In this witty, eye-opening guide, Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor Rick Johnson shares his no-holds-barred approach to investing. Drawing on more than twenty years of experience in financial services, he shows hard-working Americans how to design successful investment portfolios and build financial strategies that are fully aligned with their personal values and life goals. plenty of practical advice and relevant, real-world techniques and secrets for: them) goals and accounting for future contributions, expenditures, and withdrawal needs

"The Business of Giving" reviews current thinking and surveys the key techniques any philanthropist or grantmaker should adopt. It also outlines a generic social investment process that can be utilized for all philanthropic or grantmaking programmes. Essential reading for all engaged in or with an interest in philanthropy or civil society in general.

This book focuses on aspects of Industrial Mathematics (Networks; Complex Systems and Behavioral Game Theory) and Theoretical Computer Science (Behavioral Game Theory and Applied Math). Its major contribution is that it introduces new models and "informal" algorithms that solve social-choice problems (using behavioral Game Theory), it introduces new mathematical proofs, and it introduces new algorithms that prove that the Myerson-Satterthwaite Impossibility Theorem is wrong or inapplicable. The Myerson-Satterthwaite Impossibility Theorem has been a major foundation theorem in various branches of Computer Science and Applied Math. The book analyzes Industrial Organization, Mechanism Design, Political Economy and Complex Systems issues in the global accounting/consulting industry, the "Quasi-franchising industry" and the global Credit Rating Agency (CRA) industry which are currently some of the most international of all services industries, and have or can have substantial effects on international trade and international capital flows. During 2000-2019, the services sector in general expanded in many countries and especially in emerging markets countries - and that is having substantial effects on the evolution of national economies. The objectives and achievements of this book are multifaceted. It explains the macroeconomic, behavioral operations research and political economy issues that affect and the evolution of accounting/auditing firms, CRAs, management consulting firms and environmental auditing firms. It also analyzes the types of intra-company decisions and group dynamics and auditor-decisions that can have significant effects on innovation and competition within the accounting/consulting industry and (on clients' industries) and on overall economic growth in nations. Furthermore, it analyzes structural changes and antitrust problems in the global accounting/consulting industry and the CRA industry and explains how these antitrust problems and structural changes have worsened climate change and corporate compliance with environmental regulations. Among these topics the author also talks about issues that affect audit contract, contracting between CRAs and issuers, and industry structure and evolution by critiquing various existing CRA business models and introducing new business models for the future.

From business models to unique selling propositions, from product offerings to sales, marketing and pricing strategies, this book reveals what sets Chinese electric car manufacturers apart from their Western counterparts. Chinese automakers are gradually establishing themselves as the new trendsetters in the automotive industry as they make technological advances in various fields, especially in electric vehicles. As more of them look overseas for opportunities, especially in the European market, it is time for the local players to better understand who they are up against and take steps to keep up with the rapid growth of their Far Eastern competitors. Based on Simon-Kucher's project experience, this book shows what is going on behind the Great Wall, informs readers about the latest technological trends and advances in China, and offers suggestions on what Chinese newcomers should bring with them when they come to town. Sharing valuable insights for all readers with an interest in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, this book will be particularly relevant for managers and decision-makers at Western OEMs, suppliers, and other relevant players in the automotive industry.

The $10 Trillion Opportunity shows business advisors how to develop comprehensive, integrated exit plans for business owners. With the baby boomer generation approaching retirement age, exit planning has become one of the hottest topics for business advisors. Exit planning is a process that asks and answers all of the personal, business, financial, legal, estate and tax issues involved in selling or exiting from a privately held business. The $10 Trillion Opportunity is a logically structured book with a no-nonsense approach to exploring and addressing a topic that is often misunderstood and at times overwhelming for business owners and their advisors alike. An essential primer for professional advisors and business owners trying to make sense of exit planning, investment banker and former Wall Street attorney, Richard E. Jackim, together with his partner, Peter Christman, have put together a thoroughly readable exploration of exit planning, why it is important and how to introduce exit planning into your professional practice. The $10 Trillion Opportunity includes twelve case studies, fifteen illustrations, a glossary, resource guide, bibliography and a detailed index.

This book places collective entrepreneurship at the center of business strategy to provide a comprehensive discussion of the institutions and policies that nurture entrepreneurship, not only in start-up, but also in large, established corporations (intrapreneurship). The authors show that entrepreneurship is the only economic resource that can not be easily transferred across corporate boundaries. It must be nurtured within business institutions in ways that release the imagination, ingenuity, and creativity of individuals and groups.

The authors look at the complementary roles of venture capitalists and business incubators, the importance of the Internet, job rotation and labor transfers, working teams, cash-based bonuses, ESOPs and stock options, corporate spinoffs, strategic acquisitions, corporate venturing, and strategic alliances. The book also discusses an agenda for government in an entrepreneurial economy, the creation of an entrepreneurship regime, and various related topics, including bridging start-up equity gaps. Corporate planners are provided with insights needed to develop entrepreneurial groups both in and out of their organizations. Independent entrepreneurs are given a succinct summary of things they need to know, from securing start-up capital to finding the money to grow established businesses. VCs, bankers, and other types of funders will find this a concise survey and evaluation, and a useful guide to give to their clients.

Written for the business manager of middle or senior rank who is contemplating a career move from corporate to self-employment, as well as redundant or retired executives seeking to capitalize on their experience and expertise, this book describes how to set up a consultancy practice with little financial outlay and take advantage of a growth market.;Emphasis is given to the need to market the consultancy, and low-budget methods of promotion to create a client base are described. The preparation of proposals, the conduct of assignments, and the importance of presenting subsequent recommendations that will satisfy client needs and lead to recommendations and referrals is discussed. B.H. Elvy is the author of "Marketing Made Simple" and "Salesmanship Made Simple.

Knowledge is the great fifth production factor in our economy, besides capital, labour, land, and entrepreneurship. Perhaps it is the most precious of the five factors, because it takes so much effort and money to keep it well-nourished. Perhaps it is the most strategic of the five factors, because we depend on it to develop business, the economy, and the world at large in a balanced and sustainable direction. Knowledge is certainly one of the least understood factors and one of the hardest to grasp. This book concerns the largest pool of knowledge, which is professional knowledge. This form of knowledge, albeit being very close to business practice, is nonetheless least understood of all. Economists have tried to grasp the knowledge factor, measuring and assessing it in terms of the pools of R&D-expenditures, patented innovations, licences, and other forms of knowledge that can be documented. The pool of professional knowledge is not among these, because it is tacit. It can only exist in our head; it is intrinsically tied to people --the professionals. Professional knowledge is the articulation of scientific and documented knowledge, and the individual experience and dexterity of individuals. It is for this reason that it is so hard to grasp; while for this very same reason, it is so close to the life of business, to the shopfloor of our advanced economies.

In 1980, only 10 business incubators existed in the United States. By 1995 there were nearly 500, and a new incubator is opening every week. Despite the rapid growth, the success of business incubators has been mixed at best. "Growing New Ventures, Creating New Jobs" provides sponsors, boards, and the management teams of business incubation programs with proven strategies for enhancing the creation and development of new ventures and ensuring the success of programs that support business growth and development.

Business creation experts Jana B. Matthews and Mark P. Rice explain the three key principles of successful business incubation; the 10 best practices for starting, developing, and managing a business incubation program; ways to attract high-quality entrepreneurs; the litmus test to determine an incubator's feasibility; and many hands-on examples from the directors of some of the country's top business incubators. Incubators have helped to create more than 82,000 new jobs in communities throughout the United States, and they foster the entrepreneurial spirit that is the lifeblood of the economy. "Growing New Ventures, Creating New Jobs" gives business, university, and government leaders a blueprint incubator program for invigorating the regional economy.

More than 15 million people in this country earn their livings by serving clients, and their numbers are growing every day. Unfortunately, far too few develop the skills and strategies needed to rise to the top in a world where clients have almost unlimited access to information and expertise. Supported by more than one hundred case studies and wisdom gleaned from interviews with dozens of leading CEOs and prominent business advisors, Clients for Life identifies what clients really want and lays out the core qualities that distinguish the client advisor -- an irreplaceable resource -- from the expert for hire -- a tradable commodity.

• Experts are specialists; advisors become deep generalists who have broad perspective.
  
• Experts are for hire; advisors have selfless independence, balancing client devotion with objectivity and detachment.
  
• Experts have professional credibility; advisors develop deep personal trust.
  
• Experts analyze; advisors synthesize and bring big-picture thinking to the table.
  
• Experts supply expertise and information; advisors are educators who provide insight and wisdom.
  

Portraits of history's most famously successful advisors, including Machiavelli, Sir Thomas More, and J. P. Morgan, underscore these timeless qualities that modern professionals need to develop to excel in today's competitive environment.

The story of McKinsey & Co., America's most influential and controversial business consulting firm, "an up-to-date, full-blown history, told with wit and clarity" ("The Wall Street Journal").
If you want to be taken seriously, you hire McKinsey & Company. Founded in 1926, McKinsey can lay claim to the following partial list of accomplishments: its consultants have ushered in waves of structural, financial, and technological change to the nation's best organizations; they remapped the power structure within the White House; they even revo-lutionized business schools. In "The New York Times "bestseller "The Firm," star financial journalist Duff McDonald shows just how, in becoming an indispensable part of decision making at the highest levels, McKinsey has done nothing less than set the course of American capitalism.
But he also answers the question that's on the mind of anyone who has ever heard the word McKinsey: Are they worth it? After all, just as McKinsey can be shown to have helped invent most of the tools of modern management, the company was also involved with a number of striking failures. Its consultants were on the scene when General Motors drove itself into the ground, and they were K-Mart's advisers when the retailer tumbled into disarray. They played a critical role in building the bomb known as Enron.
McDonald is one of the few journalists to have not only parsed the record but also penetrated the culture of McKinsey itself. His access puts him in a unique position to demonstrate when it is worth hiring these gurus--and when they're full of smoke.

Freelance consulting, coaching, IT contracting and other self-employed professional roles are fast becoming the preferred way to find fulfilling work, generate a great income, and futureproof careers, whilst giving all the benefits and freedoms of being your own boss – but few know how to make it really work.

The Freelance Consultant is the comprehensive guide into turning your expertise into a viable, and valuable, business.

With independent consultant Richard Newton, you will discover a wealth of insider knowledge as well as a network of other successful advisors willing to share their stories. The Freelance Consultant will explain how to:

• Setup, run and thrive in your freelance, consultant or coaching business.
• Acquire those vital first paying clients.
• Know what it takes to become a successful, differentiated and valuable advisor.
• Build your business, define your services and set your prices.
• Understand your customers and identify, manage, and retain key clients.
• Keep developing and continually improving your skills an growing your business.