Bigger Profits For The Smaller Firm

Out Of Print... It is a paradox that the manager of the smaller firm needs a much wider knowledge than his counterpart in the large company yet he has fewer opportunities to broaden his knowledge and experience. Big companies can afford the time and money to train and develop their managers. In the smaller firm the manager often has to pull himself up by his own shoelaces. This anomaly is now being recognised but there is still a long way to go before the small firm manager is as well catered for as the staff of the larger firm. This book aims to help to fill that gap. The book provides a practical guide for directors and managers of small firms with up to 250 employees. It shows how to increase profits and how to survive in business. It outlines the basic principles, explains how to identify the important problems, bow to tackle them and where to seek help. Modern management techniques are discussed in commonsense terms to help managers who are baffled by the jargon of the academics and bewildered by the pedlars of panaceas. The book reveals the link between profitability (return on capital) and productivity (use of resources). It shows how to break out of the vicious circle of rising costs and falling profits. By simple deduction the author demonstrates that there are only four ways of raising the return on capital. These are explained in detail with case examples based on real companies. The relevance for small firms of subjects such as marketing, accounting, costing, budgeting, production control and productivity is discussed. The conflict between profit and survival is explained, with practical tips for preventing insolvency and restoring an ailing business. The second edition has been completely revised, updated and enlarged with new case examples. It takes account of inflation and other factors that have affected small firms in recent years. The recent upsurge of interest in small firms vindicates the authors long held views about their virtues. Although the book is of special interest to directors and managers of small and medium sized firms, much of its contents are relevant to the middle and senior management of the larger company. Its refreshing, down-to-earth treatment of the fundamentals of running a business, small or large, will help managers to make more effective decisions and to produce better results.