How to Grow Your Business - For Entrepreneurs

Description

Entrepreneurs face a constant struggle to make a profit. They are entirely caught up in the day-to-day race against ever more demanding customers, rising material costs, a mounting tax and regulatory burden, increased international competition, and an ever more challenging labour market. They rarely have time to get away from this ongoing struggle, to think about what they could do to find new customers, manage existing customers more effectively, cut operating costs, minimise their red tape, and get their staff working more productively. Yet, they know that if they could make even small improvements in those areas they would be able to revolutionise their businesses and their lives. They are not alone in this. Few executives at larger companies have the time to address these issues. However, executives at larger companies usually do have the budget to hire consultants to advise them in all these areas. Entrepreneurs don’t. They have neither the time nor the money to address these issues. Furthermore, entrepreneurs tend to be conquerors, rather than empire builders. Very often those who are best equipped to make it through the early years, are least well-equipped to build on that early success. Yet they are desperately keen to see a reward for all the work they put in to get their enterprises off the ground. They have both a need and a desire for advice on how to take their businesses forward. This book is a practical guide, showing them how they can make those improvements with minimal investment of time or money. The ideas will be simply expressed, the action points will be clearly achievable, and the theory will be illustrated with examples of small businesses that have already grown by following this path. By reading this book, and by following each of the action points, every entrepreneur will be able, over time, to cut costs, increase sales and boost profits. It will revolutionise those businesses. Cover How to Grow Your Business Contents …for Entrepreneurs About the author Introduction Part One Getting ready to grow Turn your dreams into reality You’re not alone – delegate to grow Part Two Growing your people Developing skills and knowledge Hiring the best Inspiring commitment Part Three Growing customers The foundation of growth – customer retention Marketing investments that work 21 ways to promote your business on a budget DIY online marketing that boosts sales Mastering the art of sales Part Four Growing your finances and staying legal Cut your outgoings Financing growth Stay on the right side of the law The end – and the beginning Index