From Book News, Inc.
A guide both for deciding whether or not to go into business for yourself and how to get started if you do. Discusses such aspects as women and minorities in business, family-owned and home-based businesses, new product development, starting a new business, buying an existing one, and franchising. Also provides step-by- step details on writing a business plan and suggests sources of funding. The examples and the basic orientation are service businesses, on the theory that they are least susceptible to competition from giant global corporations. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.


The publisher, Prentice-Hall Career & Technology
Going well beyond the standard entrepreneurial topics to address issues not usually found in other texts, this text features chapters on the various aspects of entrepreneurship (e.g., starting, buying, and franchising; home-based businesses; family businesses); an emphasis on how self-employment affects the entrepreneur and his/her family; and a complete, step-by-step guide to developing and writing a business plan -- with specific questions and checklists.


From the Back Cover
Devise a business plan and learn to write your own plan through this highly proactive text. Detailed checklists walk through starting, buying, and franchising businesses. You will be introduced to all types of businesses including home-based and family businesses. You will understand how self-employment can affect you, the entrepreneur, and your family. This handy package will provide: Recent research concerning the decision to become an entrepreneur Change in women-owned and minority-owned businesses Current information on new product development Small business and the Internet economy References on: –Pricing models –Addresses of helpful Internet sites –Market and sell on-line


About the Author
Peggy Lambing has experienced entrepreneurship from several perspectives—as a business owner, as a small business consultant, and as an educator. She and her husband owned a tool and equipment distributorship during the 1980s that was sold at a profit after five years. She has provided small business consulting services for 18 years, specializing in helping entrepreneurs obtain financing. In addition, she has taught entrepreneurship and small business management classes at the University of Missouri-St. Louis since 1980 and has served as the director of the university's Small Business Institute program. She received her bachelor of science in business administration degree and a master's degree in business from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Charles R. Kuehl is a member of the management faculty at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He has published in various scholarly journals and is coauthor of Small Business: Planning and Management, third edition. He received his baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees from the University of Iowa. His teaching and research areas include entrepreneurship, strategic management, international business, and organizational behavior.


Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Life as an entrepreneur is a very challenging but rewarding career choice. Within recent years, the number of individuals who have chosen this option has increased substantially because changes in the marketplace have created both displacement and opportunities. The "downsizing" of many large corporations has caused massive layoffs at the same time that changes in technology and consumer behavior have generated new business opportunities. Many former corporate executives have chosen to start a business, not because it has guaranteed them financial success but because it has given them more control over their careers. In addition, a few executives who survived the initial cutbacks chose to leave on their own terms before they were targeted in the next round of layoffs. Rapid improvements in technology have also helped fuel the increase in small business. Technological changes have made it much easier to start a homebased business. This has appealed to many people who are trying to balance family and business concerns. Many entrepreneurial couples have emerged, their marriages and careers intertwined. Finally, the increasing demand for services (including day care, home maintenance, and auto repair) has created a market for entrepreneurs who are able to meet these needs. Services cannot be mass-produced. Entrepreneurs have established businesses to service the customer on an individual basis. THIS BOOK The decision to start a business has a substantial impact on both the life and family of the entrepreneur. This book is divided into several parts to help the entrepreneur make the necessary decisions that should be made only after careful consideration and planning. Part 1 provides background information and includes topics such as the role of small business as an economic force, family-owned businesses, and the effect of the company's growth on the entrepreneur's satisfaction. There are also separate chapters on starting a business, buying an existing business, and franchising. Part 2 is a detailed approach to writing a business plan. Each section of the business plan is carefully explained to lead the entrepreneur through the planning process. At the end of the text, the Appendix provides a step-by-step approach to writing a business plan. The text also includes authentic cases to provide examples of situations that other entrepreneurs have faced. Their experiences and decisions are excellent learning tools for those who are just beginning the entrepreneurial process. Finally, the book also includes a business plan for a self-service car wash. Readers are encouraged to review the plan and identify its strengths and weaknesses. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS This book includes an easy-to-access template on CD-Rom. The CD follows the format outlined in the Appendix and is designed to simplify the task of business plan writing. The template can be used to complete the projects in this book or any similar business task. The information on the CD can be run with major software programs produced by Microsoft® or Corel® corporations and can be quickly translated to other platforms. A full set of instructor's materials is also available. CHANGES IN THE THIRD EDITION The third edition contains many changes, additions, and updated information. The new material includes: recent research concerning the decision to become an entrepreneur a chapter on small businesses and the Internet economy an updated chapter reflecting the changes in women-owned and minority owned businesses current information on new-product development, licensing, recent changes in patent law, and patent searches on the Internet a new case based on an actual entrepreneur's home-based venture a new complete feasibility study for a "Wash-n-Go" car wash

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Many people can't imagine starting a small business and writing a business plan. This concise and practical handbook demonstrates the theory of starting a business using realistic applications. Combines theory and background information in areas such as marketing theory, management topics, and financial recordkeeping—and provides practical, step-by-step checklists to help readers complete a business plan. Includes a business plan disk that repeats the book's checklists and provides financial forms such as projected income statements and cash flows in Excel format. Includes recent research concerning the decision to become an entrepreneur. Features a new chapter on Small Businesses and the Internet Economy. Provides a new chapter on changes in women-owned and minority-owned businesses. Includes current data on key topics: new-product development, licensing, recent changes in patent law, patent searches on the Internet. Offers separate chapters on starting a business, buying a business, and becoming a franchisee, discussing both advantages and disadvantages. Features a completed business plan at the end of the book for a self-service car wash. Includes a free book-specific Companion Website. A realistic, step-by-step handbook for anyone interested in starting their own business.

FROM THE CRITICS

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