This book provides an overview of approaches to internationalization as experienced by smaller manufacturing enterprises over a relatively long period of time - the 35-year period from 1974 to 2009. The original research on which this study is based dates back to the mid-1970s, when academic interest in export studies, market entry modes, and internationalization approaches, among others, have their origins. With practical examples of companies from both inside and outside the USA, readers will be able to understand how smaller manufacturing enterprises approach the world of international commerce, how they prepare themselves for it, and what really draws them into the world of international commerce.

The concept of open innovation (OI) has become a very popular topic during the last decade, with an increasing number of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) embracing OI practices to gain competitive advantage. With the majority of publications focusing on large firms, open innovation in SMEs has received scant attention from both scholars and practitioners. This book seeks to correct this imbalance by providing an in-depth study for both business managers and graduate-level students. Using rich, in-depth case studies from successful companies, it examines different approaches to managing OI in order to develop practical guidelines for implementation. It also highlights important differences between OI strategies in SMEs and large companies. Its findings will be of use to those studying or working in innovation management, open innovation, small business management and entrepreneurship.

The resilience of family businesses has been evident from their success over centuries and across continents. It remains common for practitioners to advise families whose principal source of wealth is or has been a successful family enterprise, and to provide guidance on the specific and complex relationships and issues that arise in this context. This new edition, edited by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), features chapters by leading practitioners in the field, including the Family Firm Institute, Schroders, Boodle Hatfield and SandAire, Kleinwort Hambros, Dixon Wilson and Rathbones. The book considers what makes business families and family businesses unique, and examines the issues that advisers are often called upon to consider and address when assisting them. It helps practitioners to deepen their understanding of how families operate, and to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to advise on such complex areas as conflicts between working and non-working family members, ownership structure, succession, wealth management, governance and meeting a family's philanthropic objectives. The guide provides a comprehensive handbook for all practitioners who advise business families, including lawyers, accountants, financial advisers and wider family business advisers.

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.

Essential guidance for South African entrepreneurs setting up a new business. This book provides information on the three most common ways of starting a new small business: Getting started in business -- the basics of starting from scratch Becoming a franchisee -- the ins and outs of buying a franchise business Buying a small business -- how to go about buying an existing small business Written in an easy to follow style with simple black and white illustrations.

Visualize Your Successful New Business You have a great idea for a new business. Now what? How do you turn that great idea into a viable business? Leveraging visual tools, The Startup Equation leads you step by step through the decisions you need to make to find your perfect startup model. You'll learn things such as identifying your unique entrepreneurial type, creating a great product, building a great team, finding funding and scaling in addition to other elements essential to crafting a roadmap that fits you and your business. Drawing from their extensive experience working with startups, entrepreneurs Steve Fisher and Ja-Nae Duane offer expert advice on dealing with the challenges and opportunities that accompany every type of new business. Using visual storytelling, they provide a much-needed blueprint to understanding the startup economy. The authors include illustrative business examples from companies such as TechStars and 500Startups, as well as interviews with over 40 entrepreneurs from across the globe. Filled with insightful case studies, The Startup Equation is a vibrant, practical guide to creating a winning business model for any startup. By following the accessible visual roadmap within, you'll discover how to build your own successful business plan for your unique dream. Steve Fisher is product designer, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and startup advisor.Ja-Nae Duane is an entrepreneur, researcher, startup advisor, and professor of entrepreneurship & innovation.

Korine reframes the question of succession in family and founder-lead businesses as an issue of entrepreneurial choice, concentrating on the challenge of succession for change as opposed to the traditional focus on succession for continuity. It is inevitable that when the leaders of family and founder-lead businesses look to pass on the mantle they naturally want to preserve and maintain the firm they have worked so hard for so long to build up. The shaping influence of family or founder, and the instinctive emotional desire for legacy easily sways succession towards continuity rather than the possibly radical development the business may need to meet new challenges. Succession for Change shows how competitive advantage has evolved over the last twenty-five years and examines the approaches being adopted by current business leaders, succession service providers and the next generation to address the change imperative in succession. Korine's rigorous research and deeply practical approach shows that when change becomes the focus of succession, and developing entrepreneurial values takes precedence over preserving the status quo, succession planning can ensure that firms not only survive the departure of their founders but thrive long after they have gone. He offers a framework for implementing succession as transformation, and rethinking succession governance. The secret is enabling the next generation of leaders to stand on the shoulders of giants rather than be constantly doomed to stand in the shadow of giants.

Massage therapists need basic, practical business advice such as low to mid-cost marketing techniques, taxes, and recordkeeping, but there is also no denying the benefits of "been there, done that" information that can only come from someone else's experience. How to Start a Home-based Massage Therapy Business offers a gold mine of tips and ideas that can lessen the learning curve, stimulate thinking outside-the-box, and increase the odds of having a wildly successful practice.

More than 15 years ago, the staff at Entrepreneur Media introduced bestseller "Start Your Own Business." Since release, "Start Your Own Business" has sold more than 300,000 copies and has been called "the best startup book of all time." At it again, the staff at Entrepreneur delivers a new dose of fundamental startup how-to, backed by 33+ years at the forefront of small business--"Write Your Business Plan." A comprehensive companion to "Start Your Own Business," this business library essential takes aspiring entrepreneurs past one of the hardest steps of startup second to committing to their business goal--defining how to achieve it.
Tell friends you're starting a business, and you will get as many different pieces of advice as you have friends. One piece of wisdom, however, transcends all others: Write a business plan.
Following the lead of its bestselling counterpart, "Start Your Own Business," each chapter in this detailed guide is devoted to analyzing, explaining, and presenting practical instruction on developing a business plan relevant to today's marketplace and lending landscapes.
Appropriate for existing companies and brand-new startups, this guide is divided into three sections: "Before Writing Your Business Plan, Writing Your Business Plan," and "Enhancing Your Business Plan." Starting with basic FAQs such as "how long should a business plan be? When should it be developed?" And, "what role does it play in business startup?" Our experts then lead readers into evaluating their venture, identifying what type of plan they need (one plan does not fit all), and gathering what they need to get their plan on paper and polished for their intended audience.
Aspiring entrepreneurs uncover how to calculate a business break-even ratio; current lending options, including crowdfunding, and how to approach them; tools for gathering essential data; what role social media and visual media can play; how to include current staff if applicable; and much more. Coached by a diverse group of experts and successful business owners, readers gain an in-depth understanding of what's essential to any plan, what's appropriate for their industry, and what they can do to ensure success.
Following the practical format of companion book Start Your Own Business, alongside practical instruction and information, the editors at Entrepreneur present definitions of important terms, contact information for useful resources, warnings of especially common or serious mistakes, and pointers to steer readers in the right direction. Each chapter is supported by exercises, worksheets, examples, and expert advice. Sample business plans from a variety of industries are included as well as resource listings, and a glossary.

Use 7 Key Numbers to help you earn greater profits with less time and energy Many builders and contractors struggle to get a clear picture of where their business is at the moment -- and where it's headed financially. By the time you compare your accounting reports with your job costing, estimating and change orders, and pipeline, it's too late to make adjustments to guarantee profit. This book will help you see where you stand every day, with every job, by monitoring just 7 Key Numbers that drive all profits and cash flow, including: Number of leads; Sales conversion rate; Customer retention rate. Stay on top of every job! Follow the steps in this book to create a process that will let you know when costs or scheduling deviate from the estimate -- in time to respond before those changes cost you money.

Part business resource, part inspirational workbook, The Lone Brainstormer is a visually-driven idea generator that teaches self-employed professionals-be they artists, freelancers, or CEOs-the habits they need to bring out their hidden creative talents. Offering tips, tools, and exercises aimed at crushing mental blocks and forging ahead with fresh ideas, The Lone Brainstormer is a beautifully illustrated book for anyone who has found their calling and needs help sustaining it.

It's never too early to start thinking about how you're going to exit your business. The Beginning of the End guides you step by step through thinking about your options and preparing both mentally and financially, to setting up your business to sell as simply and profitably as possible. As you discover more about your business's potential, you may decide to take an alternative route to retirement - fretirement, retiring from your business without selling it. This book helps you to consider all your options. Dr Terri Bourne, entrepreneurship expert and business owner for over 20 years, shares her experience and insights to assist business owners in successful retirement and exit planning.

Traffic Secrets Is the FUEL The biggest problem that most entrepreneurs have isn't creating an amazing product or service; it's getting their future customers to discover that they even exist. Every year, tens of thousands of businesses start and fail because the entrepreneurs don't understand this one essential skill: the art and science of getting traffic (or people) to find you. And that is a tragedy. Traffic Secrets was written to help you get your message out to the world about your products and services. I strongly believe that entrepreneurs are the only people on earth who can actually change the world. It won't happen in government, and I don't think it will happen in schools. It'll happen because of entrepreneurs like you, who are crazy enough to build products and services that will actually change the world. It'll happen because we are crazy enough to risk everything to try and make that dream become a reality. To all the entrepreneurs who fail in their first year of business, what a tragedy it is when the one thing they risked everything for never fully gets to see the light of day. Waiting for people to come to you is not a strategy. Understanding exactly WHO your dream customer is, discovering where they're congregating, and throwing out the hooks that will grab their attention to pull them into your funnels (where you can tell them a story and make them an offer) is the strategy. That's the big secret. Traffic is just people. This book will help you find YOUR people, so you can focus on changing their world with the products and services that you sell.

From the first six months, through a mid-year break of camping and cooking in the bush, to the harsh winter months and on to the end of its first year, this book tells the story of IGNI, a high-end degustation restaurant in a Geelong backstreet. Documenting a warts-and-all account of what it takes to open and run a new restaurant, chef and owner Aaron Turner reveals the daily challenges he faced, from the financial strains, the stress, fear and tantrums, to personal crises and the pressure of success and failure. His story is told through dated 'diary' entries of the author's own reflections, the development of recipes, a gradually unfolding narrative through each chapter, and stunning photography from award-winning photographer Julian Kingma that captures the food, moments and brilliance of a determined young chef in a new restaurant.

This book examines the ways in which cultural and creative industries can drive entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability and overall regional development. It will address such issues as (1) the technical (tangible) components of creative and cultural industries in relation to innovation; (2) the intangible components of creative and cultural industries in relation to services provided; (3) the relationship between tangible and intangible components and economic and social innovation; and (4) the ways in which creative and cultural industries effect and influence regional sustainability and development. Cultural and creative industries and the creative economy as a whole have been increasingly prevalent in research literature because of their role in driving economic and social development. Cultural and creative industries also enable other forms of entrepreneurship and innovation beyond the traditional, technology-based focus of innovation, thereby enhancing regional growth and development through these channels. The contributions presented in this book discuss the main issues, challenges, opportunities and trends of cultural and creative industries through conceptual analysis and cases studies from different world regions. Featuring research from industries such as art, health care, beer and wine and education, this book provides researchers, academics, professionals and policy makers with a detailed examination of the development and potential of cultural and creative industries in regional and global economies.

Are you ready to turn your ideas into reality and build a wildly successful business? There has never been a better time to say yes! With a computer and an Internet connection you can get your ideas, messages and business out there like never before and create so much success. In this book, Carrie Green shows you how. Carrie started her first online business at the age of 20 - she knows what it's like to be an ambitious and creative woman with big dreams and huge determination...but she also knows the challenges of starting and running a business, including the fears, overwhelm, confusion and blocks that entrepreneurs face. Based on her personal, tried-and-tested experience, she offers valuable guidance and powerful exercises to help you: * Get clear on your business vision * Move past the fears and doubts that can get in the way * Understand your audience, so you can truly connect with them * Create your brand and build a tribe of raving fans, subscribers and customers * Manage your time, maintain focus and keep going in the right direction * Condition yourself for success...and so much more! If you're a creative and ambitious female entrepreneur, or are contemplating the entrepreneurial path, this book will provide the honest, realistic and practical tools you need to follow your heart and bring your vision to life.

This book discusses the concepts, types, models, and patterns of crowdfunding to provide a comprehensive portrait of this newly developed market-based financial tool. In addition, it examines a number of economic theories to help readers understand the proliferation of crowdfunding, reviews empirical works to find gaps in the literature, and outlines future research directions. A unique feature of this book is that it discusses Japan's crowdfunding approach, which is somewhat different from that of the Western countries, by highlighting a specific crowdfunding platform (Music Securities) and a crowdfund-backed firm (SABAR restaurant). Further, it explores the suitability of Japan's crowdfunding approach for addressing the financial needs of SMEs in developing countries,using Bangladesh as a representative case. Finally, the book identifies some lessons learned from crowd funding so as to advance research into this phenomenon, and to make it efficient and sustainable. As such, the book will benefit novices, academics, researchers, and policymakers interested in crowdfunding technology.

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.