'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.

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steal loyal customers; and, increasingly, the advice that once could be found from a 'Small Business Adviser' has been replaced by a call centre.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

Many small business owners don’t understand the importance of maintaining a healthy cash flow. More than anything else, cash flow determines the success or failure of a small business. Small Business Cash Flow covers all the basics of cash flow, from selecting a great accountant, to keeping money flowing in and out of the business, to budgeting and record-keeping.

Forbes calls The Successful Business Plan one of the best books for small businesses. This new edition offers advice on developing business plans that will succeed in today's business climate. Includes up-to-date information on what's being funded now.

Whether you are a CEO, CFO, board member, or an IT executive, From Business Strategy to Information Technology Roadmap: A Practical Guide for Executives and Board Members lays out a practical, how-to approach to identifying business strategies and creating value-driven technology roadmaps in your organization. Unlike many other books on the subject, you will not find theories or grandiose ideas here. This book uses numerous examples, illustrations, and case studies to show you how to solve the real-world problems that business executives and technology leaders face on a day-to-day basis. Filled with actionable advice you can use immediately, the authors introduce Agile and the Lean mindset in a manner that the people in your business and technology departments can easily understand. Ideal for executives in both the commercial and nonprofit sectors, it includes two case studies: one about a commercial family business that thrived to become a multi-million-dollar company and the other about a nonprofit association based in New York City that fights against child illiteracy.

Create and maintain a successful social media strategy for your business Today, a large number of companies still don't have a strategic approach to social media. Others fail to calculate how effective they are at social media, one of the critical components of implementing any social media strategy. When companies start spending time and money on their social media efforts, they need to create an internal plan that everyone can understand. Maximize Your Social offers a clear vision of what businesses need to do to create—and execute upon—their social media for business road map. Explains the evolution of social media and the absolute necessity for creating a social media strategy Outlines preparation for, mechanics of, and maintenance of a successful social media strategy Author Neal Schaffer was named a Forbes Top 30 Social Media Power Influencer, is the creator of the AdAge Top 100 Global Marketing Blog, Windmill Networking, and a global social media speaker Maximize Your Social will guide you to mastery of social media marketing strategies, saving you from spending a chunk of your budget on a social media consultant. Follow Neal Schaffer's advice, and you'll be able to do it yourself—and do it right.

Whether you are new to sales and business development or an experienced campaigner looking for new ideas, this book will guide you step by step through the sales and business development process, providing practical advice to help you get the results you need. Business Development That Works includes: - Proven techniques that you can use immediately in your role - Language to use when engaging prospects - Exercises at the end of each chapter to apply the learning to your own situation

With over 500 tips, tactics, techniques and thought provoking business questions, this is the authoritative guide to attracting more customers, profit, revenue and business success. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur, existing business owner, manager or director, this is the most comprehensive, pragmatic, common sense collection of business development techniques ever brought together into one book. It is structured so that you can easily find and dip into specific topics or view the whole book from a more overall strategic standpoint.

Turn your great idea into BIG PROFITS with a powerful, persuasive business plan! With any endeavor, good planning is the key to good results—especially in the launch of a new business or product. Business Plans That Work gives you an easy-to-follow template for conceptualizing, writing, focusing, and revising a business plan that converts your business idea into financial profit. A virtual blueprint for entrepreneurial success, this new edition of the popular entrepreneur’s guide provides all the tools you need to communicate the value of your idea to investors and attract key talent, and create a plan you can turn to throughout the entire process of starting and running a business. You’ll learn how to: Determine what to include in each plan, why, and for whom Secure the capital you need to get the project off the ground Assess opportunities and risks involved in your project Avoid common pitfalls that cost money, time, and effort With Business Plans That Work, you have everything you need to create winning strategies for development, sales, marketing, operations, distribution, and everything else successful ventures are founded on.

Growing a small business requires more than just sales Business Development For Dummies helps maximise the growth of small- or medium-sized businesses, with a step-by-step model for business development designed specifically for B2B or B2C service firms. By mapping business development to customer life cycle, this book helps owners and managers ensure a focus on growth through effective customer nurturing and management. It's not just sales! In-depth coverage also includes strategy, marketing, client management, and partnerships/alliances, helping you develop robust business practices that can be used every day. You'll learn how to structure, organise, and execute an effective development plan, with step-by-step expert guidance. Realising that you can't just "hire a sales guy" and expect immediate results is one of the toughest lessons small business CEOs have to learn. Developing a business is about more than just gaining customers – it's about integrating every facet of your business in an overarching strategy that continually works toward growth. Business Development For Dummies provides a model, and teaches you what you need to know to make it work for your business. Learn the core concepts of business development, and how it differs from sales Build a practical, step-by-step business development strategy Incorporate marketing, sales, and customer management in general planning Develop and implement a growth-enhancing partnership strategy Recognising that business development is much more than just sales is the first important step to sustained growth. Development should be daily – not just when business starts to tail off, or you fall into a cycle of growth and regression. Plan for growth, and make it stick – Business Development For Dummies shows you how.