Sam Harnett
Latest Stories (70)
San Francisco taxi drivers still struggle with medallion debt
by
Sam Harnett
Oct 27, 2021
Uber and Lyft jolted the taxi business. A credit union that loaned money to drivers lost its case against the city's transit agency.
What's in a name? Company titles for gig workers reveal business models.
by
Sam Harnett
Jan 20, 2021
"Dasher," "tasker," "driver-partner." How companies pick worker nicknames that reflect the argument that workers are contractors, not employees.
Gig companies throw lots of cash -- and tech -- at California ballot measure
by
Sam Harnett
Oct 26, 2020
The ballot initiative in California would allow companies like Uber and Lyft to keep classifying workers as contractors.
Smoke damage to grapes is the latest blow to California wine industry
by
Sam Harnett
Oct 6, 2020
A glut of grapes on the market, the pandemic and fires that damaged or destroyed wineries. Now, grapes tainted by smoke may be unusable.
Good luck finding a name for your new company
by
Sam Harnett
May 25, 2020
The number of available company names that hasn't been trademarked is getting smaller and smaller.
Food delivery startup Munchery folds, leaving small businesses on the hook
by
Sam Harnett
Feb 19, 2019
In 2018, U.S. venture capital investment surpassed the 2000 dot-com peak for the first time. According to the financial data company PitchBook, investors put some $130 billion into thousands of U.S. companies. Many of these businesses will not make it, and as some flame out, they’ll leave behind a trail of debt. This is exactly […]
How delivery apps are changing the restaurant industry
by
Sam Harnett
Nov 19, 2018
"We have to adapt every single thing we do," one eatery owner says.
A California city is planning on giving money to some residents, no strings attached
by
Sam Harnett
Feb 27, 2018
The economically depressed city of Stockton, California is experimenting with Universal Basic Income.
Small farmers say meal kits cut into their CSA businesses
by
Sam Harnett
Jan 18, 2018
Some small farms that participate in community-supported agriculture say that meal kit companies are cutting into their profits.
New barbershops cash in on male grooming trend
by
Sam Harnett
Jan 16, 2018
Men are shelling out for barbershops that have nostalgic atmospheres.