Introduction to Business covers the scope and sequence of most introductory business courses. The book provides detailed explanations in the context of core themes such as customer satisfaction, ethics, entrepreneurship, global business, and managing change. Introduction to Business includes hundreds of current business examples from a range of industries and geographic locations, which feature a variety of individuals. The outcome is a balanced approach to the theory and application of business concepts, with attention to the knowledge and skills necessary for student success in this course and beyond. This is an adaptation of Introduction to Business by OpenStax. You can access the textbook as pdf for free at openstax.org. Minor editorial changes were made to ensure a better ebook reading experience. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Use 7 Key Numbers to help you earn greater profits with less time and energy Many builders and contractors struggle to get a clear picture of where their business is at the moment - and where it's headed financially. By the time you compare your accounting reports with your job costing, estimating and change orders, and pipeline, it's too late to make adjustments to guarantee profit. This book will help you see where you stand every day, with every job, by monitoring just 7 Key Numbers that drive all profits and cash flow, including - Number of leads - Sales conversion rate - Customer retention rate Stay on top of every job! Follow the steps in this book to create a process that will let you know when costs or scheduling deviate from the estimate--in time to respond before those changes cost you money. "Managing Your Business with 7 Key Numbers is exceptionally well written, organized, and presented. Specifically directed at professionals engaged in construction, Managing Your Business with 7 Key Numbers is as thoroughly "user friendly' as it is informative, making it very highly recommended." Small Press Bookwatch Oregon, WI

Observing how business management is obsessed with analysis and numbers, Dealing with Dilemmas shows there is an entire class of problems that cannot be solved by analysis: business dilemmas. Dilemmas, representing a large part of strategic decision-making, require the opposite approach of analysis; synthesis. Dealing with Dilemmas shows how popular performance management methodologies can be used in new and previously unexplored ways. It authoritatively shows you how your business can move forward strategically in ways previously impossible. Shows dangers in current thinking around analytics and performance management Includes practical case examples and interviews with C-level executives and government officials world-wide, both in commercial enterprise and public sector Makes the most nebulous of management processes, strategy formulation, insightful and links it tightly to strategy execution and performance management. Filled with case studies and examples, this book reveals how your business can start solving dilemmas and move forward strategically.

Annotation Craig ranks the best and worst business deals of all time and shows how the outcome of mega-deals can depend on clear thinking and the adherence to simple guidelines.

Expert guidance on managing your business for maximum profit This book examines the elements critical to running a business, picking up where the bestselling Start Your Own Business leaves off, with tips on leadership, customer service, financials, and more. It includes lessons from seasoned businesspeople experienced in the situations new entrepreneurs face daily.

Growing and Managing a Small Business provides students with a comprehensive introduction to business ownership and management from the start-up phase through growth and harvest. Decidedly entrepreneurial in focus, this book departs from the traditional small business management text by incorporating themes and principles appropriate to managing small companies in a dynamic, global environment. In addition to up-to-date coverage of risk management and strategies for "harvesting the business," the Second Edition introduces several new chapters that examine topics such as ethics and social responsibility, family businesses, and technology. New boxed features illustrate the author's real-world approach through case studies and profiles of small businesses and entrepreneurs.

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

Professional service firms differ from other business enterprises in two distinct ways: first they provide highly customised services thus cannot apply many of the management principles developed for product-based industries. Second, professional services are highly personalised, involving the skills of individuals. Such firms must therefore compete not only for clients but also for talented professionals. Drawing on more than ten years of research and consulting to these unique and creative companies, David Maister explores issues ranging from marketing and business development to multinational strategies, human resources policies to profit improvement, strategic planning to effective leadership. While these issues can be complex, Maister simplifies them by recognising that 'every professional service firm in the world, regardless of size, specific profession, or country of operation, has the same mission statement: outstanding service to clients, satisfying careers for its people and financial success for its owners.'

No company is an island in the world of business. Each company is locked into a complex network of relationships with its customers, suppliers and other counterparts. What happens in these relationships is critical to the success of any business. Managing a company's relationships and its position in the network is a central, but often misunderstood aspect of business. This new edition of Managing Business Relationships aims to help managers and students understand the reality of business networks and how to manage in them. It has been entirely rewritten to include the latest thinking and research from the IMP (Industrial Marketing and Purchasing) Group and includes new chapters on Intermediation in Business Networks, the Economics of Business Relationships and the Practice of Business Networking. Features: • Provides a structured way to understand business networks and their meaning for the practicing manager. • Offers a complete analysis of management in different relationships including those with customers, suppliers, distributors and development counterparts. • Presents a practical analysis of the problems and choices that managers face in developing and changing their relationships and a guide to the critical skills of business networking. The book is vital reading for students of business marketing, purchasing, business networks and relationship management. It is also a valuable resource for all managers operating in business networks, including those in marketing, purchasing, strategy, technical development and distribution.

Here is basic psychological advice and a list of do’s and don’ts when dealing with difficult colleagues, unreasonable clients, and hard-to-please bosses. New titles in the growing Business Buddies series for career-minded men and women offer tips, checklists, do’s and don’ts, and general information for getting ahead in the world of business and management. They are practical, quick-reference fact books, focused to help readers set priorities and goals. They are not lengthy theoretical essays on business and corporate topics. Both beginning job hunters and experienced business professionals will find these quick-read guides filled with practical advice that they can put to immediate use