Outsmart your competitors, leap to the head of the pack, and become an alpha dog!How does an average company distinguish itself in the marketplace, generate higher sales than its competitors, and earn the lasting loyalty of customers and employees? Alpha Dogs tells the inspiring stories of savvy entrepreneurs who discovered the perfect formula and rose to the top. In her personal and probing style, Donna Fenn, a twenty-year veteran of Inc. magazine, introduces eight men and women who share their hard-earned insights and practical tips--from Chris Zane, whose retail bike shop has perfected the art of customer service, to Deb Weidenhamer, who transformed a sleepy auction house with her innovative use of technology. Alpha Dogs is a practical guidebook for every current and aspiring self-starter who wants to stand out and succeed.

Take advantage of every tax deduction-and keep more of your income!. .

Contrary to popular opinion, the IRS is a small-business owner's best friend-but the agency is an expert at hiding that fact in complex tax codes. The truth is, there's a good chance you've been missing out on some real money-saving opportunities. Tax specialist David Meier puts you on the path to greater profitability by stripping away the complex language in which tax laws are cloaked and communicating your tax rights in plain, easy-to-understand terms.. . .

"Make Your Life Tax Deductible" provides: . . . Hundreds of money-saving tax deductions in an accessible format . A full range of categories, from travel expenses to retirement plans . Expert advice on how to build your profits into a retirement plan . . . . .

Have you been paying the IRS more than you have to? . . . Structuring your business as a sole proprietorship . (Chapter 1). Deducting the entire cost of your health insurance . (Chapter 3). Detecting IRS mistakes made in the its favor . (Chapter 15). Putting pre-tax money into an IRA . (Chapter 17). Deducting property depreciation from your taxable income (Chapter 12). Offsetting taxable income with business losses . (Chapter 4). Paying the lowest possible corporate income tax . (Chapter 7) . Using Guaranteed Payments to fund your retirement plan (Chapter 8). Deducting gas, repairs, and every other automobile expense (Chapter 11). . .

Discover these and hundreds of other write offs that can "Make Your Life Tax Deductible!,"

From the international go-to guys in small business know-how:

Your source for the strategies, skills and confidence every business owner needs to succeed

Remember what it was like learning how to ride a bicycle? Now imagine how it would've been if you'd tried to do it blindfolded.

Pretty scary, right?

Yet, right now, all over the world, millions of men and women are trying to make a go of running small businesses without a clear picture of where they're going or how to get ahead. No wonder so many small businesses fail in their first year of operation.

Don't become another statistic. Let the Instant Success Series show you how to get up on that Schwinn and ride it to success.

Written by whiz kid entrepreneur and renowned international business coach Bradley Sugars, the Instant Success Series arms hardworking independent business owners like you with all the tools for success. Instant Success books tackle an array of business topics using strategies developed by Sugars and the crack business coaches at Action International, a global network that has helped nearly half a million business owners, worldwide, realize their dreams of success.

With the app market exploding, app designers will need a solid how-to guide to help them start their home-based business. This book will guide the reader through all the steps from design to marketing.

Millions of people want to start their own business but don't know what business to start. This book offers readers seven steps to identifying the right business for them.

"Gerber's books never disappoint. These Ten Principles help you dig in to create newer, bigger ideas during our deeply troubled times, ultimately producing a great renewal--of mind, of body, of spirit, and leading to a new operating system where anything is possible and growth is built into the culture."
--Stephen M. R. Covey, author of the New York Times and#1 Wall Street Journal bestseller The Speed of Trust

"This book doesn't just describe great business principles--it MAKES business history. Your economic survival hinges on you reading this book "
--Jack Canfield, coauthor of the New York Times #1 bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul(R) series and author of The Success Principles

"Gerber is the master in giving us the essence. Every business begins small, then grows and endures in accordance with its founding principles. His new book scores a perfect 10 "
--Denis Waitley, author of The Psychology of Winning

"New books recycle old ideas. This one is brand-new thinking for our deeply troubled times. Gerber takes on the tough issues of the day, and provides liberating insight and compelling principles on creating small business success in any economic or political environment."
--Dr. Ivan Misner, New York Times bestselling author and founder of BNI

"Entrepreneurship has been the high road to success and satisfaction for 200 years. In this book, Michael shows you how to start and build your own business better and more meaningfully than you ever thought possible. Good Luck "
--Brian Tracy, bestselling author of The Psychology of Achievement

The Lean Product Lifecycle is a playbook that provides frameworks, methods and tools to develop innovative new products and business models, while managing your core portfolio.

Follow the 6 key phases of a product’s life - idea, explore, validate, grow, sustain and retire – and discover how to develop products according to their life stage and ensure the right investment for each. For each stage there is a step-by-step guide of product development best practices using examples and case studies from several companies and start-ups.

Using the tools and templates in this book, you’ll be able to:

- Take a new product from idea to scale within a market.

- Understand the difference between executing on products that are already successful in the market and searching for profitable business models for new products.

- Use the right tools and methods for validating new products ideas and business models.

- Understand how to manage mature products and retire old products using lean innovation principles.

Discover how lessons from lean start-ups can transform your business.

This book is for young startups and entrepreneurs in the advertising, marketing, and digital services space. It's an A-to-Z guide for young advertising firms, full of advice that ranges from getting funding to how to value the company and sell it to how to hire your first employee.

Business people around the world raved about The Disney Way and Fortune proclaimed it, so useful you may whistle while you work. Now, authors Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson are back to deliver a comprehensive, step-by-step implementation plan based on Walt Disneys principles outlined in the best-selling The Disney Way.

The Disney Way Fieldbook provides action plans for instilling Disneys vision into any company, complete with diagnostic exercises, practice sessions, proven advice, and insightful questionnaires. Packed with universally applicable tools and techniques, the book also features inspiring quotes from Walt Disney himself and little known facts about his extraordinary empire.

When Guerrilla Marketing was first published in 1983, Jay Levinson revolutionized marketing strategies for the small-business owner with his take-no-prisoners approach to finding clients. Based on hundreds of solid ideas that really work, Levinson's philosophy has given birth to a new way of learning about market share and how to gain it. In this completely updated and expanded fourth edition, Levinson offers a new arsenal of weaponry for small-business success including
* strategies for marketing on the Internet (explaining when and precisely how to use it)
* tips for using new technology, such as podcasting and automated marketing
* programs for targeting prospects and cultivating repeat and referral business
* management lessons in the age of telecommuting and freelance employees
Guerrilla Marketing is the entrepreneur's marketing bible -- and the book every small-business owner should have on his or her shelf.

The Official Gust Guide to Angel Investing will be the first complete, up to date, guide to the subject, including what angel investing is, how one gets started, how to find deal flow, evaluate opportunities, negotiate terms, join an angel group, structure investments, work with venture capital funds, and, of course, use the Gust platform to do all of the above.The initial target audience is the 7,000,000+ plus people in the US who qualify as accredited investors, because they have incomes over $200K or assets of over $1m. These are the people who are legally allowed to invest in private companies. A secondary market are the 33,000,000 mass affluent' in the US who are potential participants in the equity crowd-funding industry passed by Congress in the JOBS Act of 2012. Follow-on audiences are similarly situated people in every other country (Gust currently supports accredited investors in 75 countries and six languages, and is the official platform of the national angel investment federations in sixteen countries, from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and France, to Brazil, Russia, India and China.)The audience will be interested in this book because angel investing has exploded during the past decade, from a tiny niche to the subject of mainstream coverage in every newspaper, magazine and movie. Every year angels invest over $20 billion into startup companies in the US alone (probably double worldwide). Friends and Family investors, and other in the mass affluent category annually invest over $60 billion into startup companies. Historically this been a virtually random activity, but over the past several years the Gust platform has now helped to make this a legitimate part of the Alternative Investments asset class, as noted in Bob Rice's Book The Alternative Answer.

Learn the Secrets to Succeeding in Global Trade

"Wholesale 101" provides the tools and insight you need to launch a successful business by combining various platforms--B2B sites, trade shows, trading companies, and others--into a powerful product sourcing strategy.

Whether you're looking to drop ship from wholesalers and manufacturers or import product direct to sell in your store, this unparalleled guide reveals inside information of an industry full of secrets.

""If you are looking for a one-stop shop that turns the complicated world of sourcing product into a road map for success, then I encourage you to buy this book."" -- TOM MCELROY, VP, Marketing and e-Commerce, Genco Marketplace and NoBetterDeal.com

""Provides lots of concrete advice on how to profit from this new age of wholesaling."" -- DON DAVIS, Editor in Chief, Internet Retailer

""For any entrepreneur looking to start a business or expand their business, Wholesale 101 is a must read."" -- MARC JOSEPH, CEO and President, DollarDays International, and author of The Secrets of Retailing: Or, How to Beat Wal-Mart

""One of the most informative and useful books on Wholesale Sourcing I have laid eyes on in the past ten years."" -- SKIP MCGRATH, Publisher, Online Seller's Resource

""Very smart with a unique perspective on a variety of things important to our business, including global trade, international protocol, leveraging the Internet, and driving value for trade show participants."" -- CHRISTOPHER MCCABE, Senior Vice President, Nielsen Expositions

""A must-have addition to any wholesalers library."" -- CYRILL ELTSCHINGER, Strategic Advisor and author of Source Code China

The sixth edition of Entrepreneurship and Small Firms has been fully revised and updated with contributions from leading academics in the field. Retaining the popular style of the previous editions and offering a clear and accessible introduction to the topic, this book provides a thorough coverage of entrepreneurial and small firm theory, concepts, evidence, policy and practice. Integrating academic theory with the day-to-day realities that entrepreneurs may encounter it furnishes the student with a comprehensive analysis of entrepreneurship. This well established text is justly popular for its clear and accessible approach, presenting the key topics of an entrepreneurship module in an engaging yet rigorous style. The book covers wide ranging topics from the economic influences on entrepreneurship and sources of finance, to issues of diversity, family business and social entrepreneurship. New to this edition is a chapter on Corporate Entrepreneurship offering students a unique insight into entrepreneurship activities in larger businesses and organizations. A reorganized chapter structure for the sixth edition allows students to navigate the four parts of the text from introductory concepts, the domains of entrepreneurship, through to strategy and to implementation. New part cases help to highlight the core themes and apply them to real business scenarios. The new edition retains a wealth of examples and cases throughout the chapters which illustrate entrepreneurship in action.

Praise from the industry says for C.L. Ray, Jrs How to Start and
Operate an electrical Contracting Business. I have been instrumental
in starting and managing two construction firms...with combined
annual sales approaching fifty million dollars. Your book would have
been extremely beneficial to me in helping me avoid many of the
mistakes I have made along the way. I highly recommend it to every
privately owned construction firm whether they are just starting or
are well established. - J.S. Harrison, IV President, Branch &
Associates (Roanoke, VA). A Super job of explaining the challenge of
striking out on ones own - and how to meet it with a minimum of hard
knocks - in plain, easy to understand verbiage!...{Your book} may
help {others} realize their own individual dream! - John C. Randall,
President, John c. Randall & Associates, Inc (Mechanicsville, VA).
The First Complete Blueprint for Setting up a Successful Electrical
Contracting Business. For electricians whove been thinking about
starting a contracting business - or established contractors who want
to give their current business a boost - this book lays out a proven
roadmap of practical details. all the bases for building and operating
a successful electrical contracting business are covered - from
forecasting your business potential in a given market to technical
needs, hiring employees, managing finances, and achieving profit
goals. In this clearly writeen, brass-tacks guide, seasoned contractor
C.L. Rya, Jr. gives encouraging professional advice on: What you need to start an electrical contracting business; Estimating and bidding fundamentals; Market research and planning for the future; Market sources of revenue; Human resources; Surety, underwriting, and bonded projects; Communications skills; Promoting new business; Service work.

This book presents the findings and comparative analysis of seven case studies of non-governmental agencies providing business development services (BDS) to small and microenterprises across the developing world: from Bolivia, El Salvador, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A range of different industries is examined, from food processing to light engineering. The studies focus on three common aspects of BDS: marketing, access to technology, and the development of business and management skills. The results are presented with regard to impact, sustainability and cost-effectiveness. Building Businesses with Small Producers makes an important contribution to the ongoing debate regarding market- and demand-based provision of non-financial services to small and microentrepreneurs and businesses in the developing world, a debate which originated in the success to date in standardizing and commercializing microfinance programmes. The editors and contributors raise questions about the limits of market-based BDS provision and challenge some current beliefs about good practice in BDS provision.

The only series of step-by-step guides to succeeding in the skilled trades and achieving the American dream. At Your Best as a Mason is your playbook for learning if a career as a mason is right for you, progressing from pre-apprentice to journeyman to master mason, and launching your own small business. Learn: What does a career as a mason look like? Why should you consider becoming a mason? How do you become a successful craftsman as a mason? How much can you make as a mason? What are your career options once you become a mason? How long does it take to be successful at each stage in a mason's career? How and where do you find work as a mason? What does it take to strike out on your own? What does it take to launch and build a successful small business? At Your Best is the only step-by-step handbook to finding if a career in the trades is right for you, educating yourself and earning the proper certifications, establishing yourself as an excellent apprentice and journeyman in the industry, and moving on to start your own small business in the trades. At each step of the way, your At Your Best playbook provides the information, recommendations, outside resources, and concrete actions needed for taking the next successful step in You, Inc. Whether you are beginning your first career, changing careers, or ready to move up and start your own business as a carpenter, plumber, HVAC/R tech, or other tradesman, this is the book that will tell you how. There are currently over 6.5 million unfilled jobs in the skilled trades in the US. Despite being well-paying and secure, these jobs remain open because enough qualified candidates with the skills, attitude, and experience required do not exist. Moreover, plenty of opportunity exists for established tradespeople to start their own business, but they have no guidance. The At Your Best Playbooks series changes that.

Written by an owner and consultant, this book provides a step-by-step course in bar business ownership, management, and operation.

It explains how to research the market and location, get a loan, design the space, purchase, keep the books, advertise, and hire and train. It also talks about food service, entertainment, regulations, ownership structures, how to promote and advertise the business, and other topics.

Thinking about starting a new business? Stop! Is there a genuine market for your idea? Do you really want to compete in that industry? Are you the right person to pursue it? No matter how talented you are or how much capital you have, if you’re pursuing a fundamentally flawed opportunity then you’re heading for failure. So before you launch your lean start-up, take your idea for a test drive and make sure it has a fighting chance of working.

Now in its fifth edition, The New Business Road Test is the essential handbook for anyone wanting to launch a start-up.

Feel calm, confident and in control – whatever you’re doing, wherever you are.

- New edition of the classic book for entrepreneurs – revised and with a classic, modern look.

- Free app – John will make the app free for this edition to help promote book sales.

- Highly practical – the ‘seven domains’ framework is easy to use and gives investors the key issues to examine before they invest.

- Research driven – John teaches MBA students at London Business School and is well thought of in the entrepreneurial community.

This book looks at the 23 million registered Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that make up 98 per cent of the EU economy. Addressing the high end of SMEs in terms of new models for SME funding and financial reporting, this merged way of looking at SMEs reveals a `myopic' thinking in terms of net present value and (future) cash flows generating short-termism and low risk appetite for business. This is not an accounting issue, but rather a preference toward certain financial tools. A segment of SMEs, the ones that seek new ways of funding possibilities, as well as modern technologies (MTFs listing, blockchain, ICOs, etc.) do require, even without knowing, IFRS for SMEs. This book reveals how market conditions impact the financial performance and sustainability of SMEs and also generate innovative policy interventions and financing strategies for SME integrity and efficiency. The authors frame their arguments in the context of the Capital Markets Union, looking at the Innovation Triangle, SME growth ecosystem and business models. They conclude by advocating for closing the circle of financing and financial reporting for SMEs, while considering if new financial models of financing and financial reporting are good for all the SMEs or only for some. The economy is being shaped by new models of financing and financial reporting. Read this practitioners' view to understand the current changes and challenges.

At the end of 2017, Congress passed the biggest tax plan since 1986. Whether you were for or against the sweeping overhaul, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will begin to affect individuals and businesses as early as January 2018. Yet, until now, relatively few people have had access to it or read it. Whether you file on your own, use someone to prepare your taxes, or you are an accountant yourself, to really understand how the bill will affect you means you must dig in. And having this complete resource, including the full text of the bill, will help you navigate its complexities. From dramatic reductions in taxes for corporations and other businesses, to an increase to standard individual deductions, there are many changes that Americans need to understand before the IRS comes calling. With insider analysis and insight from Patricia Cohen, who covers the national economy for the New York Times and whose front-page stories on this topic informed a nation, as well as specific tips from Michael Cohn, editor-in-chief of AccountingToday.com, this is an indispensable reference.

The definitive guide to management success for sole practitioners and leaders of small design firms

Owning and operating a small architectural design firm can be challenging, with tight project deadlines, on-the-fly meetings, rush proposals, and fluctuating workloads as part of the firm's day-to-day activities. To help small firm owners cope with the chaos and prepare for the unexpected, here is "The Architect's Guide to Small Firm Management," a no-nonsense guide to repurposing daily demands into workable, goal-directed solutions.

Crucial topics such as self-aware leadership, people management, technology, financial health, scenario planning, sustainable practice, and future trends are examined using real-life case studies and business model paradigms. This definitive text explores the whole system experience of a small firm practice to deliver organizational strategies proven to keep a firm's creative mission on a steady, productive path.

"The Architect's Guide to Small Firm Management" addresses how small firm owners can:

Deal effectively with unexpected circumstances and shifting work requirements

Meet the demands of the marketplace while creating a satisfying workplace

Set and achieve goals in an environment of constant change

This book is a must-have for those facing the often harsh reality of managing small design firms in a difficult and changing economy. Entrepreneurial architects and designers will discover how to define their own personal and professional meanings of success, as well as how to refocus their business approach to replace long, unrewarding hours with manageable, satisfying ones.

Most communities have the capacity to support a well-run bakery operation. With good planning and access to raw materials and markets, setting up a bakery can represent an excellent enterprise opportunity. Baking for Profit provides the information that a small entrepreneur needs to address when setting up a bakery. The emphasis is on clear advice and instruction, beginning with effective planning. The opening chapter covers first steps, including setting about the vitally important feasibility study. Subsequent chapters cover other aspects of setting up the business, such as choice of site and layout of buildings, hygiene and safety, raw material selection and choosing the right type and scale of machinery and equipment. The book gives appropriate recipes for initial production, as well as guidance on suitable production systems. There are also troubleshooting charts giving advice on overcoming production problems, as well as useful advice on stock management. This practical manual is invaluable reading for those who are starting out in the bakery business, those whose job it is to advise others doing so, or those who want to scale up existing operations to increase their profits.