It's a lot like "The Apprentice," except nobody gets fired.
Hoping to capitalize on the sensational buzz around NBC's hit reality show, AOL is launching an online feature that will follow the travails of four small-business owners for their first 12 months. "The Startup" will be featured on America Online's customized service for small-business owners, but it will also be available for any of AOL's 24 million subscribers.
The feature, which is being done in cooperation with Entrepreneur Magazine, goes live on Thursday. Sarah Bernard, the head of AOL for Small Business, said the feature was not modeled specifically on the hit NBC show, and had been in the works for some time. But she said its debut was adjusted to capitalize on the buzz around "The Apprentice," whose final episode airs next week.
News source: CNN
