• Best techniques for extending business credit
• Proven techniques to reduce unauthorized deductions and unearned discounts
• Latest Internet, electronic, and high-tech applications
• Practical real-life strategies to improve collections

Full of valuable tips, techniques, illustrative real-world examples, exhibits, and best practices, this handy and concise paperback will help you stay up to date on the newest thinking, strategies, developments, and technologies in credit, collections, and accounts receivable.

"This book is filled with wisdom, common sense, and practical solutions. Mary Schaeffer is right on when she states that credit is part science, part art, and part gut feel. I recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the essentials of credit, collections, and accounts receivable."
–Vaughn P. Benjamin, Vice President, Media Credit Association
Magazine Publishers of America

"Mary Schaeffer has written an excellent book for the credit and collection professional. Every credit professional should read this book and keep a copy handy in their personal library."
–Tim Paulsen, Principal of T. R. Paulsen & Associates, author of Paid in Full
International Specialist in Creative Receivables Management

"Mary Schaeffer has taken a sometimes complex subject and reduced it to an easy- to -understand guidebook. This book should be in the reference library of every credit professional."
–H. Bruce Watson, Manager, Credit Services Group, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

How do firms like Hewlett-Packard, DuPont, Dow Chemical, IBM, and Texas Instruments routinely convert the ideas of their employees into profits that sustain the corporation?

How can buyers and sellers calculate the assets of the acquired firm in a merger or acquisition?

How can an organization affect the firm's stock price using the leverage of intellectual assets?

Identifying a firm's assets, especially its intellectual assets-the proprietary knowledge expressed as a recipe, formula, trade secret, invention, program, or process-has become critical to a company's overall vision and strategic plan and essential in such transactions as stock offerings or mergers. In the era of the knowledge-based company, where the firm's genius and future lies in its ideas, a firm's collective know-how has become a measurable commodity-and as much a part of its bottom line as the condition of its cash investments, plant, and equipment. Extracting and measuring the real value of knowledge is essential for any corporate head who knows how high the stakes have become for corporate survival in the information age-where the innovative idea is as good as, if not better than, gold! Value-Driven Intellectual Capital is a corporate and financial executives' handbook to the new world of intangible assets-what they are and how to convert them into cash or strategic position. Written by one of the seminal thinkers in the field, and the key organizer of the ICM Gathering, a group of leading-edge knowledge-based companies, Value-Driven Intellectual Capital explains the new, boundary-expanding world of intellectual assets-where translating an innovative idea into bottom-line profits involves a tightly focused strategy with clear directives for making it happen. A blueprint for turning corporate knowledge, know-how, and intellectual property into a sustainable competitive weapon that will build a firm's reputation and market share, this practical, insightful book outlines:
* Basic concepts underlying IC (intellectual capital) and corporate value creation
* The linkage between IC, business strategy, and profits
* The different kinds of value-including qualitative and quantitative -firms realize from their IC
* Activities required to produce the value firms desire from their IC
* Methods for calculating the dollar value of companies-for market capitalization and mergers or acquisitions
* An economic model of an IC company

The book's appendix is a valuable distillation for corporate and financial executives, managers, researchers, and analysts of IC's basic working concepts and definitions, including the principles underlying value creation and value extraction, the concepts and strategies used by successful companies, the sources of value for knowledge companies, and the mechanisms used to convert that value into real profits. And since it is managerial talent that turns intellectual property into business assets, the book provides an arsenal of key concepts, methods, and processes for aligning with and using intellectual property as an active element of a firm's business strategies. It concludes with a discussion of how value is extracted from human capital, focusing on its elusive magnetic core: creativity and productivity. In an era in which firms are increasingly accountable to shareholders and success is judged solely by stock price, knowing how to measure and extract the value of a firm's intellectual assets has become one of the most critical and essential skills needed by CEOs today. Reflecting the most innovative thinking from some of the most sophisticated firms in the world, Sullivan's Value-Driven Intellectual Capital is a manifesto, a clarion call to excellence for any corporate or financial executive, merger and acquisition partner or investor who understands how much future corporate survival and success depends on the simple enduring genius of a good idea and the need to convert those ideas into corporate value.

Visit our Web site at: www.wiley.com/

The investment management industry faces a number of well-publicised problems and difficulties. Charles Jackson shows how these all relate to the same underlying problem: that investors find investment skill very hard both to find and to put to work in a way that profits them.

Active Investment Management starts with the fundamentals of what active management is and why investors find it desirable. It goes on to show how these fundamentals have given rise to the industry’s problems, how these problems affect each other and how they can be resolved.

Written by a leading authority in the field, this book is an invaluable tool for the practitioner. It is broken down into five sections covering the whole spectrum of active investment management:

• asset classes and products
• balancing risk and return
• active product selection
• the nature of skill
• the price of skill

Active Investment Management concludes by projecting industry trends, and outlining the future developments in active investment management implied by those trends.

Business Valuation For Dummies is filled with expert guidance that business owners, managers at all levels, investors, and students can use when determining the value of a business. It contains a solid framework for valuation, including advice on analyzing historical performance, evaluating assets and income value, understanding a company's financial statements, estimating the cost of capital, business valuation models, and how to apply those models to different types of businesses.

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. This book presents the concept of value as the central component to success and longevity of the global ICT industry player, Huawei. It provides examples of how Huawei focuses on customers to pursue sustainable and profitable growth rather than focusing on capital market valuation which is a familiar scenario among Western companies. It is the business departments that are the creators of value for Huawei, while the finance department is tasked to provide support and services to those business departments during the value creation process. The book illustrates how Huawei Finance sets rules, allocates resources, and builds centers of expertise all over the world to address future uncertainties. More than a decade ago Huawei dedicated seven years to implement the Integrated Financial Services (IFS) Transformation Program with the help of IBM consultants. This book also draws on the leading concepts and successful experience of the IFS Transformation Program. Huawei Finance adopts three types of centralized vertical management from the top down: treasury, accounting, and auditing. It does not transfer such central authority down to lower levels, but delegates all other authority to business organizations across all levels. This management model represents the focus of this book. Built on Value provides an overview of Huawei's finance management and will help academic researchers in Business/Management, as well as practitioners in industry, an accurate and in-depth understanding of Huawei as a company.

Throughout the text of this introduction to benefit cost analysis, emphasis is on applications, and a worked case study is progressively undertaken as an illustration of the analytical principles in operation. The first part covers basic theory and procedures. Part Two advances to material on internationally tradeable goods and projects that affect market prices, and part Three introduces special topics such as the treatment of risk and uncertainty, income distributional effects and the valuation of non-marketed goods. Instructors' resource web site: http://www.uq.edu.au/economics/bca

Drawing on the expertise of business professionals and academic analysts, this volume explores country trends in the areas of public policy, government debt, taxation changes, political stability, corruption, and foreign investor risk trends. The handbook enhances its data and analysis through graphs, charts and boxed summaries of key points. It helps business professionals better understand the often volatile investment climates in Asia, and prepare them for the challenges ahead.

ESSENTIALS OF CAPACITY MANAGEMENT

Full of valuable tips, techniques, illustrative real-world examples, exhibits, and best practices, this handy and concise paperback will help you stay up to date on the newest thinking, strategies, developments, and technologies in capacity management.

"Proper capacity management is the driving force behind outstanding corporate performance. Essentials of Capacity Management clearly describes its impact on operations, as well as how to use measurement systems and process analysis to enhance capacity usage. This is a solid foundation in capacity management for the business professional!"
–Steve Bragg, Author

"Although capacity management is a fundamental concern, it–like many other fundamentals–is often scanted. In fact, there’s little that’s more important to most companies than their ability to manage their capacity, which is simply the ability to do work. Essentials of Capacity Management does a great job of giving a quick, yet thorough, overview of the many considerations involved."
–Barry J. Brinker, Editor, Guide to Cost Management (John Wiley & Sons)

"This book does an excellent job of relating processes to capacity. Managers and executives will better understand that managing the effectiveness and efficiency of processes reduces the amount of capacity required, thus providing an opportunity to reduce costs while improving process quality and reducing process time. It shows the relationship of capacity to demand on downstream processes. It shows that process flexibility reduces required capacity."
–John Antos, President, Value Creation Group, Inc.

The Wiley Essentials Series–because the business world is always changing...and so should you.

This book for advanced students and professionals in management and finance explains the financial appraisal of capital budgeting projects. It develops basic concepts, principles and techniques and applies them to case studies in forestry, property and international investments. Resource constraints are introduced to the capital budgeting decisions with a variety of worked examples using linear programming techniques. All calculations are extensively supported by Excel workbooks on the Web, and end of chapter questions.

Easy to follow, friendly, and conversational How to Talk Finance will help you get the low down on the numbers behind your business -what they are, what they mean and how you can use them to get ahead.

Gompers and Sahlman are two of the leading researchers and authorities in this field.

Many of today's high-net-worth investors are turning their attention to early-stage investing in emerging companies. They know just how successful and lucrative funding a start-up venture can be. Savvy angel investors can foresee distant but potentially huge returns from pre-IPO companies. There are scores of hungry entrepreneurs in search of capital and lots of money to be invested. But, matching the right entrepreneurs with wise investors, so that both can profit, is the challenge in new enterprises.

Gerald Benjamin and Joel Margulis demonstrate that the real pitfall for potential investors is an incomplete understanding of the complexities of early-stage investing. At the same time, the angel capital market offers few mechanisms for bringing investors and entrepreneurs together, while securities regulations restrict communication between sophisticated investors and promising new businesses.

So, where do the uninitiated start, and how do they separate the wheat from the chaff? In this ground breaking work, Benjamin and Margulis offer angel investors a hands-on manual for profiting from early-stage, private equity deals. They show how to develop investment criteria and overall game plans, locate viable investment opportunities, assess and manage risks, negotiate the most favorable deal terms, conduct thorough due diligence, and plan the all-important exit strategy.

The theory of Value at Risk (VaR), which quantifies the probability of large losses in financial transactions, won the Nobel Prize in economics for Robert Merton. As trading systems have become more complex, however, the dangers of very large losses have become more acute. The near collapse of the hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management, based on the VaR theory, is perhaps the most spectacular example: it was not stable against large and sudden fluctuations in the financial markets. This collection of papers by leading researchers addresses the weaknesses of VaR and how it might be possible to circumvent them. A crucial question is to establish what is a good measure of risk, and the further developments of VaR are considered in this light.

Praise for J.K. Lasser Pro Expert Financial Planning

"A gem of a personal financial planning guide. Dr. Arffa has prepared many of the chapters himself and his highly readable and accessible overviews are presented with grace and clarity. Included also are discussions by industry professionals and leading investment thinkers. Readers seeking to enhance their financial security will be richly rewarded." –Burton Malkiel, author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street

Here is top-level financial planning advice for professionals who counsel affluent clients, as well as for savvy individual investors looking to make the most of their incomes for years to come. Featuring the expertise of some of our most articulate, nationally recognized finance pros, this priceless book will take you through all the steps necessary to creating and realizing a financial plan that’s right for your personal needs and goals. Learn how to:

• Set and prioritize goals
• Assess your current financial status
• Make projections for each goal
• Devise a strategy that includes spending, saving, and investing
• Review risk management
• Track your financial progress
• Evaluate the tax consequences of investment decisions
• Select life and disability insurance

. . . all with the help of leaders in their fields, including John C. Bogle • Richard Driehaus • Peter Katt • Weston Wellington • Gregory D. Curtis • Jay Mueller, CFA, and many more . . .

Using the same principles and methods that have proven so successful for other fund raising activities, James S. Armstrong takes you step by step through the four-phase process of managing fund raising events. This down-to-earth guide--part of the Excellence in Fund Raising Workbook Series from The Fund Raising School at Indiana University--will show how to produce events that will raise money cost effectively, expand your support base, and attract attention to your cause. Designed to be a well-thumbed reference, the workbook also includes answers to the most frequently asked questions.

The authoritative resource for understanding and practicing valuation of both common fixed income investment vehicles and complex derivative instruments-now updated to cover valuing interest rate caps and floors.

Over the past ten years hundreds of leading companies worldwide have adopted the principles of value-based management (VBM), an approach to corporate strategy and business organisation in which the primary objective is always shareholder wealth maximisation. As VBM has become more widespread the idea of shareholder value has become integral to business. Consultancies have prospered by selling prescriptions for developing a value-oriented firm and managers thought to be excellent in generating shareholder value are held in high esteem and command huge salaries. This book draws on empirical evidence to demonstrate the success of VBM ideas as well as highlighting many of the hidden questions, doubts and difficulties. It examines the validity of some of the underlying assumptions of VBM and tackles many of the key technical issues. This book provides a timely assessment of the theory and practice of VBM as it grows to maturity.

In this practical and engaging guide, top fundraising consultant Mal Warwick introduces an entirely new and revolutionary approach to fundraising strategy and planning. He shows nonprofit organizations how to set fundraising goals based on mission and how to select, implement, and stay with the right strategies to meet those goals. His five fundamental fundraising strategies are Growth, Involvement, Visibility, Efficiency, and Stability (GIVES), all of which link directly to specific and appropriate fundraising goals. The decision as to which strategy to use springs from the organization's mission, and all fundraising activities are focused on fulfilling that mission.

Through real-world examples, Warwick shows readers how to choose a primary strategy that will drive both long-term fundraising planning and day-to-day fundraising activities. He then takes them step by step through the process of integrating the strategy into current operations, evaluating its progress, and sticking to the chosen strategy while facing the inevitable changes, obstacles, and setbacks that nonprofits encounter every day. He also provides self-tests to help readers determine which strategy and tactics will be most effective for their organizations. The Five Strategies for Fundraising Success ensures that organizations make informed, productive decisions about their futures.

The only comprehensive reference work of its kind, this book provides complete coverage of everything that a fund raiser must know when preparing for an international fund-raising campaign. Offers an overview of a country's tax and regulatory system, an examination of its not-for-profit sector, what sources of funding are available, and what fund-raising methods are considered acceptable by the culture and the government.

This study focuses on the role of institutions and organizations in the development of corporate finance from the Italian merchant banks of the Renaissance through the formation of conglomerates and leveraged-buy-out partnerships in contemporary Wall Street. It also puts forth a compelling argument for the closer integration of historical and quantitative research methodologies in financial theory. The epilogue contains an original algorithm that explains the relationship between the short-term, firm-specific factors and longer-term environmental elements that have shaped the historical development of finance.

The Eighth Edition of the standard engineering economy text and reference explains the principles and techniques needed for making decisions about the acquisition and retirement of capital goods by industry and government, as well as alternative types of financing and other applications. Arranged in four parts: basic concepts, principles, and mathematics; procedures and methods for evaluating alternatives; techniques for handling special situations; and special applications. Introduces the use of computers and spreadsheets in evaluating engineering alternatives. Includes up-to-date coverage of federal tax legislation, extensive discussions and problems dealing with personal finance, and material on handling multiple alternatives by rate of return and benefit/cost ratio methods. Contains numerous examples and 476 problems, many entirely new. Accompanied by a complete solutions manual for the instructor.

This title presents a fast track route to mastering shareholder value. It covers the key areas of shareholder value, from its role in the management process to its theory, measures, and its impact on strategy. It features examples and lessons from some of the world's most valuable companies and brands including BP Amoco, Diageo and Manchester United, and ideas from the smartest thinkers including G Bennett Stewart, Tom Copeland, James M McTaggart, Roger A. Morin and Sherry L. Jarrell. It includes a glossary of key concepts and a comprehensive resources guide.

The rapid rise in importance of the role of the chief financial officer--from back-office accountant to front-line executive--is unrivaled by that of any other corporate position. With access to every facet of the business, CFOs now wield a level of influence matched only by chief executives.
This book explains how CFOs earned their privileged status, and what the future may hold for them. It describes their ever-expanding role, and how they are reshaping their departments to help them deal with that transformation. Insights from current and former CFOs provide a first-hand perspective on finance leaders' aspirations and doubts. It is a useful reference for finance chiefs seeking to learn from peers and benchmark their own performance; for those looking to build a career in the C-Suite; for managers seeking to improve their relationship with the finance department; for service providers--banks, accountancies and consulting firms--and anyone else who wants to get on the good side of the keeper of the corporate checkbook.

Called "today's hottest financial idea and getting hotter" by fortune magazine, Economic Value Added (EVA) is the topic of conversation in financial circles around the world, from Germany and Japan to Singapore and South Africa. A revolutionary strategy for creating corporate and shareholder wealth that measures a company's real profitability, it has been adopted by such prominent corporations as Coca-Cola, Eli Lilly, and Siemens AG—with spectacular financial results. Yet, despite its increasing visibility, most executives still only have a vague notion of what EVA is and what it can do for their company. This groundbreaking book explains and clarifies all. Written by Al Ehrbar, a leading business journalist and senior vice president at EVA inventor Stern Stewart & Co., EVA: The Real Key to Creating Wealth provides a complete, accessible overview that examines how exactly EVA works, how it is measured, what it can do to structure incentives for employees, and why it is as potent as it is.

At its most basic, Economic Value Added is a measure of corporate performance that differs from most others by charging profit for the cost of all the capital a company employs, including equity. To help translate principle into real-world practice, Ehrbar presents revealing case histories of EVA success stories, including those of Briggs & Stratton, the U.S. Postal Service, and Coca-Cola, which was catapulted from mediocrity to the number one wealth creator in the world with the addition of EVA.

An in-depth look at a breakthrough idea whose impact is being felt from corporate boardrooms to Wall Street, this indispensable book is must reading for business leaders looking to fully grasp—and profit from—"the real key to creating wealth."

This cash management and investment handbook for nonprofit managers helps managers from diverse backgrounds learn to manage their organization's money. It examines traditional treasury functions including banking and cash flow and explores investment management and strategies for managing excess cash, endowment, and long-term (planned) gifts. It also examines financial management strategies that impact cash flow, including borrowing, risk management, benchmarking, and long-term planning. Addresses the needs of all types and sizes of organizations, from small religious groups and community social service agencies to major cultural institutions and colleges and universities. Includes a diskette with spreadsheet solutions to common financial management problems, such as interest rate calculations, basic yield calculations, financial rations and more.