A handful of big-name players within the cupcake industry are betting that America’s cupcake obsession will continue as they embark upon ambitious expansion plans.

Source: Georgetown Cupcake Hummingbird cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake, which recently opened its third location in New York City's SoHo neighborhood.

Recent data backs up this confectionery gamble — but with a caveat. Growth within the cake decoration stores industry is expected to slow to 3.7 percent annually over the next five years, according to an October 2011 report from research firm IBISWorld. This forecast represents a dip from the 4.9 percent growth that the industry was predicted to have enjoyed during the past five years.

“The market is becoming more and more saturated as cupcake stores open, but ones like Crumbs or Sprinkles that have a more recognizable brand can succeed,” said Mary Nanfelt, the report’s author.

Several high-profile cupcake brands are in the midst of expansions from Boston to Beirut.

Magnolia Bakery — one of the most recognizable cupcake shops, made famous by the hit TV show "Sex and the City" — aims to add 200 stores within the next five years, said Bobbie Lloyd, the company’s operating partner and president.

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Small business "has been the sweet spot" for online bill paying service PayPal and its parent eBay from the beginning, eBay CEO John Donahoe told CNBC.

Photo: Coolcaesar eBay headquarters in San Jose, California.

Now the company is introducing a new form of PayPal to businesses with "offline channels," he said.

On Thursday PayPal launched a mobile payments service that lets businesses accept credit cards using a small triangular card reader attached to an iPhone.

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Nicholas Eveleigh | The Image Bank | Getty Images

Providence, R.I. - Rhode Island took a step toward adopting some of the nation's tightest restrictions on artificial tanning Tuesday when the state Senate voted to prohibit minors from using tanning beds without a doctor's prescription.

The measure, which now moves to the state House of Representatives, is designed to keep minors out of tanning salons until they're old enough to weigh the risks of skin cancer, according to the bill's sponsor, Sen. Rhoda Perry.

"Cancer as a whole is a public health crisis," said Perry, D-Providence. "We protect our children from cigarette smoking and from drugs and alcohol as best we can. It makes no sense to allow this."

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CNBC High gas prices in California

The small business engine is going into overdrive as the price at the pump continues to go up. Rising fuel costs have some local business owners thinking twice about expansion.

Bart Chilton, head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, knows this firsthand. “My brother and sister-in-law have an Italian restaurant and they were talking about hiring delivery drivers,” he told CNBC.com. “But last weekend, they decided to put that idea on hold due to gas prices.”

Chilton’s brother is not the only business owner feeling the pinch. This past week, the CFTC received a letter from 23 senators and 45 members of the House urging the commission to set energy position limits in an effort to slow down or halt the soaring gasoline prices.

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Diners going to Smashburger restaurants expect to pay a little more for a meal that is made to order.

Smashburger's potential franchisees can expect to spend a little more, too.

"Our franchise partners are really well heeled, $5 million and up net worth," CEO Dave Prokupek told CNBC Friday.

"They’re already running a lot of other franchise concepts. We’re requiring people to build out of cash. That’s one soft spot" in the economy, "there’s not a lot of lending available."

But opportunity is. The hamburger chain has expanded into 149 locations since it opened in 2007. Prokupek said the plan is to open another 50 to 70 stores this year. With each location needing at least 20 workers, that means 1,200 new jobs.

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For entrepreneurs venturing into the small business territory, launching a franchise can offer security through national brand recognition, economies of scale and access to proven formulas for success. A new report lists six franchise industries with promising outlooks.

Siri Stafford | Digital Vision | Getty Images

According to the International Franchise Association, the number of franchise establishments is projected to rise 1.9 percent this year as the business world takes notice of the potential perks under the umbrella of a well-known company.

“Overall, franchises are expected to continue stealing market share away from independent businesses and increasing their total economic output, which currently stands at 4.4 percent of the total private sector,” said IBISWorld industry analyst Eben Jose.

But which franchises offer the best opportunities for aspiring small business owners?

The industry research firm IBISWorld released its list of six franchise industries with promising outlooks during the next five years, based on revenue growth, growth in the number of franchise establishments and those establishments’ dispersion across the U.S.

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Source: Walmart

For minor league baseball players, the dream is to make it to the big leagues.

For culinary students, a goal is to be executive chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

And for many entrepreneurs, the aspiration is to get their product sold at a major retailer. They want their treats at Starbucks,

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[SBUX  Loading...      ()   ] their pet products at Walmart

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[WMT  Loading...      ()   ] or their clothing designs at Macy's.

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It takes work to pry that distribution door open, but once in, it's a thrilling feeling, says Lucy Gibney, who once sold her Lucy's gluten-free cookies in about 6,000 U.S. and Canadian Starbucks.

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When was the last time you stopped by a pharmacy to pick up a pack of razors and did a double-take at the checkout counter? Someone has been getting filthy rich off selling tiny pieces of disposable metal for $19.99, and unless your name is Gillette, it's probably not you.

Here to help you shave some money off your monthly grooming budget: Dollar Shave Club, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based startup that will ship five razors to your home each month for a whopping $3.

How does Dollar Shave Club undercut the big-boys like Gillette and Schick by such a large margin? Like a growing number of "disruptive" startups, by taking out the middleman: The company's razors come directly from manufacturers in China and Korea. Plus, the razors are sold with less capital because Dollar Shave Club doesn't have a storefront and operates exclusively online. Companies like Warby Parker, which sells eyeglasses and sunglasses for $95, have proven the model can work. » Read More