Craigslist

Are you building a business -- or thinking of starting one? Especially if you're a corporate army of one, it pays to be in the "you" business.

That means promoting yourself and telling people what you can do as a potential goods or services provider -- or an employee, for that matter.

And increasingly the online world is the place to hang your shingle with dedicated Web pages and social-networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn.

One of the easiest and best ways to market yourself or your business is by creating a blog.

Under the watchful eye of law enforcement in 40 states, Craigslist pledged Thursday to crack down on ads for prostitution on its Web sites.

As part of Craigslist's agreement with attorneys general around the country, anyone who posts an "erotic services" ad will be required to provide a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. The Web site will provide that information to law enforcement if subpoenaed.

Ann Wood was thrilled last January when her eBay store, Willow-Wear, had its best month ever, grossing around $33,000. In February, however, Wood experienced a sharp drop-off in sales. Since 2004, Wood has run the home-based business, listing and selling high-end jewelry, clothing, shoes, bags, and antiques for more than 40 clients around the country. She works four to six hours a day, and had sales of about $250,000 in 2007, she says.

Online classifieds giant Craigslist countersued its minority owner, eBay Inc., alleging the online auctioneer is violating federal and state antitrust laws.

The legal spat, which began last month, pits two of the Internet's most popular Web sites against one another.

It lays bare eBay's long-standing desire for a majority stake in Craigslist and Craigslist's continued resistance to eBay's advances.

Online classified ad site Craigslist is none too happy with having e-commerce giant eBay hold a stake in its business. And eBay isn't taking kindly to Craigslist's efforts to diminish that ownership. The extent of both sides' displeasure was made plain in court papers unsealed in Delaware on Apr. 30.

Stolen and sensitive U.S. military equipment, including fighter jet parts wanted by Iran and nuclear biological protective gear, has been available to the highest bidder on popular Internet sales sites, according to congressional investigators.

Using undercover identities, investigators purchased a dozen defense-related items on the auction site eBay and the online network Craigslist from January 2007 through last month and received the items "no questions asked."