Effective Small Business Management

I. THE CHALLENGE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP. 1. Entrepreneurs: The Driving Force Behind Small Business. 2. Ethics, Social Responsibility, and the Entrepreneur. II. BUILDING THE BUSINESS PLAN: BEGINNING CONSIDERATIONS. 3. Strategic Management and the Entrepreneur. 4. Choosing a Form of Ownership. 5. Franchising and the Entrepreneur. 6. Buying an Existing Business. III. BUILDING THE BUSINESS PLAN: MARKETING AND FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS. 7. Creating the Marketing Plan. 8. Creating the Financial Plan. 9. Managing Cash Flow. 10. Creating the Total Business Plan. IV. MARKETING FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS: BUILDING A COMPETITIVE EDGE. 11. Pricing for Profit. 12. Creative Use of Advertising and Promotion. 13. International Opportunities for Small Business. V. PUTTING THE BUSINESS PLAN TO WORK: SOURCES OF FUNDS. 14. Sources of Equity Financing. 15. Sources of Debt Financing. VI. LOCATION AND LAYOUT: KEY CRITERIA. 16. The Location Question. 17. Layout and Physical Facilities. VII. MANAGING INVENTORY IN THE SMALL BUSINESS: A KEY TO QUALITY. 18. Purchasing, Quality Control, and Vendor Analysis. 19. Inventory Control and Just-In-Time Techniques. VIII. CONTROLLING THE BUSINESS: TECHNIQUES FOR ENHANCING PROFITABILITY. 20. Controlling Crime. 21. Using Computers to Gain a Competitive Edge. 22. Management Succession and Risk Management in the Family Business. IX. MANAGING PEOPLE: THE MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE. 23. Human Resources Management. 24. Leading and Managing the Growing Business. X. LEGAL ASPECTS OF SMALL BUSINESS: LAW AND GOVERNMENT. 25. The Legal Environment: Business Law and Government Regulation. APPENDICES. A. The Emerald Earth Trading Company. B. The Small Business Management Audit. C. Texas and the Small Business. Index.