Books in the The Entrepreneur's Guide series

Ask any established business owner to identify his or her toughest challenge when just starting out, and you'll likely get this answer: raising capital. Most aspiring entrepreneurs know far too little about the sources of money that can help start a business or fuel its growth. Where do you get capital? What are investors looking for? How do you ask for money in a way that gets results? This book answers these and many other critical questions. Even more important, entrepreneur and consultant David Nour shows how to develop long-term relationships with financial partner-the people who can help keep a business humming throughout its life.The Entrepreneur's Guide to Raising Capital, designed to help entrepreneurs navigate the money-raising maze, shows how to attract financing to fund the start-up and growth phases any business moves through. It answers the most common-and the most perplexing-questions entrepreneurs have about financing a business: How do I put together a credible request for funds? How do I choose wisely from among the plethora of financial and strategic investors, consultants, investment bankers, and other intermediaries? How do I identify and avoid the risks associated with various sources of capital? How do I plan for the right kind, amount, and source of smart capital as the business evolves? How do I get the highest return on invested capital? How do I avoid the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when raising capital?This book provides real-life, pragmatic advice from entrepreneurs who have raised money from friends, family, angel investors, and banks, as well as institutional investors such as venture capitalists and private equity firms. It details the process from start to finish while spotlighting the danger spots and ways to avoid them. It will be especially useful to those who are uncomfortable making important financial decisions, and to those who are confused by all the conflicting opinions offered by advisors-both well meaning and otherwise. By showing readers the financing ropes, Nour removes a major source of stress for budding entrepreneurs and moves them closer to their dream come true: a successful business.

Geared to the fast-changing media world of the 21st century, The Entrepreneur's Guide to Advertising was written to offer both basic advertising concepts and advanced, state-of-the-art information about the new advertising environment. In its pages, two expert authors walk the entrepreneur through each and every stage necessary to create an integrated and synergistic advertising and marketing communications program.This guide covers all of the many facets of advertising, as well as the variables that make up the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) mix. Most notably, the book provides a framework entrepreneurs can use to develop a marketing communication (MARCOM) plan of their own. Readers will come away from The Entrepreneur's Guide to Advertising with an enhanced ability to make research-based judgments about their market and a new savvy about their approach to communications.

Focusing on the internal blocks, obstacles, and struggles all entrepreneurs face sooner or later, The Entrepreneur's Guide to Mastering the Inner World of Business shows how these unrecognized self-imposed barriers make it difficult to work at peak levels of performance. This guide will help readers explore perceptions of themselves, utilize leadership competencies, and identify weaknesses, frustration, and fears, managing each of these factors to enhance business growth and profitability, work performance, and a more satisfying life.Each chapter of the book concentrates on a difficult, universal problem entrepreneurs may face, such as managing doubt, worry and indecision, remaining innovative even during stressful times, coping with loneliness, confronting overwhelming "e;busy-ness,"e; discovering the meaning of success and managing it, climbing up from failure and despair, and knowing oneself. "e;Ask Yourself"e; questions help the reader identify the particular issue within him/herself. "e;Practices"e; suggest proven solutions for those issues based on those the author has taught to thousands of business leaders.

Like a detailed trail map through the jungle of finance, this book guides readers past small-business financial pitfalls, showing readers how to fine-tune operations and enhance profitability.