About this book Introduction 1 Pt. 1 Where are we now? 7 1 Your mission 15 2 Opportunities and threats 23 3 Strengths and weaknesses 38 4 The financial position 57 5 How to diagnose your organisation 97 6 Assessing people, structure and systems 114 Pt. 2 Where are we going? 143 7 Marketing options 147 8 Marketing strategy: focus and priorities 152 9 Choosing between alternatives 162 10 Financing growth 178 11 Acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures and divestments 219 12 Visionary leadership 238 Pt. 3 How will we get there? 253 13 The marketing plan 257 14 The people plan 270 15 Managing change 285 16 The financial plan 302 17 Writing and presenting your business plan 322 18 Exit routes 337 References 352 Index 354 Index of advertisers 356.

BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine is the premier business news source forAfrican Americans. With thirty years of experience, BlackEnterprise continues to chronicle the achievements of AfricanAmerican professionals while providing monthly reports onentrepreneurship, investing, personal finance, business news andtrends, and career management. Now, Black Enterprise brings to youthe Guide to Starting Your Own Business, the one-stop definitiveresource for everything today's entrepreneur needs to know tolaunch and run a solid business. Former Black Enterprise editor Wendy Beech knows that being asuccessful business owner takes more than capital and a solidbusiness plan. She offers essential, timely advice on all aspectsof entrepreneurship, including defining and protecting a businessidea, researching the industry and the competition, confrontinglegal issues, choosing a good location, financing, and advertising.You'll even learn how to make the most of the Internet byestablishing a Web presence. Plus, you'll hear from blackentrepreneurs who persevered in the face of seemingly unbeatableodds and have now joined the ranks of incredibly successful blackbusiness owners. This exceptional reference tool alsoincludes: * The ten qualities you must possess to be a successfulentrepreneur. * A list of helpful resources at the end of every chapter. If you've ever dreamed about going into business for yourself, ifyou feel you've hit the glass ceiling in corporate America, if youhave the drive and the desire to take control of your destiny, theBlack Enterprise Guide to Starting Your Own Business will motivateand inspire you--every step of the way. Special Bonus. To help you stay abreast of the latest entrepreneurial trends,Black Enterprise is pleased to offer: * A free issue of Black Enterprise magazine. * A free edition of The Exchange Newsletter forEntrepreneurs. * A discount coupon for savings off the registration fee at theannual Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference.

This manual is specifically designed to help train actual and potential farm mechanization service providers, in order to increase access to sustainable farm power to raise the productivity of smallholder farmers. It focuses on two crucial aspects: the provision of farm mechanization services as a viable business opportunity for entrepreneurs, and the essential criteria of raising productivity in an environmentally sensitive and responsible way i.e. that includes conservation agriculture. Practical guidance on the essential business development and management skills required to successfully run a mechanization service provision business are presented, with a focus on the equipment required to offer services compatible with conservation agriculture. The manual will be of particular interest to policymakers’ intent on achieving sustainable intensification in the agricultural sector. It is also a valuable resource for trainers charged with increasing the supply of well-trained and well-equipped entrepreneurial mechanization service providers through the implementation of training courses tailored to the specific course locations.

State-owned enterprises make up roughly 10 percent of the world economy, yet they are woefully understudied. This handbook offers the first synthesis of the topic since the 1980s and offers a comprehensive reference for a generation. The authors provide a detailed explanation of the theory that underpins the expansion of state-owned enterprises in the 21st century. Each chapter delivers an overview of current knowledge, as well as identifying issues and relevant debates for future research. The authors explain how state-owned enterprises are used in both developed and developing countries and offer an insight into complex and fascinating organizations such as the German municipal conglomerates or the multinational companies owned by states. New modes of governance and regulation have been invented to make sure they act in the public interest. This handbook brings together a wealth of international scholars, offering multiple theoretical perspectives to help shape a brave new world. It will be of interest to teachers and students of Economics, Public Administration and Business, academics, established researchers and PhD students seeking rigorous literature reviews on specific aspects of SOEs, as well as practitioners and decision makers in international organizations.

The controversial issues of director liability and auditor independence are addressed with pragmatic solutions in this helpful guide to running a business. Vital strategies aimed at aligning the interests of shareholders, directors, and managers in the best interest of the company are included with tips for optimizing business earnings and cash flow to increase shareholder value. Nine universal governance principles drawn together from international codes of conduct such as the King II Code, the GRI sustainable reporting recommendations, and the Myburgh report demonstrate how to optimize shareholder value without compromising positive corporate and governance practice.

The Delbridge Forensic Accounting Family Law Value Handbook provides practitioners with both detailed analysis and quick reference material in relation to the valuation and taxation issues that are encountered in a family law property matter.

This is the first book to deliver specific guidelines for integrating mobile and wireless technologies into a business organization to enhance business processes, reduce operating expenses, or produce additional revenue streams Builds off the material from Cap Gemini Ernst & Young Guide to Wireless Enterprise Application Architecture (0-471-20951-1), which described how to build a wireless enterprise application architecture for optimum performance Presents a proprietary, step-by-step methodology that shows how to identify opportunities to integrate mobile technologies into an organization Describes the strategic framework and development approach used by experienced project teams for building a mobile technology solution Features extensive real case studies from Microsoft and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young's extensive business portfolio