Books in the The FT Guides series

The Financial Times Guide to Business Development is inspirational. It is easy to read, hard to put down and there are absolute gems on every page. Read it and get fired up.Jonathan Straight, Chief Executive of Straight plc, Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 Ians insights into how business is getting it wrong, act as a powerful catalyst to help businesses of all sizes improve and develop in a tough climate.Len Tingle, BBC Political Editor, Yorkshire, veteran BBC broadcaster and writer on business issues. an interesting and insightful book that breaks down what good businesses do, in a format that is easy to understand. A really good read. Gary Brook, Head of Corporate Communication, Leeds Building Society This is a game changer for any business wishing to grow and develop.Viv Williams, CEO, 360 Legal Group If you have a business that needs a boost, then it shows how anyone can become a ninja at business development. Heather Townsend, author of The Financial Times Guide To Business Networking What do we have to do to be more successful? How do we attract new customers and clients? How do we work more effectively with the customers or clients we already have? How do we generate more profit? By the time you have read and digested the 650 tips, tools, techniques and strategic questions in this book you will have the answers to all of these questions. You will also know what to do to get bigger and better results. I am 100% confident that you will find the book engaging, provocative and informative and that, if you follow the steps, you will automatically experience massive improvements in your business development results. Ian Cooper

This essential guide to business start up is bang up-to-date and covers everything you need to know about starting up your own business. It gives you all the critical information about finance, tax and law and guides you through the minefields of recruitment, marketing, sales and pricing.This New EditionThere are many different alterations in the business environment which have been accounted for throughout the guide. These include:- financial changes caused by Covid- switch to working from home, continued switch away from retail to online,- proposals on free ports, moves to increase commitment to carbon-free environment- changes in UK law and the business relationship with the EU after Brexit

The Financial Times Guide to Leadership is a one-stop shop for professionals at every stage of their leadership journey. Whether youre just starting out or are looking to upgrade your current skills, this practical guide takes you through the core building tools of self-awareness, influence and execution. With thought-provoking exercises and action points throughout, plus handy chapter summaries for when you need to access information, this book is your roadmap to becoming a better leader. This definitive guide to leadership includes: What good leadership looks like How to build your own leadership style Techniques to lead and influence others How to build and execute your visionEverything you need to know to become an authentic and dynamic leader. My shelves groan under stacks of leadership books. But just a very few stand out as solid gold. The Financial Times Guide to Leadership merits inclusion in that select company. There is simply no excuse for not applying its very practical steps. I'd urge you to start or continue your journey here! Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence Finally, a first-class leadership book that focuses on the 'how' and 'what' as well as the 'why' and 'when'. Full of practical steps to take you to the next level.Doug Richard, entrepreneur and founder of School for Startups Leadership is at the intersection of competence, charisma and the ability to think big for yourself and for others. The Financial Times Guide to Leadership gives you the tools you need to navigate this junction with success. Mercedes Erra, Executive President of Havas Worldwide

Learn how to make your company more efficient, increase customer value with less work and make better use of your organisations resources by implementing a Lean management strategy.The Financial Times Guide to Lean is a guide to the tools that are used to implement Lean, showing you how to apply Lean practices fully into your organisation or company. This book offers a comprehensive and objective look at lean strategy and how it can be tailored for different companies.

An introduction to the fast growing $1.5 billion foreign exchange trading marketplace, showing you how the markets work, how to trade them successfully and how to mitigate risk.The Financial Times Guide to Foreign Exchange Tradingis the authoritative primer, the first port of call for anyone interested in foreign exchange trading and wants to know what it is all about before taking the plunge.

If you think spread betting is complex and high risk then think again. Stuart Fieldhouse demonstrates that with the right knowledge and approach it neednt be. From opening an account and carrying out basic technical analysis through to assessing market opportunities and minimising risk, this book offers a comprehensive walk-through of everything you need to know to trade successfully. The Financial Times Guide to Spread Betting gives you the tools to spread bet with confidence. The book includes: Different ways to trade, the markets available and various approaches you can use in those markets How to integrate spread betting into a wider investment strategyandhow to hedge your share portfolio Trading in new markets, such as commodities, forex and government bonds Managing risk and what to do when markets turn volatile

Beginning with the very basics of technical analysis and market price behaviour, this book teaches you how to apply these concepts and principles to your own trading. With this comprehensive and straight talking guide you will soon be using the same successful techniques and formulas as the professionals. Learn how to: Understand those trading systems that will generate high returns Identify price patterns and trends Use the right technical indicators to get the best out of the markets Write and execute a trading plan that increases your chances of beating the market

The critical knowledge you need to plan, write and deliver your next presentation with maximum impact. Written by a co-founder of the Professional Speaking Association, this book focuses on getting you the results you need from your presentation, whether you are selling a product or service, a proposed change or even your own skills and abilities. It will show you how to persuade your audience by being relevant, clear, engaging and memorable.FINANCIAL TIMES ESSENTIAL GUIDES: THE KNOW-HOW YOU NEED TO GET THE RESULTS YOU WANT

Learn how to evaluate any investment fund before deciding where to place your money so you can ensure you generate more wealth and protect your cash. This valuable guide will help you make the right investment decisions by:- Explaining the procedures that should be followed before investing money anywhere.- Helping you cut through marketing language to get a real sense of how risky a companys strategy may be.- Showing you what questions to ask of investment fund managers so youre more comfortable investing in a company.- Showing you how to recognise the warning signs of risky investments. This book will also help you identify companies who consistently deliver high returns, thereby allowing you to generate more wealth by investing in successful, and stable, funds.

The tools and ideas to help you lead with confidence and achieve better results through your team. This book provides all the tools and skills to help you be more effective in leading your team and achieving higher levels of performance. It focuses on three key elements: you as the leader, the principles of team working and team building, and getting individuals to contribute and perform. As well as identifying obstacles and pitfalls, it assists you in improving your skills and coaches you to work out what you could be doing better.

This jargon-busting book describes how the bond and money markets work and how they impact on everyday life. It assumes no specialised prior knowledge of finance theory and provides an authoritative and comprehensive run-down of the workings of the modern financial system. Its in the money markets where money, or the value of money, can be bought and sold. Its the place where Treasury bills, deposits, repurchase agreements, short-lived mortgages etc, can be traded. These are crucial to the global economy because they provide liquidity funding for the global financial system. Bond markets operate in the same way but are financial markets where participants can issue new debt or buy and sell existing debt known as bonds. As with money markets, bond markets are key because they provide money where no money previously existed (think of your mortgage). Using real world examples from media such as the Financial Times, bestselling author Glen Arnold gives an international perspective on these markets. Understand key bond and money market terms and banking products Explore the wide variety of types of markets and their functions eg. LIBOR, gilts, government debt Gain insight into the main factors influencing prices in the financial markets Learn how fluctuations in the money markets can affect you and your own money strategies

Everything you need to know to become a first class business trainer, from working out how people learn, to finding out if you can be a trainer, through to showing you the tools and models that will allow you to be a successful educator and teacher. The Financial Times Guide to Business Training shows you how to develop, design and deliver outstanding business training. Written by two of the UKs leading business trainers and based on extensive research into what the best trainers say and do, this book: Is a single reference for anyone involved in business training whether you are newly qualified or experienced, a freelance trainer or already embedded in learning and development departments Provides a comprehensive resource of ideas, tools and approaches Will help you improve the quality of all aspects of your training needs, including analysis, planning and delivery Reveals the secrets of outstanding business training so that you can improve your reputation and results Answers commonly asked questions Offers support on your training journey via www.ftguidetobusinesstraining.com

Gives you the confidence to ask the right business questions, make the correct finance decisions and competently speak the language of commerce to your colleagues, managers, customers and stakeholders. The Financial Times Guide to Finance for Non-Financial Managers will show you how to transform seemingly complex financial information and statistics into data that makes sense. And into data that youll feel confident talking about. Youll learn the language of finance, which will help you better formulate decisions on a day-to-day basis. The book will also help you identify the warning signals and understand key performance indications and ratios. Youll learn how to make better financial decisions, identify ways to increase profits and have increased confidence in approaching capital projects and making sound business decisions.

The FT Guide to Social Media Strategy provides a clear roadmap with practical guidance, inspirational case studies and proven methodologies. You'll understand how to use social media and gain competitive advantage by generating better results, making more sales, building stronger and more valuable networks and enhancing the potency of their personal digital brand. You'll also discover plans and processes to manager and mitigate against the risks of social media. This book is broken down into three core sections, focusing initially on the core social media knowledge that every business professional needs, before moving on to the use of social media to develop a personal digital brand and finally an explanation of how to harness the power of social media to boost business performance. Presented in a user-friendly language, with clear guidelines, informative case studies and practical advice, each chapter features a mix of case studies, practical advice, the latest research and intelligence from leading social media specialists and the outcome of interviews with business leaders, marketing and social media experts and industry commentators.

One of the most important financial plans you can have is saving and investing for your retirement. Quite simply, the success of this plan determines whether youre going to live comfortably after you stop working. The Financial Times Guide to Saving and Investing for Retirement will lead you through a bewildering maze of financial tools and provide advice on crucial investment decisions. It provides everything you need to know about how to save and invest so that you can successfully plan for your retirement. It is packed with invaluable information on taxes, ISAs, pensions, investing across different assets and buying property. The Financial Times Guide to Saving and Investing for Retirement will help you: Identify your financial objectives and work out how to achieve them Learn how to invest for a specific goal and time Find out about taxes and other rules that may impact your wealth Understand why its essential to be actively involved in managing your post-work income

Want to take your company to the next level? You need a roadmap, a strategy. Preferably one that is simple, workable and saleable. This book provides you with just that. It sets out a straightforward strategy development process, the Strategy Pyramid, and guides you through it. It uses a lively central case study throughout, as well as drawing on examples of how real businesses have developed winning strategies. Whether you are intent on growing your business, or setting out on your start-up, this book offers an uncomplicated, practical and readable guide on how to get the strategy you need for your business to succeed. It offers sound advice on the following areas: Setting goals and objectives Forecasting market demands Gauging industry competition Tracking competitive advantage Targeting the strategic gap Bridging the gap with business strategy Bridging the gap with corporate strategy Addressing risk and opportunityThe FT Essential Guide to Developing a Business Strategy will help businesses of all sizes to chart and realise their growth ambitions.

The Financial Times Guide to How the Stock Market Really Works is an introduction to the complex world of the financial markets. Whether you are new to investing, or already have a share portfolio, this is an intelligent guidebook will guide you safely through the often confusing world of investing. Written especially for the ordinary investor, it will provide you with the key strategies you need to make money on the stock market.

Gain the knowledge and confidence you need to build and manage budgets and forecast financial information. This book demystifies budgets and forecasts, providing simple explanations and clear examples. It includes integrated checklists, goals and milestones, to ensure you are on target to achieve the best results.Part of The Financial Times Essential Guides series: Task-focused and results-orientated, the essential guides are for every manager who wants to move their skills beyond the ordinary to the best.

The Financial Times Guide to Banking is a comprehensive introduction to how banks and banking works. Best-selling author Glen Arnold provides you with a foundation for understanding the wide variety of activities undertaken by banks. He shows you why these global institutions are so important to consumers and finance professionals alike and explains how their activities impact on everyday life. The Financial Times Guide to Banking will give you: - A thorough understanding of all types of banking from retail through to asset management and investment banking. - An overview of global banking including the worldwide evolution of the sector, the influence of cross-border money flows and the importance of modern banking to international development - Expert knowledge about instruments and markets including debt markets, futures markets and swaps and options - Insight into the crucial importance of central banking and government regulation - Answers to the big questions about monetary policy and interest rates, payment systems and banking success

Whether you are writing a proposal, a report, a presentation or an email, this book will show you how to write to persuade staff, colleagues, board directors and customers. The Financial Times Essential Guide to Business Writing demonstrates how your choice of language can influence your reader. It gives you clear examples to show you the dos and don'ts of successful business writing and essential tips that are proven to make your writing more effective.It shows you how to write for different audiences and in different media using style, structure and the psychology of language to your advantage. It also gives you the writing secrets used by the world's best advertising writers, which you can use to great effect in your own business writing.

The Financial Times Guide to Wealth Management is your comprehensive guide to achieving financial security and stability by planning, preserving and enhancing your wealth. As well as being fully updated throughout, it includes five new chapters on socially responsible and impact investing; property, land and woodlands; single premium investment bonds; non-trust structures and young people and money. Whether youre a beginner wanting an introduction to financial planning or an experienced investor looking to pass your wealth on to others, this is the book for you. Drawing on his 25 years experience as a financial adviser to successful families, and written in clear and concise language, Jason Butler will give you both the understanding and confidence you need to make successful financial decisions, enabling you to: - Define your life goals and financial personality so that you can build an effective wealth plan- Navigate the maze of investment options and choose the best one for your needs- Understand when and how to get professional help which delivers value - Clarify the need for and role of insurance, tax structures, pensions and trusts - Develop a wealth succession plan which matches your values and preferences

A great, practical guide to all aspects of networking stuffed with lots of quick and easy tips to help you leverage the power of your network.Ivan Misner, NY Times bestselling author and founder of BNI and Referral Institute 'This practical and easy-to-read book will quickly get you the results you need from your network.'Charlie Lawson, BNI UK and Ireland national director A must read for anyone wanting to use the power of face-to-face AND online networking to generate career and business success.Andy Lopata, author of Recommended and And Death Came Third Up to 80 per cent of opportunities come from people who already know you, so the more people you know, the more chance you have of winning the new business or career you want. The Financial Times Guide to Business Networking is your definitive introduction to a joined-up networking strategy that really works. This award-winning book has now been fully updated to include new chapters on generating referrals and boosting your confidence when networking, as well as the latest advice on social networking sites. Successfully combine online and offline networking techniques Develop the best networking approaches and behaviours Make a great first impression, build rapport and generate strong business relationships Talk to the right people, have productive conversations and effectively work a room

One of the best books on stock market investing that Ive ever read. Christopher Gilchrist, Editor, The IRS Report Lucid and perceptive any intelligent person can follow this guide and be on equal terms or better with the best professional money managers.Dr Peter Johnson, Sad Business School, Oxford University Is your investment strategy right for you? Could you be making more money? The Financial Times Guide to Selecting Shares that Perform helps you identify the approach to buying and selling shares that is best suited to you. It will help you to align your strategy based on the time and money you have available, taking into account your overall objectives and your attitudes to risk and loss. In this thoroughly updated fifth edition of their bestselling investment classic, Richard Koch and Leo Gough explain 10 distinctive and proven investment techniques for you to choose from. They describe the different tactics needed to succeed in todays market conditions and show you how it can be fun and profitable to try to beat the stock market. The Financial Times Guide to Selecting Shares that Perform gives you: 10 proven approaches to selecting successful shares A quiz to help you identify what kind of investor you are and what strategy is right for you Practical advice to help you trade more confidently on the stock market Examples and explanations of successes and failures Convincing reasons why you should manage your own share portfolio

Since the first edition of The Financial Times Guide to ETFs was published in 2009, the number of ETFs in issue has doubled and ETFs are now common both on investor platforms and increasingly amongst financial advisors. This massive increase in demand has highlighted an urgent debate just how dangerous are ETFs and how much do investors and advisers understand about the structure of the index tracker? The second edition of this book attempts to answer this debate and is the indispensable bible on trackers for professional advisers and serious private investors. This new edition also features a chapter based around the theme of Due Diligence and a new chapter on How to use ETFs and Index Funds for theLong-term, as well as a new Jargon busting section and a-new appendix looking at new ideas beginning to emerge.

Whether you are an executive or a student, beginner or expert, this book is designed to explain and illustrate the working essentials of finance with clarity and speed. This desktop companion deliberately combines essential theory with real-world application, using short, focused chapters to help you find what you need and implement it right away. www.pearsoned.co.uk/estrada

The Financial Times Guide to Options, will introduce you to the instruments and markets of options, giving you the confidence to trade successfully. Options are explained in real-life terminology, using every-day examples and accessible language. Introducing three key options markets stocks, bonds and commodities, the book explains options contracts from straight vanilla options to strangles and butterflies and covers the fundamentals of options pricing and trading Originally published as Options Plain and Simple , this new edition includes: How the options industry operates and how basic strategies have evolvedRisk management and how to trade safely Inclusion of new products such as exchange traded fundsA glossary of key words and further reading Addition of market scenarios and examples Like all investment strategies, options offer potential return while incurring potential risk. The advantage of options trading is that risk can be managed to a greater degree than with outright buying or selling. The Financial Times Guide to Options is a straightforward and practical introduction to the fundamentals of options. It includes only what is essential to basic understanding and presents options theory in conventional terms, with a minimum of jargon. This thorough guide will give you a basis from which to trade most of the options listed on most of the major exchanges. The Financial Times Guide to Options includes: Options in everyday life The basics of calls The basics of puts Pricing and behaviour Volatility and pricing models The Greeks and risk assessment: delta Gamma and theta Vega Call spreads and put spreads, or one by one directional spreads One by two directional spreads Combos and hybrid spreads for market direction Volatility spreads Combining straddles and strangles for reduced risk Combining call spreads and put spreads The covered write, the calendar spread and the diagonal spread The interaction of the Greeks Options performance based on cost Trouble shooting and common problems Volatility skews Futures, synthetics and put-call parity Conversions, reversals, boxes and options arbitrage

A short, practical book that gives a thorough understanding and knowledge of valuation in just two hours. It tackles the most commonly used valuation methods in a quick and easy - yet comprehensive - way.

Do you want to feel more confident about your investment decisions? Do you need to have a better understanding of how the stock markets value a business? Do you want to know what the key ratios are that drive share price performance? The Financial Times Guide to Making the Right Investment Decisions is the insiders guide to how the market examines companies and values shares. It helps you understand the factors that drive long term wealth creation as well as highlighting the key risks that lead to value being destroyed. Originally published as Analysing Companies and Valuing Shares, this new edition has been fully revised and includes a new and easy to follow framework for understanding valuation. Perfect for investors at all levels, it guides you through the investment maze, and highlights the key issues you need to consider to invest successfully. The Financial Times Guide to Making the Right Investment Decisions: Gives you an easy to follow framework to guide your decision-making Explains clearly and concisely key financial concepts and how they drive valuation Shows you the key ratios to monitor and how they affect share prices Illustrates the key risks and warning signals that will help you avoid losses Identifies the qualities of company management and governance that differentiates winners from losers Brings the issues and numbers to life with real examples and case studies In a challenging economic and stock market environment, the need to take better informed decisions is vital. This clear, common sense guide provides a comprehensive and accessible framework for understanding the valuation of a business and what drives its share price. Knowing the key numbers, ratios and techniques that professional investors use will help you to reduce your risk and invest more profitably.