Small Business Clustering Technology: Applications in Marketing, Management, Finance and IT examines the development and role of small business clusters from a variety of disciplines - economics, marketing, management, and information systems. Unlike many issues that are hampered by ideological problems between disciplines, this book proves that there is an approach suggesting that cluster analysis is truly interdisciplinary. ""Small Business Clustering Technology: Applications in Marketing, Management, Finance and IT"" brings together perspectives on small business clusters from a range of disciplines and countries, highlights the commonalities in the literature, and gives a range of case studies illustrating the variety of clusters throughout the world.

'Not to be part of the social media revolution is to miss out. Jon Reed really gets it and shows you how to join in.' Suzanne Moore, Columnist, The Guardian ONLINE MARKETING - CAN YOUR BUSINESS AFFORD TO BE WITHOUT IT? If you want to grow your business, how do you get the word out about your product or service? By going where your market is - and these days, that's online. This step-by-step guide to online marketing is straightforward, easy to understand and demonstrates simple, affordable and effective ways to: * Design your website - how to create a site and make sure your customers can find it * Use social media to your advantage - how to reach your market on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram and more * Create engaging online content - how to publish valuable, interesting and sharable content for your blog, podcast and website * Develop an online marketing plan - build your customised plan and measure your results Covering every major online platform, and some smaller ones too, Get Up to Speed with Online Marketing will show you exactly how to maximise each one and develop a cohesive, effective online strategy with a limited budget, or even for free! 'Packed with practical, no-nonsense insight that allows you not only to keep up but to get ahead.' Justin Cooke, CEO, POSSIBLE and Chair, British Interactive Media Association

Want to know how to build a great company? Then buy and read "Rock Solid." Not only will it help you lay a firm foundation, it will help you build a future that will be rock solid and sound. Isn t that what we all want? -Peter Legge, OBS, LL.D (HON), D. Tech. Chairman/CEO-Canada Wide Media Limited

If you re in business and you d like to build a strong company then " Rock Solid-How to Strengthen Your Company" was written with you in mind.

It is a practical, how to guide for achieving success in business. It s packed full of down to earth, common sense advice and innovative new concepts that were born and raised in the trenches of small business.

"Rock Solid" delivers ideas that genuinely work in today s business world. If you aren t getting business results you want or you plan to grow your business then this book will be an extraordinarily interesting read.

"Rock Solid" is a fable that follows Jen Russell s journey as she discovers and documents the Company Strength Program developed by Mark McKinley a savvy, community minded business veteran who now lives in a rest home.

In the past, family-owned and operated businesses contributed greatly to the economy. Now, however, these types of entrepreneurship models are almost nonexistent due to large, corporate companies taking control of the market. For the family trade to survive, those in the industry need to research strategies specifically designed for family businesses. The Handbook of Research on Entrepreneurial Leadership and Competitive Strategy in Family Business is a collection of innovative research on business and leadership strategies that can be applied to family firms in order to boost efficiency, competitiveness, and optimal use of resource allocation to compete internationally. While highlighting topics including global leadership, knowledge creation, and market performance, this book is ideally designed for business managers, management professionals, executives, researchers, academicians, and students seeking current research on the entrepreneurship role of family businesses in the modern economic age.

FAZED BY FACEBOOK? TONGUE-TIED BY TWITTER? LOST ON LINKEDIN? LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SOCIAL MEDIA JUNGLE, AND FIND OUT HOW TO GET YOUR BUSINESS NOTICED. Social media is easy when you know how - this practical guide shows you how to get started, then refine and improve your strategy to get real business results. Many businesses know that social media is important - but they either haven't made a start or are dabbling without a proper strategy in place. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the task - how much of my time will it take? When will I see the benefit? What do I do to get heard? How do I integrate it with my marketing and business goals? What are the risks? However given that 91% of adults use social media regularly, it's a superb opportunity for you to find and engage with present and potential customers much more interactively than traditional marketing methods. Brilliant Social Media will help you get started with social media, then refine and improve your experience with a series of sample straightforward steps that you can start to implement straightaway. Brilliant outcomes: Understand how social media works and which platforms will best suit your business Plan a social media strategy that fits into your wider digital and marketing strategies Connect with your customers, identify new clients and find out what people really think of your business Adapt and refine your strategy as you learn from what works, and what doesn't

Stop dreaming and start your own business

"Employee to Entrepreneur" shows you how to seamlessly move from employed to self-employed, how to effectively harness, utilise and exploit the skills and expertise you've already gained in your corporate emploment and use them all to help you start your own business and make the exciting move from employee to entrepreneur.

You can turn a career brick wall into an exciting opportunity and start your own business. This book dispels all the myths, dissolves all the obstacles and takes you on a business startup journey that will help you to assess all your options, appraise your ideas, write a great business plan and establish a sensible, functioning and profitable new business using the wealth of knowledge, expertise and insight your employment will have taught you.

This new book discusses the extent to which the Japanese economy encourages entrepreneurship and innovation. Although Japan has a strong reputation as an innovator, some people argue that this reputation is misplaced. Contrary to earlier expectations, the USA rather than Japan emerged as the leader in the biotech industries in the 1990s, and also many small firms in Japan supply only a few - or just one - other company, thereby limiting their view of the marketplace and the commercial opportunities within it. Despite the increase of international patents, international scientific citations and a positive technology trade balance, the Japanese innovation system is weak in giving birth to radical innovations. The book explores fully these issues, making comparisons with other countries where appropriate. It concludes that the Japanese innovation system has both advantages and disadvantages and contributes to a better understanding of how policy changes take place.

This book presents a review of the role of overconfidence in small firms and explores how biased judgment and decision-making can affect business performance. Whilst the overconfidence construct has been studied in detail, there are no systematic reviews of its role in SMEs as of yet. Examining the decisions made by entrepreneurs, this study offers clear solutions on how to improve business accuracy, reduce disadvantageous investments and prevent bankruptcy. Providing an empirical analysis of overconfidence in the sport industry, this new book will not only be of interest to academics of entrepreneurship and small enterprises, but also to sport managers.

Recent decades have seen substantial growth in the range of assistance programmes for SMEs and entrepreneurs across the world. Once regarded as peripheral to the economy and public policy, the role of small firms and of entrepreneurship is now recognized as of key importance in the economic growth and development strategies of many nations. The range of interventions and support focused on promoting SMEs and entrepreneurship is substantial and expanding, so Government, SMEs and Entrepreneurship Development asks 'what are some of the main policy instruments being used, and how effective are they?' It considers policies in different countries, examines key interventions and tools used to promote entrepreneurship and SME development and concludes with contributions on how to best evaluate their effectiveness. The contributor chapters by academics and practitioners from businesses, enterprise development agencies and governments, are empirical or evidence-based and use both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Drawing on experience from a wide range of both developed and emerging countries and economies, the contributions focus on the broad strategies that different governments and communities have adopted to foster entrepreneurship and SMEs; the policy tools and instruments that can be used to promote small business and entrepreneurship; and on the outcomes of policy instruments and the methods used to evaluate interventions. Their findings will help researchers, policy-makers, economic development officers, civil servants, elected officials, and business associations to better understand the issues in this important field.

NESsT is an organization that develops sustainable social enterprises to solve critical social problems in emerging market economies. NESsT believes that social enterprise is a powerful tool that provides marginalized communities the skills, accessibility and technology needed to overcome social barriers and break the cycle of poverty.
Drawing on NESsT's unique methodology for identifying and building the capacity of early-stage social enterprises, as well as on surveys of relevant stakeholders, Social Enterprise in Emerging Market Countries provides a clear picture of where social enterprises are and where they need to go, and identifies key players in the social enterprise field and how they can take the bold steps needed to facilitate the growth and impact of these models. Etchart and Camolli focus on NESsT's research in Latin America and Central Europe, the two regions where it has operated for over 15 years, particularly in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, with some cases from other countries in Latin America. For the purpose of illustrating important models and innovative programs and policies, this book also highlights cases and experiences from Central Europe.

Indonesia experienced strong economic growth at greatest risk, that too would be useful for strategy formulation purposes, especially in cases in the 1970s with the help of high oil prices, a where employment protection is an important period of stagnation in the 1980s when oil prices declined and another period of strong economic objective. Finally, to the extent that policies can growth after 1986 when substantial trade and alter the probability ofsuccess or failure in coping investment liberalization enabled a dramatic with shocks, it would be useful to know which of policies is most effective and under what surge in labor-intensive manufacturing export set production. Recently, the regional financial crisis conditions. of 1997-1998 dealt Indonesia a severe shock The recent crisis in East Asia provides an from which it has not yet fully recovered. How opportunity to examine the link between industrial structure and economic resilience. The relative have its SMEs done through the twists and turns of the economy in the past quarter century? impact of the crisis by size of firm can be judged Unfortunately, the data needed to track the per in part by the effects on capacity utilization and formance of the SME sector are not as good for employment. The table below summarizes some Indonesia as for many of the other countries in results from a survey sponsored by the World East Asia."

Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and the role of e-commerce in these organizations continue to change, grow and evolve. Researchers and governments have given rise to the number of strategies, to address the challenges these enterprises face daily in competition with large, global businesses.E-Commerce in Regional Small to Medium Enterprises showcases detailed studies of e-commerce in multiple regional areas, focusing on the role of business size, business sector, market focus, gender of CEO, and education level of the CEO on driving forces for e-commerce adoption. E-Commerce in Regional Small to Medium Enterprises produces new research results to show that even regional SMEs in developed countries have low e-commerce adoption rates, and that strategic alliances by SMEs play a key role in overcoming the low adoption rate. These issues are of ongoing concern to government departments, specifically in Sweden and Australia, and to SME researchers everywhere.

This book provides rich and provocative comparative studies of South and Southeast Asian domestic workers who migrate to other parts of Asia. These studies range from Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore, to Yemen, Israel, Jordan, and the UAE. Conceptually and methodologically, this book challenges us to move beyond established regional divides and proposes new ways of mapping inter-Asian connections. The authors view migrant workers within a wider spatial context of intersecting groups and trajectories through time. Keenly attentive to the importance of migrants of diverse nationalities who have labored in multiple regions, this book examines intimate connections and distant divides in the social lives and politics of migrant workers across time and space. Collectively, the authors propose new themes, new comparative frameworks, and new methodologies for considering vastly different degrees of social support structures and political activism, and the varied meanings of citizenship and state responsibility in sending and receiving countries. They highlight the importance of formal institutions that shape and promote migratory labor, advocacy for workers, or curtail workers rights, as well as the social identities and cultural practices and beliefs that may be linked to new inter-ethnic social and political affiliations that traverse and also transform inter-Asian spaces and pathways to mobility. This book was published as a special issue of Critical Asian Studies.

This book is the follow-up to How to Get a SARS Refund, which explained individual taxes. How to Get a SARS Refund for Small Businesses explains small-business tax and is written in easy-to-understand language. The practical examples in the book will allow those who have never studied the subject to understand the tax rules quickly and easily, and will provide aspiring entrepreneurs with extra confidence to take that first step on their business adventure. Current business owners will gain a better understanding of how their business operates.

The book covers different types of tax that a small-business owner may encounter, including income tax, VAT, pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) and dividends tax. The book details how different types of entities are taxed, such as a private company compared with a sole proprietor.

How to Get a SARS Refund for Small Businesses aims to bridge the current education gap that exists for entrepreneurs and small-business owners who were never taught about tax in school or at university.

Products and services created by small and medium sized organizations account for the vast majority of economic activity across the globe. These organizations will prove vitally important to the emerging and developing economies that will shape future decades. Small Business Management in Cross-Cultural Environments is one of very few books to take the cross-cultural context as an opportunity to analyse and discuss the key concepts of small firm management in different parts of the world. This textbook covers important topics, such as: the global economic development process entrepreneurship the role of government SME growth and collaborations in a global context. By explaining how culture shapes and conditions the reality of small businesses and how organizational theories and models fail as management tools, this book fills a significant gap. Supplemented by a compendium of compelling case studies, drawn from across the world, and based upon 25 years of international research by the author, Small Business Management in Cross-Cultural Environments is a useful guide for students and practitioners of SME and International Management

This book explores the role of the rating system in creditworthiness assessment, looking into its current status, strengths and weaknesses and possible evolution in the light of Basel 3 and the Global Economic Crisis.

Whether you're new to freelancing or a seasoned freelance operative, Brilliant Freelancer is packed full of ideas and case studies to help you build a happy, productive and profitable freelance life quickly and easily. From building your client portfolio right through to staying motivated and surviving the tougher times, Brilliant Freelancer gives you everything you need to take charge of your career and start moving in the direction you want to go.

This thought provoking book builds on existing research traditions that make small business, entrepreneurship and family business a resource rich arena for study. It steps back to ask fundamental questions that every researcher should consider prior to engaging in data collection. It focuses on topics that have traditionally frustrated researchers including experimental methods in small business research, scale development, control variables and language issues in cross cultural research.The distinguished authors also address subjects such as theory development and testing in entrepreneurship, as well as determining if progress in research has been made and how that can be measured. Critically, many of the chapters highlight ways in which research can be both practical yet theoretically important. Bringing together quantitative and qualitative techniques and taking an investigative approach almost totally ignored in entrepreneurship research, this unique volume will be of special interest to anyone studying small and family businesses or entrepreneurship and business. Contributors: K. Berglund, B. Bird, M. Brannback, C.G. Brush, A. Carsrud, D. Deeds, L.F. Edelman, R.T. Harrison, B. Johannisson, T. Kenworthy, S. Lang, S. Latham, C.M. Leitch, T.S. Manolova, E. McMullen, M. Renko, L. Schjoedt, K.G. Shaver, S. Terjesen, C. Wigren

For buyers of a business or anyone involved in any phase of the due diligence process, Gordon Bing provides a unique, comprehensive, one-volume source of information and guidance. His book will help investors research, evaluate, and understand an existing or proposed business not only from a financial standpoint, but also from equally important nonfinancial standpoints. It provides a full explanation of the due diligence process, including systematic methods to determine the information you need, why you need it, and how to get it. Keyed to each topic, chapter by chapter, is a full list of specific questions that should be asked during due diligence proceedings to be studied beforehand and carried with you as a valuable on-the-spot reference. A unique, practical resource for professionals and a hands-on text for students in business schools and upper division undergraduate courses in mergers and acquisitions.

Chapters 1 and 2 discuss how to plan, organize, and conduct due diligence. In Chapter 3, Bing shows how to construct a list of the information and documents you will need. Chapter 4, by M&A attorneys James W. Ryan and Robert C. Beasley, deals with the legal aspects, responsibilities, and perils of performing or failing to perform due diligence. From there the book focuses on specific areas of due diligence inquiry--including management, marketing, human resource and other important functions--and helps you develop your own tailor-made investigation best suited to the company you are studying. The book concludes with a unique checklist of all the questions explained earlier--a manual you can study beforehand and then carry with you into meetings on site.

A brilliant business needs a brilliant business plan and this is the book to help you write one. It will take you step by step through the process to help you build a business plan quickly and easily and then use it to build your business. This book introduces the basic concepts of business planning, shows you a swift and smart way to prepare a business plan and reveals how to use a business plan to run your business more effectively. This book is ideal if you need a plan to show your bank manager, small investors and employees, or to use as a chart for steering your business. It contains: - Step-by-step instructions on how to build your brilliant business plan from scratch. - A range of model plans for very different businesses to show you brilliant business planning in action. - Advice on what delights banks and investors, as well as what not to do.