Business 2.0 June 2005 Issue Highlights.

SAN FRANCISCO -- "B2 100: The Fastest-Growing Technology Companies" by Georgia Flight, Susanna Hamner, and Nicole Joseph, page 120.

Business 2.0's annual ranking of businesses whose inventiveness and quick reflexes are helping them set the pace for the economy.

COVER STORY: "The New Instant Companies" by Michael Copeland and Andrew Tilin, page 82

Savvy startups are tapping some of today's most powerful trends - cheap software, offshore factories, the blogosphere - to go from concept to multimillion dollar sales overnight. An exclusive step-by-step guide shows how you can do the same.

Plus:

--Step 1: Design the Next Product, page 84

--Step 2: Get Someone Else to Make It, page 88

--Step 3: Leverage the Hype Machine, page 92

OTHER FEATURE ARTICLES

"Dream Factory," by G. Pascal Zachary, page 96

In 2003, Nissan built Mississippi's first auto plant to help target the vital U.S. market. When the going got a little rough, the company mounted a grueling campaign to rescue its vision - and it just may be reinventing car manufacturing in the process.

"The Cell of a New Machine," by Erick Schonfeld, page 104

An IBM-led consortium named its radical speed-demon-of-a-chip after the building block of life. Will it give birth to a revolutionary new era in electronics?

"Stormy Weather," by Paul Keegan, page 130

AccuWeather pioneered the business of forecasting, and for years its outlook was sunny. Then the Weather Channel appeared on the horizon. A revealing look at how AccuWeather lost its lead and what it is doing to win it back.

TITANS OF TECH 

"Reinventing Television," page 116

In an interview with Columnist John Battelle, Silicon Valley veteran Mike Homer discusses moving TV shows from the airwaves to the grid. If he succeeds, we'll never look at video the same way again.

COLUMNS

The Big Picture, by Jonathan Weber, page 38

Sky-high oil prices are bad news for consumers, but they create plenty of opportunity for adventurous investors to make bank on the wind and the sun.

Face Time, by John Heilemann, page 40

Why is XM radio chief Hugh Panero smiling? Well, maybe you would be too, if you thought your main rival was spending like a drunken sailor on shore leave.

The Human Factor, by Jeffrey Pfeffer, page 80

Never mind the conventional wisdom. The evidence says that when bosses partner with unions, it's good for both workers and the bottom line.

PLUS

What's Next:

M&A, page 29: China is flush with cash and looking to diversify - which is why it is scooping up American companies at a record pace.

Advertising, page 32: New digital billboards do day-night double duty, changing how outdoor ads are sold.

Infotech, page 32: Why RSS is going from blogs to the boardroom.

What Works:

Turnaround, page 47: Motorola has long been more geek than chic. But with a new CEO - and a new hit phone - That is starting to change.

Retail, page 62: Urban Outfitters became one of the best-performing chains around by refusing to act like one.

Customer Loyalty, page 74: MySpace turned social networking into a real business by giving its music-loving crowd reason to come back.

What's Cool:

Travel, page 144: Got a few free hours after the last meeting? A look at six golf courses you can get to from downtown in 30-minutes or less.

Fitness, page 146: For a quick but thorough workout, try the routine of the stars.

Wheels, page 148: Who calls a $150,000 car a bargain? Anyone on the waiting list for a Bentley Continental GT.

Hits & Misses, page 156: Plane sales soar after Boeing makes the right bet on fuel prices, Lego's bottom line falls to pieces, Oakley's "silly" MP3 shades prove a shrewd move, Anheuser-Busch's new premium brand fails to put a head on its profits, and more.

The June 2005 issue is available on newsstands May 30. For more information, or to schedule an interview with a Business 2.0 writer or editor, contact Kurt Patat (212-725-2295 x 17, [e-mail]) Laura Goldberg (212-725-2295 x 15, [e-mail]).