Contents -- Foreword -- Part One Planning for growth -- 1.1 High-growth characteristics -- Definitions -- Sector and size -- Key characteristics -- Positive and negative indicators of growth -- Summary -- 1.2 The growth coach -- Where business growth comes from: insight from GrowthAccelerator -- Barriers to growth -- Sources -- 1.3 5-star financial intelligence -- 1.4 Safeguarding the rewards -- Part Two Innovation -- 2.1 Innovation in the crowd -- The lean start-up and crowd wisdom -- Skin in the game: managing the risk of crowdsourcing -- Overcoming scarcity: crowdfunding as a complementary approach -- So where next for the crowd? -- 2.2 How to develop an idea -- Grants -- Applicants -- Threads -- Early resolution -- 2.3 Product design for SMEs -- Notes -- 2.4 IP for maximum value -- Strategy -- Getting value -- Pick your battles -- 2.5 Finance in innovation -- Create an innovative mindset -- Respect and nurture creativity -- Help partners plan for profit -- Apply the right metrics at the right stage -- Take a balanced view on risk -- Conclusions: innovation challenges and opportunities -- 2.6 Collaborative partnerships -- IP ownership in collaboration -- Example - IP associated with a new product -- First steps - file a patent application for your invention or get an NDA -- Identify potential 3rd party collaborators -- Agreement with 3rd party collaborator -- Potential pitfalls - problems to look out for -- Collaborating with large companies -- Choose the right partner -- Conclusions -- Part Three Building the brand -- 3.1 Content for social media -- 3.2 Building the customer highway -- Differentiating on customer experience -- What is the customer journey map? -- Types of customer journey maps -- Why do customer journey mapping? -- Problems and pitfalls -- How do you do it? -- The value of customer journey mapping -- Closing thoughts.

3.3 Inventive marketing -- Your marketing doesn't have to be everywhere -- Internet marketing -- Using internet marketing to market a new product -- 3.4 Investing in the brand -- 1 Life stage of the market in which the brand operates -- 2 Market category and its distribution chain -- 3 Legal or regulatory constraints -- 4 Strength of the brand leader -- 5 Competitor brands' media spends and brand shares -- 6 Creativity of competitor brands' communications -- 7 Conservatism of the directors -- 8 Nature of the customer journey and purchasing behaviour -- 9 The company's capacity for delivering extra sales -- 10 Profitability of these incremental sales -- References -- Part Four People and performance -- 4.1 Becoming an employer -- The 'make or break' moment -- People like you: but do they like your staff? -- Learn to be a good parent -- Welcome to the wonderful world of employment regulation -- Five keys to employing staff -- 4.2 The flexible workforce -- Staffing options -- Employees -- Workers -- Self-employed -- Agency workers -- The evolving relationship -- 4.3 Skills gaps -- What skills are missing? -- What do employers need to do? -- What steps can I take? -- 4.4 Access to expertise -- Accessing university services for business -- Internships and work experience opportunities -- Recruiting and attracting graduate talent -- Conclusion -- Bibliography and references -- Acknowledgements -- 4.5 Health and safety -- Five ways to demonstrate a good safety culture -- Strict liability -- Part Five Managing cashflow -- 5.1 Access to finance -- Help is at hand -- Top tips for seeking finance -- Plenty of offers are available -- 5.2 Keep the cash flowing -- Practical advantages -- Practical advice -- Credit manager -- Conclusion -- 5.3 Asset-based finance -- What is asset-based finance (ABF) and how does it work? -- What type of ABF suits smaller firms?.

What type of ABF suits larger firms? -- What size of firm and industry sectors use it the most? -- Is there funding available? -- Protecting users -- Part Six Digital technology -- 6.1 How to stand out digitally -- Phase 1: Web presence -- Phase 2: Social media -- Phase 3: E-commerce -- Phase 4: Brand dialogue -- 6.2 When to start worrying about data privacy and security -- Follow the money -- Trust -- Exit strategy -- Beware of the wolf -- Privacy -- Client confidentiality -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Part Seven Leading growth -- 7.1 Design for growth -- Do you want to change? -- Pinch points -- Summary -- References -- 7.2 Leadership in the upturn -- Challenge 1: The change starts with you -- Challenge 2: Get curious about what our customers really want -- Challenge 3: Release pioneers across your business to challenge the status quo -- Conclusion -- 7.3 The leadership challenge -- Part Eight International expansion -- 8.1 Getting into exporting -- 1 Create and embed a 'whole company' vision and practice -- 2 Devise a coherent strategy -- 3 Implement functional responses in parallel -- 4 Consciously develop your network of support -- 5 Assess and continuously develop your competence -- 6 Initial stepping stones -- Further information -- 8.2 The rise of the ASEAN consumer -- Consumer playing field levelling out -- Consumer confidence in the future -- Overseas recognition of consumer strength -- 8.3 Export for growth -- Why should UK businesses export? -- OK, so where do I start? -- Europe may be a first port of call -- Why consider developing countries? -- Which markets offer high growth? -- Are there recognized distribution channels? -- How to evaluate the opportunities -- Customers, suppliers and inward investors -- Summary -- 8.4 Developing business internationally -- Product/service -- Markets -- Sales structure -- Pricing and payment.

Intellectual property rights -- Selling locally -- Culture -- Part Nine Structures for growth -- 9.1 How to franchise your business -- Capital investment -- Franchise action plan -- Pre-sale documents -- Recruiting franchise owners -- Outsource or complete in-house? -- 9.2 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 -- 9.3 Acquisitions that work -- Issue 1: Buyer/seller overlap -- Issue 2: Growth -- Issue 3: Strategic focus -- Issue 4: The money -- Issue 5: The people -- Summary -- Part Ten Growth capital -- 10.1 Raising finance -- State aid -- Conclusion -- 10.2 Structuring the funding package -- Equity -- Senior debt -- Crowd finance -- Subordinated debt -- Mezzanine finance -- Asset finance -- Trade finance -- Structured finance -- 10.3 Pensions to fund growth -- What are the benefits and risks? -- Is it appropriate for your business? -- How much does it cost? -- Future strategy -- 10.4 Flotations -- Profile and prestige -- Debt-free source of capital -- A licence to print money -- Freedom to manage -- How to unlock the benefits of a quotation -- What can possibly go wrong with my listing? -- Is it worth listing now? -- Conclusion -- Index of Advertisers.