How to Write a Great Business Plan

How to Write a Great Business Plan PDF Author: William A. Sahlman
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
ISBN: 1633691314
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 73

Get Book

Book Description
Judging by all the hoopla surrounding business plans, you'd think the only things standing between would-be entrepreneurs and spectacular success are glossy five-color charts, bundles of meticulous-looking spreadsheets, and decades of month-by-month financial projections. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, often the more elaborately crafted a business plan, the more likely the venture is to flop. Why? Most plans waste too much ink on numbers and devote too little to information that really matters to investors. The result? Investors discount them. In How to Write a Great Business Plan, William A. Sahlman shows how to avoid this all-too-common mistake by ensuring that your plan assesses the factors critical to every new venture: The people—the individuals launching and leading the venture and outside parties providing key services or important resources The opportunity—what the business will sell and to whom, and whether the venture can grow and how fast The context—the regulatory environment, interest rates, demographic trends, and other forces shaping the venture's fate Risk and reward—what can go wrong and right, and how the entrepreneurial team will respond Timely in this age of innovation, How to Write a Great Business Plan helps you give your new venture the best possible chances for success.

How to Write a Great Business Plan

How to Write a Great Business Plan PDF Author: William A. Sahlman
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
ISBN: 1633691314
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 73

Get Book

Book Description
Judging by all the hoopla surrounding business plans, you'd think the only things standing between would-be entrepreneurs and spectacular success are glossy five-color charts, bundles of meticulous-looking spreadsheets, and decades of month-by-month financial projections. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, often the more elaborately crafted a business plan, the more likely the venture is to flop. Why? Most plans waste too much ink on numbers and devote too little to information that really matters to investors. The result? Investors discount them. In How to Write a Great Business Plan, William A. Sahlman shows how to avoid this all-too-common mistake by ensuring that your plan assesses the factors critical to every new venture: The people—the individuals launching and leading the venture and outside parties providing key services or important resources The opportunity—what the business will sell and to whom, and whether the venture can grow and how fast The context—the regulatory environment, interest rates, demographic trends, and other forces shaping the venture's fate Risk and reward—what can go wrong and right, and how the entrepreneurial team will respond Timely in this age of innovation, How to Write a Great Business Plan helps you give your new venture the best possible chances for success.

HBR Guide to Building Your Business Case

HBR Guide to Building Your Business Case PDF Author: Raymond Sheen
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
ISBN: 1633690024
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 178

Get Book

Book Description
"You've got a great idea that will increase revenue or productivity--but how do you get approval to make it happen? By building a business case that clearly shows its value. Maybe you struggle to win support for projects because you're not sure what kind of data your stakeholders will trust, or naysayers always seem to shoot your ideas down at the last minute. Or perhaps you're intimidated by analysis and number crunching, so you just take a stab at estimating costs and benefits, with little confidence in your accuracy. To get any idea off the ground at your company you'll have to make a strong case for it. This guide gives you the tools to do that"--

The Service Profit Chain

The Service Profit Chain PDF Author: James L. Heskett
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439108307
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 345

Get Book

Book Description
In this pathbreaking book, world-renowned Harvard Business School service firm experts James L. Heskett, W. Earl Sasser, Jr. and Leonard A. Schlesinger reveal that leading companies stay on top by managing the service profit chain. Why are a select few service firms better at what they do -- year in and year out -- than their competitors? For most senior managers, the profusion of anecdotal "service excellence" books fails to address this key question. Based on five years of painstaking research, the authors show how managers at American Express, Southwest Airlines, Banc One, Waste Management, USAA, MBNA, Intuit, British Airways, Taco Bell, Fairfield Inns, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and the Merry Maids subsidiary of ServiceMaster employ a quantifiable set of relationships that directly links profit and growth to not only customer loyalty and satisfaction, but to employee loyalty, satisfaction, and productivity. The strongest relationships the authors discovered are those between (1) profit and customer loyalty; (2) employee loyalty and customer loyalty; and (3) employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Moreover, these relationships are mutually reinforcing; that is, satisfied customers contribute to employee satisfaction and vice versa. Here, finally, is the foundation for a powerful strategic service vision, a model on which any manager can build more focused operations and marketing capabilities. For example, the authors demonstrate how, in Banc One's operating divisions, a direct relationship between customer loyalty measured by the "depth" of a relationship, the number of banking services a customer utilizes, and profitability led the bank to encourage existing customers to further extend the bank services they use. Taco Bell has found that their stores in the top quadrant of customer satisfaction ratings outperform their other stores on all measures. At American Express Travel Services, offices that ticket quickly and accurately are more profitable than those which don't. With hundreds of examples like these, the authors show how to manage the customer-employee "satisfaction mirror" and the customer value equation to achieve a "customer's eye view" of goods and services. They describe how companies in any service industry can (1) measure service profit chain relationships across operating units; (2) communicate the resulting self-appraisal; (3) develop a "balanced scorecard" of performance; (4) develop a recognitions and rewards system tied to established measures; (5) communicate results company-wide; (6) develop an internal "best practice" information exchange; and (7) improve overall service profit chain performance. What difference can service profit chain management make? A lot. Between 1986 and 1995, the common stock prices of the companies studied by the authors increased 147%, nearly twice as fast as the price of the stocks of their closest competitors. The proven success and high-yielding results from these high-achieving companies will make The Service Profit Chain required reading for senior, division, and business unit managers in all service companies, as well as for students of service management.

How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life

How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life PDF Author: Heather Townsend
Publisher: Kogan Page Publishers
ISBN: 0749498382
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 364

Get Book

Book Description
Becoming a partner in a professional services firm is for many ambitious fee-earners the ultimate goal. But in this challenging industry, with long hours, high pressure and even higher expectations, how do you stand out from the crowd? How do you build the most effective relationships? And how do you find the time to do all of this and still have a fulfilling personal life? Now in its third edition, How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life equips individuals at the start of their career through to partner with the skills needed to reach and succeed at the leadership level. How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life details the expectations and realities of being a partner and outlines how you can continue to achieve once you have obtained the much-coveted role. This edition is updated with guidance on developing the right mindset for success and the importance of mentoring and sponsorship. There is a specific focus on women and BAME professionals and the challenges faced by individuals coming from non-traditional or under-represented backgrounds. Heather Townsend and Jo Larbie provide a guide to help you tackle common obstacles and work smarter - not harder - to reach the top. Start your journey to partnership and still have the time for a life outside of work.

HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations

HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations PDF Author: Nancy Duarte
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
ISBN: 1422187101
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Get Book

Book Description
Terrified of speaking in front of a group> Or simply looking to polish your skills? No matter where you are on the spectrum, this guide will give you the confidence and the tools you need to get results. Learn how to wIn over tough crows, organize a coherent narrative, create powerful messages and visuals, connect with and engage your audience, show people why your ideas matter to them, and strike the right tone, in any situation.

Making the Software Business Case

Making the Software Business Case PDF Author: Donald J. Reifer
Publisher: Pearson Education
ISBN: 0768685087
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 364

Get Book

Book Description
"Just the understanding and insights you will pick up about how people encounter and cope with combinations of technical, social, political, and economic opportunities and challenges make the book a joy to read and worth much more than the price of it alone." --Barry Boehm, from the Foreword This practical handbook shows you how to build an effective business case when you need to justify--and persuade management to accept--software change or improvement. Based on real-world scenarios, the book covers the most common situations in which business case analyses are required and explains specific techniques that have proved successful in practice. Drawing on years of experience in winning the "battle of the budget," the author shows you how to use commonly accepted engineering economic arguments to make your numbers "sing" to management. The book provides examples of successful business cases; along the way, tables, tools, facts, figures, and metrics guide you through the entire analytic process. Writing in a concise and witty style, the author makes this valuable guidance accessible to every software engineer, manager, and IT professional. Highlights include: How and where business case analyses fit into the software and IT life cycle process Explanations of the most common tools for business case analysis, such as present-value, return-on-investment, break-even, and cost/benefit calculation Tying the business process to the software development life cycle Packaging the business case for management consumption Frameworks and guidelines for justifying IT productivity, quality, and delivery cycle improvement strategies Case studies for applying appropriate decision situations to software process improvement Strategic guidelines for various business case analyses With this book in hand, you will find the facts, examples, hard data, and case studies needed for preparing your own winning business cases in today's complex software environment.

How To Write a Strong Business Case

How To Write a Strong Business Case PDF Author: Karen Cherrett
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781365751271
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 98

Get Book

Book Description
Ever struggle with writing a Business Case? Or had a number of failed projects and not understood why?This book will create the strongest foundation possible for a successful project.Karen provides a Step By Step process for writing a strong business case. She describes the sections in the Business Case and what is needed in each section.The book contains 12 highly useful Tips to ensure that each section of your business case is complete.For anyone who has written business cases before, this book will help you focus more on your content, ensuring that you are providing the best quality information, in order for your 'case' to be approved.For those new to this whole process, you will be guided in a way that makes it easy to write a business case that will 'stack up; or show the viability of the project you are proposing.

The Business Plan

The Business Plan PDF Author: Gerald Schwetje
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3540752676
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 178

Get Book

Book Description
This book provides the essentials to write a successful business plan. The represented methods and best practices have been approved over many years in practice with many management consulting engagements. The book is beautifully structured, it has a pragmatic emphasis and an autodidactic approach. The reader gets acquainted with the skills and competencies as well as tools, required for the planning and development of the business plan project.

Making the Business Case

Making the Business Case PDF Author: Mr Ian Gambles
Publisher: Gower Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 1409460606
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Get Book

Book Description
A good business case is so much more than simply the means to justify a decision. A well-written and well-researched business case will secure funding; make sure any project stays on the right side of regulation; mobilize support for the cause; provide the platform for managing the project and the benchmark against which to measure progress. Ian Gambles' Making the Business Case shows you how to make sense of the task at hand, develop a strategy, articulate your options, define the benefits, establish the costs, identify the risks and make a compelling case. Just as with the best business cases, the text is concise, jargon-free and easy to read; illustrated throughout with practical examples drawn from real cases and including reflective exercises at the end of each chapter to help you consolidate what you have learned. At only 198 pages long, this is a jewel of a book; essential reading for the manager tasked with making the business case, the senior manager who needs to understand and test it, and the project manager who is responsible for delivering whatever is agreed on.

Compassionate Management of Mental Health in the Modern Workplace

Compassionate Management of Mental Health in the Modern Workplace PDF Author: John A. Quelch
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319715410
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 215

Get Book

Book Description
This proactive guide brings the relationship between work life and mental well-being into sharp focus, surveying common challenges and outlining real-life solutions. The authors’ approach posits managers as the chief mental health officers of their teams, offering both a science-based framework for taking stock of their own impact on the workplace and strategies for improvement. Areas for promoting mental wellness include reducing stress and stigma, building a safe climate for talking about mental health issues, recognizing at-risk employees, and embracing diversity and neurodiversity. Emphasizing key questions to which managers should be attuned, the book speaks to its readers—whether in corporate, nonprofit, start-up, or non-business organizations—as a friendly and trusted mentor. Featured in the coverage: · Mind the mind: how am I doing, and how can I do better? · Dare to care: how are my people doing, and how might I help? · Building blocks for mental health: how do I manage my team? · Stress about stressors: what is constantly changing in the environment? · Changing my organization and beyond: how can I have a greater impact? Compassionate Management of Mental Health in the Modern Workplace holds timely relevance for managers, human resources staff, chief medical officers, development heads in professional service firms, union or employee organization leaders, legal and financial professionals, and others in leadership and coaching positions. “Workplace mental health: Wow! A subject that frightens most managers. If they read this book, they will strengthen their own skills and transform their workplace and our society.” Donna E. Shalala, Trustee Professor of Political Science and Health Policy, University of Miami; former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services “Mental health is an underappreciated, and oft-misunderstood challenge that is growing in the modern workplace. This book provides leaders with practical advice to address mental health challenges in their organization and improve productivity and wellbeing. This is a topic that can no longer be ignored by leaders in any field, and a book that will fundamentally change the way we think about and help improve mental health in the workplace.” Dominic Barton, Managing Director, McKinsey & Company