Contents -- Preface -- How to use this book -- New for this seventh edition -- 01 First thoughts and foundations -- What's your big idea? -- What's it like to run a business? -- Family matters -- Four types of entrepreneurs -- Women entrepreneurs -- Male entrepreneurs -- Personal finances: spring clean while you can -- What sort of firm to start? -- Buying a business -- Taking up a franchise -- Starting a green business -- Your IT strategy -- Web trading -- 02 Getting orders, making profits -- What are you selling, exactly? -- Choosing customers -- Finding out what you need to know -- Customer-based operations -- Forecasting your sales -- What exactly are you selling, then? -- Why should anyone buy from you? -- Getting it all to the consumer -- Dealing direct with the public -- Shops' and distributors' margins -- Attracting the distributor -- Visiting the customer -- Pricing for marketability -- Selling via the big catalogues: big orders, quick payment -- Effective advertising -- Publicity: nearly free and better than advertising -- The web and your market -- Sales via the internet -- 03 Controlling the money -- Costs and costing -- Calculating an hourly rate -- Controls on costing -- The importance of cash -- Clever cash conservation -- Forecasting the cash situation -- Why cash-flow forecasting matters -- Planning for profits -- Credit control -- Positive strategies for credit control -- When credit control fails -- Breaking through to profitability -- Smarter costing -- 04 Raising the money -- Grants: free money is best -- Beg, steal or. . . -- Banks - all the same? -- Presenting your case to the bank -- 05 Your business name and legal status -- The options -- Sole trader -- Partnership -- Limited company -- Your business name -- 06 Business and the law -- Civil and criminal law: how the difference affects you -- Contract law -- Tort.

Going to law -- Contracts to buy -- Contracts to sell -- Conditions, warranties, guarantees and exemptions -- Product liability -- Copyright, registered designs, trademarks and patents -- 07 Premises -- Can you work from home? -- Finding small premises -- Planning permission -- Applying for planning permission -- Appealing against a planning decision -- Leases -- Rates and water charges -- 08 Managing operations -- Operations? You think I'm a surgeon? -- Plan before you leap -- Being in control -- Safety -- Purchasing -- Quality -- 09 Financial housekeeping, VAT and tax -- Financial records -- Bank accounts -- VAT - Value Added Tax - in outline -- Income and corporation taxes and National Insurance -- 10 Employing people -- People: the small firm's powerhouse -- The search for good people -- Define the job -- Define the person -- Advertising -- Shortlisting -- Interviewing -- Deciding -- Induction -- The law -- not as big a problem as some think -- 11 Risk management and insurance -- Risk management strategy -- Insurance strategy -- Insurance suppliers -- 12 Sources of help -- What advisers can do for business -- Finding a generalist consultant or adviser -- Specialist advisers -- 13 After a successful launch. . . developing your firm -- Your experience -- Key issues -- Expansion strategy -- Your new job -- The three stages of growth -- Organizational culture -- Your managerial development -- Your firm and consultants -- Funding your growth -- 14 The PLG Programme for Growth -- The PLG Programme: Prepare, Launch, Grow© -- What it's for -- How it works -- Business plan: introduction -- Business plan: Part one: Overviews -- Business plan: Part two: Operating plans -- Business plan: Part three: Appendices -- Business plan: Presentation -- Business plan: Implementation -- Business plan: Growth -- Executive summary -- Business Plan: Part one: Overviews.

Business plan: Part two: Operating plans -- Business plan: Part three: Appendices -- Business plan: Presentation -- Appendix one Cash-flow forecasting illustration -- Appendix two Draft terms and conditions of sale -- Terms and conditions of sale -- Appendix three Small business contacts list -- Appendix four Help for small businesses -- Appendix five Taking up a franchise -- Overview -- Is a franchise really for me? -- Selecting a franchise -- Conclusion -- Appendix six Starting a green business -- Why a green business? -- Why not a green business? -- What is a green business? -- Where are the opportunities? -- Consistency - can you keep it up? -- Summary -- Index.