart of garage-salers, estate-sale mavens and consignment-shop connoisseurs: Re-commerce.

The new term for turning one’s unwanted possessions into spendable cash turned up on a Trendwatching.com list of 2012 consumer trends to watch.  “For smart consumers, trading in is the new buying in 2012.”  And while their blog post mainly concerns retail swap programs that let patrons sell back used items for cash or vouchers, it’s a good peg for a fresh look at your region’s entire secondhand economy, from used-car lots to Craigslist to thrift stores.  You can check in with an array of retailers on the trade-in scene and any other special promos involving the return of used goods.

It’s more than a retail story.  Aside from myriad personal finance stories about how to spot and snare good deals, the secondhand story is fertile ground for finding entrepreneurs and even tech stories, from flea market merchants to people who design mobile apps like TagSellIt and YardSaleTreasureMap.  Real estate writers can review the local landscape – how many storefronts and vacant commercial sites have been filled with thrift shops, swap-meet booths and other used-good venues in recent years?

A couple of specific sectors you might want to focus on include:

Kids’ goods.  “Mom to mom” events via school or church rummage sales appear to be burgeoning; this Arizona Republic story advises readers on how to “Make cash by selling your kids’ outgrown clothing, toys” and profiles several local establishments – all of which seem to have different business models; a comparison of how dealers make money and the pros and cons of consignment policies from the small business POV could be quite enlightening.  A feature comparing the new/used costs of commonly used baby and toddler equipment, along with clothing would probably grip readers.  (Be sure to check the Consumer Products Safety Commission website for recalls and guidelines about safety considerations and used baby goods.)

Cars.  According to reports, used car prices are expected to rise again.  (In some ways that’s good for new-car dealers because it makes their wares more competitive; be sure to get their input.)  Check in with both private sellers and retailers about trends in used-car buying and financing.

Luxury goods.  Pawn shops, jewelers, ritzy resale shops, antiques dealers; all are worth checking in with as you localize this recent Reuters story which notes that “As recession lingers, well-heeled hit resales shops.”  Don’t limit yourself to small items; check with resellers of big-ticket goods like luxury automobiles, boats, planes, concert tickets and other high-end treats.

Regulation.  Somehow I missed this last fall:  Louisiana actually passed a law prohibiting cash transactions for used goods!  It’s an effort to create a paper trail so crooks can’t easily dispose of stolen goods, but really – I can’t imagine the headaches for legitimate stores and patrons.  And in Knoxville, secondhand dealers now have to get a background check and pay an annual fee for a business permit.  Nose around your state legislature, attorney general’s office, retail trade groups and local councils to see if any similar concerns may soon affect the used-goods market in your area.

The Jewish Daily Forward found that Kars4Kids spent just $6 million of its $29 million in gifts on programs, such as this Jewish summer camp.

Josh Nathan-Kazis of The Jewish Daily Forward looked into two charities, Kars4Kids and Oorah Inc., and found that less than 25 percent of the $29 million they collected in 2010 was spent on providing programs. The organizations collect donated cars for their mission to support Orthodox outreach to non-Orthodox Jews. Josh also found that Kars4Kids spent $8.3 million on advertising in 2010.

Today’s Tip: Check with your state attorney general for information on charities.

“Charities are required to register with the offices of attorneys general in states where they raise more than a certain amount of money, and they file 990s and other documents with those offices,” Josh says. Here’s a list of the attorneys general by state.

Josh Nathan-Kazis

Charity registries maintained by the state attorneys general offer more information than reporters can get from IRS tax Form 990 filings, which are available online through GuideStar, he says. (Another source for 990s online is Foundation Center.) In New York, the website of the attorney general includes 990s and independent auditor’s reports, which interpret the 990s and lay out any financial problems organizations have. IRS determination letters, which grant an organization tax-exempt status, and certificates of incorporation are also often available, he says.

If you’d like to know more about nonprofits, check out the self-guided training on Investigating Private Companies and Nonprofits that will be available next week on BusinessJournalism.org. Can’t wait? Here’s a recording from yesterday’s Webinar with Chris Roush, business journalism professor at the University of North Carolina, on finding public information on nonprofits.

Reports from Europe indicate that shoppers are tired of belt-tightening. Photo: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

With December’s credit-card bills rolling in and April’s tax payments looming for many Americans, January tends to bring out the frugal in us.  Money-saving tips are hot headlines on magazine covers and websites, while a cursory review of the U.S. Census Bureau’s monthly retail trade report going back a few years shows that January and February tend to post the slowest sales of the year.

With years of timid consumer spending being blamed for macro problems around the globe — even China is saying ‘Spend please,‘ to consumers, according to a Global Post aricle earlier this month — it might be interesting just to take a look at the local effects of even temporary belt-tightening on your local retailers, service firms and restaurants.

For example, I saw a big discussion on a financial blog the other day about brown-bagging lunch to the workplace; many posters said they noticed a big uptick among colleagues either pinching pennies or trying to diet, or both. That begs the question; do restaurant clusters near office parks, light industrial complexes and other employment hubs see a fall-off in January?

In addtion to those trying to cut calories and costs, customers in colder climes might not feel like braving the chill for a store-bought sandwich, burger or taco.  That’s an interesting little season small-business story … think of the ripple effect on food suppliers, servers and other who depend on the lunch trade for sales. Something tells me they hope for Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day bounces to even things out; taking a detailedlook at the ebb and flow of orders to food distributors and suppliers would be a fun way of analyzing consumer trends.

The Gallup polling organization has been tracking discretionary consumer spending on a daily basis since 2008 — there are some fascinating charts on its website — and last January consumers reported spending an average of $58 a day, the lowest since Gallup started such tracking in 2008.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey is another interesting source of data, including at the metropolitan statistical area level, though it does lag by at least a year.  Still, interesting to show pre- and post-recession trends.   And here is a fascinating recent USA Today analysis of Bureau of Economic Analysis data; the newspaper found that consumers are shifting spending away from big-ticket items to consumable goods and services that provide short-term gratification.

You could evaluate the effect this notion has had on the retail landscape in your Main Street areas; are there fewer jewelry stores and more bistros or candle shops, for example?  Are carpet stores giving way to nail salons?  The article even includes a sidebar box of gainers and losers that you could replicate for your market.

By Flickr user Blatant World

President Obama will address Congress and the nation Tuesday, Jan. 24, in the annual State of the Union speech.

It’s tempting, especially in an election year, to dismiss this staged event – and the many state-of-the-state addresses the nation’s governor’s are making this month and next – as pomp, theater and empty rhetoric.  But like all ‘watercooler talkers’ it’s a decent peg for a variety of angles for business journalists:

Past performance.  It’s a good time to interview business leaders, from small firms to large corporations, about the effects and efficacy of some of the major initiatives President Obama has launched during State of the Union speeches.

In 2009, fresh into office, the president discussed the just-signed $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as the stimulus bill is formally known.  You can investigate local recipients at Recovery.gov using an interactive state map to find recipients of loans, grants and federal contracts tied to the stimulus bill.  You can even do a ZIP code search to find projects in your immediate neighborhoods.

In 2010 the president focused on jobs and health care reform, and in last year’s speech he proposed corporate tax cuts, federal investment in emerging sectors and eliminating subsidies to oil companies.

You can find the full text of previous State of the Union speeches at WhiteHouse.gov; you might comb through prior ones to find nuggets and proposals relevant to the companies and sectors you cover, and then ask a sampling of managers and executives if they saw any fruition from the proposals or subsequent new federal acts like the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.

Business outlook.   Obviously this is a great opportunity to check in with area business leaders, trade groups, professional associations, unions, regional economists, turnaround consultants and the myriad other entities you interview throughout the year for their take on what the president needs to do (or indeed, if a president can even be a ‘jobs creator’ in the first place) to continue to grow the economy.   The next few days are ripe for alternative storytelling like Q&A, executive quotes, panel discussions, text and video blogs and any other format in which the above stakeholders can convey their top priorities for 2012 legislation and government spending.  Try to force them to go beyond the usual ‘lower taxes and less regulation’ rhetoric and point to specific rules, laws and aid that would make  a material difference in jobs, revenue and profits.

State addresses.   Some state of the state speeches are in the can already, but you still can apply some of the above reporting strategies to ferret out details about business priorities in your region.  Here’s a handy chart of dates (and links to speeches already made) by Stateline.org.   Don’t forget to take a good look at state spending plans for 2012 too; organizations like the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Pew Center for the States are good go-to sources for analysis and round-ups of state revenue and spending issues.

The Year of the Dragon is approaching. Credit: USA Today

Also known as Chinese New Year, the transition — based on a millenia-old tradition and reportedly the most important festival in the Chinese calendar — takes place on January 23 this year.  Celebrations, however, can span two weeks. 

The event is widely celebrated in a number of Asian countries, where it has significant effect on production and other facets of the economy.

Amazingly, for example, analysts credited a hike in gold prices last week to demand generated by the Lunar New Year, when people present one another with gifts of the precious metal, according to MarketWatch.  Airlines have scheduled to provide extra seats for people returning home to spend the holiday with family and friends; Malaysia Airlines, for example, has added 32 extra flights for the period before and after the New Year to accomodate demand.  And according to India Today, Chinese airlines have been asked to schedule a mind-boggling 14,000 (yes, 14,000) additonal flights during the “Spring Festival” as the new year is called. 

With so much holiday-related domestic travel in China, one wonders what the effect is on American firms doing business abroad, whether those with employees and a physical presence in China or the myriad small businesses that rely on Chinese manufacturing plants and the China-U.S. supply chain for wholesale and retail goods.  It might be ineresting to check with local retailers, light industrial operations, manufacturers and other companies to see if they plan for an annual disruption and what the business effects are.  You might also check with travel agents, tour operators, translators, vacation clubs and other globe-trotting entities in your area — do Lunar New Year jaunts translate into demand?

It’s fascinating to note that — as this New York Daily News article points out — the incoming Year of the Dragon represents the most powerful symbol in the Chinese zodiac; it’s thought to be a harbinger of good fortune, prosperity and wealth.  It’s expected that parents wanting to give their offspring the best possible start will have planned lots of extra births for the coming year, not only in China but in communities with strong Chinese ties. The Dragon year also bodes well for the Korean and Vietnamese communities, the article notes.  This is definitely something to check into with residents, doctors, hospitals, day-care centers and other facets of the economy likely to be affected by any sort of baby boost.  In China, demand for infant products is expected to rev up the economy, according to Businessweek.

And get this: The United State Treasury’s engraving and printing department in November even unveiled a special Year of the Dragon dollar bill – with serial number beginning with “8888″ (eight being an auspicious number in Chinese lore) that’s available for sale at www.moneyfactorystore.gov. 

Also,  commemoration is becoming more common around the globe, including in the United States.   Obviously if your community has a significant number of Chinese members, you might find businesses that are affected by observance — from a productivity standpoint, or through providing goods and services to those celebrating the holiday.  Here’s an interesting Wikipedia entry listing dozesn of U.S. communities with a significant Chinese population; that’s one way to start but don’t limit your reporting to Chinese companies or individuals only; I can say from personal experience that people of all heritage here in the U.S. acknowledge the transition in one fashion or another.

Just take a look at this list of activities posted by the San Francisco Chronicle, from a fun run to a symphony concert.

Casinos tie promotions and events to the Lunar New Year; one near me issues commemorative slot-player cards with the year’s symbol.  Aside from entertainment venues, check with party supply stores, caterers, specialty grocers.  Talk with employers about workplace issues and holiday policies.  Cards, e-cards, good luck charms, school activities — all of these items are supplied by some small businesses (and some large ones.)  Lunar New Year — especially with so many hopes tied to the Dragon year — is an upbeat, fun and colorful story that nevertheless can have substantive economic underpinnings.    Kung Hei Fat Choi!

By Flickr user madgerly

In case you haven’t heard, food giant General Mills is experiencing a bit of a backlash over its newly launched Multi-Grain Peanut Butter Cheerios. People concerned about the cereal’s impact on those with peanut allergies have protested the new flavor; voices are particularly vehement among mommy bloggers – some of whom even have called for a ban on the new flavor.  The peanut-butter Cheeiros, protesters say, are too similar to regular Cheerios so popular as a toddler snack, and could cause deathly illness in kids who unwittingly share them. 

The controversy shines a light on the growing problem peanut allergies present not only for their sufferers but as a liability for food purveyors, caregivers and even big corporations like airlines – some of which have replaced the ubiquitous in-flight peanuts with pretzel nuggets, to the woe of high-protein, low-carb flyers.  At one point, the federal Department of Transportation even considered an outright ban on peanuts for commercial flights.

And it’s worth noting too that the burgeoning ranks of peanut allergy sufferers also have created opportunties for niche businesses from nut-free bakeries to book authors to clinics to – yes, people who train peanut-detecting service dogs.  

According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, peanut allergies among children have tripled since 1997.  No one knows why, but it’s an emotional topic that stirs heated debate on both sides when preventative measures are discussed – as General Mills is being reminded this week. 

Seek out your region’s food-processing firms, commercial bakeries, canneries and the like (the state agriculture department can probably help with a list).  If your region isn’t home to any big food firms, you still can localize this story in a number of way, including:

Restaurants or food-service firms.  I’ve actually heard of people walking into a Thai restaurant demanding peanut- free cuisine.  That’s a pretty far-fetched request, but how do restaurants handle cross-contamination issues, employee training about food allergies and other practical considerations?  What are their rights in, perhaps, refusing to serve patrons who make peanut allergies (or other food-related medical issues) known, for fear of liability?   What about food-service and catering firms, especially those that handle school lunches and hospital meals, for example?  How have menus, packaging, service protocols and other business considerations changed as allergies have burgeoned?

Food distributors and grocers.  How have product offerings shifted to respond to the allergy issue?  Are pastries, for example, labeled differently?   Do ice creams feature prominent “peanut products” stickers, or do food makers opt for almonds and other less controversial nuts?  How is demand for peanut butter holding up, and foods containing peanut butter, from pudding to frozen sandwiches?   What about peanut oil, peanut snacks and their substitutes – what are consumers seeking?  

Day care centers.  How do for-profit caregiving facilities handle the issue — in terms of staff training, disclosure requirements, snack policies, and the like.  Are the administrative burdens of managing allergy policies costly? 

Liability insurance.  Talk with financial and insurance advisors — have recommendations for businesses like those above changed in light of greater allergy concerns?   What about homeowners, for that matter: If you unwittingly sicken someone – or worse – by serving a peanut-laden concotion, what is your exposure?

New niche businesses.  As mentioned, a number of bakeries appear to specialize in nut-free goods, and as this national nut-free directory shows, so a number of other eateries and food kitchens.  Worth a look for companies in your area,and do Google “nut-free” plus a geographic term from your region to likely find more.  A great source of trend and small-business stories.

Freelancer Eilene Zimmerman used HARO and ProfNet to locate the business owners who spoke for this story in The New York Times on five businesses that failed in 2011.

For The New York Times, freelancer Eilene Zimmerman produced a quick-hit  look at five businesses that failed in 2011. It’s a story that could be replicated in any geography.

Eilene tells us about a decorative-molding business in Maryland; a loan company and a dog-food business in New York; a bed-and-breakfast in Colorado; and an online training program in California. For each failed business, she tells their stories in these categories: “at their peak,” “what went wrong” and “looking back.”

To get this information, she didn’t use a questionnaire, she says.

“I knew the key information I needed and made sure to get that,” Eilene says. “With these kinds of profiles, even though they are short, I always want to know the entire story so I can put it into some context and can really understand the specific situation.”

Today’s Tip: Add online resources such as Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and ProfNet to your source-hunting tools. 

Founded in 2008 by entrepreneur Peter Shankman, HARO’s website says: “Tap into the largest source repository in the world with over 80,000 mainstreet and expert sources who will respond directly to your query on your terms.” HARO is also on Twitter @helpareporter.

ProfNet, which is part of PR Newswire, bills itself as connecting reporters promptly with experts within “an online community of nearly 27,000 corporate, university and other communicators.” It’s been around since 1992 and is on Twitter @ProfNet.

As noted in my previous post about Boston Globe reporter Meghan E. Irons’ piece on “check day” in a poor neighborhood, sometimes you have to overcome hurdles to find people willing to talk.

Eilene Zimmerman

“It’s often very painful for business owners to talk about a venture that failed, especially when they’ve invested so much of themselves in it,” Eilene says.

Aside from the basics of talking with non-journalism friends and asking fellow writers, freelancers, editors, Eilene says she also put out queries on HARO and Profnet. “I had to do that about four times, actually,” she says.

She posted requests on Facebook and tweeted a request twice.

She read stories online about failed businesses in different industries. She got leads about the closings of restaurants, small manufacturing plants and mom-and-pop stores, but she still had to work her way through that list to find business owners willing to talk.