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Business Fundamentals
first Edition
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Business Fundamentals

by Global Text Project
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Business Fundamentals was developed by the Global Text Project, which is working to create open-content electronic textbooks that are freely available on the website http://globaltext.terry.uga.edu. The goal is to make textbooks available to the many who cannot afford them.

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Introduction. Front Matter
Chapter One. The business eco-system: Your path to finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
1.1 - The business eco-system: Your path to finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
1.2 - The business eco-system: The business eco-system
1.3 - The sun rise of your new business Accessing market opportunity: the initial rim of the wheel
1.4 - Sales: the essential rim of the wheel
1.5 - Strategy: the tactical rim on the wheel
1.6 - Branding will make your blossoms bloom!
1.7 - Stakeholders: the connective rim on the wheel
1.8 - Ethics: the authentic rim on the wheel
1.9 - Operations: the logistical rim on the wheel
1.10 - New product: the tangible rim on the wheel
1.11 - Let the fruits of your labor blossom: the new product/service launch event plan
1.12 - Public relations: the sensational rim on the wheel
1.13 - Mentor insights: the “Where the Rubber Meets the Road” spokes on the wheel
1.14 - About this author and acknowledgements
Chapter Two. The mind of the entrepreneur: Your entrepreneurial journey begins by embarking on your own hero’s journey!
2.1 - Introduction
2.2 - Entrepreneur assessment survey
2.3 - Entrepreneurial mindset enhancing activities
2.4 - Chapter summary
Chapter Three. Business models and marketing: an overview
3.1 - Learning Objectives
3.2 - What is a business model?
3.3 - Success factors
3.4 - Consumer marketing models
3.5 - The marketing model
3.6 - Identifying market needs
3.7 - Business to business marketing models
3.8 - Chapter summary
3.9 - Market research to determine the potential market for funeral services in Monterrey, Mexico
3.10 - Discussion questions
3.11 - References
Chapter Four. How to organize and lead an entrepreneurial venture
4.1 - Learning objectives
4.2 - Introduction
4.3 - Organizational issues
4.4 - Organizational stages of growth
4.5 - Flat versus tall organizations
4.6 - Centralized versus decentralized organizations
4.7 - Chapter summary
4.8 - Discussion questions
4.9 - References
Chapter Five. Selecting and managing your team
5.1 - Learning objectives
5.2 - Competitive advantage through human resource management
5.3 - Providing employee voice and influence
5.4 - Recruiting workers
5.5 - Evaluating recruiting policies
5.6 - Employee training
5.7 - Aligning employee career development with organizational growth
5.8 - Performance appraisal
5.9 - Determining base pay
5.10 - Meaningful job design
5.11 - Termination
5.12 - Discussion questions
5.13 - Exercise
5.14 - References
Chapter Six. Marketing on a global scale
6.1 - Learning objectives
6.2 - Defining marketing
6.3 - The role of marketing in the firm: a basis for classification
6.4 - Defining international marketing
6.5 - The international marketing plan
6.6 - The international marketing environment
6.7 - Discussion question
6.8 - References
Chapter Seven. Operations management
7.1 - Learning objectives
7.2 - What is operations management?
7.3 - The input/output transformation model
7.4 - Operations decisions
7.5 - Chapter summary
7.6 - Special topic: Total Quality Management
7.7 - Special topic: supply chain management
7.8 - Special topic: just-in-time and lean systems
Chapter Eight. Securing and managing external relationships
8.1 - Learning objectives
8.2 - Introduction to external relationships
8.3 - Marketing exchanges and partnerships
8.4 - Choosing the right relationship
8.5 - Strategies for external relationships
8.6 - Chapter summary
8.7 - Exercises
8.8 - References
Chapter Nine. Financial and managerial accounting; financing your organization
9.1 - Learning objectives
9.2 - Introduction
9.3 - Why an accounting system is important
9.4 - Basic types of accounts
9.5 - Chart of accounts
9.6 - Basic financial statements
9.7 - A short history of accounting and double-entry bookkeeping
9.8 - Ledgers
9.9 - Advanced reports and analyses
9.10 - Budgets
9.11 - Chapter Summary
9.12 - Discussion Questions
9.13 - References
Chapter Ten. Leveraging with information technology
10.1 - Learning Objectives
10.2 - Introduction
10.3 - IS tools for the Start-Up Organization
10.4 - Moving Forward With Information Systems
10.5 - Know What Your Customers Want
10.6 - Using Information Technology Competitively
10.7 - What is IS Risk Management
10.8 - Chapter Summary
10.9 - Discussion questions
10.10 - References
Chapter Eleven. Competitive intelligence
11.1 - Learning objectives
11.2 - Introduction
11.3 - Definition
11.4 - Importance and goals of competitive intelligence
11.5 - Information collection methods
11.6 - The industry environment
11.7 - Porter's 5 forces and the analysis of competitors
11.8 - Methods of evaluating competitors
11.9 - Chapter summary
11.10 - Reference
Chapter Twelve. Business ethics in a nutshell
12.1 - What is ethics
12.2 - Management: the meta profession
12.3 - Corporate social responsibility
Chapter Thirteen. Adding products and services
13.1 - Learning objectives
13.2 - Introduction
13.3 - Where does innovation come from?
13.4 - Innovation through business models
13.5 - Evaluating new products
13.6 - When innovation fails: deleting products
13.7 - Chapter summary
13.8 - Discussion questions
13.9 - Case: “Apples: Newton and Pippin”
13.10 - References
Chapter Fourteen. International business for the entrepreneur
14.1 - Introduction
14.2 - Globalization: opportunities and threats to developing country business
14.3 - Harnessing technology for global business success
14.4 - Doing business across cultures
14.5 - Political and legal risk in international business
14.6 - Global marketing: Assessing potential markets overseas
14.7 - Global finance: initial considerations
14.8 - Organizational structure and human resource management
14.9 - Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainable development in the global environment
14.10 - Case: Built to Last by Jim Collins
14.11 - Chapter summary
14.12 - References
Chapter Fifteen. Growth strategies for start-ups
15.1 - Learning objectives and overview
15.2 - Definition and models
15.3 - Growth problems
15.4 - Chapter summary
15.5 - References, and further literature
Chapter Sixteen. Attributions