You Can Count on MeA friend can make the best kind of business partner.

What happens when two friends decide to start a business? It's a question that Lynn Harris Medcalf and Susan Apgood gave some serious thought when a client suggested the co-workers at a PR company made a great team. They shared the same vision for a company and brought different skills to the table, so, in August 1997, the friends decided to launchNews Generation, an Atlanta-based PR services company that specializes in radio. Last year, Medcalf, 37, executive vice president, and Apgood, 35, president, made $1.3 million in revenue.

"Susan is one of the funniest people I've ever met. She always makes people laugh, and I truly enjoy being around her," says Medcalf. "I respected Susan's work ethic and thought she was a dynamo who would go far in life."