This practical and comprehensive workbook is packed with real-life case studies and practical exercises, checklists and worksheets, it provides a step-by-step guide to researching and formulating your business ideas, planning the right marketing strategies, and managing a team that will drive your vision forward with you. You'll discover what, with hindsight, well-known entrepreneurs would have done differently, what their biggest mistakes have been and what they've learnt: Dame Anita Roddick, Julie Meyer, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Simon Woodroffe and others reveal their best and worst decisions and contribute their wisdom and tips for succeeding in business. You'll learn how to: develop, research and plan "the idea"; design and create the right products and services; define and understand your customers and target audience; secure finance and manage cash flow and accounts; create a winning brand and marketing message; gain and retain customers; achieve competitive advantage; plan, create, launch and promote your website; and manage your business and time. This fresh approach to small business start-up also includes information and recommendations on making your business ethical and socially responsible, along with exercises to help build self-confidence and visualize success.
Contents: Introduction; 1. Where to Begin - What's the Big Idead; 2. What to Do and Sell - Opportunities, Products and Services; 3. Who and Where? Researching Your Market, Target Audience and Opportunity; 4. Who Are You? Defining Your Brand; 5. How to Plot Your Findings and Map Out Your Future; 6. How Much? Figuring Out the Finance: Costs, Funding, Grants and Loans; 7. How to Sell - Marketing and Selling Your Products and Services; 8. How to Sell - The Importance of Good Customer Service; 9. How to Behave - The Case for Ethical Business and Social Responsibility; 10. Your Website - Planning and Creating a Website that Works; 11. Your Website - Launching and Promoting; 12. How to Manage And Grow - Tips from the Top; 13. Lessons from Leaders in Business; 14. The Ultimate Business Start-Up Checklist; 15. Uaseful Resources for Small Business Start-Ups;
Cheryl D Rickman runs her own group of businesses with her partner James. The first company she started, WebCritique, a web copywriting and marketing consultancy, helps other businesses to improve their online presence and Cheryl provides workshops to local businesses on these issues. Her clients include AnitaRoddick.com, Business Link Wessex, Microsoft and Motorola.
