Surviving a downturn: Building a successful business...without breaking the bank (Business on a Shoestring)

The ...on a Shoestring series helps small business owners grow their business imaginatively, effectively and without spending a fortune. Aimed at entrepreneurs with plenty of vision and commitment but not a lot of cash, each book is packed with ideas that really work, real-life examples, step-by-step advice and sources of further information.All businesses go through difficult times, but how you, as the owner, face and tackle these challenges can make the difference between survival and going to the wall. Realistic but inspiring, this revised edition covers:Realising there's a problem Focusing on what you do best: your core business Spending sensibly Being paid on time Cutting down on inefficiency Steadying the ship: maintaining staff morale Working at external relationships (the bank, customers, suppliers) Working out survival tactics (and ways to stick to them) Keeping up the good work... and not letting things slip The ...on a Shoestring series helps small business owners grow their business imaginatively, effectively and without spending a fortune. Aimed at entrepreneurs with plenty of vision and commitment but not a lot of cash, each book is packed with ideas that really work, real-life examples, step-by-step advice and sources of further information. All businesses go through difficult times, but how you face and tackle these challenges can make the difference between survival and going to the wall. Realistic but inspiring, this revised edition covers: Focusing on what you do best: your core business, Spending sensibly and getting paid on time, Cutting down on inefficiency, Steadying the ship: maintaining staff morale, Working with the bank and suppliers, Working out survival tactics and Keeping up the good work. Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 1. What causes a business downturn?......Page 12 2. Practical techniques for boosting profitability......Page 36 3. Focusing on customers......Page 65 4. Increasing revenue: marketing and pricing......Page 79 5. Improving sales and the sales process......Page 99 6. Controlling costs and cash flow......Page 120 7. Leading your business through a downturn......Page 133 8. Leading your team during tough times......Page 154 9. Making decisions and solving problems......Page 170 C......Page 182 E......Page 183 M......Page 184 R......Page 185 V......Page 186 X......Page 187 The second part of the book is of particular value to ringers. Following a general introduction to ageing, detailed moult profiles are given for 58 species of European passerines representing all the major moult strategies, backed up with useful summary statistics, schematic diagrams of the extent of moult and indications of the variation within each species. All businesses go through difficult times but how they react can make the difference between survival and going to the wall.. Realistic but inspiring and packed with ideas that really work, this book helps small business owners face and tackle the challenges of a downturn.