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%excerpt% More here: How Not to Get Sued For Christmas

Can't do doorbusters or sweeping discounts? Brooklyn Industries's Lexy Funk explains small-retail's tricks for profiting big this shopping season. This year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping weekend was a significant boost for U.S.

Don't show 'em the money (even if you have it).

Breaking news from your editors at Fast Company, with updates all day. New Nokia Phone Stars In Leaked YouTube Video .

Dr. Holly Phillips answers viewer questions on pressing health issues, from the reasons for night sweats, to natural remedies for eczema, and even how to stay healthy for the holidays.

Their work cut out for them, small businesses turn to customer service and experiences to differentiate this holiday shopping season. Holiday retail projections are upbeat, but what's a small business to do with competition from deep-discounting big-box stores and consumers who are focused on seizing deals? The National Retail Federation expects retail sales to increase 2.8 percent this year.

We know what's happened to Apple recently: The company has released a carefully updated edition of many of its core products, over the course of the last eight months (starting with the iPad 2), culminating in the launch of the iPhone 4S. In between the reveal of this phone and it actually going on sale, legendary Apple CEO and cofounder Steve Jobs passed away, finally losing his protracted battle with cancer and its side effects.

HTC refuses to admit it's new Android "Rhyme" is a chick phone.

New York commuters can ride a vintage 1920 train in September, compliments of Nucky Thompson. The MTA is going older school than usual starting Labor Day weekend, compliments of your favorite lovable crime lord, Nucky Thompson. As part of the “Compliments of Nucky” campaign promoting the September 25 return of period drama Boardwalk Empire, HBO is putting a vintage 1920s train back on the track on New York's 2 / 3 line (Nucky refers to the show's central character, played by Steve Buscemi).

Improve your company's performance appraisal process by reviewing employees earlier and more often. Here's five tips to get you started now. An old joke among human resources professionals is that employee reviews are like fruitcakes.

"Oh, great! Another cupcake shop!" I hear these words as soon as I step onto M Street, the posh, townhouse-lined retail thoroughfare in Washington, D.C., and most lately the raging epicenter of the great American cupcake pandemic. I'm standing in front of an outpost of Sprinkles, a California cupcake chain that joined the fray just the week before.

"Oh, great! Another cupcake shop!" I hear these words as soon as I step onto M Street, the posh, townhouse-lined retail thoroughfare in Washington, D.C., and most lately the raging epicenter of the great American cupcake pandemic.

Big companies enter into joint ventures—new business entities created through business agreements—all the time. In fact, many large companies now rely on partnering up with other companies, especially smaller ones, as a way to innovate by outsourcing their research and development efforts. "Companies can't do it on their own anymore," says Dr