Contents -- Foreword -- Part ONE Planning for growth -- 1.1 Building a business model that lasts -- Success for the long term -- Focus on the business model -- Responding to change -- Concluding remarks -- Further information -- Notes -- 1.2 Go global to grow -- Go online -- Make and export -- Set up a subsidiary -- Find a partner -- Turnkey projects -- Rebuild your business as a global firm -- Reference -- 1.3 SME finance -- 1.4 The world's biggest business opportunity -- One beast, two bodies -- Two bodies, a million legs -- Rule number one: focus on the future, not the present -- Rule number two: think small to get big -- The diamonds are in the details -- 1.5 Growth by design -- Part TWO Ideas and innovation -- 2.1 Whole company innovation -- Innovation is a group sport -- Spaces for innovation -- Physical environment -- Virtual knowledge environment -- Proto-typing, simulation and play -- Flexibility and communication in a value web is directly related to the quality of interpersonal relationships - establish multiple opportunities for these to develop -- References -- 2.2 Partnering with universities -- Cyberhawk -- Propeller Multimedia -- UWI Technology -- 2.3 Exploring patent information -- Patent database information -- Searching patents -- Making decisions based on patent information -- Potential pitfalls -- Conclusion -- 2.4 Cutting your IP coat -- Which cloth to cut? -- Who owns the cloth? -- What to cut the coat with -- Where to cut the coat? -- 2.5 How to create a position you can defend -- Obtaining and keeping strong IP rights -- Where to obtain protection -- Cost-effective enforcement of IP rights -- Part Three Build the brand -- 3.1 How to move a brand forward -- Brand strategy -- Name -- Logo -- Website -- Search engine optimization (SEO) -- Pay per click advertising -- Social media/online PR -- Other online marketing.

Traditional forms of marketing -- PR -- 3.2 Creating desirable brands -- 1 Think bigger than your category -- 2 Focus on the future -- 3 Have clarity of purpose -- 4 Inspire connections -- 5 Create experiences -- 6 Constantly innovate -- 3.3 Digital rules for brands -- 3.4 Brand rights -- Part Four People and performance -- 4.1 Improving profit and efficiency -- 1. Ensure a clear vision -- 2. Work on strategy -- 3. Strengthen leadership -- 4. Focus on managers -- 5. Engage your people -- 6. Think about learning and development -- 7. Build organizational integrity -- 4.2 The flexible employer -- Flexibility in recruitment -- Flexibility in contractual terms -- Flexibility in policies -- 4.3 Talent for SMEs -- Accessing talent -- 4.4 Employee rewards -- What is reward? -- The growing company -- Managing pension scheme risk: a guide to trustee liability insurance -- Limited protection: exoneration and indemnity clauses -- Wider protection: insurance -- Retired trustees -- What should be covered? -- Court applications -- Wind up -- Claims experience -- Cost -- Conclusion -- Part Five Cash flow, working capital and cost control -- 5.1 Preventing slow payments -- General principles -- 5.2 Invoice finance -- The UK in focus -- What's driving the success of this medium of finance? -- How invoice finance works -- Where now for invoice finance? -- Asset-based finance in practice -- 5.3 Tax decisions for SMEs -- Starting in business - the tax basics -- Taking people on -- The developing business -- Planning for exit -- 5.4 Utility bills: stemming the tide -- Are you paying too much? -- Auditing consumption -- Don't miss renewal dates -- Energy contracts -- Become greener -- Consult an expert -- 5.5 Commercial fraud and business identity theft -- Part Six Platforms for growth -- 6.1 Seeking platforms for growth -- 1. Minimize risk.

2. Seek out support services that are available to you -- 3. Seek the correct financial support -- 4. Call on the right skills and seek out 'collaborative communities' -- 5. Use technological advances to your benefit -- Note -- 6.2 Questions on the cloud -- 6.3 Achieving growth through your working environment -- Well-being and productivity -- Mood food -- Office as recruitment tool -- Work has left the building -- Business as usual -- Outsourcing FM -- Part Seven Leading growth -- 7.1 Putting a price on mediocre management -- The financial burden of weak management -- Building a business case for management and leadership development -- The link between people performance and organizational performance -- The wrong types of training targeted at the wrong types of managers -- The key to getting it right -- A case in point -- Secrets of success -- Reaping the benefits -- 7.2 Leading the growth cycle -- What drives business failures or successes? -- Are leaders born or made? Nature vs nurture -- Leadership development -- SMEs -- The challenge -- References -- 7.3 Learning for entrepreneurs -- Self-awareness - do I know what I know? -- Hard knowledge - customers and competition -- Networks - social and collaborative learning -- Experience - your own and that of others -- Learning to learn - entrepreneurially and effectively -- 7.4 Too much control, too little freedom? The case of the micro-manager -- Some initial questions -- What is micro-management and how does this relate to management style? -- How to recognize if you are a micro-manager -- How to avoid micro-management continuing to be an issue -- Summary -- Notes -- References -- Part Eight Structures for growth -- 8.1 How to franchise your business -- Capital investment -- Feasibility study -- Franchise action plan -- Pre-sale documents -- Recruiting franchise owners.

Outsource or do it yourself? -- 8.2 Licence to grow -- IP can benefit growing companies -- IP is not for everyone -- You don't need to be a technology business to benefit from IP -- Skills required for managing IP transactions -- Some issues that business managers face -- Plan your deal terms before you negotiate -- 8.3 Acquisitions -- Employees -- Contracts -- Intellectual property -- Going forward -- Part Nine International expansion -- 9.1 Expansion through exports -- Gain the export advantage -- Making it happen -- Getting you started -- 9.2 Intelligence to make you international -- 1. It will tell you what your customers want -- 2. It will show you the size of the prize -- 3. It will show you exactly how to ensure competitive advantage -- 4. It will show you that distribution is everything -- 5. It will either make you money or save you money -- 6. It will prove that your customers don't care about price -- 7. It will show you that marketing is as important as selling -- 8. It will show you that cultural differences are not important -- 9. It will show you what is worth measuring and what is not -- 10. It can help you plan for the future -- 9.3 The export challenge -- 9.4 Exploring new markets -- Research -- Social etiquette and business protocol -- Language -- Financial advice -- Legal -- Environmental regulations -- Systems/suppliers/logistics -- Alliances -- Part Ten Growth capital -- 10.1 Funding your business: where are we? -- Considering other types of finance -- The going is tough - what do you do? -- What next for growing businesses -- 10.2 Growth capital options for expanding SMEs -- Risk and reward -- Traditional lending - term loans -- Private lending - equity investors -- Growth criteria -- Mezzanine lending - the halfway house -- Mind the gap -- Make the right choice -- 10.3 Peer-to-peer lending -- The engine room of the economy.

Bank loans: the start and the end of finance? -- A lack of demand for banks, not finance -- An absence of competition -- A new approach to finance -- Time to think differently -- Notes -- Index of Advertisers.