Straight Talk about Starting and Growing Your Business : Smart Advice for Entrepreneurs from Entrepreneurs

by Dunung, Sanjyot P.

• ISBN13: 9780071427272
• ISBN10: 0071427279
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-26
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Summary

More than 500,000 small businesses are started each year Sanjyot P. Dunung appears frequently on CNN, CNBC, and other networks, and has launched and operated a number of successful small businesses throughout her career Dunung is a popular guest speaker at small business conferences and seminars Includes solid insider's advice that can help new businesses survive and succeed, even in a tough economy

Author Biography

Sanjyot P. Dunung is president of Atma Global, a developer of innovative educational products for the corporate and education markets. In addition to appearing periodically on CNBC-TV, CNN International, Bloomberg TV, and various radio programs, she often speaks at conferences and seminars addressing international business and entrepreneurship. As a career entrepreneur having founded three companies, Dunung was selected as a ProtTgT member of the Committee of 200. She is the author of Doing Business in Asia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments and Author's Note	xi
Introduction	xv
Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship	1	(18)
Personal Philosophy and Goals	2	(1)
Why Do People Want to Become Entrepreneurs?	3	(4)
Forms of Entrepreneurship	7	(4)
Should You Become an Entrepreneur?	11	(4)
Partnerships	15	(4)
Getting Started	19	(24)
Choosing a Company Name	20	(1)
Planning Process	21	(12)
Structural and Personal Issues	33	(5)
Accounting and Legal	38	(5)
Funding	43	(40)
Yours	44	(3)
Theirs	47	(7)
Venture Capital	54	(21)
Small Business Administration and Related Government Entities	75	(3)
Alternative Options	78	(5)
Marketing and Sales	83	(26)
Integrated Growth Strategies	84	(1)
Market Research	84	(2)
Developing a Marketing and Sales Plan	86	(16)
Developing a Sales Strategy	102	(7)
Managing, Governance and Advisory	109	(22)
Managing People	109	(14)
Governance and Advisory	123	(8)
Entrepreneurship on the Fly	131	(30)
Navigating the Bumps in the Road	131	(24)
Growth	155	(4)
Changing Directions	159	(2)
Global Expansion Strategies	161	(28)
Global Web Sites	161	(2)
Going Global	163	(6)
Determining the Best Structures and Ways to Enter the Local Market	169	(9)
Understanding How Culture Impacts Local Business Practices	178	(11)
Keeping the Faith	189	(12)
It Happens to Everyone	190	(1)
Some Common Reasons a Project, Idea, or Company Fails	190	(2)
Listen, Analyze, and Learn	192	(1)
Focus on Positivity	193	(1)
Your Attitude Is Contagious	194	(1)
Letting Go of Anger	195	(1)
Keeping Perspective	195	(1)
Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously	196	(1)
Keep a Sense of Humor and Find Inspiration	196	(1)
Get a Hobby and a Charitable Interest	197	(1)
Keeping the Faith in Yourself and in Entrepreneurship	197	(1)
Closing a Business	198	(1)
Optimism and Resilience	199	(2)
Exit Strategies	201	(28)
Sell or Merge	202	(6)
Buyers	208	(3)
Hiring Investment Banking, Business Broker, and Other Key Advisors	211	(3)
Planning for the Sale	214	(3)
Determining Value	217	(2)
Tips for Making the Business Broker and Investment Banking Role Valuable	219	(2)
Passing It On	221	(1)
Closing or Liquidating the Business	222	(7)
Appendix A Choosing a Corporate Structure	229	(4)
Appendix B Entrepreneurial Resources	233	(4)
Commonly Used Terms and Concepts	237	(4)
Index	241