Small Business books

Exporting is not just for large organizations and multi-nationals. Research shows that companies that export are more productive than non exporters, perform better financially and are more likely to stay in business. Moving into export is a big decision and is not without its risks, but with the right approach and some good advice, the results can be enormously rewarding. How to Get Started in Export explores the challenges and opportunities of taking this next vital step for your business. From choosing the best markets for your products and making the most of the wide range of services available to working with agents and distibutors and the need to comply with regulations at home and abroad, this practical guide explains all the angles to consider and how to make the best possible start.

***BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS 2021 SHORTLISTED TITLE***Hype Yourself is an invaluable toolkit for getting you and your business featured in the media: newspapers, magazines, radio and TV. Crammed full of insider advice, from the building blocks of your PR strategy to the execution of creative campaigns, it includes expert tips from journalists and industry specialists and is supported by a stack of online resources. Lucy Werner is founder of The Wern, a PR & branding consultancy and training hub for startups, entrepreneurs and independent brands. She is also a writer, speaker, blogger, teacher and podcaster on all things brand building for small businesses. For more information follow @wernchat or visit www.thewern.com

Over 20,000 people apply to become an Approved Driving Instructor each year, but whether you are a sole trader or franchisee, you will need more than just the instructional skills that are tested in the official DSA qualifying exams. Practical Business Skills for Driving Instructors, by the author of the definitive Driving Instructor's Handbook, provides solid, practical advice to help you set up your own business. Each business topic is dealt with in the author's down-to-earth style including: preparing a business plan, financing the business, choosing and maintaining a car, book-keeping, sales and marketing, and presenting a professional image. Whether you are just considering becoming a driving instructor, or have just passed your ADI exams, Practical Business Skills for Driving Instructors will help you ensure your new career is a huge success.

Most studies of the Arab Spring in the 2010s focus only on its political drivers and failures, and none provides a framework for an economically sustainable way forward.  By drawing lessons from the economic causes of the Spring, Reviving Arab Reform offers a unique consideration of the links between governance and economic growth in the region and offers tangible hope for the future. Islam Abdelbary evaluates the reform programmes set up in the 1990s in the MENA region, and through a wide variety of analytical methods including panel data analysis, he identifies the failures and successes of previous Arab reforms. He then outlines the challenges and opportunities for development in the region and provides a framework for more comprehensive and integrated development in the Arab world. Ultimately, Abdelbary argues that the new Arab reform agenda must address previous debilitating governance issues, as better institutional structures will reduce uncertainty and encourage efficiency, thereby contributing to sustained and inclusive growth.   For its unique mix of scholarly rigor and practical ways forward, Reviving Arab Reform is a must-read not only for researchers and students interested in institutional economic theory, development studies, and the Middle East, but also for development practitioners in the MENA region and in international organizations based further afield.

With an increasing demand for quality kennel accommodation for dogs and cats, a good boarding kennel is a sound investment and can provide a healthy income if run efficiently. Running your own Boarding Kennels, the only guide of its kind available, is essential reading for anyone who is considering starting out in the business.This new edition by animal care expert David Cavill provides advice on every aspect of running a boarding kennel. With an exhaustive breadth of detail it covers every related topic, including: boarding fees, raising finance, insurance, kennel cleaning, dangerous dogs, types of food, exercise, grooming, beds and towels, staff training, accommodation, advertising, puppy and kitten rearing, and product sales. Comprehensive and unique, Running your own Boarding Kennels also includes information on ancillary services such as dog-walking, pet sitting and home boarding.

From the vagaries of the economy, through to varying degrees of social unrest, to the impact of adverse weather, businesses of all forms and sizes across the globe must cope with ongoing change, uncertainty, and risk. In this unpredictable environment, how can SMEs react and control external factors?  This edited collection investigates the potential impact of long-term planning and strategic awareness on the ability of SMEs to remain competitive in a highly competitive world. The authors and editors demonstrate that whether SMEs are able to identify and act upon externally imposed forces and factors, or not, is the defining indicator of their likelihood to struggle, survive, or even thrive. Outlining the integral development opportunities or threats to existing business activity inherent to the external environment, this book offers a multidisciplinary insight, which brings together different lenses to explore a range of cutting-edge themes from both research and practitioner perspectives. The book also looks ahead, examining the broad market reaction to external forces in order to predict future implications.  Given the significance of SMEs for the global economy, the range of different views offered, including but not limited to people management, entrepreneurship and education, provide genuine insights for a diversity of audiences and readers.

If your heart's not in your business, why are you? In the flurry of everyday deadlines, fire fighting and all the pressing demands on our time, it's easy to forget the real reasons we started our own business in the first place. Soul Trader helps you connect with your personal mission, values and passion to create a 'stand out from the crowd' business that enriches you both financially and emotionally. Discover the seven essential principles that will help you build a business sensitive to today's economic and social realities, one that is profitable, customer-focused and in tune with your own beliefs, needs and goals. Rasheed Ogunlaru tears off the jargon and delves into the beating heart of what makes businesses really work. Throw your heart into your business, it will pay dividends.

Get hundreds of ideas and clear strategy for setting up a profitable and successful home-based business. For aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners, the possibilities are limitless. The flexibility, freedom and cost-effectiveness that starting-up in the home offers means that more and more entrepreneurs are choosing this as the best location to agilely launch their business. Starting a Business from Home gives you the valuable advice you need on how to run a successful business from your own desk and, crucially, how to rise to the challenge of business expansion. Packed with practical advice, Starting a Business From Home covers how to research your market, business ownership and titles issues, raising money and managing your finances, building and operating a website, writing a business plan, preparing your accounts, taking your product to market and expanding overseas - all from your home. Exercises, end of chapter actions and technical resources in the appendices mean that this is the ultimate practical guide for home-based entrepreneurs. Case studies from around the world showcase best practice and provide inspirational stories from successful businesses that began in the home. Table of contents Chapter - 00: Introduction; Chapter - 01: Finding the Right Business Opportunity; Chapter - 02: Picking the Right Business for You; Chapter - 03: Researching the Market; Chapter - 04: Business Ownership and Title Issues; Chapter - 05: Operating from Home; Chapter - 06: Keeping the Communication Lines Open; Chapter - 07: Bringing Your Product or Service to Market; Chapter - 08: Building and Using Your Website; Chapter - 09: Doing the Numbers; Chapter - 10: Raising the Money; Chapter - 11: Preparing a Business Plan; Chapter - 12: Taking on Employees; Chapter - 13: Growing Profitably; Chapter - 14: Starting Up Overseas About Colin Barrow Colin Barrow has spent 15 years applying the principles and knowledge acquired through his own MBA to successfully running companies. He has lectured, researched and collaborated with colleagues in business schools in the UK, America, Australia, the Far East and throughout Europe and is currently a visiting fellow at Cranfield University and teaches there regularly.

The first 18 months of your business is crucial. This is when the majority of new businesses fail and where a lack of proper preparation and forward planning can be your downfall. This eighth edition of Starting a Successful Business is your definitive guide to setting up a business that will thrive. Starting a Successful Business contains the crucial, practical information needed to turn your exciting new idea into a stable and profitable business. It covers each important step in the start-up process in a clear and accessible way. The major problems facing any new business are discussed, potential pitfalls are highlighted and practical advice is offered on key topics such as: ideas for new start-ups, business planning, marketing, franchising, selling and advertising, finances and financial control, taxation, business law and employing staff. Case studies from around the world provide inspiration and real-world guidance to support you as an entrepreneur. Brand new content on cloud computing, digital developments and making your business environmentally sustainable makes this Starting a Successful Business a cutting-edge and modern resource to show you how to make your business a success.

Could your ‘small’ business be a Blue Whale just waiting to break the water?Whether you’re in your third week or third decade of business, no matter what your current turnover is or what life stage you’re at, it’s never too late to re-evaluate your goals and your ambitions. But if you’re ready to grow your business after several years of trading, you might find that most of the advice and support out there is aimed at new start-ups.Phil Teasdale took the decision to transform his own company 20 years ago, and since then he’s been helping other established businesses grow and transform with the help of his innovative, practical Blue Whale Plan.Swimming with Blue Whales will change both you and your business – this is your invitation to become part of the pod.A successful small business owner himself, Phil Teasdale has spent the last 20 years working with over 6,000 small businesses in the UK, US and Australia, identifying and developing growth opportunities.Recognising that most small businesses and small business owners do not fit the traditional myth of the high-growth start-up ‘unicorn’, he is much more interested in working with ‘blue whales’: businesses with a longer gestation, who choose a different, more sustainable route to growth.