An increase in the restrictions on the availability of funding for new and growing businesses in the aftermath of the global financial crisis has been accompanied by the emergence and growth of crowdfunding as an alternative method of raising capital. Crowdfunding contributes towards the disintermediation of the finance market as funders and promoters are brought together directly, democratising both fundraising by businesses and investment by individuals. This book extends entrepreneurial finance research to the study of crowdfunding. Contributions review the history, status and future of crowdfunding, analyse the patterns of fundraising, assess the potential of crowdfunding for the financing of social ventures in particular, and discuss the regulatory implications of recent developments. What is clear from this collection is that the crowdfunding space is still evolving, institutional forms are still developing as models are refined, new institutional collaborations (e.g. between equity platforms and business angel networks) are emerging, and new challenges, particularly regulatory challenges, are being encountered. While crowdfunding is not a universal solution for SME finance in a post-crisis financial landscape, it remains too early to determine whether crowdfunding represents a large-scale transformation of the early stage risk capital market or a minor addition to it. This book was originally published as a special issue of Venture Capital.

In The Basics of Public Budgeting and Financial Management: A Handbook for Academics and Practitioners, 4th Edition, Charles E. Menifield carefully examines the key areas that every budgeting and financial management student needs to know in order to be a successful budgeteer in a local government, nonprofit, or state-level budget office. His analysis includes a discussion of: basic budgeting concepts; accounting techniques; a discussion of the budget process; budget techniques and analytical models; capital and personnel budgets; financial management; and budget presentations. Homework assignments reinforce the various subjects with practical applications that allow the students to reflect and engage the material in a realistic manner. This book blends budgetary theory and practice in a volume that is easy to understand by both undergraduate and graduate students alike.

The financing of modern construction projects reflects the need to address the costs and benefits of the whole life of the project. This means that end of life economics can now have a far greater impact on the planning and feasibility phases. During the project itself, decisions on construction materials and processes all influence the schedule as well as both immediate and down-the-line costs. Massimo Pica and his co-authors explain in detail the fundamentals of project life cycle economics and how they apply in the context of complex modern construction. This is an essential guide for those involved in construction project design, tendering and contracting; to help ensure the sustainability of the project or their contribution to it, from the start. It is also important for those involved in the delivery of the project to help them make the choices to keep the project on a financial even keel. Government, corporations and other organizations are looking for new models of collaborative working to fund their large construction and infrastructure projects in the face of changing attitudes to risk; a better educated and more demanding base of end-user clients and the increasing requirements for projects that are environmentally responsible and sustainable. Project Life Cycle Economics is a fundamental primer for those commissioning and those delivering construction.

Discover the role of machine learning and artificial intelligence in business forecasting from some of the brightest minds in the field In Business Forecasting: The Emerging Role of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning accomplished authors Michael Gilliland, Len Tashman, and Udo Sglavo deliver relevant and timely insights from some of the most important and influential authors in the field of forecasting. You'll learn about the role played by machine learning and AI in the forecasting process and discover brand-new research, case studies, and thoughtful discussions covering an array of practical topics. The book offers multiple perspectives on issues like monitoring forecast performance, forecasting process, communication and accountability for forecasts, and the use of big data in forecasting. You will find: Discussions on deep learning in forecasting, including current trends and challenges Explorations of neural network-based forecasting strategies A treatment of the future of artificial intelligence in business forecasting Analyses of forecasting methods, including modeling, selection, and monitoring In addition to the Foreword by renowned researchers Spyros Makridakis and Fotios Petropoulos, the book also includes 16 "opinion/editorial" Afterwords by a diverse range of top academics, consultants, vendors, and industry practitioners, each providing their own unique vision of the issues, current state, and future direction of business forecasting. Perfect for financial controllers, chief financial officers, business analysts, forecast analysts, and demand planners, Business Forecasting will also earn a place in the libraries of other executives and managers who seek a one-stop resource to help them critically assess and improve their own organization's forecasting efforts.

In this updated and expanded second edition, Keith Potts and Nii Ankrah examine key issues in construction cost management across the building and civil engineering sectors, both in the UK and overseas. Best practice from pre-contract to post-contract phases of the project life-cycle are illustrated using major projects such as Heathrow Terminal 5, Crossrail and the London 2012 Olympics as case studies. More worked examples, legal cases, case studies and current research have been introduced to cover every aspect of the cost manager's role. Whole-life costing, value management, and risk management are also addressed, and self-test questions at the end of each chapter support independent learning. This comprehensive book is essential reading for students on surveying and construction management programmes, as well as built environment practitioners with cost or project management responsibilities.

After a fairly low threshold, income and material wealth have no measurable effect on happiness. But how we spend our money does. In this groundbreaking book, Dr Elizabeth Dunn and Dr Michael Norton explain the secret to "happiness-efficient" spending. Using their own cutting-edge research, they reveal: * Why it's better to buy concert tickets instead of a new iPhone * Adverts actually make television more enjoyable * Why you should book your next holiday many months in advance * How "time affluence" is more important than a fat pay cheque * Why charitable giving is the best investment you can make A rare combination of informed science writing, wit, and practical pointers for a flourishing life, Happy Money will help you to be more fulfilled for less.

This collection explores Kuhn's 1970 perception of a scientific revolution in the form of a cyclical sequence of anomaly recognition; insecurity, alternative ideas, schools of thought and dominating practices. Cash flow reporting has become a dominant accounting practice which emerged from a developmental process of Kuhnian form. The text is constructed around the various stages identified by Kuhn and selected readings are categorised accordingly.

This book shows the relevance of accounting methods to the economic and administrative problems of business. The book has been arranged to take the reader through the budgeting procedure of a representative business: demonstrating the relationship between budgets, accounts and the various business activities and showing how budgets and accounts link together the balance sheets at the beginning and end of the year.

Gain a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding financial risk and regulation Foundations of Financial Risk details the various risks, regulations, and supervisory requirements institutions face in today's economic and regulatory environment. Written by the experts at the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), this book represents an update to GARP's original publication, Foundations of Banking Risk. You'll learn the terminology and basic concepts surrounding global financial risk and regulation, and develop an understanding of the methods used to measure and manage market, credit, and operational risk. Coverage includes traded market risk and regulation, treasury risk and regulation, and much more, including brand new coverage of risk management for insurance companies. Clear explanations, focused discussion, and comprehensive relevancy make this book an ideal resource for an introduction to risk management. The textbook provides an understanding of risk management methodologies, governance structures for risk management in financial institutions and the regulatory requirements dictated by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. It provides thorough coverage of the issues surrounding financial risk, giving you a solid knowledgebase and a practical, applicable understanding. * Understand risk measurement and management * Learn how minimum capital requirements are regulated * Explore all aspects of financial institution regulation and disclosure * Master the terminology of global risk and regulation Financial institutions and supervisors around the world are increasingly recognizing how vital sound risk management practices are to both individual firms and the capital markets system as a whole. Savvy professionals recognize the need for authoritative and comprehensive training, and Foundations of Financial Risk delivers with expert-led education for those new to risk management.

"An Introduction to Corporate Finance" provides the reader with a complete overview of Corporate Finance from perspective of the investment Banker. The author, a corporate trainer and former investment banker clarifies the role of the investment banker in numerous corporate finance transactions, including mergers & acquisitions, IPO's, and valuation. Given today's corporate climate, every student studying corporate finance and those working in the field need this book to sharpen their skill set.

An accountable care organization (ACO) is a healthcare organization characterized by a payment and care delivery model that seeks to tie provider reimbursements to quality metrics and reductions in the total cost of care for an assigned group of patients. Accountable Care Organizations: Value Metrics and Capital Formation explores the historical background and evolution of the ACO model as the basis for the development of the value metrics and capital formation analyses that are foundational to assessing the current efficacy and capacity for change.
The book examines the four pillars of value in the healthcare industry: regulatory, reimbursement, competition, and technology in addressing the value metrics of ACOs, including requirements for capital formation, financial feasibility, and economic returns. It focuses the discussion of non-monetary value on a review of aspects of population health within the context of such objectives as improved quality outcomes and access to care.

• Explains why ACOs might be the cost-containment and quality improvement answer the industry has been looking for
• Describes the circumstances and capital structures where ACOs represent a sound investment
• Includes a foreword by Peter A. Pavarini, Esq.

The book examines the positive externalities of the ACO model, including results for third parties outside the basic construct of the ACO contracts shared savings payments. It also discusses the potential role and opportunities for consultants in assisting their provider clients in the consideration, development, implementation, and operation of an ACO.

Solid guidance for managers and trustees to better position their nonprofits now and in the future

The Great Recession has left a paradigm shift for nonprofit leadership and their board members as fiduciaries. It has changed how boards make, evaluate and document investment decisions, the risks they are willing to take and the way these details are communicated to donors. "Nonprofit Investment and Development Solutions + Website "will provide solid guidance for" "nonprofit leadership, staff and volunteers to better position their nonprofits to thrive now and in the future.

This guide will provide: Sophisticated investment and development principles that are easily understandable and adaptable Specific steps to take in order to avoid unnecessary investment risk and secure financial stability Solutions and techniques for capitalizing on opportunities created by funding shifts and evolving donor expectationsPrinciples and practices of fiduciary responsibility, behavioral finance, socially responsible investing, strategic development planning and charity efficiency

In addition, "Nonprofit Investment and Development Solutions + Website" offers a web site resource with a variety of online tools and templates to help readers implement key concepts discussed in this book.

This book examines the directions in which various structures and processes of management and business are moving in South East Asia, covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. It aims to update previous works in the field covering management and business in these countries. It goes on to deal with a wide variety of themes and issues, functional and practice areas, sectors and organisational types. Many key sectors are also covered, such as finance, retailing, telecoms, etc. The types or organisations covered range from multinational companies to state-owned enterprises. The contributors cover current and ongoing developments of these themes, particularly in the context of globalization. The book also addresses the future directions management may be moving in this important part of the international economy. The authors are all experts in their fields and are all based in universities and business schools in the region, within the respective countries involved. The work is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students in business administration especially those on MBA programmes, development economics, management studies and related fields, as well as lecturers in those subjects and researchers in the field. This book was published as a special issue of Asia Pacific Business Review.

Banks take very large risks by consistently herding in the same perilous directions while believing they are safe and unique. This book presents a risk management framework to understand conformity and deviance within investment banks and other large organizations. It suggests that some groups understand the dynamics of this conformity to their advantage. This requires a deeper understanding of the risk in risk management. Fraudsters can game the system to their advantage legally and illegally; therefore risk managers must understand the interplay of multiple logics in order to govern and manage risk. Featuring short illustrative cases of massive risk mismanagement, this book walks the reader through four risk management perspectives (economic, institutional, evolutionary and contrarian) that explain why and how economic rationality is overridden by social forces. By understanding conformity and deviance, groups within organizations will be better equipped to manage risk and go against the tides of conformity to their advantage.

A comprehensive and accessible introduction to modern quantitative risk management. The business world is rife with risk and uncertainty, and risk management is a vitally important topic for managers. The best way to achieve a clear understanding of risk is to use quantitative tools and probability models. Written for students, this book has a quantitative emphasis but is accessible to those without a strong mathematical background. Business Risk Management: Models and Analysis * Discusses novel modern approaches to risk management * Introduces advanced topics in an accessible manner * Includes motivating worked examples and exercises (including selected solutions) * Is written with the student in mind, and does not assume advanced mathematics * Is suitable for self-study by the manager who wishes to better understand this important field. Aimed at postgraduate students, this book is also suitable for senior undergraduates, MBA students, and all those who have a general interest in business risk.

Behavioral Corporate Finance provides instructors with a comprehensive pedagogical approach for teaching students how behavioral concepts apply to corporate finance. The primary goal is to identify the key psychological obstacles to value maximizing behavior, along with steps that managers can take to mitigate the effects of these obstacles.

A New York Times bestseller and one of the Ten Best Business Books of 2013 by WealthManagement.com, this book brings a new vision of the value of debt in the management of individual and family wealth In this groundbreaking book, author Tom Anderson argues that, despite the reflex aversion most people have to debt an aversion that is vociferously preached by most personal finance authors wealthy individuals and families, as well as their financial advisors, have everything to gain and nothing to lose by learning to think holistically about debt. Anderson explains why, if strategically deployed, debt can be of enormous long-term benefit in the management of individual and family wealth. More importantly, he schools you in time-tested strategies for using debt to steadily build wealth, to generate tax-efficient retirement income, to provide a reliable source of funds in times of crisis and financial setback, and more. * Takes a "strategic debt" approach to personal wealth management, emphasizing the need to appreciate the value of "indebted strengths" and for acquiring the tools needed to take advantage of those strengths * Addresses how to determine your optimal debt ratio, or your debt "sweet spot" * A companion website contains a proprietary tool for calculating your own optimal debt ratio, which enables you to develop a personal wealth balance sheet Offering a bold new vision of debt as a strategic asset in the management of individual and family wealth, The Value of Debt is an important resource for financial advisors, wealthy families, family offices, and professional investors.

Your business reputation can take years to build--and mere minutes to destroy

The range of business threats is evolving rapidly but your organization can thrive and gain a competitive advantage with your business vision for enterprise risk management. Trends affecting markets--events in the global financial markets, changing technologies, environmental priorities, dependency on intellectual property--all underline how important it is to keep up to speed on the latest financial risk management practices and procedures.

This popular book on enterprise risk management has been expanded and updated to include new themes and current trends for today's risk practitioner. It features up-to-date materials on new threats, lessons from the recent financial crisis, and how businesses need to protect themselves in terms of business interruption, security, project and reputational risk management.

Project risk management is now a mature discipline with an international standard for its implementation. This book reinforces that project risk management needs to be systematic, but also that it must be embedded to become part of an organization's DNA. This book promotes techniques that will help you implement a methodical and broad approach to risk management.The author is a well-known expert and boasts a wealth of experience in project and enterprise risk managementEasy-to-navigate structure breaks down the risk management process into stages to aid implementationExamines the external influences that bring sources of business risk that are beyond your controlProvides a handy chapter with tips for commissioning consultants for business risk management services

It is a business imperative to have a clear vision for risk management. "Simple Tools and Techniques for Enterprise Risk Management, Second Edition" shows you the way.

Communication is a vital part of project management, and reports are one of the preferred vehicles for transmitting information to an intended internal or external audience. Reports are also part of the system of control and governance on projects, used to bring attention to issues and prompt action to improve project outcomes. There are countless ways of combining project information for consumption by stakeholders. This book discusses the purpose of project reports, and provides examples of the format, content, timing, and audience for various types. Using principles of stakeholders and risk management, it presents a rationale for communication plans, enabling appropriate reporting at the project, program, and portfolio level. The author also: Presents tangible experience and suggestions for developing project reports. Discusses project reports in context, as applicable to types of stakeholders and the project lifecycle. Identifies sources and types of data required for adequate reporting. Offers examples of report formats, graphics, and content. Reflects on typical challenges encountered with project reporting. It is essential reading for practitioners and students of project management, cost control, and accountancy.

The credit crunch highlighted to businesses the importance of cash management, as those firms which ran short of cash discovered when they found themselves in trouble or even went bust.This tightly-written guide clearly explains the six critical aspects of the effective management of cash and cash flow. These involve: *forecasting likely cash receipts and payments *establishing funding lines necessary to cover asset purchases or for working capital *efficiently managing day-to-day operations with regard to the amount of cash required *selecting appropriate investment opportunities that result in positive cash flow *monitoring the profitability of products and services to ensure they are cash generative and not cash destroying, *having a plan for managing excess cash that exceeds demand Cash rather than profit has always been the ultimate determinant of whether a business survives.

A concise introduction to financial risk management strategies, policies, and techniques
This ideal guide for business professionals focuses on strategic and management issues associated with financial risk. Essentials of Financial Risk Management identifies risk-mitigation policies and strategies; suggestions for determining an organization's risk tolerance; and sources of risk associated with currency exchange rates, interest rates, credit exposure, commodity prices, and other related events. Examples illustrate risk scenarios and offer tips on an array of management alternatives, including changes in the way business is conducted and hedging strategies involving derivatives.

The world of construction is intrinsically linked with that of finance, from the procurement and tendering stage of projects right through to valuation of buildings. In addition to this, things like administrations, liquidations, mergers, take-overs, buy-outs and floatations affect construction firms as they do all other companies. This book is a rare explanation of common construction management activities from a financial point of view. While the practical side of the industry is illustrated here with case studies, the authors also take the time to build up an understanding of balance sheets and P&L accounts before explaining how common tasks like estimating or valuation work from this perspective. Readers of this book will not only learn how to carry out the tasks of a construction cost manager, quantity surveyor or estimator, they will also understand the financial logic behind them, and the motivations that drive senior management. This is an essential book for students of quantity surveying or construction management, and all ambitious practitioners.

Your practical step-by-step guide to planning and building cash valuation models. Through a set of comprehensive instructions and templates it provides the tools to build models that will enable you to carry out accurate and informed analysis of your company's cash liabilities, cash flow and value.

If you are buying the ebook, companion files can be downloaded from the digital downloads section of http: //www.financial-models.com/.

Advances in Management Accounting (AIMA) is a publication of quality applied research in management accounting. The journal's purpose is to publish thought-provoking articles that advance knowledge in the management accounting discipline and are of interest to both academics and practitioners. As one of the premier management accounting research journals, AIMA is well poised to meet the needs of management accounting scholars. Featured in Volume 33 are chapters on: Continuous improvement; Lean manufacturing; TQM; Capacity management; Management control systems, Performance measurement; Financial value; Value stream costing; Collaborative relationships; Strategic performance measurement systems; Competitiveness; Strategy; Budgets; Entrepreneurship; CEO characteristics; Start-ups; Financial performance; Participative budgeting; Engagement; Distributive justice; Procedural justice; Budget satisfaction; Motivation; Organizational goals; Sustainability; Management accounting; Environmental activity management; Environmental sustainability strategy; Social sustainability strategy; Triple bottom line; Performance; Incentive compensation; Financial measures; Non-financial measures; Weights; Employment time horizon