For Samantha Firestone, founder and CEO of Little Nest, an Australian firm that produces mini versions of classic modernist furnishings, it's as much about appealing to kids as adults.

WSJ: Midcentury-Modern Furniture for Kids

Another firm, Noritsu Koki, supplies half the mini-photo processing labs used in camera shops and kiosks around the world.

ECONOMIST: Japan��s growth companies

"They have responded to the call of the Mini, " says Rebecca Lindland , an analyst at forecasting firm Global Insight.

FORBES: Little Luxuries

Travel firm Minoan Group has signed a deal to run a nationwide network of mini-travel agencies across the UK post office network.

BBC: Post Office sign

But the man he first gave it to, Henri-Germain Delauze, who owns a maritime engineering firm, has scoured three-quarters of Mr Bianco's course with sonar and mini-submarines without yet turning up a thing.

ECONOMIST: Hunting for Saint-Exup��ry

Japanese firm Fine Foods Inc. has come up with a system for putting a kitchenless, chefless mini-restaurant into virtually any type of shop that happens to have a spare bit of space going to waste.

ENGADGET: The auto-restaurant