Starting a Successful Business: Start Up and Grow Your Own Company (Business Enterprise)

Starting a business from scratch is an exciting but daunting endeavor. Starting a Successful Business is a one-stop reference for advice on getting a new business up and running. It shows readers how to make their business a success, how to avoid making costly mistakes, and how to save time and money in the process. The new sixth edition covers every aspect of running a business, including laying the basic foundations, controlling and raising money, and managing operations, employment, risk management, and growth. Including information on opportunities created by the internet, Starting a Successful Business contains all the advice prospective business owners need before starting their own company in today's competitive business environment. Half title page......Page 2 Title page......Page 4 Imprint......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 9 What’s it like to run a business?......Page 10 Family matters......Page 13 Four types of entrepreneurs......Page 14 Women entrepreneurs......Page 17 Personal finances: spring clean while you can......Page 18 What sort of firm to start?......Page 21 Buying a business......Page 22 Taking up a franchise......Page 23 Your IT strategy......Page 24 Web trading......Page 25 What are you selling, exactly?......Page 27 Choosing customers......Page 28 Finding out what you need to know......Page 29 Forecasting your sales......Page 30 What exactly are you selling, then?......Page 32 Why should anyone buy from you?......Page 34 Getting it all to the consumer......Page 35 Dealing direct with the public......Page 37 Shops’ and distributors’ margins......Page 39 Attracting the distributor......Page 41 Visiting the customer......Page 43 Pricing for marketability......Page 45 Selling via the big catalogues: big orders, quick payment......Page 46 Effective advertising......Page 47 Publicity: nearly free and better than advertising......Page 48 The web and your market......Page 50 Sales via the internet......Page 51 Costs and costing......Page 56 Calculating an hourly rate......Page 57 Controls on costing......Page 59 The importance of cash......Page 61 Forecasting the cash situation......Page 62 Why cash-flow forecasting matters......Page 63 Planning for profits......Page 64 Credit control......Page 67 Positive strategies for credit control......Page 68 When credit control fails......Page 70 Breaking through to profitability......Page 72 Smarter costing......Page 73 Grants: free money is best......Page 77 Beg, steal or. . .......Page 78 Presenting your case to the bank......Page 80 The options......Page 82 Limited company......Page 83 Your business name......Page 85 Civil and criminal law: how the difference affects you......Page 88 Contract law......Page 89 Tort......Page 90 Going to law......Page 91 Contracts to buy......Page 92 Conditions, warranties, guarantees and exemptions......Page 94 Product liability......Page 95 Copyright, registered designs, trade marks and patents......Page 96 Can you work from home?......Page 98 Finding small premises......Page 99 Planning permission......Page 100 Applying for planning permission......Page 101 Appealing against a planning decision......Page 102 Rates and water charges......Page 103 Operations? You think I’m a surgeon?......Page 105 Plan before you leap......Page 106 Being in control......Page 108 Purchasing......Page 112 Quality......Page 113 Financial records......Page 115 VAT – Value Added Tax – in outline......Page 117 Income and corporation taxes and National Insurance......Page 119 People: the small firm’s powerhouse......Page 122 The search for good people......Page 124 Define the job......Page 126 Advertising......Page 127 Shortlisting......Page 128 Interviewing......Page 129 Deciding......Page 134 Induction......Page 135 The law; not as big a problem as some think......Page 136 Risk management strategy......Page 140 Insurance strategy......Page 142 Insurance suppliers......Page 143 What advisers can do for business......Page 144 Finding a generalist consultant or adviser......Page 145 Specialist advisers......Page 146 Your experience......Page 147 Expansion strategy......Page 148 The three stages of growth......Page 149 Your managerial development......Page 151 Funding your growth......Page 152 The PLG Programme Prepare, Launch, Grow©......Page 154 How it works......Page 155 Business plan introduction......Page 156 Business plan: Part one: Overviews......Page 157 Business plan: Part two: Operating plans......Page 159 Business plan: Presentation......Page 162 Business plan: Implementation......Page 163 Executive summary......Page 164 Business Plan: Part one: Overviews......Page 165 Business Plan: Part two: Operating plans......Page 167 Business Plan: Presentation......Page 170 Appendix 1 Cash-flow forecasting illustration......Page 171 Appendix 2 Draft terms and conditions of sale......Page 175 Appendix 3 Small business contacts list......Page 179 Appendix 4 Help for small businesses......Page 187 Index......Page 190 Successful Business is a one-stop reference source. It will show you how to make your business a success, keep you from making costly mistakes and save you time and money in the process. It covers every aspect of running a business, including laying the basic foundations, controlling and raising money, and managing operations, employment, risk management, and growth. This fully up-dated new edition of Starting a Successful Business covers topics such as franchises, marketing, publicity, e-business, financial management, business law, recruitment, taxation, insurance, business planning and development. This sixth edition has been brought right up to date. It covers every aspect of running a business, including laying the basic foundations, controlling and raising money, and managing operations, employment, risk management and growth