Peter Wilson

The Essential Guide to Managing Small Business Growth

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

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steal loyal customers; and, increasingly, the advice that once could be found from a 'Small Business Adviser' has been replaced by a call centre.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

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Wiley & Sons
• 1. Auflage
• Seitenzahl: 316
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. August 2003
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 244mm x 170mm x 17mm
• Gewicht: 560g
• ISBN-13: 9780470850510
• ISBN-10: 0470850515
• Artikelnr.: 11397240

Autorenporträt

Peter Wilson's is a 'journey of learning by doing', with a passion for living within Earth's means and, in recent years, a determination to make an individual difference. He grew up in Africa discussing the origins of Earth with his father and his contemporaries (geologists, palaeontologists, physicists). He was fascinated by Africa, the human migration within it, and the human migration from it. Peter trained as an engineer and went on to understand business and how to solve problems for people including energy, housing and healthcare. He travelled widely and liked helping people to help themselves, starting his own businesses to pursue these goals. In the meantime, the pressing problems of the Anthropocene were being scientifically researched with better instruments and information. Peter continued to feed his passion for human geography and what is now called 'sustainable development,' having great discussions with scientists, his father, his contemporaries and their generations of students. Finally, after the sale of his businesses in 2014, Peter could focus all his resources on raising awareness of the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. He conceived his Three Journeys Round project and, combining his passion for flying and adventure, he set about going to witness the issues for himself. In a Robinson R66 helicopter, Peter landed in 86 countries, travelling a total of 122,500 kilometres in 285 expedition-days on three remarkable, long-range aviation journeys. He continues to work out how best to explain that there is no economic argument for maintaining extreme poverty and that capitalism needs to take account of Nature because it is not free.

Inhaltsangabe

Foreword.
Preface.
1. Managing Business Growth.
Making the transition.
The relevance of management theory to growing business.
Managing effectively and efficiently.
Setting realistic goals.
Synopsis of the book.
2. Making Sense of Strategy.
Strategic issues: Setting the scene.
The Titanic: A salutary lesson in strategy.
Review of current performance.
Analysing competitive forces.
Market segmentation: Defining customer behaviour.
Strategic marketing analysis.
Distinctive competence.
Hygiene factors.
Defining core competences.
Completing the strategic review: SWOT analysis.
Setting strategy.
Phase 1: setting out the options.
Phase 2: evaluating the options.
The chosen strategy.
Stretching your organization.
Organic growth vs merger or acquisition .
3. Marketing for Profit.
Customer behaviour.
Market segmentation.
Profiling the custoner.
Competitor analysis and distinctive competence.
Market positioning.
The marketing mix.
Products and product differentiation.
Pricing.
Place: channels of distribution.
Promotion: communicating the offer.
People: organizing the marketing function.
People: key skills, knowledge and qualities.
Relationship marketing.
Customer relationship management (CRM).
Customer feedback.
Market research.
The marketing plan.
Postscript: action on ABCO's marketing problems .
4. Developing an Organization that Delivers the Strategy.
Understanding organization.
Organizational maintenance and development.
The origins of an organization.
How organizations work: structure, people, processes and systems.
Structure.
The form of the organization.
People.
Processes and systems.
Specifying jobs and people to fill them.
Other influences on organization.
Organizational diagnosis: how to overhaul your organization .
5. Getting Performance from People.
Attention to task and to people processes.
People and productivity.
Personal resources and self-management.
Managing priorities and getting things done.
Understanding motivation.
Positive motivation, dissatisfaction and demotivation.
Getting Performance from people.
Briefing and contract setting.
Monitoring.
Feedback and review.
Dealing with entrenched performance problems.
Feedback, learning and growth .
6. Leading the Team.
Power in the growing organization: making it safe to delegate.
Leadership and delegation.
Leadership style.
Working with teams.
Balancing attention to task with attention to people and processes.
Team roles: composition of the successful team.
Stages of team development.
Matching team processes to task situation.
Finding people for the team.
Aligning people with purpose: using performance appraisal effectively.
A workable appraisal system.
Conducting an appraisal meeting.
Systematic development of competencies.
Recruiting new people.
Selection interviewing.
Avoiding recruitment pitfalls.
Induction of new recruits.
Building and leading the team: the underlying skills .
7. Culture, Creativity and Change.
Culture and the growing organization.
What is organizational culture.
Understanding the organization's culture.
Is there a small-business culture.
The influence of founders and owners.
Structure, empowerment and the can-do culture.
Influencing culture positively.
Maintaining freshness: encouraging better ways of doing things.
Renewal through learning, contribution and growth.
8. Managing Business Performance through Financial Analysis.
The financial statements.
Accounting principles.
Exploring the profit and loss account.
Exploring the balance sheet.
Presentation of accounts for sole traders and partnerships.
Maintaining adequate capital.
Cash-flow statement.
Why is profit not the same as cash?
Financial analysis.
Using ratio analysis to understand financial performance.
9. Management Information Systems and Financial Controls.
Controlling profit and cash.
Controlling profit: the P&L account.
Managing strategy through gross profit margin.
Costing and pricing reviews.
Controlling cash: the balance sheet.
Controls on working capital.
10. Planning for the Future.
Types of business plans.
The strategic business plan.
Stages of strategic planning.
Preparation.
Business review.
Customer feedback and market research.
Setting objectives.
Setting corporate strategy.
Financial adequacy.
Reviewing and revising the strategic plan.
Operational action plans.
Monitoring the strategic plan.
11. Hazards on the Path to Growth.
Stay focused or venture into new markets?
Failure to let go.
A future role for the founder.
Appointing a successor to the founder CEO.
Family members on the payroll.
Failure to delegate effectively: undermining management.
Owner-manager guilt as a barrier to growth.
Note.
Appendix 1: Example of a Strategic Business Plan.
Appendix 2: Example of a Marketing Plan.
Appendix 3: Example of a Job Specification.
Appendix 4: Costing and Pricing Example.
Index.

Rezensionen

"...this guide provides practical advice in creating a sound platform from which to prosper. It's uncomplicated...jargon-free...in handy bite-sized chunks..." (Startups.co.uk, 23 July 2003) "...the authors do a good job of drawing together material on the many management issues..." (Financial Times, 18 September 2003)