Most people who start businesses do so with little or no formal education in business or management training and experience. This book has been written expressly for these people, as well as for others with similar backgrounds who aspire to start their own businesses. The aim is to help fill in some critical gaps in managerial knowledge that cause many of the problems that small business owners face as they try to navigate the business world with inadequate knowledge of how to manage a business. With no attempt to compete with conventional small business textbooks or catchy "how to" books on small business management, this book is deliberately focused on five core topics: strategic planning, financing, marketing, managing cash flow, and managing costs. The authors believe these to be the essential building blocks for enhancing the managerial DNA of a small business. Equipped with this enhanced DNA, the small business owner is postured to think about and take actions on behalf of his or her business that will lead to optimal success. In addition, the book incorporates as appendices three topics that are very important to small businesses: break-even analysis, legal business structures, and intellectual property protection.