Peter Wilson addresses the issues confronting managers/owners of small business enterprises (SMEs) by providing jargon-free advice on which an SME can create a sound platform from which to prosper.

A cliche it may be but we are living in ever more turbulent times. Business decision-making has become more challenging and unpredictable than ever: we see unforeseen and often cataclysmic changes in consumer demand, both at home and in export markets; customers continue to demand more, more quickly and for less; new laws and regulations abound; competitors steal loyal customers; and, increasingly, the advice that once could be found from a 'Small Business Adviser' has been replaced by a call centre. Hand in hand with these challenges, the risks associated with expansion, or a new strategy, have grown significantly. In the context of a small business, where a manager has not necessarily had the breadth of experience of someone in a larger organization or formal management learning, they can seem extremely daunting. This book addresses the issues confronting managers/owners of SMEs by providing practical, jargon-free advice on which a SME can create a sound platform from which to prosper. * Uncomplicated and jargon free to appeal to the SME director or manager who has little time to read * Can be used as a continuous read or a source of ides for dealing with the day-to-day problems of running and growing a small business * Based on the practical experience of the authors with examples taken from consulting practice

'Business Development' provides a readable and practical book for the growth and development of businesses. This is primarily a textbook for the NVQ4 Business Development qualification, the Institute of Management Certificate in Owner Management courses, and HND Small business modules, but the text is also an invaluable practical guide to owner-managers of small businesses. All businesses pass through several stages of growth and it occurs for a number of reasons, such as change in the commercial market, increased customer demand for services or product, higher numbers of customers. Business Development shows how to make the most of this growth and also how to deal with the different types of problems that are encountered along the way. The book is structured to follow a logical sequence of questions that makes it readily accessible: Where are we now? Where do we want to go? What resources are needed to get there? What sales and marketing policies do we need to develop? It examines the personnel and staffing implications, the efficiency of the current financial management process, and the owner's own abilities to make it all happen. Most important of all it makes the owner-manager takes a long, hard look at the business and where it is really going.

If you’re an entrepreneur, or you’re just thinking of starting a business, start with this smart, practical guide to small business success. It shows you how to maintain healthy growth and profits—no matter what kind of business you own—and helps you get the most out of your limited resources. Grow your business and get on the fast track to success.

What difference can the aspiring HR strategist really make to business value? In the new edition of her ground-breaking book, Linda Holbeche answers this question and provides the tools and insights to help HR managers and directors add value to the organization by implementing effective HR initiatives that are aligned to core business strategies. Featuring updated profiles and case studies from top HR strategists who have used their skills to deliver a variety of key business objectives, Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy, 2nd edition provides inspiration and guidance on how to apply the theory to challenges in your organization. Learn how you can strengthen and prove the relationship between people strategy and business success through your approach to performance and development and impress at the highest levels with this new edition of an HR classic. Linda Holbeche is Director of Research and Policy at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Linda chairs and speaks at meetings and conferences worldwide and appeared at number six in Human Resources magazine's HR most influential 2008 roll call of top industry thinkers.

This book provides a well structured, comprehensive and clear overview of the core business components that helps readers especially those wishing to pursue a career in business. It begins with a general introduction of the business and identifies the process to establish, succeed, sustain and grow in the competitive market environment. It thoroughly guides a reader to be a successful entrepreneur. Also, it can be equally used in the academic sector by the business management students and professors as the reference book.

The questionable practices and policies of many businesses are coming under scrutiny by consumers and the media. As such, it important to research new methods and systems for creating optimal business cultures. Organizational Culture and Behavior: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a comprehensive resource on the latest advances and developments for creating a system of shared values and beliefs in business environments. Featuring extensive coverage across a range of relevant perspectives and topics, such as organizational climate, collaboration orientation, and aggressiveness orientation, this book is ideally designed for business owners, managers, entrepreneurs, professionals, researchers, and students actively involved in the modern business realm.

The book you are about to read offers some very powerful insights into the link between entrepreneurship, industrial cooperation and the emergence of high-tech companies in Europe. It deals with the very essence of the potential that Europe can and should use in order to increase its competitiveness and retain at the same time its quality of living. From the foreword by Janez Potocnik, EU Commissioner for Science Policy Presenting original and innovative research studies with a focus on new business development in science and technology, this book highlights the role and challenge of European cooperation to create new techno-ventures and encourage them to survive and even flourish. The book is an exceptional result of a distinctive network of European and American scholars, practitioners, and members of public institutions interested in the critical issues of emergence and survival of technology and knowledge based firms. The contributors study examples from both the old EU-member states such as France, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands, as well as newer countries such as Slovenia and Estonia. The book is unique in bringing culture and psychology together in the particular context of the nascent technopreneur. Using a plethora of different approaches, Entrepreneurship, Cooperation and the Firm will be of great interest to innovation and entrepreneurship policy makers at governmental levels, and also to those involved in research programs on entrepreneurship, innovation and organizational change. In addition, this book will be a stimulating read for academics, researchers and practitioners both inside and outside of the classroom.

Want to take your company to the next level? You need a roadmap, a strategy. Preferably one that is simple, workable and saleable. This book provides you with just that. It sets out a straightforward strategy development process, the ‘Strategy Pyramid’, and guides you through it. It uses a lively central case study throughout, as well as drawing on examples of how real businesses have developed winning strategies. Whether you are intent on growing your business, or setting out on your start-up, this book offers an uncomplicated, practical and readable guide on how to get the strategy you need for your business to succeed. It offers sound advice on the following areas: Setting goals and objectives Forecasting market demands Gauging industry competition Tracking competitive advantage Targeting the strategic gap Bridging the gap with business strategy Bridging the gap with corporate strategy Addressing risk and opportunity The FT Essential Guide to Developing a Business Strategy will help businesses of all sizes to chart and realise their growth ambitions.