Business, Finance & Law Books

Book SynopsisA visionary guide for the future of learning and work Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs That Don't Even Exist Yetoffers readers a fascinating glimpse into a near-future where careers last 100 years, and education lasts a lifetime.?The book makes the case that learners of the future are going to repeatedly seek out educational opportunities throughout the course of their working lives which will no longer have a beginning, middle,and end.Long Life Learningfocuses on the disruptive and burgeoning innovations that are laying the foundationfora new learning model that includes clear navigation, wraparound and funding supports, targeted education, and clear connections to more transparent hiring processes. Written by the former chief innovation officer of Strada Education Network's Institute for the Future of Work, the book examines: ? How will a dramatically extended lifespan affect our careers?? How will more time in the woTable of ContentsIntroduction: An Abiding Hope for the Future xi Part I From a Rigged System 1 1 A 100-YearWork Life 3 2 The Theories Behind the End of College 23 3 The Future of Workers, the Future of Us 49 Part II To a New Learning Ecosystem 65 4 Seamless On- and Off-Ramps 67 5 Navigating Our Next Job Transition 77 6 Wraparound Supports 91 7 Targeted Education 109 8 Integrated Earning and Learning 139 9 Transparent and Fairer Hiring 159 10 Getting Started: Taking Root 181 Conclusion 191 Endnotes 197 Acknowledgments 231 About the Author 235 Index 237

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover how $55 million in cryptocurrency vanished in one of the most bizarre thefts in history Out of the Ether: The Amazing Story of Ethereum and the $55 Million Heist that Almost Destroyed It All tells the astonishing tale of the disappearance of $55 million worth of the cryptocurrency ether in June 2016. It also chronicles the creation of the Ethereum blockchain from the mind of inventor Vitalik Buterin to the ragtag group of people he assembled around him to build the second-largest crypto universe after Bitcoin. Celebrated journalist and author Matthew Leising tells the full story of one of the most incredible chapters in cryptocurrency history. He covers the aftermath of the heist as well, explaining the extreme lengths the victims of the theft and the creators of Ethereum went to in order to try and limit the damage. The book covers: The creation of Ethereum An explanation of the nature of blockchain and cryptocurrency Table of ContentsPart I 3 Part II 86 Part III 145 Part IV 214 Sources 343

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface xxxiii Acknowledgments xxxvii About the Authors xli Part 1 Introduction to Alternative Investments Chapter 1 What is an Alternative Investment? 3 1.1 Alternative Investments by Exclusion 3 1.2 Alternative Investments by Inclusion 4 1.3 The Blurred Lines between Traditional and Alternative Investments 8 1.4 A History of Alternative Investing: The U.S. Case 10 1.5 Investments are Distinguished by Return Characteristics 11 1.6 Investments are Distinguished by Methods of Analysis 14 1.7 Eight Other Characteristics that Distinguish Alternative and Traditional Investments 16 1.8 Five Goals of Alternative Investing 18 1.9 Two Pillars of Alternative Investment Management 20 1.10 Overview of This Book 22 Review Questions 23 Chapter 2 The Environment of Alternative Investments 25 2.1 The Participants 25 2.2 Alternative Investment Structures 33 2.3 Key Features of Fund Structures 36 2.4 Financial Markets 40 2.5 Regulatory Environment 42 2.6 Liquid Alternative Investments 43 2.7 Taxation 47 2.8 Short Selling 49 Review Questions 52 Notes 53 Chapter 3 Quantitative Foundations 55 3.1 Return and Rate Mathematics 55 3.2 Returns Based on Notional Principal 57 3.3 Internal Rate of Return 60 3.4 Problems with Internal Rate of Return 64 3.5 Other Performance Measures 73 3.6 Illiquidity, Accounting Conservatism, IRR, and the J-Curve 75 3.7 Distribution of Cash Waterfall 77 Review Questions 85 Note 86 Chapter 4 Statistical Foundations 87 4.1 Return Distributions 87 4.2 Moments of the Distribution: Mean, Variance, Skewness, and Kurtosis 90 4.3 Covariance, Correlation, Beta, and Autocorrelation 94 4.4 Interpreting Standard Deviation and Variance 104 4.5 Testing for Normality 111 4.6 Time-Series Return Volatility Models 114 Review Questions 116 Chapter 5 Foundations of Financial Economics 117 5.1 Informational Market Efficiency 117 5.2 The Time Value of Money, Prices, and Rates 122 5.3 The Three Primary Theories of the Term Structure of Interest Rates 127 5.4 Forward Interest Rates 129 5.5 Arbitrage-Free Models 131 5.6 Binomial Tree Models 134 5.7 Single-Factor Default–Free Bond Models 137 5.8 Single-Factor Equity Pricing Models 143 Review Questions 148 Note 149 Chapter 6 Derivatives and Risk-Neutral Valuation 151 6.1 Foundations of Forward Contracts 151 6.2 Forward Contracts on Rates 155 6.3 Forward Contracts on Equities 157 6.4 Forward Contracts on Assets with Benefits and Costs of Carry 165 6.5 Forward Contracts Versus Futures Contracts 171 6.6 Managing Long-Term Futures Exposures 178 6.7 Option Exposures 180 6.8 Option Pricing Models 186 6.9 Option Sensitivities 188 Review Questions 190 Notes 191 Chapter 7 Measures of Risk and Performance 193 7.1 Measures of Risk 193 7.2 Estimating Value at Risk (VaR) 198 7.3 Benchmarking and Performance Attribution 203 7.4 Ratio-Based Performance Measures 204 7.5 Risk-Adjusted Return Measures 210 Review Questions 214 Notes 214 Chapter 8 Alpha, Beta, and Hypothesis Testing 215 8.1 Overview of Beta and Alpha 215 8.2 Ex Ante Versus Ex Post Alpha 217 8.3 Single-Factor Models and Regression 220 8.4 Inferring Ex Ante Alpha From Ex Post Alpha 225 8.5 Return Attribution, Alpha, and Beta 226 8.6 Ex Ante Alpha Estimation and Return Persistence 230 8.7 Return Drivers 231 8.8 Using Statistical Methods to Locate Alpha 234 8.9 Sampling and Testing Problems 239 8.10 Statistical Issues in Analyzing Alpha and Beta 242 Review Questions 246 Notes 247 Part 2 Real Assets Chapter 9 Natural Resources and Land 251 9.1 Natural Resources Other Than Land 251 9.2 Land 256 9.3 Timber and Timberland 261 9.4 Farmland 263 9.5 Valuation and Volatility of Real Assets 268 9.6 Pricing and Historic Data Analysis 272 9.7 Contagion, Price Indices, and Biases 275 9.8 Key Observations Regarding Historical Returns of Timberland 278 9.9 Key Observations Regarding Historical Returns of Farmland 278 Review Questions 279 Notes 279 Chapter 10 Commodities 281 10.1 Investing in Commodities Without Futures 281 10.2 The Term Structure of Forward Prices on Commodities 288 10.3 Rolling of Forward and Futures Contracts 296 10.4 Normal Backwardation and Normal Contango 302 10.5 Commodity Exposure and Diversification 307 10.6 Expected Returns on Commodities 310 10.7 Commodity Futures Indices 312 10.8 Commodity Risk Attributes 314 10.9 Observations Based on Historical Returns 318 Review Questions 318 Notes 318 Chapter 11 Other Real Assets 319 11.1 Commodity Producers 319 11.2 Liquid Alternative Real Assets 322 11.3 Infrastructure 325 11.4 Intellectual Property Overview 336 11.5 Cash Flows of Intellectual Property 341 11.6 Visual Works of Art and Historical Performance Data 344 11.7 R&D and Patents as Unbundled Intellectual Property 346 11.8 Intellectual Property Conclusions 349 Review Questions 350 Notes 350 References 350 Chapter 12 Real Estate Assets and Debt 353 12.1 Categories of Real Estate 353 12.2 Advantages, Disadvantages, and Styles of Real Estate Investments 355 12.3 Real Estate Style Boxes 361 12.4 Residential Mortgages 363 12.5 Commercial Mortgages 372 12.6 Mortgage-Backed Securities Market 375 12.7 Liquid Alternatives: Real Estate Investment Trusts 380 12.8 Key Observations Regarding Historical Returns of Mortgage REITs 382 Review Questions 384 Notes 384 Chapter 13 Real Estate Equity 385 13.1 Real Estate Development 385 13.2 Commercial Real Estate Valuation 389 13.3 Details of the Income Approach to Real Estate Valuation 397 13.4 Illustration of the Income Method of Real Estate Valuation 402 13.5 Alternative Real Estate Investment Vehicles 403 13.6 Equity REIT Returns 409 13.7 Key Observations Regarding Historical Risks and Returns of Equity REITs 410 Review Questions 412 Part 3 Hedge Funds Chapter 14 Structure of the Hedge Fund Industry 415 14.1 Distinguishing Hedge Funds 415 14.2 Hedge Fund Fees 419 14.3 Hedge Fund Classification 431 14.4 Hedge Fund Returns and Asset Allocation 433 14.5 Evaluating a Hedge Fund Investment Program 438 14.6 Three Research Studies on Whether Hedge Funds Adversely Affect the Financial Markets 441 14.7 Hedge Fund Indices 442 14.8 Conclusion 451 Review Questions 451 Notes 451 Chapter 15 Macro and Managed Futures Funds 453 15.1 Macro and Managed Futures Strategies 453 15.2 Global Macro 455 15.3 Managed Futures 459 15.4 Systematic Trading 464 15.5 Four Core Dimensions of Managed Futures Investment Strategies 476 15.6 Systematic Futures Portfolio Construction 479 15.7 Eight Core Benefits of Managed Futures for Investors 483 15.8 Evidence on Managed Futures Returns 485 15.9 Benefits of Managed Futures Funds 493 15.10 Key Observations Regarding Historical Returns of Macro and Systematic Diversified Funds 499 Review Questions 499 Notes 499 Chapter 16 Event-Driven Hedge Funds 501 16.1 The Sources of Most Event Strategy Returns 501 16.2 Activist Investing 505 16.3 Merger Arbitrage 517 16.4 Distressed Securities Funds 524 16.5 Event-Driven Multistrategy Funds 532 Review Questions 534 Notes 534 Chapter 17 Relative Value Hedge Funds 535 17.1 Overview of Relative Value Strategies 535 17.2 Convertible Bond Arbitrage 536 17.3 Volatility Arbitrage 551 17.4 Fixed-Income Arbitrage 565 17.5 Relative Value Multistrategy Funds 575 Review Questions 578 Notes 578 Chapter 18 Equity Hedge Funds 579 18.1 Commonalities of Equity Hedge Funds 579 18.2 Sources of Return 580 18.3 Market Anomalies 584 18.4 Implementing Anomaly Strategies 590 18.5 The Three Equity Strategies 594 18.6 Equity Hedge Fund Risks 605 Review Questions 605 Notes 606 Chapter 19 Funds of Hedge Funds 607 19.1 Overview of Funds of Hedge Funds 607 19.2 Investing in Multistrategy Funds 616 19.3 Investing in Funds of Hedge Funds 619 19.4 Investing in Portfolios of Single Hedge Funds 622 19.5 Multialternatives and Other Hedge Fund Liquid Alternatives 624 19.6 Key Observations Regarding Historical Returns of Funds of Funds 628 Review Questions 631 Notes 631 Part 4 Private Securities Chapter 20 Private Equity Assets 635 20.1 Introduction to Private Equity Terms and Background 635 20.2 Overview of Three Forms of Pre-IPO Private Equity Investing 637 20.3 Venture Capital 639 20.4 Venture Capital as a Compound Option 647 20.5 Growth Equity 648 20.6 Buyouts and Leveraged Buyouts 651 20.7 Buyouts of Private Companies 653 20.8 Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs) 655 20.9 Merchant Banking 663 20.10 Dynamics of Private Equity Opportunities 663 Review Questions 665 Notes 666 Chapter 21 Private Equity Funds 667 21.1 Overview of Private Equity Funds 667 21.2 Private Equity Funds as Intermediaries 671 21.3 The LP and GP Relationship Life Cycle 677 21.4 Private Equity Fund Fees and Terms 680 21.5 Key Determinants of Venture Capital Fund Risks and Returns 687 21.6 Roles and Three Key Distinctions of Venture Capital and Buyout Managers 689 21.7 Leveraged Buyout Funds 689 21.8 Private Equity Liquid Alternatives 693 21.9 Private Equity Funds of Funds 698 21.10 Private Investments in Public Equity 699 21.11 Private Equity Secondary Markets and Structures 703 Review Questions 706 Notes 707 Chapter 22 Private Credit and Distressed Debt 709 22.1 Types of Fund Private Credit Vehicles 709 22.2 Fixed-Income Analysis 711 22.3 Credit Risk Analysis and the Bankruptcy Process 715 22.4 Leveraged Loans 725 22.5 Direct Lending 727 22.6 Mezzanine Debt 728 22.7 Distressed Debt 737 22.8 Private Credit Performance and Diversification 743 Review Questions 744 Note 744 References 745 Part 5 Structured Products Chapter 23 Introduction to Structuring 749 23.1 Overview of Financial Structuring 749 23.2 Major Types of Structuring 750 23.3 The Primary Economic Role of Structuring 751 23.4 Collateralized Mortgage Obligations 753 23.5 Structural Model Approach to Credit Risk 761 23.6 Interest Rate Options 766 23.7 Introduction to Collateralized Debt Obligations 768 Review Questions 773 Note 773 Chapter 24 Credit Risk and Credit Derivatives 775 24.1 An Overview of Credit Risk 775 24.2 Reduced-Form Modeling of Credit Risk 776 24.3 Credit Derivatives Markets 783 24.4 Interest Rate Swaps 786 24.5 Credit Default Swaps 793 24.6 Other Credit Derivatives 801 24.7 CDS Index Products 804 24.8 Five Key Risks of Credit Derivatives 805 Review Questions 807 Notes 807 Chapter 25 CDO Structuring of Credit Risk 809 25.1 Overview of CDO Variations 809 25.2 Balance Sheet CDOs and Arbitrage CDOs 812 25.3 Mechanics of and Motivations for An Arbitrage CDO 814 25.4 Cash-Funded CDOs Versus Synthetic CDOs 816 25.5 Cash Flow CDOs Versus Market Value CDOs 820 25.6 Credit Enhancements 821 25.7 Other Types of CDOs 823 25.8 Risks of CDOs 824 Review Questions 829 Chapter 26 Equity-Linked Structured Products 831 26.1 Structured Products and Six Types of Wrappers 831 26.2 Four Potential Tax Effects of Wrappers 832 26.3 Structured Products with Exotic Option Features 835 26.4 Popular Structured Product Types 843 26.5 The EUSIPA Classification 844 26.6 Global Structured Product Cases 848 26.7 Structured Product Valuation 850 26.8 Motivations of Structured Products 854 Review Questions 855 Notes 856 Index 857

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe easy way to successfully run a profitable restaurant Millions of Americans dream of owning and running their own restaurant ? because they want to be their own boss, because their cooking always draws raves, or just because they love food.Running a Restaurant For Dummiescovers every aspect of getting started for aspiring restaurateurs. From setting up a business plan and finding financing, to designing a menu and dining room, you''ll find all the advice you need to start and run a successful restaurant. Even if you don''t know anything about cooking or running a business, you might still have a great idea for a restaurant ? and this handy guide will show you how to make your dream a reality. If you already own a restaurant, but want to see it get more successful, Running a Restaurant For Dummies offers unbeatable tips and advice for bringing in hungry customers. From start to finish, you''ll learn everything you need to know to succeed. Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Conventions Used in This Book 2 What You’re Not to Read 2 Foolish Assumptions 3 How This Book is Organized 3 Part 1: Getting Started 3 Part 2: Putting Your Plan in Motion 3 Part 3: Preparing to Open the Doors 4 Part 4: Keeping Your Restaurant Running Smoothly 4 Part 5: The Part of Tens 4 Icons Used in This Book 4 Beyond the Book 5 Where to Go from Here 5 Part 1: Getting Started 7 Chapter 1: Grasping the Basics of the Restaurant Business 9 Getting a Feel for the Restaurant World 10 Laying the foundation 10 Setting up shop (with a little help) 11 Welcoming the world to your restaurant 11 Finding Out Whether You Have What it Takes 12 Monitoring your motivations 12 Evaluating your expectations 13 Tracking key traits of successful restaurateurs 14 Chapter 2: Deciding What Kind of Restaurant to Run 17 Figuring Out Where to Start 18 Buying into a franchise 18 Taking over an existing restaurant 19 Partnering up with your current employer 20 Starting from scratch 21 Choosing the Right Type of Restaurant 22 Dining in style 22 Kicking back casual 24 Placing an order — to go! 24 Selecting self-service or fast-food 26 Running a bar — with or without food 27 Providing catering and banquet services 27 Creating Your Concept 29 Positioning your restaurant for success 30 Identifying the emotional connection 31 Creating a unique selling proposition 31 Using consumer insights to develop and test your concept 32 Developing your positioning statement 33 Putting it All Together 34 Thinking about theme and concept 34 Choosing a name 35 Creating a logo 37 Signing off on signage 38 Chapter 3: Researching the Marketplace 41 Getting Your Mind Right: Profits Matter 42 Exploring the Consumer’s Buying Decision: The Big Why 42 Identifying and Analyzing Potential Customers 44 Figuring out who your customers are: Target segmentation 44 Creating a profile of your Superfan, or brand hero 45 Focusing your research 47 Keeping an Eye on the Enemy 48 Identifying your competitors 48 Figuring out who they think their customers are 49 Reconnaissance: Mystery shopping till you drop 50 Developing and Implementing Your Battle Plan 52 Doing a competitive analysis 52 Acting on your information 54 Adjusting to a changing battlefield 55 Chapter 4: Writing a Business Plan 57 Don’t Fly Blind: Understanding Why a Business Plan Matters 58 Laying Out a Business Plan 59 Articulating the concept and theme 61 Creating your menu now 61 Analyzing your market 62 Identifying your target audience 63 The Bottom Line: Focusing on Financials 63 Forecasting sales 64 Forecasting expenses 67 Breaking even 72 Estimating profits 73 Projecting cash flow 74 Creating a balance sheet 74 Selling Your Plan: The Unwritten Part of Your Business Plan 76 Part 2: Putting Your Plan in Motion 77 Chapter 5: Show Me the Money! Finding Financing 79 Knowing How Much Money You Need 79 Calculating start-up costs 80 Opening with operating reserve 81 Looking at How You Can Contribute 81 Working with Investors 83 Looking at types of investors 83 Compensating your investors 85 Getting a Loan 87 Visiting your local bank 87 Finding government assistance 88 Chapter 6: Choosing a Location 89 Looking at the Local Real Estate Market 89 Examining Location Specifics 90 Considering access and visibility 91 Paying attention to traffic 92 Knowing which locations to avoid 93 Looking at other businesses in the area 94 Considering security 94 Factoring In Cost Considerations 95 Chapter 7: Paying Attention to the Legalities 97 Identifying the Help You Need 98 Looking at the roles to fill 98 Setting Up Shop on Legal Grounds 99 Going it alone: Sole proprietorships 100 Teaming up: Partnerships 100 Almost teaming up: Limited partnerships 100 Playing it safe: The corporate entity 101 Blend of three: The LLC 101 Knowing Your Local Laws 101 Getting Permits and Licenses 102 Acquiring a liquor license 103 Heeding health codes 105 Paying attention to building codes 106 Considering fire codes and capacity 107 Checking out other permits 107 Taking up trademarks 108 Buying the Insurance You Need 109 Part 3: Preparing to Open the Doors 111 Chapter 8: Creating the All-Important Menu 113 Making Some Initial Decisions 114 Matching your menu to your concept 114 Considering customers: Feeding the need with an insights-driven menu 115 Matching your menu to your kitchen 116 Cutting your chef (if you have one) in on the action 117 Figuring Out How Much to Charge 118 Determining your menu price points 118 Using food cost percentage to set prices 119 Creating dishes and recipes and then costing them 121 Dealing with price fluctuations 122 Mixing your menu to meet an overall percentage goal 123 Deciding When to Change Your Menu 124 Staying flexible when you first open 124 Revisiting your menu later on 125 Offering specials 126 Highlighting new news 126 Choosing Your Menu Format 127 Counting your main menu options 127 Considering additional presentations 130 Selling the Sizzle: Setting Up a Menu with Sales in Mind 132 Directing eyes with menu engineering 132 Getting people salivating: Considering visual representation on the menu 133 Money for ink: Using lingo that sells 134 Validating Your Menu before You Go Primetime 135 Chapter 9: Setting Up the Front of the House 137 Digging into Design 138 Identifying pros who can help 140 Getting the scoop on potential pros 141 Thinking outside the Box: The Exterior 142 Laying Out the Interior 144 Allowing space for the flow 145 Building your floor plan 145 Creating space to wait 147 Keeping Service Support Close 148 Wait stations 149 Point of sale (POS) stations 150 Tabletop settings 151 Setting Up a Reservation System 152 Taking traditional reservations 153 Accepting online reservations 154 Reviewing Restrooms 155 Providing public facilities 155 Earmarking areas for employees 156 Chapter 10: Setting Up the Back of the House 157 Planning a Kitchen with the Menu in Mind 157 Figuring out what you need to fix the food on your menu 158 Reviewing the basic kitchen stations 159 Taking control of your prep 164 Laying out your kitchen 168 Considering Your Water Supply: Why Water Quality Matters 170 Adapting an Existing Kitchen 171 Acquiring Your Kitchen Equipment 172 Deciding whether to buy or lease 173 Moving beyond name-brand equipment 175 Getting purchasing advice 176 Chapter 11: Setting Up a Bar and Beverage Program 177 Setting Up Your Bar 178 Figuring out furniture 178 Selecting equipment 179 Selecting smallwares 181 Surveying supplies 183 Keeping Your Bar Clean 184 Drawing Drinking Crowds 185 Running promotions 185 Providing entertainment 186 Offering great bartenders 187 Get with the (Beverage) Program: Providing Liquid Refreshment 188 Creating your beverage program 188 Developing a robust nonalcoholic beverage program 189 Becoming Beer Brainy 190 Winning with Wine 191 Creating your list 192 Pricing your wine 194 Storing your wine 195 Lapping Up Some Liquor Learning 196 Pour size and pricing 196 Liquor lingo: Understanding cost and quality 197 Serving Alcohol Responsibly 198 Chapter 12: Hiring and Training Your Staff 201 Deciding Which Roles Need to Be Filled 201 Managing your quest for managers 203 Staffing the kitchen 206 Filling the front of the house 210 Staffing the office 213 Finding the Right People: Placing Ads and Sifting through Résumés 215 Interviewing the Candidates 216 Round 1: The meet and greet 217 Round 2: Comparison shopping 218 Bonus rounds: The inevitable re-staffing 219 Hiring Foreign Nationals 220 Double-checking the documents 220 Evaluating the E-Verify system 220 Petitioning for an employee 221 Training Your Staff 221 The employee manual: Identifying your company policies 221 Operations manuals: Understanding specific job functions 222 Creating a training schedule 223 Chapter 13: Purchasing and Managing Supplies 225 Preparing to Stock the Supply Room 225 Listing what you need 226 Considering premade items 228 Finding and Working with Purveyors 228 Finding and interviewing suppliers 229 Comparing prices, quality, and service 231 Considering the size of suppliers 232 Getting the right quality at the right price 232 Getting what you ask for the way you ask for it 233 Building an Efficient Inventory System 234 Managing the inventory 234 Reducing waste 237 Eliminating spoilage 238 Chapter 14: Running Your Office 241 Deciding Where to Put Your Office 241 Creating a Communications Hub 242 Counting on your computer 242 Picking up the phone 243 Using e-mail and online services 243 Tracking sales with a point-of-sale system 244 Interfacing your different systems 246 Hardware (the Old-Fashioned Variety) 246 Processing Payments 247 Credit and debit card transactions 248 Gift cards 248 Contactless and proximity payments 250 Preparing for Payroll 250 Farming it out or doing it in-house 251 Deciding on a payroll period 252 Choosing salaries or hourly wages 252 Choosing a method of payment 253 Saving, Storing, and Protecting Your Records 254 Chapter 15: Getting the Word Out 257 Defining Your Message 258 Focusing on the consumer and tailoring your message 258 Communicating your concept 259 Keeping up with the competition 259 Getting tactical 261 Building Public Relations 262 Planning for the good and the bad 262 Your PR campaign: Going it alone 263 Getting some help with PR 265 Creating an Advertising Plan 266 Creating a Compelling Restaurant Website 268 Sounding Off on Social Media 269 Investigating your options 270 Responding to reviews both positive and negative 275 Part 4: Keeping Your Restaurant Running Smoothly 277 Chapter 16: Managing Your Employees 279 Selling Employees on Your (or Their) Restaurant 279 Educating your employees 280 Motivating your staff 281 Making Staff Schedules 283 Adding it all up: How many workers you need 283 Putting names to numbers 285 Setting Up Policies to Live (or Die) By 287 Scheduling and attendance 287 Smoking 288 Drinking or using illegal drugs 289 Uniforms and grooming standards 289 Social media policies 290 Disciplinary measures 292 Offering Benefits 293 Looking at health insurance 293 Considering other benefits 293 Chapter 17: Running a Safe and Clean Restaurant 295 Making Sure Your Food is Safe 295 Blaming bacteria and viruses 296 Battling illness: Time and temperature 297 Preventing cross-contamination 299 Monitoring food safety outside the kitchen 299 Monitoring food safety outside the restaurant 300 Critical control points: Following HACCP guidelines 301 Staff education: Picking up food safety tools 301 Implementing proper hand-washing procedures 302 Keeping the Restaurant Clean 302 Getting cleaning supplies 303 Scheduling your cleaning 304 Opening and closing procedures 309 Taking Precautions to Protect Your Customers and Staff 310 Food allergies and other dietary concerns 310 First aid 312 Exits: In the event of an emergency 312 Providing a Pest-Free Place 313 Handling the Health Inspection 314 When the inspector arrives 315 During the inspection 315 Avoiding a bad inspection 316 Chapter 18: Building a Clientele 317 Understanding Who Your Customer is 318 Meeting and Exceeding Expectations 319 Turning Unsatisfied Guests into Repeat Customers 321 Recognizing unsatisfied guests 322 Making things right 324 Making Social Media Work for You 325 Chapter 19: Maintaining What You’ve Created 327 Evaluating Financial Performance 328 Daily business review 328 Income statement 330 Cash flow analysis 330 Evaluating Operations 332 Menu mix analysis 332 Purchasing and inventory analysis 335 Evaluating and Using Feedback 337 Paying attention to customer feedback 337 Responding to professional criticism and praise 339 Listening to employee feedback 342 Part 5: The Part of Tens 343 Chapter 20: Ten Myths about Running a Restaurant 345 Running a Restaurant is Easy 345 I’ll Have a Place to Hang Out 346 I Can Trust My Brother-in-Law 346 The Neighbors Will Love Me 347 I’ve Been to Culinary School, So I’m Ready to Run the Show 347 I’m Going to Be a Celebrity Chef 347 My Chili Rocks, So I Should Open a Place 348 I Can Cut the Advertising Budget 348 Wraps are Here to Stay 348 I’ll Be Home for the Holidays 349 Chapter 21: Ten True Restaurant Stories That You Just Couldn’t Make Up 351 Déjà Vu All Over Again 351 Priceless 352 Free Pie Guy 352 Rat-atouille 352 Frosty the Newbie 353 Drinks are on Me 353 You Like My Tie? 353 Chefs Behaving Badly 354 Radio Fryer 354 (Coat) Check, Please! 354 Index 355

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs an industrial process, construction is unique. The procurement processes used to achieve the successful completion of built assets requires a different approach to that adopted in most other industries, due to the design of buildings being bespoke and the sites being geographically varied. The procurement process is central to the success of any construction project and many of the problems which impact construction projects can be traced back to the procurement phase, so a good understanding of the methods of procurement, the development of a procurement strategy and the influence it has on project success is essential for all those working in the industry. Much has changed in the global construction industry since publication of the second edition ofBuilding Procurement,for example the increase in debt burden of many major economies, widespread adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) Technology in the industry and the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union. ThisTable of ContentsPreface to the Third Edition xvii 1 Introduction 1 References 5 2 Procurement Strategy: A Literature Review 7 Introduction and Early History 7 Procurement Route Selection Models 8 Towards a Broader View 9 Defining Project Success 11 Team Relationships, Supply Chain Management and Communication and Their Effect on Project Performance 12 Teamwork and Team Performance 12 Partnering: Introduction and Early Development 14 Partnering: A Critical Review 14 Partnering Variants 17 Partnering Dissected 17 Procurement and Multicultural Teams 18 Supply Chain Management 19 The Role of the Client in the Procurement Process 20 The Interrelationship Between the Components of the Overall Procurement Approach: Strategic Procurement Management 21 Legal and Contractual Issues, Including Public Sector Procurement Legislation, and Their Effect on Project Performance 22 International Procurement Comparisons and the Impact of Cultural Differences 24 Risk Allocation and Reward 26 Bid Evaluation Techniques 27 Environmental and Sustainability Issues and the Procurement of Construction Work 29 Sustainable Procurement for Construction Projects 31 Conclusion 32 References 33 3 Principles of Strategic Procurement 49 Introduction 49 Procurement: A Review of Theory and Practice 52 A Strategic Approach to Procurement 54 Components of the Procurement Process 54 Functional Needs Analysis 55 Development of an Overall Procurement Philosophy 55 Components of a Collaborative Relationship 57 Detailed Design of the Procurement Approach 59 Formalisation of Contractual Relationships 59 Selection of the Most Appropriate Partners 60 Implementation 61 Collaborative Procurement in the Public Sector 61 Conclusion 62 References 63 4 Public Sector Projects 65 Introduction: Why Should Public Sector Projects Be Different? 65 What Constitutes the Public Sector? 66 Central Government 67 Government and the Construction Industry 68 Building Information Modelling 70 Responsible Agencies 70 The Gateway Process 70 Local Government and Other Bodies Governed by Public Law 72 Best Value 73 The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 74 References 74 5 Project Initiation 77 Introduction 77 Strategic Fit 78 Payback 79 Assessment of Options 82 Achievability 83 Affordability 83 Defining the Project 84 Prioritisation of Objectives 84 Conclusion 86 References 87 6 Briefing and the Design Process 89 Introduction 89 Project Briefing: An Overview 89 Types of Construction Client 91 Questions to Determine the Type of Client 93 Time 93 Cost 93 Quality 94 Likelihood of Post-Contract Client Changes 94 Degree of Accountability Required 94 Project Complexity 94 The Briefing Process 94 Briefing: A Historical Perspective 95 Different Briefing Approaches 96 The Generic Types of Brief 97 Developing the Strategic Brief 98 Developing the Project Brief 99 The Project Execution Plan 100 What Issues Does the PEP Need to Address? 101 When Should It Be Prepared? 102 Who Prepares the PEP? 103 How Is the PEP Prepared? 103 Project Briefing: The Case of Hospitals 104 Critical Factors for Success in the Briefing Process 105 References 107 7 Procurement Strategies and Procurement Routes 111 Introduction 111 Procurement Strategy 117 Developing a Procurement Strategy 120 Procurement Routes 121 Factors to Be Considered in Selecting a Procurement Route 122 Factors Outside the Control of the Project Team 123 Client Resources 123 Project Characteristics 123 Ability to Make Changes 123 Risk Management 124 Cost Issues 124 Project Timing 124 Construction Times 125 Performance 126 Selection of a Procurement Route 126 Procurement Routes: A Review 130 Traditional (Design–Bid–Build) 130 Design and Build 133 Measurement (Remeasurement or Measure and Value) 138 Construction Management 139 Management Contracting 141 Design and Manage 142 New Models of Construction Procurement 143 Cost Led Procurement 143 Two Stage Open Book 144 Integrated Project Insurance 145 Adoption of the New Models of Construction Procurement in the Industry 145 References 146 8 Project Team Selection 149 Introduction 149 The Selection Process 151 Prequalification 151 Production of the Tender List 154 Tender Evaluation 154 Price 155 Technical Evaluation 155 Commercial Evaluation 155 Interview 155 Award of the Contract 156 Selecting a Consultant 156 Selecting a Contractor 159 Early Contractor Involvement 160 References 160 9 Managing the Procurement Process 163 Introduction 163 The Project Manager 164 First Tasks of the Project Manager 166 Developing the Project Execution Plan 166 Identifying the Project Team 167 Implementing the Procurement Strategy 167 Project Resources 167 Financial Resources 167 Human Resources 168 Physical Resources 168 Temporary Organisational Structure 169 Contractual Arrangements 169 Systems and Controls 170 Time Management 170 Design Management 172 Design Risk 173 Cost Management 174 Quality Control 177 Change Control 178 Commissioning 179 Occupation and Take-over 179 Building Information Modelling 180 The Construction Act 183 Social Value in Construction Procurement 184 Health, Safety and Wellbeing 186 Conclusion 187 References 187 10 The Value of Design 191 Introduction 191 Considering Value in the Business Context 192 The Value of Good Design 193 Managing Value 196 Value Management 196 Value Management Workshops 198 The Benefits of Value Management 199 Value Engineering 200 Application of Value Engineering in the Construction Industry 200 Value Engineering Workshops 201 References 201 11 Risk Management 203 Introduction 203 Risk and Uncertainty 204 Types of Risk 205 Risk Management Strategies 205 Identifying Risk 206 Assumption Analysis 206 Checklists 207 Brainstorming 207 Delphi Technique 207 Cause and Effect of Risk 209 Other Risk Identification Techniques 209 Examples of Risks 209 Analysing Risk 210 Qualitative Assessment 211 Quantitative Assessment 211 Sensitivity Analysis 212 Probability Analysis 213 Decision Trees 214 Choosing a Risk Management Strategy 216 Risk Management Strategies 216 Risk Avoidance 216 Risk Reduction 216 Risk Transfer 216 Risk Sharing 217 Risk Retention 217 Risk Allocation 217 The Empty Chair Theory 218 Monitoring and Controlling Risk 219 References 220 Further Reading 220 12 Partnering Culture and the Management of Relationships 221 Introduction 221 The Latham Review and Subsequent Developments 221 The Rise of Collaborative Approaches to Procurement 222 Collaborative Approaches to Construction Work 223 Contractual Approaches to Collaboration 224 The Joint Contracts Tribunal Forms of Contract Including the Standard Form of Building Contract 224 The New Engineering Contract Engineering and Construction Contract Edition 3 224 The Association of Consultant Architects Project Partnering Contract 225 Perform21 Public Sector Partnering Contract 225 Target Cost Contracts 226 What Advantages Does Partnering Bring? 227 Managing a Successful Partnering Arrangement 227 The Role of the Workshop Facilitator 228 Facilitation Guidelines 229 Agenda 229 Structure and Climate 229 Regular Summaries 229 Control of Phases 229 Gatekeeping 229 Team Composition 229 Managing Relationships 230 Why Is Relationship Management Important? 230 Establishing the ‘Cultural Fit’ 231 What Is Culture? 232 Understanding Culture 232 Achieving Cultural Fit 233 Mutual Objectives 234 Team Development 235 The Nature of Trust 237 Maintenance of the Relationship 238 The Project Supply Chain 240 The Holistic Approach 241 The Bicameral Approach 241 The Unilateral Approach 242 The Collaborative Approach 242 A Case Study: Procurement of a Long-Term Multi-Project Alliance – Sheffield Hallam University 243 Introduction 243 The Campus Development Plan 243 Procurement 244 The Stradia Brief 245 The Contractual Relationship 246 Organisation and Management 246 The Contractor Selection Process 247 The Written Submission 247 The Financial Submission – Tender Cost Models 247 Behavioural Assessment 248 Insurances 248 Selection of the Consultancy Group 248 Conclusion 249 Acknowledgements 249 References 249 13 Privately Financed Public Sector Projects 251 Introduction 251 Historical Development 251 Modern Models for Privatisation 254 Outright Privatisation 254 Participative Privately Financed Techniques 255 Corporatisation and the Use of Semi-Private (Mixed) Companies 256 Publicly Owned Corporations 256 Semi-Public Corporations 257 Management Contracts 257 The Leasing or Build–Lease–Transfer Model 258 Pre-Financing 259 Mixed Models 259 Concession-Based Methods 260 Build–Operate–Transfer 260 Build–Own–Operate–Transfer 261 Build–Transfer–Operate and Build–Transfer–Service–Maintain 262 Build–Own–Operate 262 Lease–Renovate–Operate–Transfer 262 Design–Build–Finance–Operate 263 Design–Construct–Manage–Finance and Design–Build–Finance–Operate–Manage 263 Public Private Partnerships 264 The Private Finance Initiative 264 Genesis 264 Problems 265 Understanding the Rules 266 High Bidding Costs 266 Risk 266 Refinancing 267 Value for Money 268 Design 270 The Relationship Between PFI Client and Contractor 270 Small Projects 273 Concession Agreements 273 Current Developments 277 Conclusion 279 References 279 14 Construction Procurement: Europe 283 Introduction and Background 283 The Development of the Professions 285 Europe 286 The European Union 286 European Procurement Practice 287 The French System 287 The Architect 288 Contractors 288 The Client 288 Contractual Approaches 289 Tender Documentation 292 Contracts 292 Contemporary Developments 294 The Northern European Approach 294 The Mediterranean Approach 296 Greece 297 Italy 297 Spain and Portugal 298 Procurement Rules: European Union Principles and Procedures 299 Non-discrimination and Transparency: The Role of the EU 299 EU Directives 300 The Supplies Directive and Amendments 301 The Works Directive and Amendments 301 The Utilities Directive and the Utilities Remedies Directive 302 The Services Directive 302 The Public Sector Directive 303 Tendering 303 Value Thresholds 304 Tendering Procedures 305 Open Tendering 305 Restricted Tendering 305 Negotiated Tendering 305 Competitive Dialogue 306 Framework Agreements 307 Electronic Auctions 308 Sustainability and Environmental Issues 309 Specifying Sustainability Requirements and the Selection of Tenderers 310 Sheltered Workshops 310 Use of Variant Bids 310 Use of Contract Award Criteria 310 Timescales 310 Award Procedures 311 The Remedies Directive 313 Enforcement of EU Directives 313 References 314 15 Construction Procurement: USA, the Middle East, Africa, and China 315 Introduction and Background 315 Construction Procurement in the USA 316 Introduction 316 Procurement Routes 316 Design–Bid–Build 317 Design–Build Process 317 Construction Management 318 Construction Management at Risk 318 Job Order Contracting 319 Time and Materials Contracting 319 Best Value Selection 319 Summary 320 The Middle East 320 Construction Procurement in Sub-Saharan Africa 322 Introduction 322 Procurement Approaches 323 Public Private Partnerships 325 The Influence of Chinese Investment on Procurement in SSA 327 The People’s Republic of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 328 The Chinese Construction Industry 329 The ‘External’ Construction Industry 329 The Indigenous Construction Industry 330 The Construction Professions 330 Opportunities for Western Companies 331 References 332 16 Procurement of Work to Heritage Buildings 335 Introduction 335 The Heritage Challenge 336 Procurement: The Heritage Context 337 The Value of Built Heritage 341 The Importance of Cultural Significance 343 Statutory Protection for Heritage Buildings 345 Listed Buildings 345 Conservation Areas 346 Scheduled Monuments 346 World Heritage Sites 347 Managing Change in the Historic Environment 347 Planning for Conservation 347 Conservation Plans 347 Conservation Statements 348 Asset Management Plans 348 Heritage Impact Assessments 348 The Planning Process 349 The Role of the Conservation Advisor 349 Procurement Processes and Procedures 350 The Investigation Contract 351 A Case Study in the Procurement of Work to Historic Buildings: The Derby Roundhouse 351 The Existing Buildings: Historical Background 353 The Genesis of the Project 358 The Final Scheme 359 Site Surveys and Pre-tender Investigations 363 The Tender Process 364 The Partnering Process 365 Post-contract Processes 366 Practical Issues on Site 366 Repairs to Historic Structures 366 Integration of Building Services 367 Project Timeframe, Costs, and Team 367 A Case Study in the Procurement of Work to Historic Buildings: The Belton House Stables Project 368 The Existing Buildings: Historical Background 368 The Stables Building 369 The Stables Scheme 370 Feasibility Studies and Project Design 372 Site Surveys and Pre-tender Investigations 374 Procurement Approach 375 Post-contract Processes 375 Practical Issues on Site and Variations 376 Programme and Cost 377 Summary 378 Acknowledgements 379 References 379 17 Summary 383 References 386 A Procurement Route Selection Checklists 387 Checklist 1: Time 387 Checklist 2: Design 388 Checklist 3: Cost 388 Analysis 389 Index 391

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsForeword xv Introduction xix Part I A Very Different Way of Looking at Business, Marketing, and Trust 1 Chapter 1 The Fall 3 Chapter 2 A Massive Buying Shift and the Blur Between Sales and Marketing 9 Chapter 3 This Book Won’t Work for You If … 13 Chapter 4 The Discovery of They Ask, You Answer 17 Chapter 5 They Ask, You Answer Defined 21 Chapter 6 Brainstorming the Questions You are Asked Every Day 23 Chapter 7 The Ostrich Marketing Strategy 27 Chapter 8 The CarMax Effect 29 Chapter 9 The Discovery of The Big 5 37 Chapter 10 The Big 5, Topic 1: Pricing and Cost: Why We Must Talk About Money 39 Chapter 11 How One Article About Money Generated More Than $6 Million in Sales 43 Chapter 12 Case Study 1: High-End B2B Technology Company Generates More Than $8 Million in Additional Revenue 51 Chapter 13 The Big 5, Topic 2: Problems: How to Turn Weaknesses into Strengths 59 Chapter 14 Addressing the Elephant in the Room 61 Chapter 15 How Talking About Our Problems Generated More Than $1 Million in Revenue 63 Chapter 16 Case Study 2: An Equipment Financing Company Becomes a Digital David and Conquers the Industry Goliaths 65 Chapter 17 The Big 5, Topic 3: Versus and Comparisons 73 Chapter 18 The Critical Need for Unbiased Content 77 Chapter 19 The Big 5, Topics 4 and 5: Reviews and Best in Class 81 Chapter 20 Using Reviews to Establish Yourself as an Expert 85 Chapter 21 The Impact of Discussing Competition 89 Chapter 22 Case Study 3: Small Retail Appliance Store Dominates Online and Makes Millions 93 Chapter 23 The Competition 101 Chapter 24 How They Ask, You Answer Saved River Pools and Spas 107 Part II The Impact of They Ask, You Answer on Sales Teams 111 Chapter 25 How Great Content Is a Total Game-Changer for Sales Teams 113 Chapter 26 A Dramatic Discovery 117 Chapter 27 Assignment Selling 121 Chapter 28 How One Remarkable Couple Changed My Perspective on the Power of Content to Sell 127 Chapter 29 Content Never Sleeps 131 Chapter 30 How to Use Assignment Selling to Avoid Common Pitfalls 135 Chapter 31 How to Use Assignment Selling to Determine Compatibility 139 Chapter 32 Case Study 4: How a Healthcare Startup Became the Thought Leaders of an Entirely New Industry 143 Part III Implementation and Making It a Culture 149 Chapter 33 The Power of Insourcing and Using Your Team to Create Incredible Content 151 Chapter 34 Case Study 5: How Block Imaging Embraced a Culture of Insourcing 155 Chapter 35 Starting Off They Ask, You Answer with a Bang: Company Workshops 159 Chapter 36 The Content Manager: Qualities to Look for, How to Hire One, and More 165 Chapter 37 The Importance of Having the Right Tools: Measuring Return on Investment, the Power of HubSpot, and More 173 Part IV Creating a Culture of Video . . . In-House 179 Chapter 38 We’re All Media Companies and the Visual Sale 181 Chapter 39 The Selling 7: 7 Videos That Will Immediately Impact Sales and Closing Rates 185 Chapter 40 The Selling 7, Video 1: The 80 Percent Video 187 Chapter 41 The Selling 7, Video 2: Bio Videos for Email Signatures 195 Chapter 42 The Selling 7, Video 3: Product and Service Fit Videos 199 Chapter 43 The Selling 7, Video 4: Landing Page Videos 203 Chapter 44 The Selling 7, Video 5: Cost and Pricing Videos 207 Chapter 45 The Selling 7, Video 6: Customer Journey Videos 209 Chapter 46 The Selling 7, Video 7: “Claims We Make” Videos 211 Chapter 47 Personalized Video for Email: A More Human Approach to Direct Digital Communication 215 Chapter 48 How to Hire an In-House Videographer 221 Chapter 49 Team Buy-In on Video, Performance Tips, and Long -Term Success 229 Chapter 50 Case Study 6: How a Lifting and Rigging Company Became the Ultimate Example of They Ask, You Answer Success and Culture 235 Part V How to Build the Perfect They Ask, You Answer Website 243 Chapter 51 Real-Time Conversations Are Changing How They’re Asking and We’re Answering 245 Chapter 52 Self-Selection: The Next Phase of Search, Sales, and the Way We Buy 255 Chapter 53 Website Priority 1: Proper Homepage Design and Messaging 263 Chapter 54 Website Priority 2: Obsess Over Honest Education 267 Chapter 55 Website Priority 3: Premium Education 269 Chapter 56 Website Priority 4: An Equal Mix of Textual and Visual Content 271 Chapter 57 Website Priority 5: Self-Selection Tools 273 Chapter 58 Website Priority 6: Social Proof 275 Chapter 59 Website Priority 7: Site Speed 277 Part VI Your Questions Answered 279 Chapter 60 “How Do I Find More Time to Make This Work Within My Organization?” 281 Chapter 61 “How Long Will It Take They Ask, You Answer to Work?” 287 Chapter 62 “Are Content Marketing and They Ask, You Answer Just Fads?” 293 Chapter 63 “How Can I Keep My Team Engaged in the Content Process?” 295 Chapter 64 “I’ve Been Told If We’re Not Adding Anything New to the Conversation, Then We Shouldn’t Be Talking About It — Is That Right?” 301 Chapter 65 “Can I Just Hire an Agency to Do This for Me?” 305 Chapter 66 “How Can We Afford to Do This?” 307 Chapter 67 A Revolutionary Marketing Strategy 309 End of Book Resources Tools to Help You Embark on Your Own They Ask, You Answer Journey 313 Appendix 1 Get Your Scorecard: Grade Yourself on They Ask, You Answer Right Now 315 Appendix 2 More They Ask, You Answer Resources 317 Appendix 3 Accelerate Your They Ask, You Answer Success with IMPACT 319 Acknowledgments 321 About the Author 323 Index 325

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsChapter 1 Discover your visual language 38How to develop icons for your next meeting, project, or process Design your collaboration process 76How to create your next meeting, project, or process Chapter 3 Define key questions 104How to formulate, prioritize, and test questions that have positive impact on your collaboration Chapter 4 Create engaging templates 146How to turn a white canvas into a visual tool that structures and focuses your collaboration Chapter 5 Prepare to scale 182How to enable others to use your design and tools Chapter 6 Enable group learning 202An introduction to core concepts of visual collaboration Chapter 7 Map your skills 226An overview of eight skills that are essential for visual collaboration Chapter 8 Activate your resources 246Key resources needed for visual collaboration Chapter 9 Do’s and dont’s 264Observations about strengths and weaknesses of visual collaboration Appendix 286Index and inspiration for further reading

Read more less

Book SynopsisStop making a living and start making a life with The New Retirementality In 2000, when top financial philosopher and bestselling author Mitch Anthony first presented a new way of thinking about retirement, it was novel, and many critics didn''t buy into it. Originally written to get the attention of baby boomers, Mitch ended up starting a revolution by showing us that everything we had read about retirement was wrongwe needed a new retirementality. Fast-forward to today, when most of us are facing a very different retirement: fewer pensions, escalating healthcare costs, and inadequate savings. For many of us, retirement may never happen, or it will take place much later than we expected. Far from being full of doom and gloom, The New Retirementality, Fifth Edition, offers a message of hope, along with a roadmap for navigating the choppy waters of retirement planning. While most books focus on Return on Investment, Mitch shows us that Return on Table of ContentsPreface xi Acknowledgments xiii Chapter 1 A Short History of Retirement 1 Crossing the Bridge 8 Chapter 2 Removing Artificial Finish Lines 9 Dates of Extraction 11 What Made Jack Dull? 13 Motivated by Autonomy 14 Illusions, Delusions, and Hype 16 Chapter 3 No Longer One and Done 19 Stages of Grief? 20 The Four Stages of LEAN 21 The Balance Sheet 28 Forced or Phased? 28 Advocates Needed 30 Chapter 4 The New IRA: Individual Retirement Attitude 33 Assume You Will Work Longer 36 Assume You Will Live Longer 37 Assume That There Will Be Improvisational Challenges 39 Chapter 5 Boredom Isn’t on Anyone’s Bucket List 43 Monotone Living 44 How You’re Wired 45 When Frustration Replaces Fascination 45 Realistic Expectations 46 For Better or Worse but Not for Lunch 49 Losing Your Identity 49 The Rearview Mirror 50 Chapter 6 A New Mind-Set: Retire on Purpose 53 ”I’m Done” 55 ”I Have To” 55 ”I’m Inspired” 56 Meaningful Pursuits: A Midlife Crisis Gone Horribly Right 58 Enduring Attitudes 63 Chapter 7 Money is Only Part of the Equation: Investing Yourself, Then Your Money 67 A Very Long Trip 69 Where from Here? 71 Chapter 8 The Retirement That Works 79 Redefining Work 80 Longevity Works 83 Ready, Set, Engage 84 Retirement Planning That Works 86 Chapter 9 Extending Your Stay by Staying on the Edge 89 Staying in Your Zone 90 Yes Sir, Kiddo 91 Ageism on the Radar 93 The Teaching Bridge 94 Advantages of Underemployment 95 EntreMature 96 Chapter 10 Super-Septs: How 70 Became the New 50 101 Feeling as Fact 102 Your View of You 103 Turning the Corner 107 A New Season 108 Chapter 11 Redefining You: What’s Your Retirementality? 109 New Spin on Re-tiring 110 Chapter 12 Redefining Rich: Bridging the Gap between Means and Meaning 121 The Seven Meaningful Intangibles 124 The Stewardship of Money 130 Chapter 13 Maslow Meets Retirement 133 More Than Just Money 134 Our Hierarchy of Financial Needs 136 Paying the Bills 140 Chapter 14 Advice from Retirementors 143 The Realities of Retirement 143 Retiremyths 146 Vacation: Balancing Work and Play 151 The Best (and Worst) Experiences 153 Allocation 154 Chapter 15 From Aging to S-Aging 157 A Sense of Mastery 158 The Vitamin Cs of Successful Aging 160 Challenge Your Body, Mind, and Spirit 166 Chapter 16 Don’t Go It Alone 169 We Don’t Always Know What We Don’t Know 170 We are Tempted to Follow the Crowd 171 Individual Investors Historically Underperform the Indexes because They React Emotionally to Market Events 172 It is Time-Consuming and Stressful to Manage Money on a Day-to-Day or Week-to-Week Basis 172 Holding Your Ground 174 Finding a Wealth-Building Partner 175 A Personal Safety Net 177 Notes 179 About the Author 187 Index 189

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Way Forward for Entrepreneurship Around the World We are in the midst of a startup revolution. The growth and proliferation of innovation-driven startup activity is profound, unprecedented, and global in scope. Today, it is understood that communities of support and knowledge-sharing go along with other resources. The importance of collaboration and a long-term commitment has gained wider acceptance. These principles are adopted in many startup communities throughout the world. And yet, much more work is needed. Startup activity is highly concentrated in large cities. Governments and other actors such as large corporations and universities are not collaborating with each other nor with entrepreneurs as well as they could. Too often, these actors try to control activity or impose their view from the top-down, rather than supporting an environment that is led from the bottom-up. We continue to see a disconnect between an entrepreneurial mindset and that of many actors who wish to Table of ContentsForeword xiii Preface xvii Chapter One Introduction 1 The Next Generation 2 Our Approach 3 A Deeper Motivation 5 The Boulder Thesis 7 Startup Communities are Complex Adaptive Systems 8 Where We Were in 2012 10 Where We are Now in 2020 12 Using Complexity Theory to Explain Startup Communities 14 Evolving the Boulder Thesis to the Startup Community Way 17 Part I Introduction to Startup Communities 21 Chapter Two Why Startup Communities Exist 23 What Entrepreneurs Do 23 The External Environment 25 Networks over Hierarchies 27 Networks of Trust 29 Density and Agglomeration 33 Quality of Place 35 Chapter Three The Actors 41 Leaders, Feeders, and Instigators 42 Actors 45 Chapter Four The Factors 59 The Seven Capitals 60 Factors 62 Chapter Five Startup Communities versus Entrepreneurial Ecosystems 75 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems 77 Alignment of Actors 78 Different, but Mutually Reinforcing, Purpose 80 Systems within Systems 81 Entrepreneurial Success 84 Community/Ecosystem Fit 85 Part II Startup Communities as Complex Systems 93 Chapter Six Putting the System Back into Ecosystem 95 Introduction to Systems 96 The Whole System 97 Simple, Complicated, and Complex Activities 103 Moving from Activities to Systems 107 Chapter Seven Unpredictable Creativity 115 Emergence 117 Synergies and Nonlinearity 118 Self-Organization 120 Dynamism 121 The Study of Interactions 125 Chapter Eight The Myth of Quantity 133 More of Everything 134 Outliers, Not Averages 136 Entrepreneurial Recycling 138 Leaders as Supernodes 140 Chapter Nine The Illusion of Control 151 Not Controllable 152 Not Fully Knowable 154 Feedbacks and Contagion 156 Getting Unstuck 158 Letting Go 160 Chapter Ten The Absence of a Blueprint 165 Initial Conditions and Basins of Attraction 168 The Narrative Fallacy 170 Building on Strengths and Learning from Failures 172 Cultivating Topophilia 174 Chapter Eleven The Measurement Trap 183 The Fundamental Measurement Problem 184 Actor and Factor Models: A Categorical Approach 186 Standardized Metrics Models: A Comparative Approach 188 Network Models: A Relational Approach 190 Dynamic Models: An Evolutionary Approach 192 Cultural-Social Models: A Behavioral Approach 194 Logic Models: A Causal Approach 195 Agent-Based Models: A Simulation Approach 198 Applying the Different Models 199 Part III From the Boulder Thesis to the Startup Community Way 207 Chapter Twelve Simplifying Complexity 209 The Boulder Thesis 210 The Rainforest 212 Applying Systems Thinking 214 Looking Deeply 216 Leverage Points 219 Chapter Thirteen Leadership is Key 231 Be a Mentor 234 Entrepreneurs as Role Models 235 Key Leadership Characteristics 237 Chapter Fourteen Think in Generations 243 Progress is Uneven and Often Feels Slow 245 The Endless Long-Term Game 247 Chapter Fifteen Diversity is a Feature, Not a Bug 255 Cultivate Diversity 256 Embracing Diversity 259 Think Broadly about Entrepreneurship 260 Chapter Sixteen Be Active, Not Passive 267 Self-Similarity and Replication 268 Don’t Wait or Ask Permission 269 Play a Positive-Sum Game 270 Continuously and Actively Engage 275 Part IV Conclusion 281 Chapter Seventeen Conclusion 283 Reflections 283 Summary of the Book 285 Final Thoughts 291 About the Authors 295 Acknowledgments 297 Notes 301 Index 325

Read more less

Book SynopsisMake friends and sell things to people through social media Social media technology is restlessly inventive, providing thousands of awesome ways for you to market your business inexpensively and on a large scaleoften directly into the pockets of consumers. But in the proliferating, ever-changing world of tweets, influencers, handles, and alerts, it can be hard to know where to begin and then to evaluate what's actually working for you. In the new edition of Social Media Marketing for Dummies, leading SMM voices Shiv Singh and Stephanie Diamond clear away the confusion and show you the smartest, most effective ways to plan, launch, manage, and assess your campaignsand then iterate and optimize for increased success. Incorporating the latest trends and presented in a friendly, easily digestible step-by-step style, you'll find the ultimate blueprint for developing your best SMM strategy. In no time, you'll find out how to line up with Facebook, Twitter, TumbTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 2 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Getting Started with Social Media Marketing 5 Chapter 1: Understanding Social Media Marketing 7 Defining Social Media Marketing 8 Learning about the Roles People Play 9 Changing roles of the social media marketer 10 Understanding the role of the influencer 12 Considering the types of influencers 14 Influencing on digital platforms 16 Comparing Social Media Marketing with Other Marketing Efforts 18 Direct mail 18 Public relations 19 Online advertising 20 Promotions 22 Taking Social Influence Beyond Marketing 23 Using social influencers to mobilize 24 Marketers as better corporate citizens 25 Social graphs for social change 27 Chapter 2: Discovering Your SMM Competitors 29 Classifying Consumer Activities 30 Researching Your Customers’ Online Activities 34 Identifying Personas 38 Analyzing Competitor Efforts 40 Setting up Google Alerts 41 Setting up Twitter alerts 43 Monitoring social networks 44 Tracking competitor websites 44 Researching Your Competitors’ Campaign Support 44 Conducting qualitative research 44 Running surveys and quantitative research 45 Seeing why all consumers are not created equal 46 Dipping into Hot SMM Concepts 48 Discovering gamification 48 Choosing localized marketing 49 Creating an app for that 49 Chapter 3: Getting in the Social Media Marketing Frame of Mind 51 Putting SMM in the Context of the Marketing Funnel 52 SMM at the awareness stage 53 SMM at the consideration stage 56 SMM at the preference stage 59 SMM at the action stage 60 SMM at the loyalty stage 61 Deepening Your SMM Relationship 63 SMM for customer service 63 SMM with offline marketing 65 SMM in the world of real-time marketing 66 Treating SMM Differently from Brand Marketing 68 SMM in the context of brand marketing 68 SMM in the context of direct-response marketing 69 Tying SMM with brand marketing and direct response 70 Part 2: Practicing SMM on the Social Web 71 Chapter 4: Launching SMM Campaigns 73 Discovering the Types of SMM Campaigns 73 Influencer outreach 74 UGC contests 75 Brand utilities 76 Podcasting 77 Sponsored conversations 77 Recognizing What Makes a Good SMM Campaign 78 Creating Your SMM Roadmap 79 Define your objectives 80 Develop a powerful story/experience 80 Create an action plan 81 Craft the content path 82 Execute for influence 83 Create partnerships 83 Track the results 84 Participating — Four Rules of the Game 85 Be authentic 85 Give participants equal status 88 Let go of the campaign 88 Killing the Campaign Expiry Date 88 Monitoring Brands and Conversations 91 Responding to Criticism 92 Chapter 5: Developing Your SMM Voice 95 Figuring Out Why You Need an SMM Voice 96 Defining SMM Voice Characteristics 97 Multiple and authentic 97 Transparent and easy to find 97 Engaging and conversational 98 Social web savvy 98 Unique to the person 98 Distinguishing Between SMM Voices and Brand Voices 99 Outlining SMM Voice Objectives 100 Choosing the Owner of Your Organization’s SMM Voice 102 CEO 103 CMO 104 Social media lead 105 PR manager 105 Agency 106 Other external voices 107 Crowdsourcing SMM Voices with Guidelines 107 Chapter 6: Understanding a Marketer’s Responsibilities 111 Recognizing Who You Serve 112 Employees 112 Suppliers 113 Communities 113 Shareholders 113 Practicing Socially Responsible Marketing 114 A commitment to the truth 114 Five ways to encourage truthfulness 115 Accountability to Your Own Company 116 Part 3: Reaching Your Audience Via Mainstream Social Platforms 119 Chapter 7: Finding the Right Platforms 121 Choosing Social Media Platforms 122 Learning about your customers 123 Addressing your industry influence 125 Preparing Your Employees for Social Media Networking 126 Evaluating Your Resources 127 Assessing What Each Social Network Offers You 129 Using platforms as audience research tools 130 Getting niche-savvy 132 Chapter 8: Exploring SMM Strategies for Facebook 135 Looking at Facebook Basics 136 Starting with Search 138 Facebook pages 139 Facebook groups 140 Facebook events 141 Facebook applications 142 Login with Facebook 143 Using Ads on Facebook 144 Sponsored stories 145 Other advertising formats 145 Chapter 9: Marketing on Twitter 147 Figuring Out the Basics of Twitter 148 A Twitter handle 149 Searches 150 Responses 151 Following and followers 151 Marketing via Twitter 152 Using Promoted Accounts 153 Making Use of Promoted Tweets 154 Using Promoted Trends 157 Working with Sponsored Tweets 158 Tips and Tricks 159 Chapter 10: Creating a YouTube Strategy 161 Looking at YouTube Basics 162 Benefitting from SMM marketing on YouTube 162 Attracting subscribers 163 Promoting on YouTube 164 Always create a customized channel 164 Creating custom content for YouTube 165 Tagging and categorizing all your clips 166 Leaving video responses 166 Including a call to action 167 Have some fun, too 168 Seeding a Viral Campaign 168 Advertising on YouTube 171 Chapter 11: Considering LinkedIn 173 Getting Started 174 Creating a New Profile 176 Preparing a content strategy 177 Covering what matters first 178 Accessing LinkedIn from your mobile devices 180 Finding connections 180 Choosing to advertise 180 Participating in Groups 183 Benefitting from joining groups 183 Starting your own group 184 Leading a successful group 185 Using LinkedIn to Answer Questions 186 Finding a Job 187 Chapter 12: Delving into Instagram 191 Recognizing the Basics 192 Signing up 192 Sharing photos or videos for the first time 193 Using filters 195 Getting Found on Instagram 196 Structuring Instagram for Business Goals 197 Creating content for your business 197 Curating and sharing 199 Using tools to manage your account from your computer 201 Chapter 13: Discovering Snapchat 203 Exploring Snapchat 204 Looking at Snapchat’s unique features 204 Getting to know the Snapchat user 205 Advertising on Snapchat 206 Choosing an objective and format 206 Reaching your customers on Snapchat 208 Measuring Results on Snapchat 208 Chapter 14: Marketing with Pinterest 211 Recognizing Pinterest Users 212 Exploring the interests of users 213 Pinning as a social activity 214 Focusing on Strategy 214 Becoming a Business Pinner 215 Setting up your profile 216 Starting a group board 218 Creating secret boards 220 Developing Credibility with Your Boards and Images 220 Drilling down with Guided Search 223 Experimenting with promoted pins 224 Tracking your results 224 Chapter 15: Interacting with Tumblr 227 Setting Up Shop on Tumblr 227 Finding and Sharing the Good Stuff 230 Using your dashboard 232 Observing other blog successes 238 Looking at Paid Media 239 Tracking Your Users 240 Chapter 16: Engaging Customers Using Other Platforms 241 Blogging on Medium for Your Business 241 Looking at the pros and cons 243 Making a choice 244 Utilizing analytics 245 Delving into Medium content 245 Discussing Ideas On Redditcom 248 Marketing on Reddit 248 Setting up 249 Knowing the lingo 249 Analyzing content 250 Sharing Video on TikTok 252 Getting in on the action 252 Experimenting with TikTok 252 Part 4: Getting Your Message to Connectors 255 Chapter 17: Marketing to Millennials 257 Learning About Millennials 257 Technically savvy 258 Seek a balanced life 258 Follow influencers 258 Look for recognition and feedback 259 Prefer to share or barter 259 Understanding What Millennials Want from Brands 260 Trustworthiness and authenticity 260 Cause-minded attitude 261 Respectful of privacy concerns 261 Open to collaboration with customers 262 Recognizing Millennials Shopping Habits 262 Succeeding with Millennials 264 Hitting the target 264 Appreciating the convenience of subscription services 265 Chapter 18: Accounting for the Influencers 267 Knowing the Expert Influencers 268 Reaching the Expert Influencers 270 Tapping into the Referent Influencers 272 Anonymous referent influencers 273 Known referent influencers 273 Reaching the Referent Influencers 273 Cookie data 274 Website behavior 274 Tapping into the Positional Influencers 275 Understanding the circles of influence around your customers 276 Letting consumers shape and share the experience 276 Articulating your product benefits for multiple audiences 276 Fishing where the fish are 276 Offering friends and family incentives 277 Translating Influence to the Offline World 278 Putting your customer reviews in your stores 278 Marrying social media marketing with events and PR 278 Measuring online buzz and offline influence 279 Connecting influencers at meet-ups 279 Treating your stores as cafés 280 Putting Twitter on the big screen 280 Chapter 19: Disrupting with Voice Search 281 Understanding Voice Search 281 Benefitting from voice searches 282 Reviewing smart speakers 282 Interacting with Voice Assistants 283 Discovering What Customers Want 284 Providing Answers 284 Creating flash briefings and Actions 285 Looking at brand examples 285 Developing your apps 286 Getting Your Content Ready 288 Chapter 20: Utilizing Messaging Apps 291 Looking at Messenger 291 Reviewing benefits for brands 292 Learning what users want when messaging brands 292 Setting Up Messenger 294 Understanding Chatbots 295 Classifying chatbots 295 Dipping into chatbots 296 Deploying WhatsApp from Facebook 298 Communicating with users 299 Creating mobile messages with WhatsApp 299 Using the WhatsApp Business App 300 Part 5: Old Marketing Is New Again with SMM 301 Chapter 21: Practicing SMM on Your Website 303 Focusing on the SMM-Integrated Website 304 Making the Campaign and the Website Work Together 305 Treating your website as a hub, not a destination 305 Linking prominently to your presence on social platforms 306 Promoting campaigns on your website home page 307 Encouraging deeper interaction through your website 308 Asking customers to give you feedback on your content 309 Rethinking Your Website 309 User experience 309 Simple design 309 Conversational user interface (CUI) 310 Content marketing 310 Customer reviews 311 About Us and Contact Us pages 313 Tips and Tricks for Website SMM 315 Aggregate information for your customer’s journey 315 Amplify business stories 315 Align your organization into multiple, authentic voices 316 Apply share buttons 316 Chapter 22: Becoming an Authentic and Engaged Advertiser 317 Social Advertising: An Online Advertising Game Changer 317 Native Advertising and How It Can Work for You 319 Emotional 320 Engaging 321 Simple 321 Making Paid and Earned Media Work Together 322 Working harder to gain attention 322 Making paid media jump-start earned media initiatives 323 Tips and tricks for campaigns 325 Making SMM Work with TV 327 Awareness through TV; engagement via the Internet 327 Awareness, engagement, and conversion with television 328 Measuring the effectiveness of TV and the second screen 329 Chapter 23: Building an SMM Mobile Campaign 331 Looking at Consumer Trends in Mobile 332 A telephone and much more 332 The release and adoption of smarter phones 333 Understanding the Many Paths within the Mobile Channel 335 Keeping in Mind Mobile Phone Capabilities 337 It’s a snap: Using the camera 338 Location, location, location 338 Near-field communications and RFID 339 Phone interaction 339 Fitting Mobile into Your Social Media Practices 340 Defining mobile marketing and its place within the social media context 341 Uniting mobile marketing with social media 342 Supporting a cause 343 Building Your Own Mobile-Enabled Communities 345 Leveraging existing online communities 345 Creating your own social offerings: applications and widgets galore 346 Adding Social Media Elements to Mobile 347 Portable social graphs 347 Searching with mobile 347 Harnessing Mobile to Support Social Media 349 Deciding When to Build a Mobile App 350 Chapter 24: Encouraging Employees to Advocate for Your Brand on Social Media 353 Embracing the Idea of Employee Collaboration 354 Rewarding teams 355 Treating everyone equally 355 Trusting your employees 355 Creating the right culture 356 Placing a premium on groups with a purpose 356 Avoiding excessive snooping 356 Picking Social Software for Social Influence 357 Rethinking the Intranet 359 Getting rid of the buzzwords 359 Don’t try to control too much 360 Surfacing the connections 360 Taking search social 360 Allowing alternative access 361 Promoting the value of historical record 361 Giving your intranet a pulse 361 Aiming to destructure 362 Giving employees other choices 363 Chapter 25: Changing Tactics and Metrics 365 Correlating Data with Business Objectives 366 Focusing on the Tactics That Count 367 Rethinking the Customer Experience 368 Personalizing the CX 368 Measuring your customer experience 370 Analyzing the customer journey 371 Integrating Marketing Technology with Analytics Systems 372 Facing data problems 372 Preparing your data 373 Deploying AI Tools 374 Chapter 26: Understanding Social Media Governance 375 Recognizing How SMM Impacts Other Company Functions 375 Public relations 376 Customer support 377 Sales 377 Legal 378 Introducing Social Media Governance Models 378 Social media policies and guidelines 380 Tips and tricks for social media governance 381 Dealing with a Social Media Crisis 382 Chapter 27: Using Real-Time Marketing 385 Introducing Real-Time Marketing 385 Real-time insights 386 Real-time response 387 Real-time “on the fly” 388 Real-time co-creation 388 Real-time distribution 389 Real-time engagement 390 Organizing for Real-Time Marketing 391 Taking TV into Real-Time Marketing 393 Chapter 28: Data and Privacy 395 Knowing What Data You Have to Play With 395 Harnessing Data & Privacy Best Practices 397 Understanding New Data and Privacy Laws 398 General Data Protection Regulation 398 California Consumer Privacy Act 399 So What Does This All Mean for Your Marketing Effort? 400 Part 6: The Part of Tens 401 Chapter 29: Ten SMM-Related Must-Read Blogs 403 Brian Solis 403 Content Marketing Institute 404 Convince and Convert 404 Copyblogger 404 Marketing Profs 404 Neil Patel’s Blog 405 Razor Social 405 Seth Godin 405 Shiv Singh 405 Social Media Examiner 406 Chapter 30: Ten Top SMM Tools 407 Buffer 407 BuzzSumo 408 Facebook Insights 408 Followerwonk 408 Hootsuite 408 Later 409 Mention 409 SproutSocial 409 Tailwind 410 Tweepi 410 Chapter 31: Ten Tips to Navigate Fakeness 411 Create Shared, Mutual Goals 412 Use Reflection to Override Bias 412 Engage Openly with Dissent 412 Challenge Opinion and Ask for Facts 412 Encourage Those Who Don’t Conform 413 Ask Yourself “What if the Opposite Was True” 413 Engage in Active, Critical Analysis 413 Question Morally Dubious Directives 414 Seek Out Allies 414 Focus on Building Trust First 414 Index 415

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsForeword xiii Preface xv Chapter 1 Master of the Market Cycle 1Howard Marks, Oaktree Capital Management From Equity to Credit 6 A Priority on Avoiding Losses 10 The Pendulum Swing 14 The Negative Art of Investing 17 Nobody Knows 20 Chapter 2 Free to Choose in Value Land 24Walter Schloss, Walter & Edwin Schloss Associates Living through the Great Depression 28 The Meaning of Survival 31 Net-Nets 32 Setting the Right Pace 36 Know Thyself 39 Chapter 3 Once Upon a Time on Wall Street 42Irving Kahn, Kahn Brothers Group Becoming Graham’s Disciple 48 Preaching Value 51 A Centenarian Diet 56 Chapter 4 The Making of a Contrarian 59Thomas Kahn, Kahn Brothers Group A Modified Graham Approach 64 The Case for Obscure Securities 69 Market Reflection 72 Chapter 5 On the Shoulders of Value Giants 75William Browne, Tweedy, Browne Company A Valuable Detour 81 Statistics and Beyond 82 Setting a Global Standard 85 The Social Science of Investing 88 The Market Ahead 91 Chapter 6 A Journey to the Center of Value 94Jean-Marie Eveillard, First Eagle Funds Valley of Tears 99 The Inefficient Market 101 The Meaning of Value 105 The Courage to Say No 108 Seeking Protection 110 Chapter 7 The Self-Taught Value Spaniard 114Francisco García Paramés, Cobas Asset Management On a Solo Value Hunt 119 Investing Made Simple 122 Austrian Economics and the Market 125 A Global Rebalancing 129 Chapter 8 The Law of Value Attraction 133Álvaro Guzmán de Lázaro and Fernando Bernad Marrase, AzValor Asset Management A Value Cross-Path 137 A Value Reunion 141 The Art of Concentration 144 The A to Z of Value 148 Chapter 9 The Odyssey of a Value Broker 151Philip Best, Quaero Capital S.A. Establishing the Best Contacts 157 Acquiring the Best Techniques 162 Investing Off the Beaten Path 164 A Sustainable Investment Platform 168 Chapter 10 The Income-Conscious Englishman 173Anthony Nutt, Jupiter Asset Management A Victorian Mindset 178 Finding the Right Investment Culture 181 Trusting Only Tangible Income 184 The Courage to Keep Going 188 Chapter 11 The Frequent Value Traveler 190Mark Mobius, Mobius Capital Partners Reading between the Minds 195 Thinking Big and Small 197 Trouble is Opportunity 200 Feeling the Market 205 Chapter 12 The Value-Oriented Businessman 208Teng Ngiek Lian, Target Asset Management Learning the Numbers 211 The Art of Contrary Thinking 214 Targeting Good Businesses in Asia 217 The Relativity of Valuation 219 A Value Lifestyle 222 Chapter 13 Value Investing in the Lost Decade 225Shuhei Abe, SPARX Group A Musical Beginning 230 Breaking the Language Barrier 232 Learning from the West 232 The Evolution of SPARX 235 Building a Westernized Asia 238 Searching for Value 239 Chapter 14 Eternal Sunshine of the Value Mind 243V-Nee Yeh, Value Partners Group A Multidisciplinary Path 246 Seeking a Comfortable Price 250 Finding a Value Partner 251 Spotting Value Minds 255 Becoming a Man of Value 257 Chapter 15 The Formless Value Deal Maker 260Kin Chan, Argyle Street Management Ltd. Navigating in the Slum 266 Specializing in Distressed Investing 269 An Atypical Investment Structure 271 The Rise of the “Can’t Do” Spirit 276 Chapter 16 The Accidental Value Investor 279Cheah Cheng Hye, Value Partners Group Starting an Investment Hobby Shop 286 Building a Value Temple 288 An Industrialized Process 291 A Value March Forward 295 Chapter 17 The Making of a Value Investor 298 Investment Stewardship 301 Intellectual Humility 303 Developing Your Own Rhythm 306 Be Unconventional 308 The Balance Between Diversification and Concentration 309 Temperament is Above All 311 Acknowledgments 313 About the Author 316 Index 317

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst published in 2012, Startup Communities became a blueprint for what it takes to build a supportive entrepreneurial community. Now regarded as a classic, the Boulder Thesis created and popularized by Feld within the book generated enormous media attention nearly a decade ago. At that time, Boulder was an emerging startup laboratorya hub of innovation building new tech businesses. It quickly accelerated into a world class ecosystem for entrepreneurs. Boulder''s entrepreneurial density, combined with the geographic concentration of entrepreneurial activity around the Boulder downtown core, made it a hotbed of startup activity. Feld was and is still there, as a keen observer and one of its leaders. As he notes simply in the new edition, humans are wired to start things. In a sense, that short Feld-ism accurately describes the startup revolution still taking hold throughout the world. Boulder is proof that innovation can happen anywhere, in any city. ThanTable of ContentsForeword xiii Introduction to the Second Edition xvii Preface xxi Chapter One Introduction 1 The Example of Boulder 2 How This Book Works 3 Chapter Two The Boulder Startup Community 5 Boulder as a Laboratory 6 Before the Internet (1970–1994) 7 Pre-Internet Bubble (1995–2000) 9 The Collapse of the Internet Bubble (2001–2002) 11 The Beginning of the Next Wave (2003–2011) 14 An Outsider’s View of Boulder in 2012 16 The Next Wave (2012–2020) 19 Chapter Three Principles of a Vibrant Startup Community 21 Historical Frameworks 21 The Boulder Thesis 25 Led by Entrepreneurs 25 Long-Term Commitment 26 Foster a Philosophy of Inclusiveness 27 Engage the Entire Entrepreneurial Stack 28 Chapter Four Participants in a Startup Community 31 Entrepreneurs 34 Government 36 Universities 38 Investors 42 Mentors 43 Service Providers 45 Large Companies 46 The Importance of Leaders, Feeders, and Instigators 47 Chapter Five Attributes of Leadership in a Startup Community 49 Be Inclusive 49 Play a Non-Zero-Sum or Positive-Sum Game 51 Be Mentorship Driven 52 Have Porous Boundaries 55 Give People Assignments 56 Experiment and Fail Fast 58 Chapter Six Classical Problems 61 The Patriarch Problem 61 Complaining About Capital 63 Being Too Reliant on Government 66 Making Short-Term Commitments 67 Having a Bias Against Newcomers 68 Attempt by a Feeder to Control the Community 69 Creating Artificial Geographic Boundaries 71 Playing a Zero-Sum Game 72 Having a Culture of Risk Aversion 73 Avoiding People Because of Past Failures 74 Chapter Seven Activities and Events 77 Young Entrepreneurs Organization 78 Office Hours 80 Boulder Denver New Tech Meetup 82 Boulder Open Coffee Club 87 Startup Weekend 90 Ignite Boulder 92 Boulder Beta 95 Boulder Startup Digest 97 CU New Venture Challenge 100 Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado 103 Chapter Eight The Power of Accelerators 107 The Spread of Techstars to Boston and Seattle 109 Techstars Expands to New York 111 Techstars Today 113 Accelerators Are Different than Incubators 114 University Accelerators 115 Chapter Nine University Involvement 119 Silicon Flatirons’ Networked Approach 120 Organizing the Components of University Entrepreneurship 124 Other Campus Initiatives That Affect Startup Communities 126 The Real Value—Fresh Blood into the System 129 Challenges and Responses for University Entrepreneurship Programs 137 The Power of Alumni 141 Chapter Ten Contrasts between Entrepreneurs and Government 143 Self-Aware versus Not Self-Aware 144 Bottom Up versus Top Down 145 Micro versus Macro 146 Action versus Policy 147 Impact versus Control 147 Chapter Eleven How Large Corporations Can Help 149 Start by Linking to Corporate Innovation Initiatives 150 Support, Convene, Consume, and Engage 151 Self-interest is Good 153 Think About Talent Appropriately 154 Reinvestment in Your Community 155 Chapter Twelve The Power of the Community 161 Give Before You Get (#GiveFirst) 161 Everyone is a Mentor 163 Embrace Weirdness 163 Be Open to Any Idea 164 Be Honest 164 Go for a Walk 166 The Value and Cost of an After-Party 168 Chapter Thirteen Broadening a Successful Startup Community 171 Parallel Universes 171 Integration with the Rest of Colorado 173 Lack of Diversity 175 Physical Space 179 Chapter Fourteen Rural Startup Communities 181 Definition of a Rural Startup Community 182 A Broader Definition of Entrepreneurship 183 Entrepreneurs Before Capital 184 Beyond Traditional Capital Models 186 Rural + Urban, Not Rural versus Urban 188 Chapter Fifteen Myths about Startup Communities 191 We Need to Be Like Silicon Valley 192 We Need More Local Venture Capital 193 Angel Investors Must Be Organized 195 Chapter Sixteen Getting Started 199 Getting Startup Iceland Started 199 Big Omaha 203 Startup America Partnership 204 Do or Do Not, There is No Try 209 About the author 211 Acknowledgments 213 Foreword—First edition (2012) 217 Index 219

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAbout the Author xiii Acknowledgments xv Introduction xvii Chapter 1 The Great KPI Misunderstanding 3 The Four Types of Performance Measures 3 Number of Measures Required: The 10/80/10 Rule 13 Difference between KRIs and KPIs and RIs and PIs 15 The Lead and Lag Confusion 16 Have a Mix of 60 Percent Past, 20 Percent Current, and 20 Percent Future-Oriented Measures 17 Importance of Timely Measurement 20 Where Are You in Your Journey with Performance Measures? 21 Chapter 2 The Myths of Performance Measurement 25 The Myths Surrounding Performance Measures 25 The Myths around the Balanced Scorecard 30 Chapter 3 Background to the Winning KPI Methodology 41 Winning KPI Methodology 41 Seven Foundation Stones of the Winning KPIs Process 46 Implementation Variations and Shortcuts for Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises 56 Chapter 4 Leading and Selling the Change 63 Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan: Why So Many Initiatives Fail 63 Harry Mills: The Importance of Self-Persuasion 64 John Kotter: How to Lead Change Successfully 65 Learn to Sell by Appreciating the Emotional Drivers of the Buyer 67 Selling the KPI Project 70 Selling the Winning KPIs to the Organization’s Staff 75 Delivering Bulletproof PowerPoint Presentations 79 PDF Download 83 Chapter 5 Getting the CEO and Senior Management Committed to the Change 85 CEO and Senior Management Commitment 85 Guidelines for the External KPI Facilitator 91 PDF Download 94 Chapter 6 Up-Skill In-House Resources to Manage the KPI Project 97 Establishing a Winning KPI Project Team 97 PDF Download 111 Chapter 7 Finding Your Organization’s Critical Success Factors 115 Why Critical Success Factors Are So Important 118 Relationship between CSFs and KPIs 123 Common Misunderstandings 124 Task 1: Wording the Success Factors and the External Outcomes 127 Task 2: Determining the Critical Success Factors in a Two-Day Workshop 130 Task 3: Presenting the Critical Success Factors to the Staff 141 Task 4: Get the CSFs on the Wall in Every Workplace 143 PDF Download 144 Chapter 8 Characteristics of Meaningful Measures 149 Common Measurement Traps 149 Wisdom on Measures from Other Authors 149 Rules for Designing Measures 154 Suggested Exercises to Improve Measure Design 156 PDF Download 165 Chapter 9 Designing and Refining Measures 167 Running the Two-Day Performance Measures Workshop 169 Refining Performance Measures after the Workshops 181 Teams Select Their Relevant Performance Measures 185 Finding the KRIs That Need to Be Reported to the Board 187 The KPI Team Ascertaining the Winning KPIs 190 PDF Download 191 Chapter 10 Reporting Performance Measures 195 Develop the Reporting Framework at All Levels 195 The Common Faults with Reporting 196 Designing an Appropriate Reporting Regime 197 Reporting the KPIs to Management and Staff 206 Reporting RIs and PIs to Management 210 Reporting Performance Measures to Staff 215 Reporting Performance Measures to the Board 216 Reporting Team Performance Measures 221 The Performance Reporting Portfolio 223 PDF Download 224 Chapter 11 Ongoing Support and Refinement of KPIs and CSFs 227 Facilitate the Ongoing Support and Refinement of KPIs and CSFs 229 PDF Download 235 Chapter 12 Implementation Case Studies and Lessons 237 Recent Case Studies 237 Previously Reported Case Studies 243 Implementation Lessons 256 Comparison to Other KPI Methodologies 267 PDF Download 273 Appendix Performance Measures Database 275 Index 323

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe definitive Customer Success Manager How-To-Guide for the CSM profession from Gainsight, who brought you the market-leading Customer Success The Customer Success Manager has become a critical asset to organizations across the business landscape. As the subscription model has spread from the cloud and SaaS to more sectors of the economy, that pivotal role will only grow in importance. That's because if you want to compete and thrive in this new environment, you need to put the customer at the center of your strategy. You need to recognize you're no longer selling just a product. You're selling an outcome. Customer Success Managers (CSM) are committed to capturing and delivering those outcomes by listening to their customers, understanding their needs, and adapting products and services to drive success. Although several existing resources address the customer success imperative, there is no authoritative instruction manual for the CSM professionuntil nowTable of ContentsContributors xvi Foreword xvii Part I What is Customer Success and Why is it a Great Career? 1 Chapter 1 Customer Success Management: The Birth of a New Profession 3 The Age of the Customer 9 The Critical Missing Function 12 The Birth of the Customer Success Manager 15 Endnotes 18 Chapter 2 Defining the Customer Success Manager Role 21 Goals: Increase Retention, Reduce Churn, Drive Growth 21 The Consumption Gap 23 The Customer Success Equation 24 What Customer Success Management is Not 27 A Career or a Springboard to a Real Profession? 29 Endnotes 33 Part II The Core Skills of a Great CSM 35 Chapter 3 A Day in the Life of a Customer Success Manager 37 Putting Customer Success into Practice 37 Being a Customer Success Manager – A Personal Testimonial 44 The Three Core CSM Competencies 46 Chapter 4 The CSM Skills Required in an Ever-Evolving Business World 51 How to Develop Your Industry and Category Knowledge 52 Network with Mentors and Industry Experts 54 Product Expertise is Your Ticket to Greatness 57 Endnote 60 Chapter 5 Learn How to Empathize and Build Relationships with Customers 61 1. Be Introspective and Self-Aware 63 2. Communicate with Intent, Precision, and Persuasion: Be a Trusted Advisor 66 3. Consistently Follow-Up to Create and Grow Trust 68 4. How to Respond When You Don’t Know the Answer 69 5. Stay Focused and Positive When Situations are Difficult; Learn From Them 70 6. Read People In-Depth and With a #HumanFirst Lens of Compassion 71 7. Genuinely Connect with Customers: it is Personal and it is Your Business 73 Endnotes 76 Part III Operationalizing Customer Success 77 Chapter 6 Preparing for Your Engagements and Asking Questions Like a Problem-Solving Consultant 79 The Need for a 360o View of the Customer 80 Do Your Homework: Prepare for Every Customer Engagement 83 The Art of Discovery: Asking the Right Questions to Get to the Heart of the Customer’s Problem 87 Endnotes 94 Chapter 7 Defining the Journey to Customer Outcomes 95 Customer Lifecycle, Journey Map, Customer Journey 96 Segment Your Customers 104 Endnotes 110 Chapter 8 Operationalize Your Customer Journey with Moments of Truth 111 Identifying Your Moments of Truth 112 Sales-to-Onboarding Handoff 114 Welcome the Customer and Onboarding Kickoff 115 Launch or Go-Live 116 New Customer Executive or Champion 116 Business Reviews: For the Executive and More 117 Renewals 122 Endnotes 124 Chapter 9 Using Customer Health Scores to Manage Your Customers 127 Health Scores: How to Know If Your Customers are Doing Well 127 Designing Your Outcomes Health Score 129 Designing Your Experience Health Score 133 Setting the Right Thresholds 135 Other Frameworks to Design Your Health Score 136 Putting Health Scores to Work for You 139 The Future and Human-Element of Customer Health Scorecards 142 Endnotes 146 Chapter 10 Voice of the Customer and Your Tech-Touch Strategy 147 How to Get Meaningful Customer Feedback 147 The Hidden Value of Customer Feedback 151 Tech Touch: The Secrets of Low-Touch Customer Success 154 Onboarding Tech-Touch Workflow 155 Renewals Management Tech-Touch Workflow 158 Risk Management Tech-Touch Workflow 158 Advocacy Management Tech-Touch Workflow 161 Endnote 163 Chapter 11 Help Customers Achieve Their Business Goals 165 Adoption Management: How to Proactively Manage Product Use and Adoption 166 Success Planning: Make Sure the Customer Gets the Long-Term Results They Expect 172 Identify Business Objectives 173 Strategy Session 173 Document the Plan 175 Track Value 175 Product Experience – Improving Your Product is Your #1 Priority 176 Endnote 180 Chapter 12 Drive Revenue Growth Through Engagement, Proactive Risk Management, Churn Analysis, Expansion, and Advocacy 181 Stakeholder Alignment: How to Manage Executive Sponsors and Other Customer Stakeholders 182 Risk Management: What to Do When a Customer is Trending Toward Cancelling: How to Proactively Escalate Risk and Save the Customer 185 Reduce Churn with a Deep Understanding of Why Your Customers Have Left 190 Expansion Management: Understanding White Space in Your Customer Base to Upsell and Cross-sell Your Products and Services 199 Advocacy Management: How to Turn Your Best Customers into Evangelists 202 Endnote 205 Part IV Retaining and Developing the Best CSMs 207 Chapter 13 Managing a Customer Success Team 209 Segmentation and Aligning a Customer Success Manager to the Right Customer 209 Determining the Best Customer Success Manager-to-Customer Ratio and CSM Profiles 214 Compensating Your Customer Success Managers 219 Dashboards to Manage the Customer Success Team 222 Chapter 14 Creating Career Paths for Your Customer Success Managers 229 Designing CSM as a Career 229 Creating Career Paths within the CS Function 230 Conducting a Comprehensive Talent Review Process 238 Creating Career Paths Between Functions 240 Conclusion 243 Acknowledgments 245 About the Authors 251 Index 253

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface xv Acknowledgments xvii About the CFA Institute Investment Series xix Chapter 1 Introduction to Financial Statement Analysis 1 Learning Outcomes 1 1. Introduction 1 2. Roles of Financial Reporting and Financial Statement Analysis 2 3. Primary Financial Statements and Other Information Sources 8 3.1. Financial Statements and Supplementary Information 9 3.2. Other Sources of Information 28 4. Financial Statement Analysis Framework 28 4.1. Articulate the Purpose and Context of Analysis 30 4.2. Collect Data 30 4.3. Process Data 31 4.4. Analyze/Interpret the Processed Data 31 4.5. Develop and Communicate Conclusions/Recommendations 32 4.6. Follow-Up 32 5. Summary 32 References 34 Practice Problems 34 Chapter 2 Financial Reporting Standards 37 Learning Outcomes 37 1. Introduction 37 2. The Objective of Financial Reporting 38 3. Standard-Setting Bodies and Regulatory Authorities 39 3.1. Accounting Standards Boards 39 3.2. Regulatory Authorities 41 4. The International Financial Reporting Standards Framework 46 4.1. Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Reports 46 4.2. Constraints on Financial Reports 48 4.3. The Elements of Financial Statements 49 4.4. General Requirements for Financial Statements 50 5. Comparison of IFRS with Alternative Reporting Systems 53 6. Monitoring Developments in Financial Reporting Standards 55 6.1. New Products or Types of Transactions 55 6.2. Evolving Standards and the Role of CFA Institute 55 7. Summary 57 Practice Problems 58 Chapter 3 Understanding Income Statements 61 Learning Outcomes 61 1. Introduction 62 2. Components and Format of the Income Statement 62 3. Revenue Recognition 68 3.1. General Principles 69 3.2. Accounting Standards for Revenue Recognition 70 4. Expense Recognition 73 4.1. General Principles 74 4.2. Issues in Expense Recognition 78 4.3. Implications for Financial Analysis 83 5. Non-Recurring Items and Non-Operating Items 84 5.1. Discontinued Operations 84 5.2. Unusual or Infrequent Items 85 5.3. Changes in Accounting Policies 86 5.4. Non-Operating Items 89 6. Earnings per Share 90 6.1. Simple versus Complex Capital Structure 90 6.2. Basic EPS 91 6.3. Diluted EPS 92 6.4. Changes in EPS 98 7. Analysis of the Income Statement 99 7.1. Common-Size Analysis of the Income Statement 99 7.2. Income Statement Ratios 101 8. Comprehensive Income 103 9. Summary 106 Practice Problems 108 Chapter 4 Understanding Balance Sheets 113 Learning Outcomes 113 1. Introduction 113 2. Components and Format of the Balance Sheet 114 2.1. Balance Sheet Components 115 2.2. Current and Non-Current Classification 116 2.3. Liquidity-Based Presentation 117 3. Current Assets and Current Liabilities 118 3.1. Current Assets 118 3.2. Current Liabilities 123 4. Non-Current Assets 127 4.1. Property, Plant, and Equipment 128 4.2. Investment Property 129 4.3. Intangible Assets 129 4.4. Goodwill 132 4.5. Financial Assets 135 4.6. Deferred Tax Assets 138 5. Non-Current Liabilities 139 5.1. Long-term Financial Liabilities 140 5.2. Deferred Tax Liabilities 140 6. Equity 141 6.1. Components of Equity 141 6.2. Statement of Changes in Equity 144 7. Analysis of the Balance Sheet 145 7.1. Common-Size Analysis of the Balance Sheet 146 7.2. Balance Sheet Ratios 153 8. Summary 156 Practice Problems 158 Chapter 5 Understanding Cash Flow Statements 163 Learning Outcomes 163 1. Introduction 163 2. Components and Format of the Cash Flow Statement 164 2.1. Classification of Cash Flows and Non-Cash Activities 165 2.2. A Summary of Differences between IFRS and US GAAP 167 2.3. Direct and Indirect Methods for Reporting Cash Flow from Operating Activities 168 3. The Cash Flow Statement: Linkages and Preparation 177 3.1. Linkages of the Cash Flow Statement with the Income Statement and Balance Sheet 178 3.2. Steps in Preparing the Cash Flow Statement 179 3.3. Conversion of Cash Flows from the Indirect to the Direct Method 191 4. Cash Flow Statement Analysis 192 4.1. Evaluation of the Sources and Uses of Cash 193 4.2. Common-Size Analysis of the Statement of Cash Flows 197 4.3. Free Cash Flow to the Firm and Free Cash Flow to Equity 202 4.4. Cash Flow Ratios 204 5. Summary 205 Practice Problems 206 Chapter 6 Financial Analysis Techniques 213 Learning Outcomes 213 1. Introduction 213 2. The Financial Analysis Process 214 2.1. The Objectives of the Financial Analysis Process 215 2.2. Distinguishing between Computations and Analysis 216 3. Analytical Tools and Techniques 218 3.1. Ratios 221 3.2. Common-Size Analysis 226 3.3. The Use of Graphs as an Analytical Tool 232 3.4. Regression Analysis 233 4. Common Ratios Used in Financial Analysis 234 4.1. Interpretation and Context 234 4.2. Activity Ratios 235 4.3. Liquidity Ratios 241 4.4. Solvency Ratios 246 4.5. Profitability Ratios 250 4.6. Integrated Financial Ratio Analysis 254 5. Equity Analysis 262 5.1. Valuation Ratios 262 5.2. Industry-Specific Ratios 265 5.3. Historical Research on Ratios in Equity Analysis 267 6. Credit Analysis 268 6.1. The Credit Rating Process 268 6.2. Historical Research on Ratios in Credit Analysis 269 7. Business and Geographic Segments 270 7.1. Segment Reporting Requirements 270 7.2. Segment Ratios 271 8. Model Building and Forecasting 274 9. Summary 275 References 275 Practice Problems 276 Chapter 7 Inventories 283 Learning Outcomes 283 1. Introduction 283 2. Cost of Inventories 285 3. Inventory Valuation Methods 286 3.1. Specific Identification 287 3.2. First-In, First-Out (FIFO) 287 3.3. Weighted Average Cost 287 3.4. Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) 288 3.5. Calculation of Cost of Sales, Gross Profit, and Ending Inventory 288 3.6. Periodic versus Perpetual Inventory Systems 290 3.7. Comparison of Inventory Valuation Methods 293 4. The LIFO Method 295 4.1. LIFO Reserve 295 4.2. LIFO Liquidations 296 5. Inventory Method Changes 303 6. Inventory Adjustments 304 7. Evaluation of Inventory Management 311 7.1. Presentation and Disclosure 312 7.2. Inventory Ratios 312 7.3. Financial Analysis Illustrations 313 8. Summary 323 Practice Problems 325 Chapter 8 Long-Lived Assets 339 Learning Outcomes 339 1. Introduction 340 2. Acquisition of Long-Lived Assets 340 2.1. Property, Plant, and Equipment 341 2.2. Intangible Assets 343 2.3. Capitalizing versus Expensing: Impact on Financial Statements and Ratios 348 2.4. Capitalization of Interest Costs 353 2.5. Capitalization of Internal Development Costs 355 3. Depreciation and Amortization of Long-Lived Assets 359 3.1. Depreciation Methods and Calculation of Depreciation Expense 360 3.2. Amortization Methods and Calculation of Amortization Expense 368 4. The Revaluation Model 369 5. Impairment of Assets 373 5.1. Impairment of Property, Plant, and Equipment 373 5.2. Impairment of Intangible Assets with a Finite Life 375 5.3. Impairment of Intangibles with Indefinite Lives 376 5.4. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held for Sale 376 5.5. Reversals of Impairments of Long-Lived Assets 376 6. Derecognition 376 6.1. Sale of Long-Lived Assets 377 6.2. Long-Lived Assets Disposed of Other than by a Sale 378 7. Presentation and Disclosures 379 8. Investment Property 389 9. Summary 393 Practice Problems 395 Chapter 9 Income Taxes 407 Learning Outcomes 407 1. Introduction 408 2. Differences between Accounting Profit and Taxable Income 408 2.1. Current Tax Assets and Liabilities 409 2.2. Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities 410 3. Determining the Tax Base of Assets and Liabilities 413 3.1. Determining the Tax Base of an Asset 414 3.2. Determining the Tax Base of a Liability 415 3.3. Changes in Income Tax Rates 417 4. Temporary and Permanent Differences Between Taxable and Accounting Profit 418 4.1. Taxable Temporary Differences 419 4.2. Deductible Temporary Differences 419 4.3. Examples of Taxable and Deductible Temporary Differences 420 4.4. Temporary Differences at Initial Recognition of Assets and Liabilities 422 4.5. Business Combinations and Deferred Taxes 423 4.6. Investments in Subsidiaries, Branches, Associates, and Interests in Joint Ventures 423 5. Unused Tax Losses and Tax Credits 423 6. Recognition and Measurement of Current and Deferred Tax 424 6.1. Recognition of a Valuation Allowance 425 6.2. Recognition of Current and Deferred Tax Charged Directly to Equity 425 7. Presentation and Disclosure 428 8. Comparison of IFRS and US GAAP 433 9. Summary 436 Practice Problems 437 Chapter 10 Non-Current (Long-Term) Liabilities 443 Learning Outcomes 443 1. Introduction 443 2. Bonds Payable 444 2.1. Accounting for Bond Issuance 444 2.2. Accounting for Bond Amortization, Interest Expense, and Interest Payments 448 2.3. Current Market Rates and Fair Value Reporting Option 453 2.4. Derecognition of Debt 457 2.5. Debt Covenants 459 2.6. Presentation and Disclosure of Long-Term Debt 461 3. Leases 464 3.1. Lessee accounting 465 3.2. Lessor accounting 466 4. Introduction to Pensions and Other Post- Employment Benefits 468 5. Evaluating Solvency: Leverage and Coverage Ratios 472 6. Summary 475 Practice Problems 477 Chapter 11 Financial Reporting Quality 483 Learning Outcomes 483 1. Introduction 484 2. Conceptual Overview 484 2.1. GAAP, Decision-Useful, Sustainable, and Adequate Returns 486 2.2. GAAP, Decision-Useful, but Sustainable? 486 2.3. Biased Accounting Choices 487 2.4. Departures from GAAP 496 2.5. Differentiate between Conservative and Aggressive Accounting 498 3. Context for Assessing Financial Reporting Quality 501 3.1. Motivations 501 3.2. Conditions Conducive to Issuing Low-Quality Financial Reports 501 3.3. Mechanisms That Discipline Financial Reporting Quality 502 4. Detection of Financial Reporting Quality Issues 510 4.1. Presentation Choices 510 4.2. Accounting Choices and Estimates 516 4.3. Warning Signs 533 5. Summary 538 References 539 Practice Problems 540 Chapter 12 Applications of Financial Statement Analysis 545 Learning Outcomes 545 1. Introduction 545 2. Application: Evaluating Past Financial Performance 546 3. Application: Projecting Future Financial Performance 550 3.1. Projecting Performance: An Input to Market-Based Valuation 551 3.2. Projecting Multiple-Period Performance 555 4. Application: Assessing Credit Risk 559 5. Application: Screening for Potential Equity Investments 561 6. Analyst Adjustments to Reported Financials 565 6.1. A Framework for Analyst Adjustments 565 6.2. Analyst Adjustments Related to Investments 565 6.3. Analyst Adjustments Related to Inventory 566 6.4. Analyst Adjustments Related to Property, Plant, and Equipment 569 6.5. Analyst Adjustments Related to Goodwill 571 7. Summary 573 References 574 Practice Problems 574 Chapter 13 Intercorporate Investments 577 Learning Outcomes 577 1. Introduction 577 2. Basic Corporate Investment Categories 578 3. Investments in Financial Assets: IFRS 9 579 3.1. Classification and Measurement 580 3.2. Reclassification of Investments 582 4. Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures 583 4.1. Equity Method of Accounting: Basic Principles 584 4.2. Investment Costs That Exceed the Book Value of the Investee 587 4.3. Amortization of Excess Purchase Price 588 4.4 Fair Value Option 590 4.5. Impairment 591 4.6. Transactions with Associates 591 4.7. Disclosure 594 4.8. Issues for Analysts 595 5. Business Combinations 595 5.1. Acquisition Method 597 5.2. Impact of the Acquisition Method on Financial Statements, Post-Acquisition 599 5.3. Th e Consolidation Process 601 5.4. Financial Statement Presentation Subsequent to the Business Combination 607 5.5. Variable Interest and Special Purpose Entities 610 5.6. Additional Issues in Business Combinations That Impair Comparability 613 6. Summary 614 Practice Problems 615 Chapter 14 Employee Compensation: Post-Employment and Share-Based 627 Learning Outcomes 627 1. Introduction 627 2. Pensions and Other Post-Employment Benefits 628 2.1. Types of Post-Employment Benefit Plans 628 2.2. Measuring a Defined Benefit Pension Plan’s Obligations 631 2.3. Financial Statement Reporting of Pension Plans and Other Post-Employment Benefits 632 2.4. Disclosures of Pension and Other Post-Employment Benefits 645 3. Share-Based Compensation 656 3.1. Stock Grants 658 3.2. Stock Options 659 3.3. Other Types of Share-Based Compensation 662 4. Summary 662 Reference 663 Practice Problems 663 Chapter 15 Multinational Operations 673 Learning Outcomes 673 1. Introduction 674 2. Foreign Currency Transactions 675 2.1. Foreign Currency Transaction Exposure to Foreign Exchange Risk 676 2.2. Analytical Issues 680 2.3. Disclosures Related to Foreign Currency Transaction Gains and Losses 682 3. Translation of Foreign Currency Financial Statements 688 3.1. Translation Conceptual Issues 688 3.2. Translation Methods 693 3.3. Illustration of Translation Methods (Excluding Hyperinflationary Economies) 701 3.4. Translation Analytical Issues 704 3.5. Translation when a Foreign Subsidiary Operates in a Hyperinflationary Economy 716 3.6. Companies Use Both Translation Methods at the Same Time 720 3.7. Disclosures Related to Translation Methods 721 4. Multinational Operations and a Company’s Effective Tax Rate 727 5. Additional Disclosures on the Effects of Foreign Currency 730 5.1. Disclosures Related to Sales Growth 730 5.2. Disclosures Related to Major Sources of Foreign Exchange Risk 733 6. Summary 734 Practice Problems 736 Chapter 16 Analysis of Financial Institutions 749 Learning Outcomes 749 1. Introduction 749 2. What Makes Financial Institutions Different? 750 2.1. Global Organizations 753 2.2. Individual Jurisdictions’ Regulatory Authorities 755 3. Analyzing a Bank 756 3.1. The CAMELS Approach 756 3.2. Other Factors Relevant to Analysis of a Bank 773 3.3. An Illustration of the CAMELS Approach to Analysis of a Bank 777 4. Analyzing an Insurance Company 800 4.1. Property and Casualty Insurance Companies 800 4.2. Life and Health Insurance Companies 809 5. Summary 816 Practice Problems 817 Chapter 17 Evaluating Quality of Financial Reports 825 Learning Outcomes 825 1. Introduction 825 2. Quality of Financial Reports 827 2.1. Conceptual Framework for Assessing the Quality of Financial Reports 827 2.2. Potential Problems that Affect the Quality of Financial Reports 829 3. Evaluating the Quality of Financial Reports 840 3.1. General Steps to Evaluate the Quality of Financial Reports 841 3.2. Quantitative Tools to Assess the Likelihood of Misreporting 842 4. Earnings Quality 845 4.1. Indicators of Earnings Quality 845 4.2. Evaluating the Earnings Quality of a Company (Cases) 855 4.3. Bankruptcy Prediction Models 866 5. Cash Flow Quality 867 5.1. Indicators of Cash Flow Quality 867 5.2. Evaluating Cash Flow Quality 868 6. Balance Sheet Quality 876 7. Sources of Information about Risk 880 7.1. Limited Usefulness of Auditor’s Opinion as a Source of Information about Risk 880 7.2. Risk-Related Disclosures in the Notes 884 7.3. Management Commentary (Management Discussion and Analysis, or MD&A) 888 7.4. Other Required Disclosures 891 7.5. Financial Press as a Source of Information about Risk 892 8. Summary 892 References 894 Practice Problems 896 Chapter 18 Integration of Financial Statement Analysis Techniques 901 Learning Outcomes 901 1. Introduction 901 2. Case Study: Long-Term Equity Investment 903 2.1. Phase 1: Define a Purpose for the Analysis 903 2.2. Phase 2: Collect Input Data 903 2.3. Phase 3: Process Data and Phase 4: Analyze/Interpret the Processed Data 904 2.4. Phase 5: Develop and Communicate Conclusions and Recommendations (e.g., with an Analysis Report) 932 2.5. Phase 6: Follow-up 933 3. Summary 933 Practice Problems 933 Glossary 937 About the Editors 947 About the CFA Program 949 Index 951

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPart I Learning Objectives, Summary Overview, and Problems 1 Chapter 1 Introduction to Financial Statement Analysis 3 Learning Outcomes 3 Summary Overview 3 Problems 5 Chapter 2 Financial Reporting Standards 9 Learning Outcomes 9 Summary Overview 9 Problems 10 Chapter 3 Understanding Income Statements 13 Learning Outcomes 13 Summary Overview 14 Problems 15 Chapter 4 Understanding Balance Sheets 21 Learning Outcomes 21 Summary Overview 21 Problems 23 Chapter 5 Understanding Cash Flow Statements 29 Learning Outcomes 29 Summary Overview 29 Problems 30 Chapter 6 Financial Analysis Techniques 37 Learning Outcomes 37 Summary Overview 37 Problems 38 Chapter 7 Inventories 45 Learning Outcomes 45 Summary Overview 45 Problems 47 Chapter 8 Long-Lived Assets 63 Learning Outcomes 63 Summary Overview 64 Problems 65 Chapter 9 Income Taxes 77 Learning Outcomes 77 Summary Overview 77 Problems 78 Chapter 10 Non-Current (Long-Term) Liabilities 83 Learning Outcomes 83 Summary Overview 83 Problems 85 Chapter 11 Financial Reporting Quality 91 Learning Outcomes 91 Summary Overview 91 Problems 93 Chapter 12 Applications of Financial Statement Analysis 97 Learning Outcomes 97 Summary Overview 97 Problems 98 Chapter 13 Intercorporate Investments 101 Learning Outcomes 101 Summary Overview 101 Problems 102 Chapter 14 Employee Compensation: Post-Employment and Share-Based 113 Learning Outcomes 113 Summary Overview 113 Problems 115 Chapter 15 Multinational Operations 125 Learning Outcomes 125 Summary Overview 125 Problems 127 Chapter 16 Analysis of Financial Institutions 139 Learning Outcomes 139 Summary Overview 139 Problems 140 Chapter 17 Evaluating Quality of Financial Reports 149 Learning Outcomes 149 Summary Overview 149 Problems 151 Chapter 18 Integration of Financial Statement Analysis Techniques 157 Learning Outcomes 157 Summary Overview 157 Problems 158 Part II Solutions 161 Chapter 1 Introduction to Financial Statement Analysis 163 Solutions 163 Chapter 2 Financial Reporting Standards 165 Solutions 165 Chapter 3 Understanding Income Statements 167 Solutions 167 Chapter 4 Understanding Balance Sheets 171 Solutions 171 Chapter 5 Understanding Cash Flow Statements 175 Solutions 175 Chapter 6 Financial Analysis Techniques 179 Solutions 179 Chapter 7 Inventories 183 Solutions 183 Chapter 8 Long-Lived Assets 191 Solutions 191 Chapter 9 Income Taxes 197 Solutions 197 Chapter 10 Non-Current (Long-Term) Liabilities 199 Solutions 199 Chapter 11 Financial Reporting Quality 207 Solutions 207 Chapter 12 Applications of Financial Statement Analysis 211 Solutions 211 Chapter 13 Intercorporate Investments 213 Solutions 213 Chapter 14 Employee Compensation: Post-Employment and Share-Based 219 Solutions 219 Chapter 15 Multinational Operations 225 Solutions 225 Chapter 16 Analysis of Financial Institutions 233 Solutions 233 Chapter 17 Evaluating Quality of Financial Reports 241 Solutions 241 Chapter 18 Integration of Financial Statement Analysis Techniques 245 Solutions 245 About the CFA Program 247

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface xiii Acknowledgments xv About the CFA Investment Series xvii Chapter 1 Overview of Equity Securities 1 Learning Outcomes 1 1. Introduction 1 2. Equity Securities in Global Financial Markets 2 3. Types and Characteristics of Equity Securities 8 3.1. Common Shares 9 3.2. Preference Shares 11 4. Private versus Public Equity Securities 13 5. Investing in Non-Domestic Equity Securities 15 5.1. Direct Investing 17 5.2. Depository Receipts 17 6. Risk and Return Characteristics of Equity Securities 21 6.1. Return Characteristics of Equity Securities 21 6.2. Risk of Equity Securities 22 7. Equity Securities and Company Value 23 7.1. Accounting Return on Equity 24 7.2. The Cost of Equity and Investors’ Required Rates of Return 28 8. Summary 29 References 31 Practice Problems 31 Chapter 2 Introduction to Industry and Company Analysis 35 Learning Outcomes 35 1. Introduction 36 2. Uses of Industry Analysis 36 3. Approaches to Identifying Similar Companies 37 3.1. Products and/or Services Supplied 37 3.2. Business-Cycle Sensitivities 38 3.3. Statistical Similarities 39 4. Industry Classification Systems 40 4.1. Commercial Industry Classification Systems 40 4.2. Governmental Industry Classification Systems 44 4.3. Strengths and Weaknesses of Current Systems 45 4.4. Constructing a Peer Group 46 5. Describing and Analyzing an Industry 50 5.1. Principles of Strategic Analysis 52 5.2. External Influences on Industry Growth, Profitability, and Risk 70 6. Company Analysis 77 6.1. Elements That Should Be Covered in a Company Analysis 77 6.2. Spreadsheet Modeling 80 7. Summary 81 References 84 Practice Problems 84 Chapter 3 Equity Valuation: Concepts and Basic Tools 89 Learning Outcomes 89 1. Introduction 90 2. Estimated Value and Market Price 90 3. Major Categories of Equity Valuation Models 92 4. Present Value Models: The Dividend Discount Model 94 4.1. Dividends: Background for the Dividend Discount Model 94 4.2. The Dividend Discount Model: Description 96 4.3. Preferred Stock Valuation 100 4.4. The Gordon Growth Model 103 4.5. Multistage Dividend Discount Models 108 5. Multiplier Models 112 5.1. Relationships among Price Multiples, Present Value Models, and Fundamentals 112 5.2. The Method of Comparables 116 5.3. Illustration of a Valuation Based on Price Multiples 119 5.4. Enterprise Value 121 6. Asset-Based Valuation 123 7. Summary 127 References 129 Practice Problems 129 Chapter 4 Equity Valuation: Applications and Processes 135 Learning Outcomes 135 1. Introduction 135 2. Value Definitions and Valuation Applications 136 2.1. What is Value? 136 2.2. Applications of Equity Valuation 139 3. The Valuation Process 141 3.1. Understanding the Business 142 3.2. Forecasting Company Performance 152 3.3. Selecting the Appropriate Valuation Model 153 3.4. Converting Forecasts to a Valuation 160 3.5. Applying the Valuation Conclusion: The Analyst’s Role and Responsibilities 161 4. Communicating Valuation Results 163 4.1. Contents of a Research Report 163 4.2. Format of a Research Report 165 4.3. Research Reporting Responsibilities 166 5. Summary 168 References 169 Practice Problems 170 Chapter 5 Return Concepts 177 Learning Outcomes 177 1. Introduction 177 2. Return Concepts 178 2.1. Holding Period Return 178 2.2. Realized and Expected (Holding Period) Returns 179 2.3. Required Return 179 2.4. Expected Return Estimates from Intrinsic Value Estimates 181 2.5. Discount Rate 183 2.6. Internal Rate of Return 183 3. The Equity Risk Premium 184 3.1. Historical Estimates 186 3.2. Forward-Looking Estimates 194 4. The Required Return on Equity 198 4.1. The Capital Asset Pricing Model 198 4.2. Multifactor Models 206 4.3. Build-Up Method Estimates of the Required Return on Equity 213 4.4. The Required Return on Equity: International Issues 217 5. The Weighted Average Cost of Capital 218 6. Discount Rate Selection in Relation to Cash Flows 220 7. Summary 220 References 222 Practice Problems 223 Chapter 6 Industry and Company Analysis 229 Learning Outcomes 229 1. Introduction 230 2. Financial Modeling: An Overview 230 2.1. Income Statement Modeling: Revenue 230 2.2. Income Statement Modeling: Operating Costs 236 2.3. Income Statement Modeling: Non-operating Costs 249 2.4. Income Statement Modeling: Other Items 253 2.5. Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement Modeling 254 2.6. Scenario Analysis and Sensitivity Analysis 256 3. The Impact of Competitive Factors on Prices and Costs 258 4. Inflation and Deflation 266 4.1. Sales Projections with Inflation and Deflation 267 4.2. Cost Projections with Inflation and Deflation 272 5. Technological Developments 274 6. Long-Term Forecasting 285 Case Study: Estimating Normalized Revenue 286 7. Building a Model 291 7.1. Industry Overview 291 7.2. Company Overview 292 7.3. Construction of Pro Forma Income Statement 293 7.4. Construction of Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement and Balance Sheet 299 7.5. Valuation Inputs 304 8. Summary 305 References 306 Practice Problems 306 Chapter 7 Discounted Dividend Valuation 313 Learning Outcomes 313 1. Introduction 314 2. Present Value Models 315 2.1. Valuation Based on the Present Value of Future Cash Flows 315 2.2. Streams of Expected Cash Flows 317 3. The Dividend Discount Model 322 3.1. The Expression for a Single Holding Period 323 3.2. The Expression for Multiple Holding Periods 324 4. The Gordon Growth Model 326 4.1. The Gordon Growth Model Equation 326 4.2. The Links Among Dividend Growth, Earnings Growth, and Value Appreciation in the Gordon Growth Model 334 4.3. Share Repurchases 334 4.4. The Implied Dividend Growth Rate 335 4.5. The Present Value of Growth Opportunities 336 4.6. Gordon Growth Model and the Price-to-Earnings Ratio 339 4.7. Estimating a Required Return Using the Gordon Growth Model 341 4.8. The Gordon Growth Model: Concluding Remarks 342 5. Multistage Dividend Discount Models 342 5.1. Two-Stage Dividend Discount Model 343 5.2. Valuing a Non-Dividend-Paying Company 346 5.3. The H-Model 347 5.4. Three-Stage Dividend Discount Models 349 5.5. Spreadsheet (General) Modeling 354 5.6. Estimating a Required Return Using Any DDM 356 5.7. Multistage DDM: Concluding Remarks 357 6. The Financial Determinants of Growth Rates 358 6.1. Sustainable Growth Rate 358 6.2. Dividend Growth Rate, Retention Rate, and ROE Analysis 360 6.3. Financial Models and Dividends 363 7. Summary 365 References 367 Practice Problems 368 Chapter 8 Free Cash Flow Valuation 383 Learning Outcomes 383 1. Introduction to Free Cash Flows 384 2. FCFF and FCFE Valuation Approaches 385 2.1. Defining Free Cash Flow 385 2.2. Present Value of Free Cash Flow 386 2.3. Single-Stage (Constant-Growth) FCFF and FCFE Models 387 3. Forecasting Free Cash Flow 389 3.1. Computing FCFF from Net Income 389 3.2. Computing FCFF from the Statement of Cash Flows 393 3.3. Noncash Charges 394 3.4. Computing FCFE from FCFF 400 3.5. Finding FCFF and FCFE from EBIT or EBITDA 405 3.6. FCFF and FCFE on a Uses-of-Free-Cash-Flow Basis 407 3.7. Forecasting FCFF and FCFE 409 3.8. Other Issues in Free Cash Flow Analysis 414 4. Free Cash Flow Model Variations 419 4.1. An International Application of the Single-Stage Model 420 4.2. Sensitivity Analysis of FCFF and FCFE Valuations 421 4.3. Two-Stage Free Cash Flow Models 422 4.4. Three-Stage Growth Models 430 4.5. ESG Considerations in Free Cash Flow Models 431 5. Nonoperating Assets and Firm Value 436 6. Summary 436 References 438 Practice Problems 438 Chapter 9 Market-Based Valuation: Price and Enterprise Value Multiples 455 Learning Outcomes 455 1. Introduction 456 2. Price and Enterprise Value Multiples in Valuation 457 2.1. The Method of Comparables 457 2.2. The Method Based on Forecasted Fundamentals 459 3. Price Multiples 460 3.1. Price to Earnings 460 3.2. Price to Book Value 492 3.3. Price to Sales 503 3.4. Price to Cash Flow 510 3.5. Price to Dividends and Dividend Yield 515 4. Enterprise Value Multiples 518 4.1. Enterprise Value to EBITDA 519 4.2. Other Enterprise Value Multiples 524 4.3. Enterprise Value to Sales 525 4.4. Price and Enterprise Value Multiples in a Comparable Analysis: Some Illustrative Data 526 5. International Considerations When Using Multiples 528 6. Momentum Valuation Indicators 529 7. Valuation Indicators: Issues in Practice 535 7.1. Averaging Multiples: The Harmonic Mean 535 7.2. Using Multiple Valuation Indicators 537 8. Summary 542 References 544 Practice Problems 546 Chapter 10 Residual Income Valuation 559 Learning Outcomes 559 1. Introduction 560 2. Residual Income 560 2.1. The Use of Residual Income in Equity Valuation 563 2.2. Commercial Implementations 564 3. The Residual Income Model 565 3.1. The General Residual Income Model 568 3.2. Fundamental Determinants of Residual Income 573 3.3. Single-Stage Residual Income Valuation 574 3.4. Multistage Residual Income Valuation 575 4. Residual Income Valuation in Relation to Other Approaches 580 4.1. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Residual Income Model 582 4.2. Broad Guidelines for Using a Residual Income Model 583 5. Accounting and International Considerations 584 5.1. Violations of the Clean Surplus Relationship 585 5.2. Balance Sheet Adjustments for Fair Value 594 5.3. Intangible Assets 594 5.4. Nonrecurring Items 597 5.5. Other Aggressive Accounting Practices 598 5.6. International Considerations 598 6. Summary 599 References 601 Practice Problems 602 Chapter 11 Private Company Valuation 611 Learning Outcomes 611 1. Introduction 612 2. The Scope of Private Company Valuation 612 2.1. Private and Public Company Valuation: Similarities and Contrasts 612 2.2. Reasons for Performing Valuations 614 3. Definitions (Standards) of Value 616 4. Private Company Valuation Approaches 618 4.1. Earnings Normalization and Cash Flow Estimation Issues 619 4.2. Income Approach Methods of Private Company Valuation 625 4.3. Market Approach Methods of Private Company Valuation 635 4.4. Asset-Based Approach to Private Company Valuation 643 4.5. Valuation Discounts and Premiums 644 4.6. Business Valuation Standards and Practices 651 5. Summary 652 References 654 Practice Problems 654 Glossary 661 About the Editors 671 About the CFA Program 673 Index 675

Read more less

Book SynopsisGet Your Piece of the Hottest Business Online Today! Affiliate marketing is your route to earning some serious bucks. Thousands of companies both large & small like Amazon, Sears, Best Buy, Overstock, Lowe's, Priceline & others have programs so you can profit from the thousands of products they offer. Affiliate marketing is ideal for bloggers looking to monetize their work. This is a multibillion-dollar market, and there are 10+ million people involved in the biz worldwide. There's always room for more because the opportunity keeps growing as more and more companies offer affiliate programs. Affiliate Marketing For Dummies shows you how to get a slice of the pie! Choose the right affiliate product or service for youFind the best affiliate programs for youFind the best affiliate marketing strategies Affiliate Marketing for Dummies is your friendly step-by-step guide to getting in on this moneymakerbig time. Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 2 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing 5 Chapter 1: What Is Affiliate Marketing? 7 Getting a Handle on How Affiliate Marketing Works 7 Profiting from Internet Promotion 8 Multiplying opportunities 9 Automating the money flow 9 Distinguishing affiliate marketing from other internet businesses 11 Preparing to Start Your Affiliate Marketing Business 12 Setting expectations 12 Laying the groundwork 13 Walking through the process 14 Chapter 2: Why Should You Be an Affiliate? 17 Surveying the Requirements of Starting a Traditional Business 18 Assessing the Advantages of Affiliate Marketing 19 You can start your business instantly 20 You can choose your own path and lifestyle 20 You can offer a diverse range of products 21 You have no product development and fulfillment 21 You don’t have to be a technical genius 22 Payment and accounting are automated 23 You get company-supplied marketing materials 24 You can take advantage of tax deductions 24 Setting Expectations 24 Chapter 3: Pitfalls and Risks for Beginners 27 Looking Out for Personal Pitfalls 27 Lacking focus 28 Managing time poorly 29 Making few (if any) content updates 32 Avoiding Internet Risks 32 Stay away from instant businesses 33 Don’t fall for the next bright shiny object 34 Don’t follow others too closely 34 Chapter 4: Steps to Take Before Becoming an Affiliate 37 Setting Your Goals 38 Assessing the Skills You Have and Need 38 Where are you now? 39 How do you move ahead? 40 Strengthening Your Ability to Focus 40 Deciding what is (and isn’t) important 40 Setting your priorities 41 Seeing the magic of massive action 43 Making time to play 43 Ridding yourself of time wasters 44 Chapter 5: Surveying the Affiliate Landscape: Programs and Networks 49 Digging into Affiliate Programs 49 Assessing the advantages of affiliate programs 50 Finding and evaluating affiliate programs 51 Joining an affiliate program 54 Looking at Affiliate Networks 56 Checking out the advantages of affiliate networks 56 Finding and evaluating affiliate networks 57 Joining an affiliate network 58 Understanding the Dangers of Getting Banned 59 Part 2: Building on the Basics 61 Chapter 6: Keyword Research and Product Selection 63 Combining Passion and Profit 64 Analyzing Product Keywords 65 Looking at long tail keywords 66 Golden keywords 70 Sifting through Keyword Analysis Tools 71 Market Samurai 72 KeywordRevealer 74 Google Keyword Planner 75 Examining Markets 76 Focusing on evergreen markets 77 Sizing up seasonal markets 77 Chapter 7: Using a Website for Affiliate Marketing 79 Beginning with the Benefits of a Website for the Affiliate Marketer 80 Establishing a Domain Name for Your Website 81 Choosing a name 81 Using a registrar 82 Checking out the aftermarket 83 Comparing Self-Hosting to Free Hosting 84 Self-hosting 85 Free hosting 87 Going with WordPress Software 88 Installation 89 Themes 90 Plug-ins 91 Monitoring Your Website 94 Totaling the Costs of Starting and Running an Affiliate Marketing Website 95 Asking a Few Important Questions about Websites 96 Chapter 8: Niche Marketing 97 Understanding the Basics of Niche Marketing 97 Finding Your Niche 99 Following the head and the heart 100 Considering market size and competition 100 Reviewing Keyword Analysis Tools for Niche Marketing 101 Market Samurai 102 KeywordRevealer 103 Google tools 104 Keywords Everywhere 104 Spying on the Competition 105 Surveying Seasonal Niches 107 Chapter 9: Affiliate Marketing Without a Website 109 Getting Started When You Have Followers (And When You Don’t) 110 Leveraging the followers you already have 110 Taking action when you have no social media presence 112 Surveying Strategies for Different Social Media Platforms 113 Facebook 114 LinkedIn 115 YouTube 115 Instagram 116 Reddit 117 Quora 117 Guest blogs 118 Checking Out the Cons of Affiliate Marketing Without a Website 119 Your web presence is limited 119 You’re not building asset value 120 You don’t own the ground you’re building your business on 120 Your content doesn’t last long in front of your followers 121 You’re always fighting the competition 121 You have to adjust your approach for a different audience 122 You must keep on top of social media limitations and restrictions 122 Social media isn’t necessarily less complicated than having a website 123 Having a website isn’t as expensive as you may think 124 Chapter 10: SEO: Search Engine Optimization 125 Taking Care of Some Issues Before You Focus on SEO 126 Selecting the right niche 126 Understanding the elephant in the room: Google 127 Distinguishing On-Page and Off-Page SEO Factors 130 On-page SEO factors 131 Off-page SEO factors 138 Setting Up Your Site to Be SEO Friendly 139 Tags and categories 140 Posts and pages 140 Building a silo 143 Trying Out SEO Tools 144 Yoast 144 Market Samurai 144 Google Webmasters 145 Chapter 11: Email Marketing 147 Assessing the Advantages of Email Marketing 148 Building Your List with Different Types of Email 149 Marketing emails 149 Autoresponders 149 Transactional emails 150 Email campaigns 151 Hosting Your Own Emails 152 The pros of hosting 152 The cons of hosting 154 Playing by the Rules 156 Can-spam 156 The opt-in 158 The double opt-in 158 Unsubscribing 159 Understanding Email Screening 159 Soft bounces and hard bounces 161 Beware of buying a list of emails 161 A risk of probation if email addresses aren’t checked 161 Email throttling 163 Considering Different Email Senders 163 Sendinblue 164 Amazon SES 164 SendGrid 165 Mailchimp 165 Constant Contact 166 Part 3: Advanced Affiliate Strategies 167 Chapter 12: Multitier, Passive, and Other Offbeat Commissions 169 Getting a Handle on Multitier Affiliate Marketing 170 Trying two-tier marketing 170 Watching out for the third tier and beyond 171 Finding affiliates for your multitier program 172 Picking Out Passive Income Opportunities 174 Profiting Even When No Sale Is Made 175 Cost per action/pay per lead 175 Cost per click 176 Cost per view 177 Chapter 13: Affiliate Platforms, Directories, and More 179 Assessing Affiliate Platforms 179 JVZoo 180 ClickBank 181 CJ Affiliate 183 Amazon Associates 184 Digging into Affiliate Directories 185 Checking Out CPA Networks 186 Looking at Advertising Networks 187 Chapter 14: Opt-In and Landing Pages 189 Examining the Elements of an Opt-In Page 190 Videos versus text 190 The layout 192 Other considerations for success 192 Checking Out the Elements of a Landing Page 193 The visuals: Colors and images 193 The headline and the subheadline 193 Ad/sales copy 194 Testimonials 196 Bonuses 197 The “what’s inside” element 197 The bio 198 Payment buttons 198 Guarantees 198 Frequently asked questions (FAQs) 199 Legal notices and disclaimers 200 Focusing on Other Factors for Success 200 Testing with the A-B split 200 Considering SEO 201 Using an exit pop-up 201 Benefiting from others’ wisdom 202 Trying landing page templates and software 202 Judging results 202 Chapter 15: Sales Funnel Strategies 203 Selling Your Prospect on Multiple Offers 203 Starting with the front end 204 Moving to the main or core offer 206 Continuing with the back-end offer 207 Using upsells and downsells 207 Putting everything together 208 Setting Up Your Sequence of Offers 210 Looking at the tools you need 210 Modeling a merchant funnel 211 Assessing an affiliate funnel 212 Building a structure for passive income 213 Part 4: Going Professional 217 Chapter 16: The Legal Stuff 219 Following the Federal Trade Commission 220 Knowing the main guideline 220 Avoiding unrealistic claims 220 Retaining records about testimonials 221 Watching your language 222 Keeping your pricing consistent 222 Having a clear refund policy 222 Being aware of the rules about business opportunities 223 Getting the Scoop on the General Data Protection Regulation 224 Safely Using Images and Other Content 225 Getting permission in writing 225 Understanding special content rights 226 Addressing Legal Matters on Websites 227 A privacy policy 227 Disclaimers 228 Terms of service 228 Other sites’ rules 229 Chapter 17: The Merchant Side of Affiliate Marketing 231 Knowing Whether You’re Ready to Be a Merchant 232 Is your product conducive to an affiliate marketing program? 233 Is your compensation plan attractive? 235 Can you service affiliates? 236 Becoming an “undercover affiliate” 236 Choosing Your Technology 237 Considering an in-house affiliate program 237 Using an external affiliate platform 238 Outsourcing 239 Recruiting and Working with Affiliates 239 Knowing where to find affiliates 239 Making offers they can’t resist 240 Providing affiliate tools 240 Chapter 18: Taxes for the Affiliate Marketer 245 Setting Up Your Business for Taxes 245 The simplest business structure: You! 246 The second simplest business structure: The DBA 246 The next level: LLCs, corporations, and partnerships 247 Handling Taxes on Affiliate Marketing Commissions 247 Federal income taxes 248 Federal self-employment taxes 248 State and local taxes 249 Sales tax 249 Digging into Powerful Tax Deductions 250 Deducting home office expenses 250 Looking at the most common affiliate deductions 251 Checking out other common business deductions 252 Keeping Good Records 253 Researching Pension Tax Benefits 253 Reviewing Resources to Help You with Your Taxes 254 Part 5: the Part of Tens 255 Chapter 19: Ten (Or So) of the Biggest Pitfalls for Affiliate Marketers 257 Looking to the Next Bright Shiny Object 257 Battling a Lack of Focus 258 Not Investing in Yourself and Your Education 259 Making the Transition from Content Consumer to Content Producer 260 Having Unrealistic Expectations 260 Spreading Yourself Too Thin 261 Not Sticking It Out Until You Achieve Success 261 Not Spending Money to Save Time 262 Not Protecting Your Trust Flow and Reputation 262 Chapter 20: The Ten Best Free Tools for Affiliate Marketers 267 WordPress 268 Elementor 268 Yoast 269 Keywords Everywhere 270 SpyFu 270 Blog Ideas Generator 270 Market Samurai 271 GTmetrix 271 SimilarWeb 272 Buffer 273 Chapter 21: The Ten Best Paid Tools for Affiliate Marketers 275 Market Samurai 276 Keyword Revealer 276 SpyFu 277 Elementor, Astra Pro Theme, and Ultimate Addons 277 Content Samurai 278 WP Robot 280 CleanTalk 280 Sendinblue 281 Amazon SES 281 Mailster 282 Chapter 22: The Ten Best Marketing Strategies for Affiliates 285 Guest Blogging 285 SEO Strategies 286 Social Media Marketing 286 YouTube Marketing 287 Email Marketing 288 Content Marketing 289 E-book Publishing 289 Joint Ventures 290 Media Interviews 290 Smartphone Apps 291 Appendix: Tools and Resources for Affiliates 293 Index 307

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsForeword ix About the Author xi Introduction xiii Chapter 1 ALM of the Banking Book 1 The Role of Asset Liability Management in Commercial Banks 1 Overview of Financial Risks Existing in the Banking Book 7 Regulatory Requirements – Basel III 13 Capital Requirements According to Basel III/CRD IV 17 Selective Review of the Literature Related to ALM and Integrated Management of the Interest Rate Risk and Liquidity Risk in Commercial Banks 19 Chapter 2 Methods of Measurement and Management of the Interest Rate Risk and Liquidity Risk 23 Interest Rate Risk in the Banking Book – Measurement and Management 24 Exposure to Short-Term Interest Rate Risk – Maturity Gap Analysis 24 Maturity Gap Analysis from the Economic Value Perspective 33 Liquidity Risk in the Banking Book – Measurement and Management 41 Short-Term Liquidity Management Principles 45 Medium Long-Term Liquidity – The Principles of Structural Liquidity Management 46 The Role of Funds Transfer Pricing in Banks 50 Pricing of Different Products in the Banking Book 54 Behaviouralisation Concept in FTP 57 Chapter 3 Customer Behaviour and Its Impact on Interest Rate and Liquidity Risk 61 Significance and Impact of Behavioural Issues in the Banking Book 61 Modelling of Customers’ Deposits – Liabilities Side 63 Balance Sensitivity Modelling 68 Modelling of Loans with Early Redemption Optionality –Assets Side 70 Statistical Prepayments 70 Financial Prepayments 71 Chapter 4 Formulation of the Optimisation Process and Articulation of the Decision Model 73 The Optimisation Method Applied to the Banking Book 74 Introduction of the Optimisation Concept 75 Definition of the Initial Banking Book Profile 79 Building the Objective and Constraint Functions in the Optimisation Process 81 The Importance of Model Sensitivity Analysis 96 Definition of the Sensitivity Parameters for the Optimisation Model 98 ‘Significant Changes in Interest Rates’ Scenario 98 Changes in the Initial Proportions of the Asset Base 100 Changes in the Output of the Deposit Characterisation Model – Balance Volatility, Balance Sensitivity, and Average Life of the Product 100 Introduction of the CPR into the Model 100 Chapter 5 Practical Example of the Optimisation Process and Quantification of the Economic Impact under Base and Stress Scenarios 101 Case Study: Economic Impact from the Optimisation Model under Baseline and Sensitivity Scenarios for Bank 1 102 Case Study: Economic Impact from the Optimisation Model under Baseline and Sensitivity Scenarios for Bank 2 114 Conclusions 125 Appendix 1 Details of the Analysis Performed for Bank 1 129 Appendix 2 Details of the Analysis Performed for Bank 2 157 Bibliography 209 Index 213

Read more less

Book Synopsis8 powerful ways to market your business online to consistently generate an abundance of leads that convert into profitable customers. Dynamic Digital Marketing teaches any business or individual how to increase online visibility and presence, attract their target audience, generate leads, and convert them into profitable customers. Author Dawn McGruer is an expert at making businesses and brands shine online. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and businesses maximise their digital marketing profits by developing digital skills which scale and grow their businesses and accelerate their success. Most entrepreneurs and businesses fully understand the importance of digital marketing, yet many do not know where to start or, worse, continue to spend time, money, and effort on strategies that fail to provide the best results for their investment. To remedy this situation, Dawn developed her multi-award-winning digital marketing framework, Dynamic DTable of ContentsAcknowledgements ix Introduction xiii Part I Getting Started 1 1 Create your customer avatar 3 2 Map your customer journey 9 3 Carry out market and competitor analysis 15 4 Developing your proposition 21 5 Decide on key digital channels 37 6 Review internal processes 47 7 Calculate your ideal sales revenue 51 8 Review your skills bridge 59 9 Implement time-management strategies 67 10 Safeguard against digital pitfalls 81 Part II The Dynamic Digital Marketing Model 87 11 Search – The R.A.P.I.D Traffic Generator 95 12 Social – The Proven Positioning Process 143 13 Send – The C.L.E.A.N. Customer Cultivator 199 14 Substance – The C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E. Content Communicator 239 15 Sell – The Ultimate Reach and Retention Radar 287 16 Sponsor – The Brilliant Brand Booster 307 17 Strategy – The D.I.R.E.C.T. Digital Dynamo 327 18 Score – The Radical Results Reaper 355 19 The Digital Challenge 375 20 Digital marketing success stories 387 Further Resources 397 Index 401

Read more less

Book Synopsis***BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS - FINALIST 2021***Discover how 25 powerful technology trends are transforming 21st century businesses How will the latest technologies transform your business? Future Tech Trends in Practice will give you the knowledge of today's most important technology trends, and how to take full advantage of them to grow your business. The book presents25 real-world technology trends along with their potential contributions to organisational success. You'll learn how to integrate existing advancements and plan for those that are on the way. In this book, best-selling author, strategic business advisor, and respectedfuturist Bernard Marr explains the role of technology in providing innovative businesses solutions for companies of varying sizes and across different industries. He covers wide-ranging trends and provides an overview of how companies are using these new and emerging technologies in practice. You, too, can prepareTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 1 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 3 2 Internet of Things and the Rise of Smart Devices 15 3 From Wearables to Augmented Humans 25 4 Big Data and Augmented Analytics 37 5 Intelligent Spaces and Smart Places 49 6 Blockchains and Distributed Ledgers 61 7 Cloud and Edge Computing 73 8 Digitally Extended Realities 83 9 Digital Twins 95 10 Natural Language Processing 105 11 Voice Interfaces and Chatbots 115 12 Computer Vision and Facial Recognition 127 13 Robots and Cobots 139 14 Autonomous Vehicles 151 15 5G and Faster, Smarter Networks 163 16 Genomics and Gene Editing 175 17 Machine Co-Creativity and Augmented Design 185 18 Digital Platforms 197 19 Drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 207 20 Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience 219 21 Quantum Computing 229 22 Robotic Process Automation 239 23 Mass Personalization and Micro-Moments 249 24 3D and 4D Printing and Additive Manufacturing 261 25 Nanotechnology and Materials Science 273 26 A Few Final Words 283 About the Author 285 Acknowledgments 287 Index 289

Read more less

Book SynopsisCelebrate the 26th anniversary of the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery with this rich, adventurous history The Dogfish Head Book: 26 Years of Off-Centered Adventures?celebrates a quarter-century in business for the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Over the past 26 years, the Dogfish Head founders have learned timeless lessons about working and living. This book shares their hard-earned insights and helps readers navigate life's adventures. Through its colorful design and photos,?The Dogfish Head Book?brings the brewing business to life. Inside, you'll find wisdom and entertainment in the form of memorabilia, photos, and the Dogfish Head Rules of Thumb. Food and beer lovers, entrepreneurs, and business professionals alike will enjoy this unique book, which also makes a perfect gift for any Dogfish Head fan or craft beer enthusiast. Since its start in 1995, Dogfish Head has grown exponentially to become one of the most celebrated craft breweries in the UTable of ContentsPreface 8 The City Lights Library at the Dogfish Inn 12 Chapter 1: Brewing Up ... A Love of Beer 15 How Sam Met Mariah 18 How Mariah Met Sam 20 Learn From Those Who Came Before You 22 The First Seeds of Beer Inspiration 24 Cherry Pale Ale 26 Coworker Profile: Olivia Dickinson 31 Chapter 2: What’s In A Name? 32 The Motto 34 The Shark & Shield 36 The Plan 38 Punkin Ale 43 The First Brewing System 46 Let the Brewing Begin 48 Signs 50 Prohibition and Dogfish Head 52 Shelter Pale Ale and Chicory Stout 62 Sugar 64 Aprihop 66 Immort Ale 68 Raison D’etre 71 Coworker Profile: Alison Ruark 73 The 5-Barrel System 74 Bottling 76 The Six Packs 79 Building A Bigger Brewery 80 World Wide Stout 86 Midas Touch 90 Namaste 94 90 Minute Ipa 96 Indian Brown Ale 100 Olde School Barleywine 103 Nobody Told Me There’’d Be Days Like This 108 Coworker Profile: Bryan Selders 115 Chapter 3: Think Global, Drink Local 116 Milton 119 Rhythm 122 Breaking the Rules of Brewing 124 Pangaea Festina Lente 128 60 Minute Ipa 130 Increasing Production 132 Raison D’extra 135 Bottlecaps 136 Burton Baton 138 Fort 140 Chateau Jiahu 142 Coworker Profile: Ryan & Janelle Mazur 144 Chapter 4: The OG Craft Beer Evangelist 146 Palo Santo Marron 152 Red & White 154 Black & Blue 156 The Big Ol’ Beer Bottle 158 The Mullet 160 Coworker Profile: Kenny Thorpe 163 Chapter 5: The Great Communicator 164 Mariah Explains 166 Theobroma 170 My Antonia 172 Sah’tea 174 The Spicing Pots 177 The Cold Storage 177 Liquor De Malt 178 Chicha 182 Saison Du Buff 184 Ta Henket 186 Bitches Brew 188 Hellhound 190 Urkontinent 192 Faithfull Ale 194 Positive Contact 196 Coworker Profile: Nora Sheehan 199 Chapter 6: Brew Masters 200 Grain To Glass 205 The Steampunk Tree House 206 Noble Rot 208 Oak-Aged Noble Rot 209 Tweason’ale 210 Savor Flowers 212 Birra Etrusca Bronze 214 Firefly Ale 216 American Beauty 218 Kvasir 220 Sixty-One 222 Piercing Pils 224 Coworker Profile: Wendy Domurat 227 Chapter 7: Take Your Pants Off 228 The Inn 238 Pennsylvania Tuxedo 256 Rosabi 259 Beer Thousand 260 Beer for Breakfast 262 Coworker Profile: Connie Park 265 Chapter 8: Enjoy the Journey 266 Celebrating the Epiphany 267 Joining the Fans 268 Proceed Slowly, 270 Go Thoughtfully 270 Higher Math 274 Sick Cider 276 Liquid Truth Serum 278 The Dogfish Head Distillery 280 Barrel Honey Rum 285 Analog Vodka 287 Chesapeake & Maine 289 Smoke on the Water Oysters 291 Seaquench Ale 294 Coworker Profile: Matt Barth 299 Chapter 9: The New R&D Brewery 300 Coworker Profile: Mark Carter 315 Chapter 10: Out with the Old, In With the New 316 “Wooden … It Be Nice!” V Bunyan’s Lunchbox Evolves To The Full-Fledged Tasting Room & Kitchen 334 Canned Cocktails 348 Our Latest Exploration 351 Coworker Profile: Seth Limanek 355 Coworker Profile: Cj And Cindy Novack 356 A Fan’s Perspective On 26 Years 359 Cheers To The Next 26! 366 Index 367

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Getting Started With Investment Banking 5 Chapter 1: Introducing Investment Banking 7 What Investment Banking Is 8 The role investment banking plays 8 How investment banking differs from traditional banking 10 The services investment banks provide 11 How investment banks are organized 12 The current lay of the investment banking land 14 Types of investment banking operations 15 How investment banks get paid 15 How Investment Banking Is Done 17 Finding the financial statements 18 Understanding the importance of financial statements and ratios 18 Zeroing in on past transactions 18 Seeing the value of fixed income 19 Turning Into an Investment Banking Pro 19 Putting the discounted cash flow analysis to work 19 Seeing how leverage becomes a force in investment banking 20 Pinpointing buyout targets 20 Putting Investment Banking to Work 21 Staying in compliance with the rules 21 Looking beyond the published financial statements 21 Making adjustments to financial statements for comparability 22 Chapter 2: The Purpose of Investment Banking: What Investment Bankers Do 23 Putting the For-Sale Sign on Corporate America 24 Mergers and acquisitions 25 Leveraged buyouts 27 Private business sales 29 Initial public offerings 32 Helping Investors Decide Whether to Buy or Sell 36 The importance of research 36 What do the analysts do? 37 Digging Into the Role of the Trading Desk 38 Why investment banks are into trading 39 How investment banks turn pennies into billions 40 The type of analysis used in trading operations 40 Chapter 3: How Investment Bankers Sell Companies 43 Getting Companies Ready for Sale on Public Markets 44 Meeting the requirements to make an IPO happen 45 Writing the prospectus 47 Supporting the IPO: Making success last 51 Seeing What Sell-Side Analysts Do 53 The goals of the sell-side analyst 54 What investors look to sell-side analysts for 55 Spreading the word: Disseminating sell-side research 55 Examining a Sample Research Report 57 What to look for in the document 57 The main sections of a research report 58 Ways to look beyond the “buy” or “sell” 59 Chapter 4: How Investment Banking Is Used in Mergers and Acquisitions 61 Come Here Often? The Basics of Mergers and Acquisitions 62 Kinds of mergers 62 Why companies merge instead of simply growing organically 63 Firms that make attractive acquisition targets 66 How companies identify firms to merge with 67 The nature of the merger: Friendly or hostile? 68 Tools Used to Analyze the M&A Deal 70 The role of the buy-side M&A advisor 70 The role of the sell-side M&A advisor 75 Why Many M&A Deals Go Wrong 76 Misplaced incentives 76 Faulty analysis 77 Overstated synergies 78 Culture wars 78 The winner’s curse: Overpaying 78 Chapter 5: How Investment Banking Is Used in Leveraged Buyouts 81 In This Corner: Introducing the Players 82 Investment banks 83 Big institutions 84 Management 85 Stock and bond investors 86 Aiming for the Right Targets in a Leveraged Buyout 87 Identifying companies that can work in a leveraged buyout 88 Appreciating the power of cash flow 89 Coming to terms with the return analysis: Internal rate of return 90 Finding the Exit 91 Setting a target for exit in time 92 Considering how the exit will happen 92 Part 2: Digging In: Performing Investment Banking 95 Chapter 6: Finding the Data: Documents and Reports 97 Finding What You Need on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Website 98 What types of information you can find 98 The key types of documents 99 How to use EDGAR to pinpoint information 100 Getting Data in a Format You Can Work With 105 Assembling the tools you need 105 Importing financial information into Excel 107 Getting in tune with interactive data 109 Paying Attention to the Non-Financial Information 110 Monitoring news streams for investment banking ideas 110 Quickly processing information with aggregators 112 Doing research on the key players in a deal 114 Chapter 7: Making Sense of Financial Statements 115 Income Statements 116 Locating the areas of interest to investment bankers 118 Tweaking the statement with different assumptions 119 Finding investment banking opportunities 120 Balance Sheets 121 Finding your way around the key parts 122 Understanding a company’s financial strength 124 Locating pitfalls and opportunities 126 Statement of Cash Flows 127 Seeing why the cash flow statement is so important in deal making 127 Understanding the key parts of the document 127 Calculating free cash flow 130 Proxy Statements 131 Learning about the key players in a deal 131 Identifying the management team’s incentives 132 Analyzing management pay packages 133 Chapter 8: Perfecting the Financial Ratios for Investment Banking 135 Valuation Multiples: Assessing How Much the Company Is Worth 136 Investors’ favorite valuation tool: P/E ratio 137 Going old school with price-to-book 137 Putting a price on profitability 138 Liquidity Multiples: Checking Companies’ Staying Power 140 Deciphering debt to equity 141 Getting up to speed with the quick ratio 142 Interpreting interest coverage 142 Profitability Ratios: Seeing How a Company’s Bottom Line Measures Up 143 Why gross margin isn’t so gross after all 144 Income from continuing operations: Looking at profit with a keen eye 144 Keying into profits with net margin 145 Efficiency Ratios: Knowing How Well the Company Is Using Investors’ Money 146 Finding out about return on assets 147 Digging into return on capital 148 Uncovering company secrets with return on equity 149 Calculating a company’s growth rate 150 Chapter 9: Sizing Up the Industry 153 Performing an Industry Analysis 154 Understanding why industry analysis is important 154 Creating a comparison universe 155 Adjusting the industry comparison universe 158 Unearthing Company Trends and Common sizing the Financial Statements 159 Comparing growth rates 160 Comparing leverage 163 Comparing various profit margins 165 How a Company Stacks Up: Comparing the Key Ratios 166 Sizing up valuation 167 Comparing total debt-to-equity 169 Sizing up companies on their efficiency 170 Industry ratios 170 Chapter 10: Understanding Stocks and Focusing on Past Transactions 171 Introducing Stock 172 Characteristics of stock 173 Types of stock 174 Understanding stock pricing 175 Finding Past Transactions 176 Tracking the stock market 177 Studying private deals 177 Looking at pre-IPO marketplaces 179 Examining buyouts 179 Analyzing Past Transactions 180 Knowing what the market will bear 180 Knowing when the market is distorted 180 Tabulating key ratios for past deals 182 Understanding the pitfalls 184 Chapter 11: Applying Investment Banking to Fixed Income 185 Introducing Bonds 186 Identifying the Various Types of Bonds 188 Convertible bonds 188 Callable bonds 189 Puttable bonds 189 Floating-rate bonds 189 Zero-coupon bonds 190 Knowing Their Place: The Position of Bondholders 190 Understanding Bond Pricing 192 Introducing the concept of present value 192 Relating yield to maturity and price 195 Playing the spread: How different factors affect bond prices 196 Considering bond sensitivity to changes in interest rates 197 Tracking the Bond Market 200 Debt or Equity: How a Company Chooses 202 Part 3: Taking Investment Banking to the Next Level 205 Chapter 12: Doing a Discounted Free Cash Flow Analysis 207 Gearing Up for Discounted Free Cash Flow 208 Computing free cash flow 210 Forecasting free cash flow 211 Calculating the Weighted Average Cost of Capital 212 Understanding why the weighted average cost of capital is so important 213 Measuring the cost of debt and equity 214 Understanding the capital asset pricing model 217 Going for Terminal Value 220 Knowing the perpetuity growth formula 220 Applying the constant growth formula 221 Applying the two-stage growth model 222 Stress-testing the results 223 Valuing a Share of Stock 224 Chapter 13: Structuring a Leveraged Buyout 227 Seeing How Leveraged Buyouts Are Structured 228 The types of financing 228 Understanding seniority and maturity 235 Building a Leveraged Buyout Model 236 Creating a pro forma model 236 Deciding on methods of financing 238 Seeing how the results work out 239 The importance of taxes in a leveraged buyout 240 What can go right and what can go wrong 240 Chapter 14: Determining the Strength of a Company’s Return on Equity 243 Understanding the Importance of Return on Equity 244 What return on equity shows 245 Pros and cons of return on equity versus other profitability measures 247 How return on equity can help guide an investment banking deal 249 Using a DuPont Analysis 250 The three-factor DuPont method 251 The five-factor DuPont method 253 Interpreting the Results 255 Cola wars 255 What the numbers mean 256 Looking past the numbers for insight 256 Telling companies how to react to the numbers 257 Part 4: Applying Investment Banking 259 Chapter 15: Knowing the Rules 261 The History of Regulation of Investment Banking 262 The goals of investment banking regulation 262 Why the rules of today are the result of days past 262 How regulations have shaped the investment banking industry 263 The Ins and Outs of Modern Investment Banking Rules 264 The types of rules imposed on investment banking 264 How investment banking rules changed after the financial crisis 267 The Rules on Analysts 270 Why rules were needed 270 The not-so-delicate balancing act analysts play 271 What disclosure and compliance are required 272 Why Simply Making Rules Isn’t Enough 274 Chapter 16: How Some Companies Lie, Cheat, and Steal Their Way to the Top 277 Did You Really Sell That? When Companies Aggressively Report Revenue 278 Don’t let the sun go down on me 279 The truth? 280 Lucy, You Got Some ’Splainin’ to Do: When Companies Understate Their Expenses 282 What a waste 282 Crazy like a fox 283 Missed It by That Much: When Companies Overstate Their Financial Position 284 Those pesky pensions: The epidemic of firms understating pension liabilities 284 We are the world 288 Keeping Investors Off-Balance 289 Enron’s special purpose 290 A mountain of a scandal 292 Swap meet 293 What Should an Investment Banker Do? 295 Chapter 17: Understanding Alternative Investments and Asset Management 297 Knowing Your Alternatives 298 Hedge funds 298 Venture capital 301 Commodities 302 Real estate 303 Currencies and cryptocurrencies 305 Digging Into Asset Management 306 Attracting investors to asset management 306 Creating asset management tools 307 Managing Potential Conflicts with Clients 309 How asset management can cause conflicts 310 How to eliminate and manage conflicts 312 Chapter 18: Trying Your Hand at Investment Banking with a Case Study 315 Setting the Scene 316 The acquirer 316 The target 317 Considering the Options 317 Identifying the options 318 Looking at financing 318 Creating the Analysis 319 An analysis of the financial statements 320 Structuring a Deal 322 Form of acquisition 323 Creating pro forma statements 324 Success or Failure 326 Part 5: The Part of Tens 327 Chapter 19: Ten of the Biggest Debacles in Investment Banking History 329 The Dot-Com Boom and Bust 330 Tainted Research Scandals 331 Enron and the Accounting Scams 332 The Mortgage Debacle and Collapse of Lehman 333 The Flash Crash 333 The London Whale at JPMorgan Chase and Barings Bank 334 Long-Term Capital Management 334 Bankruptcy in Jefferson County, Alabama 335 IPO Allocations with CSFB 336 Bad Mergers and Acquisitions Like AOL Time Warner 337 Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Improve a Discounted Cash Flow Analysis 339 Financial Analysis Isn’t Physics 339 Show Your Sensitive Side 340 Monte Carlo Isn’t Just for High Rollers 341 What Can Go Wrong Will Go Wrong 342 It’s Tough to Make Predictions, Especially about the Future 342 The Investor of Today Doesn’t Profit from Yesterday’s Growth 343 Garbage In, Garbage Out 344 Rates Are Falling — It’s a Better Deal! 345 Read Your Putt from Several Angles 346 The Weighting is the Hardest Part 346 Chapter 21: Ten (Or So) of the Best Online Resources for Investment Bankers 349 Bloomberg 350 Reuters 350 Standard & Poor’s 350 Renaissance Capital and IPOScoop.com 351 The Securities and Exchange Commission 351 Moody’s 351 MarketSmith 352 Index Fund Advisors 352 Morningstar 352 Bureau of Labor Statistics 353 Department of Commerce 353 Federal Reserve 354 Trefis 354 Appendix: Where Investment Banking Came From 355 Index 361

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Getting Started with Digital Marketing 5 Chapter 1: Understanding the Customer Journey 7 Creating a Customer Avatar 8 What to include in your customer avatar 9 Introducing Agency Eric: A customer avatar example 10 Getting clear on goals and values 11 Finding sources of information and entertainment 12 Honing in on demographics 12 Adding challenges and pain points 13 Preparing for objections 14 Getting Clear on the Value You Provide 15 Knowing the Stages of the Customer Journey 16 Step 1: Generating awareness 17 Step 2: Driving engagement 18 Step 3: Building subscribers 19 Step 4: Increasing conversions 20 Step 5: Building excitement 20 Step 6: Making the core offer sale and more 21 Step 7: Developing brand advocates 22 Step 8: Growing brand promoters 23 Preparing Your Customer Journey Road Map 23 Optimizing the Customer Journey 24 Avoiding an Optimization Mistake 25 Chapter 2: Choosing the Right Marketing Campaign 27 Establishing Marketing Objectives 28 Defining a Digital Marketing Campaign 29 Understanding the Three Major Types of Campaigns 32 Campaigns that generate new leads and customers 32 Campaigns that monetize existing leads and customers 34 Campaigns that build engagement 35 Balancing Your Marketing Campaign Calendar 37 Choosing the Campaign You Need Now 37 Viewing Your Digital Marketing through the Campaign Lens 38 Chapter 3: Crafting Winning Offers 39 Offering Value in Advance 40 Designing an Ungated Offer 41 Designing a Gated Offer 42 Zeroing in on what matters 43 Making a specific promise 44 Giving a specific example 44 Offering a specific shortcut 45 Answering a specific question 45 Delivering a specific discount 45 Generating leads with educational content 45 Generating leads with tools 47 Filling out the gated offer checklist 50 Designing Deep-Discount Offers 52 Using physical premiums 52 Employing a book 53 Leveraging the webinar 53 Selling software 54 Splintering a service 54 Brainstorming “little victories” to offer your leads 55 Filling out the deep-discount offer checklist 55 Discovering your deep-discount offer 57 Maximizing Profit 57 Making an upsell or cross-sell offer 58 Building bundles and kits 59 Tacking on a slack adjuster 59 Recurring billing 60 Part 2: Using Content to Generate Fans, Followers, and Customers 61 Chapter 4: Pursuing Content Marketing Perfection 63 Knowing the Dynamics of Content Marketing 64 Finding Your Path to Perfect Content Marketing 65 Understanding the marketing funnel 66 Exploring the prospect’s intent 74 Providing a path to the next step 75 Segmenting your marketing with content 76 Appearing everywhere your customer expects 77 Customizing your content 78 Executing Perfect Content Marketing 78 Step 1: Choosing avatars 79 Step 2: Brainstorming content assets 80 Step 3: Choosing the vehicle and channel 80 Step 4: Planning for ascension 80 Distributing Content to Attract an Audience 81 Marketing through email 81 Capturing leads through search marketing 82 Using social media to drive traffic to your site 82 Paying for traffic 82 Developing a style guide 83 Determine grammar and punctuation rules 84 Document editorial process 85 Document brand voice 85 Determine additional sections 86 Create formal documentation 86 Distribute style guide 86 Chapter 5: Blogging for Business 87 Establishing a Blog Publishing Process 88 Brainstorming blog post ideas 88 Establishing content segments 90 Working with content creators 91 Editing the first draft 95 Copyediting the post 96 Applying Blog Headline Formulas 96 Tapping into self-interest 96 Piquing curiosity 97 Employing urgency and scarcity 97 Issuing a warning 98 Borrowing authority 98 Revealing the new 98 Auditing a Blog Post 99 Presents an exceptional headline 99 Includes a strong introduction 100 Offers easy-to-consume content 101 Satisfies your goal 102 Includes quality media 103 Provides a compelling close 104 Uses search engine optimization 104 Categorizes your topics 105 Completely delivers on the promise 105 Keeps professional consistency 106 Chapter 6: Taking Stock of 65 Blog Post Ideas 107 Defeating Writer’s Block 107 Writing useful content 108 Being generous 114 Entertaining the masses 118 Capitalizing on the timely 119 Showing your humanity 120 Getting promotional 123 Stirring the pot 125 Engaging the audience 127 Creating Stellar Content without All the Fuss 128 Curating and aggregating content 129 Reacting to popular content 130 Crowdsourcing content 132 Part 3: Generating Website Traffic 135 Chapter 7: Building High-Converting Landing Pages 137 Exploring the Types of Landing Pages 138 Creating a Lead Capture Page 140 Creating a Sales Page 140 Writing a sales letter 143 Understanding the elements of a product detail page 149 Grading a Landing Page 152 Chapter 8: Capturing Traffic with Search Marketing 155 Knowing the Three Key Players in Search Marketing 156 Understanding searchers’ needs 156 Knowing what search engines want 156 Targeting Search Queries 158 Defining a search query 159 Choosing the right queries to target 161 Satisfying searchers 163 Optimizing Your Assets for Specific Channels 165 Optimizing for Google 165 Optimizing for YouTube 168 Optimizing for Pinterest 170 Optimizing for Amazon 172 Optimizing for iTunes 174 Optimizing for review sites 175 Optimizing for search engine robots 176 Earning Links 177 Step 1: Cross-link your own content 177 Step 2: Study your competitors’ links 178 Step 3: Create generous content 178 Step 4: Create content worthy of a link 178 Step 5: Publish primary research 178 Step 6: Keep up with the news 179 Chapter 9: Leveraging the Social Web 181 Social Channels 182 Facebook 182 Instagram 184 LinkedIn 185 Twitter 185 The Social Success Cycle 187 Listening to the Social Web 189 Listening by channel 190 Choosing a social listening tool 191 Planning to listen 192 Listening without paid tools 193 Utilizing the feedback loop 194 Handling customer service issues 196 Influencing and Building Brand Authority 197 Influencing by channel 198 Growing your social following 199 Increasing frequency 200 Keeping your content interesting 200 Socializing blog content 201 Networking That Moves the Needle 204 Networking by channel 205 Tapping into niche media 205 Reaching niche media 206 Networking by topic 206 Creating a social media “short list” 207 Flipping the script on media outreach 207 Staying compliant with the law 208 Selling on Social Channels 208 Selling by channel 209 Leading with value 209 Designing “value first” offers 210 Avoiding Social Media Mistakes 212 Knowing When to Automate 212 Chapter 10: Tapping into Paid Traffic 213 Visiting the Traffic Store 214 Understanding Traffic Temperature 214 Choosing the Right Traffic Platform 216 Introducing the Big Six traffic platforms 216 Setting up Boomerang Traffic 232 Defining ad retargeting 232 Setting cookies and pixels 232 Segmenting with content 233 Troubleshooting Paid Traffic Campaigns 233 Strengthening your offer 234 Tweaking your targeting 235 Scrutinizing your ad copy and creative 235 Checking the congruency of your campaign 236 Chapter 11: Following Up with Email Marketing 237 Understanding Marketing Emails 238 Promotional emails 238 Relational emails 239 Transactional emails 239 Sending Broadcast and Follow-Up Emails 241 Broadcast emails 241 Follow-up emails 241 Building a Promotional Calendar 242 Cataloging your products and services 242 Creating an annual promotional plan 244 Developing a marketing plan 245 Creating a 30-day calendar 246 Creating a 90-day rolling calendar 247 Creating Email Campaigns 247 Indoctrination campaigns 248 Engagement campaigns 250 Ascension campaigns 250 Segmentation campaigns 251 Reengagement campaigns 252 Writing and Designing Effective Emails 253 Harvesting proven email copy 253 Answering four questions 254 Knowing why people buy 254 Writing effective email subject lines 255 Writing body copy 256 Cuing the Click 257 Getting More Clicks and Opens 257 Ensuring Email Deliverability 260 List Hygiene 260 Monitoring your reputation 261 Proving subscriber engagement 261 Part 4: Measuring, Analyzing, and Optimizing Campaigns 263 Chapter 12: Crunching Numbers: Running a Data-Driven Business 265 Leveraging the Five Google Analytics Report Suites 266 Understanding Where Your Traffic is Coming From 267 Tracking the Origins of Site Visitors 269 Campaign source (utm_source) 269 Campaign medium (utm_medium) 270 Campaign content (utm_content) 270 Campaign name (utm_campaign) 270 Dissecting a UTM 271 Creating UTM parameters for your URLs 271 Creating Goals to See Who’s Taking Action 272 Segmenting Your Audience with Google Analytics 274 Creating audience segments 275 Honing In on Your Audience 278 Drilling into demographics 279 Drilling into psychographics 281 Putting It All Together 285 Chapter 13: Optimizing Your Campaigns for Maximum ROI 287 Understanding Split Testing 288 Obtaining the tools you need to run split tests 288 Following the split test guidelines 290 Selecting Page Elements to Optimize 293 Considering qualitative data 293 Using qualitative tools 294 Getting Ready to Test 295 Developing an optimization hypothesis 295 Choosing the metrics to track 295 Calculating your test timeline 296 Preparing to Launch 296 Defining goals in Google Analytics 297 Checking that your page renders correctly in all browsers 297 Ensuring that you have no testing conflicts 297 Checking links 297 Keeping variation load times similar or identical 298 Calling a Test 298 Knowing How a Test Performed 298 Analyzing the Test 299 Part 5: The Part of Tens 301 Chapter 14: The Ten Most Common Digital Marketing Mistakes 303 Focusing on Eyeballs Instead of Offers 304 Failing to Talk about Your Customers (and Their Problems) 304 Asking Prospects for Too Much, Too Soon 305 Being Unwilling to Pay for Traffic 305 Being Product Centric 305 Tracking the Wrong Metrics 306 Building Assets on Other People’s Land 307 Focusing on Your Content’s Quantity Instead of Quality 307 Not Aligning Marketing Goals with Sales Goals 307 Allowing “Shiny Objects” to Distract You 308 Chapter 15: Ten Trending Digital Marketing Skills to Add to Your Resume 309 Content Marketing Positions 310 Brand journalist 310 Managing editor 311 Content marketing manager 311 Paid Media Manager 312 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Manager 313 Social Media Marketing 313 Community Management 314 Video Marketing and Production Positions 315 Video production specialist 316 Video marketing manager 316 Web Design and Development Positions 317 Front-end developer 317 Back-end developer 317 Direct-response copywriter 318 Email marketing analyst 318 Data Analysis Positions 318 Data analyst 319 Testing and optimization specialist 319 Chapter 16: Ten Essential Tools for Digital Marketing Success 321 Building a Website 321 WordPress.org 322 Joomla 322 Drupal 323 BigCommerce 323 Shopify 323 Hosting a Website 323 WP Engine 324 HostGator 324 A2 Hosting 325 Rackspace 325 Choosing Email Marketing Software 325 Constant Contact 326 AWeber 326 Mailchimp 326 Considering Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software 326 Keap 327 Salesforce 327 HubSpot 327 Zoho CRM 328 Adding a Payment Solution 328 Stripe 328 Square 329 PayPal 329 Adyen 329 Using Landing Page Software 329 Instapage 330 Leadpages 330 Unbounce 330 HubSpot 330 Sourcing and Editing Images 331 Canva 331 SnagIt 332 Managing Social Media 332 Hootsuite 332 Meet Edgar 333 Mention 333 Measuring Your Performance: Data and Analytics 333 Google Analytics 334 Google Data Studio 334 Google Tag Manager 334 Optimizing Your Marketing 334 Visual Website Optimizer 335 Optimizely 335 TruConversion 335 Index 337

Read more less

Book SynopsisGrow your customer base with games! Gamification is the practice of adding elements of gameplay into marketing materials to better engage customers. In Gamification Marketing For Dummies, you'll learn to use this proven strategy to capture the attention of your target markets and boost your results using valuable gamification data. Games are fun! That's why gamification is so successfulcustomers will jump at the chance to play and win your custom-developed marketing game. You'll connect with your customers and create lasting memories. Whether or not you are digitally savvy, this book will teach you the basics of gamification, from choosing the right game to capturing the user behavior data that the game generates. Use games to increase customer engagement and marketing resultsLearn how to choose or commission the right games for your marketPlan and execute a successful gamification strategyLearn from data generated inside your game for valuable market insights From simple strategTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Introducing Gamification Marketing 5 Chapter 1: Gamifying Your Marketing Strategy 7 Seeing What Gamification Can Do in Marketing 8 Understanding gamification 8 Gamifying your marketing 9 Looking at some examples of gamification 9 Understanding How Gamification Differs from Other Online Marketing Tactics 10 Looking at the advantages of gamification 10 Taking your current user experience to the next level 13 Stepping Up Your Current Marketing 14 Chapter 2: Getting to Know Gamification Models 17 Exploring Your Options 17 Discovering game types 18 Creating the Perfect Gamification Campaign Settings 26 Choosing the right game for your audience 27 Determining duration and frequency 29 Avoiding the Big Mistakes 31 Depending on desktop 32 Going rogue 32 Complicating the gameplay 32 Creating too many rewards 32 Misusing game mechanics 33 Banking on virality 33 Creating a campaign that can’t be played at work 34 Assuming your audience will understand games 34 Part 2: Beginning Your Gamification Marketing Quest 35 Chapter 3: Identifying Your Target Audience 37 Defining Your Audience 38 Throwing out everything you think you know about your audience 38 Conducting research to find your audience 39 Taking a Closer Look at Your Current Customer Base 40 Establishing existing data points 41 Tailoring for B2B 42 Mining Your Social Media Accounts 43 Identifying key data points 43 Tracking unique metrics from each platform 45 Choosing meaningful social media data versus vanity metrics 48 Chapter 4: Increasing Engagement in Your Campaign 51 Establishing User Rewards and Achievements 52 Rewarding your players 52 Creating loyalty 55 Encouraging Sharing among Your Audience 58 Using a unique hashtag 58 Providing more than just a link to share 64 Chapter 5: Budgeting Your Development 69 Setting Your Budget 69 Estimating the costs 70 Aligning your budget with your goals 70 Anticipating risks 70 Gathering Your Team 72 Accounting for your gamification model 72 Outsourcing talent 72 Chapter 6: Getting to Know the Technology 83 Choosing a Foundation for Your Campaign 83 Building in HTML5 84 Recognizing the downsides of building an app 88 Keeping Up the Communications 90 Checking your email deliverability 90 Making sure your emails don’t end up in the spam folder 92 Continuing with your campaign 93 Complying with the General Data Protection Regulation 98 Considering Testing Issues 101 Looking at testing methods 101 Checking on browsers 103 Part 3: Executing Your Gamification Plan 105 Chapter 7: Making Your Game a Reality 107 Choosing the Perfect Gamification Model for You 108 Determining Your Target Market 112 Conducting your own audience research 112 Considering what the research is telling you 114 Embedding Goals into the Game 115 Creating SMART goals 115 Devising your gamification objectives 116 Building in Loyalty Rewards 118 Deciding on your options 118 Using rewards in your game 119 Chapter 8: Selecting the Right Components 121 Making Sense of the Game Development Process 122 Understanding the stages of the game development life cycle 122 Deciding which life cycle model is right for you 125 Assembling Your Team 129 Working out who does what 129 Balancing everyone’s role 131 Choosing freelancers, agencies, or in-house employees 132 Preparing the Technical Strategy 134 Understanding the available choices 135 Comparing the platforms 138 Chapter 9: Launching and Promoting Your Game 141 Scheduling the Right Time to Launch 141 Perfecting Your Landing Page 143 Leading Up to T Minus Zero 145 Building pre-launch interest 146 Devising a game-launch marketing strategy through social media 148 Launch Day: Aiming the Spotlight on Your Game 150 Reaching out to your current audience 150 Grabbing media attention 154 Giving influencers and bloggers a sneak peek 157 Using your existing social media channels (or not) 160 Getting your game onto other sites 163 Part 4: Monitoring Real-Time Events and Data after You Go Live 165 Chapter 10: Capturing All the Data 167 Establishing a Portal to Your Data 168 Developing your portal 168 Securing access 169 Building your reports 172 Knowing Which Data You Should Be Capturing 173 Progress tracker 173 Interaction 174 Duration 174 Percentage of new sessions 174 Goal completions 174 Views versus sessions 175 Bounces 175 Location 176 Returning versus new 176 Referrals 177 Following the User Journey 177 Watching all their moves 178 Learning what the users don’t tell you 179 Gaining Valuable User Feedback 181 Providing a dedicated feedback form 181 Installing live chat support 182 Rating your campaign’s performance 182 Creating an online forum 182 Displaying positive customer feedback 183 Using polls 183 Monitoring social channels 183 Chapter 11: Analyzing and Applying Data 185 Understanding the Why and How of Data Analysis 186 Extracting Your Campaign Data 187 Sourcing your data 187 Locating your data 191 Applying Intelligent Big Data 191 Deconstructing big data 192 Benefiting from big data and data analysis 193 Getting Help from Predictive Analysis 194 Installing a predictive analytics tool 195 Using predictive analysis 195 Maintaining Control of Your Data 196 Keeping your audience’s trust 197 Protecting your data 198 Securing your database 198 Chapter 12: Avoiding Data Overload 201 Watching Out for Maximum Capacity 201 Identifying the effects of crashing 202 Preparing for increased traffic 203 Dealing with Data Failure 206 Identifying the cause 206 Fixing the problem 207 Preventing problems from happening again and minimizing the damage 207 Applying the Best Development Practices 210 Optimizing the gamification code 210 Focusing on the purpose of the data 212 Part 5: Preparing for Your Next Gamification Quest 213 Chapter 13: Failing Up: Learning from Your First Quest 215 Taking a Hard Look at the Results 216 Using data to your advantage 216 Using analytics the right way 219 Researching for the Future 221 Shaping the Future 225 Cleaning your data 225 Using artificial intelligence 226 Chapter 14: Relaunching Your Gamification Marketing Campaign 227 Understanding Why You May Want to Relaunch Your Campaign 228 Tweaking Your Gamification Campaign 230 Checking your exit points 230 Assessing whether the gamification option you chose was right for you 231 Redefining your target audience 234 Building a seasonal version of your campaign 235 Knowing When to Shut It All Down 239 Part 6: The Part of Tens 241 Chapter 15: Ten Best Gamification Marketing Examples 243 Starbucks: Starbucks Rewards 243 Chipotle: A Love Story Game 244 Nike: Nike+ FuelBand 245 M&M’s: Eye-Spy Pretzel 246 Target: Wish List 247 Citroën: Game of Scroll 247 Coca-Cola: Shake It 248 Netflix: Black Mirror: Bandersnatch 248 Nissan: CarWings 249 Magnum: Pleasure Hunt 250 Chapter 16: Ten Common Gamification Marketing Mistakes 251 Offering an Unengaging User Experience 252 Leaving Your Audience Screaming, “Help!” 252 Having a Flawed Game Structure 253 Leaving the User Waiting 253 Scoring Pointless Goals 254 Not Establishing Clear Big Data Goals 254 Looking Great on the Desktop, But Not So Much on Mobile 255 Not Checking Up on Absentees 257 Missing Out on Social Interaction 257 Launching without Marketing 258 Chapter 17: Ten Benefits to Gamifying Your Marketing 261 Building Brand Awareness 262 Increasing Reach 262 Instantly Appealing to a Younger Audience 263 Driving Engagement 264 Injecting Fun into Your Brand 264 Influencing Customer Behavior 265 Accruing Big (Customer) Data 265 Personalizing Brand Experiences 266 Building Customer Loyalty 266 Gathering Great Customer Feedback and Research 267 Index 269

Read more less

Book SynopsisBusiness Statisticscontinues the tradition of presenting and explaining the wonders of business statistics through a clear, complete, student-friendly pedagogy. In this 10thedition, author Ken Black uses current real-world data to equip students with thebusiness analytics techniquesandquantitative decision-making skillsrequired to make smart decisions in today's workplace.Table of ContentsPreface vii About the Author xv 1 Introduction to Statistics and Business Analytics 1 Decision Dilemma: Statistics Describe the State of Business in India’s Countryside 1 1.1 Basic Statistical Concepts 3 1.2 Data Measurement 6 1.3 Introduction to Business Analytics 9 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 15 Decision Dilemma Solved 15 Ethical Considerations 15 Summary / Key Terms / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Digiorno Pizza: Introducing a Frozen Pizza to Compete with Carry-Out 20 Big Data Case 20 References 21 2 Visualizing Data with Charts and Graphs 22 Decision Dilemma: Container Shipping Companies 22 2.1 Frequency Distributions 24 2.2 Quantitative Data Graphs 27 2.3 Qualitative Data Graphs 34 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 38 2.4 Charts and Graphs for Two Variables 41 2.5 Visualizing Time-Series Data 44 Decision Dilemma Solved 47 Ethical Considerations 48 Summary / Key Terms / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Southwest Airlines 54 Big Data Case 55 3 Descriptive Statistics 56 Decision Dilemma: Laundry Statistics 56 3.1 Measures of Central Tendency 57 3.2 Measures of Variability 65 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 67 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 76 3.3 Measures of Shape 78 3.4 Business Analytics Using Descriptive Statistics 81 Decision Dilemma Solved 84 Ethical Considerations 84 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Coca-Cola Develops the African Market 89 Big Data Case 91 4 Probability 92 Decision Dilemma: Equity of the Sexes in the Workplace 92 4.1 Introduction to Probability 93 4.2 Structure of Probability 96 4.3 Marginal, Union, Joint, and Conditional Probabilities 101 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 102 4.4 Addition Laws 103 4.5 Multiplication Laws 110 4.6 Conditional Probability 115 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 118 4.7 Revision of Probabilities: Bayes’ Rule 121 Decision Dilemma Solved 125 Ethical Considerations 126 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Colgate-Palmolive Makes a “Total” Effort 131 Big Data Case 131 5 Discrete Distributions 132 Decision Dilemma: Life with a Cell Phone 132 5.1 Discrete Versus Continuous Distributions 133 5.2 Describing a Discrete Distribution 135 5.3 Binomial Distribution 138 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 147 5.4 Poisson Distribution 149 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 153 5.5 Hypergeometric Distribution 157 Decision Dilemma Solved 161 Ethical Considerations 162 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Whole Foods Market Grows Through Mergers and Acquisitions 168 Big Data Case 168 6 Continuous Distributions 169 Decision Dilemma: CSX Corporation 169 6.1 The Uniform Distribution 171 6.2 Normal Distribution 175 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 185 6.3 Using the Normal Curve to Approximate Binomial Distribution Problems 187 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 193 6.4 Exponential Distribution 194 Decision Dilemma Solved 197 Ethical Considerations 198 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: USAA 203 Big Data Case 203 7 Sampling and Sampling Distributions 205 Decision Dilemma: Toro 205 7.1 Sampling 206 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 208 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 214 7.2 Sampling Distribution of x̄ 217 7.3 Sampling Distribution of p 227 Decision Dilemma Solved 230 Ethical Considerations 230 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: 3M 234 Big Data Case 235 8 Statistical Inference: Estimation for Single Populations 236 Decision Dilemma: Batteries and Bulbs: How Long Do They Last? 236 8.1 Estimating the Population Mean Using the z Statistic (σ Known) 238 8.2 Estimating the Population Mean Using the t Statistic (σ Unknown) 245 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 250 8.3 Estimating the Population Proportion 251 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 252 8.4 Estimating the Population Variance 255 8.5 Estimating Sample Size 259 Decision Dilemma Solved 262 Ethical Considerations 263 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: The Container Store 267 Big Data Case 268 9 Statistical Inference: Hypothesis Testing for Single Populations 269 Decision Dilemma: Valero Energy 269 9.1 Introduction to Hypothesis Testing 270 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 273 9.2 Testing Hypotheses About a Population Mean Using the z Statistic (σ Known) 279 9.3 Testing Hypotheses About a Population Mean Using the t Statistic (σ Unknown) 287 9.4 Testing Hypotheses About a Proportion 294 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 297 9.5 Testing Hypotheses About a Variance 300 9.6 Solving for Type II Errors 303 Decision Dilemma Solved 311 Ethical Considerations 312 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Frito-Lay Targets the Hispanic Market 316 Big Data Case 317 10 Statistical Inferences About Two Populations 318 Decision Dilemma: L. L. Bean 318 10.1 Hypothesis Testing and Confidence Intervals About the Difference in Two Means Using the z Statistic (Population Variances Known) 321 10.2 Hypothesis Testing and Confidence Intervals About the Difference in Two Means: Independent Samples and Population Variances Unknown 329 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 337 10.3 Statistical Inferences for Two Related Populations 339 10.4 Statistical Inferences About Two Population Proportions, p1 − p2 348 10.5 Testing Hypotheses About Two Population Variances 355 Decision Dilemma Solved 363 Ethical Considerations 364 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Five Guys 370 Big Data Case 371 11 Analysis of Variance and Design of Experiments 372 Decision Dilemma: Job and Career Satisfaction of Foreign Self-Initiated Expatriates 372 11.1 Introduction to Design of Experiments 373 11.2 The Completely Randomized Design (One-Way ANOVA) 376 11.3 Multiple Comparison Tests 387 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 395 11.4 The Randomized Block Design 396 11.5 A Factorial Design (Two-Way ANOVA) 405 Decision Dilemma Solved 418 Ethical Considerations 419 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: The Clarkson Company: A Division of Tyco International 425 Big Data Case 426 12 Simple Regression Analysis and Correlation 427 Decision Dilemma: Predicting International Hourly Wages by the Price of a Big Mac 427 12.1 Correlation 428 12.2 Introduction to Simple Regression Analysis 432 12.3 Determining the Equation of the Regression Line 433 12.4 Residual Analysis 439 12.5 Standard Error of the Estimate 446 12.6 Coefficient of Determination 449 12.7 Hypothesis Tests for the Slope of the Regression Model and Testing the Overall Model 451 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 453 12.8 Estimation 456 12.9 Using Regression to Develop a Forecasting Trend Line 460 12.10 Interpreting the Output 466 Decision Dilemma Solved 468 Ethical Considerations 469 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Caterpillar, Inc. 475 Big Data Case 476 13 Multiple Regression Analysis 477 Decision Dilemma: Are You Going to Hate Your New Job? 477 13.1 The Multiple Regression Model 478 13.2 Significance Tests of the Regression Model and Its Coefficients 485 13.3 Residuals, Standard Error of the Estimate, and R2 489 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 494 13.4 Interpreting Multiple Regression Computer Output 495 Decision Dilemma Solved 497 Ethical Considerations 498 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business AnalyticsChapter Case: Starbucks Introduces Debit Card 502 Big Data Case 503 14 Building Multiple Regression Models 504 Decision Dilemma: Predicting CEO Salaries 504 14.1 Nonlinear Models: Mathematical Transformation 505 14.2 Indicator (Dummy) Variables 518 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 521 14.3 Model-Building: Search Procedures 522 14.4 Multicollinearity 532 14.5 Logistic Regression 535 Decision Dilemma Solved 542 Ethical Considerations 543 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Virginia Semiconductor 548 Big Data Case 550 15 Time-Series Forecasting and Index Numbers 551 Decision Dilemma: Forecasting Air Pollution 551 15.1 Introduction to Forecasting 552 15.2 Smoothing Techniques 557 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 566 15.3 Trend Analysis 567 15.4 Seasonal Effects 574 15.5 Autocorrelation and Autoregression 581 15.6 Index Numbers 587 Decision Dilemma Solved 594 Ethical Considerations 596 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Debourgh Manufacturing Company 602 Big Data Case 604 16 Analysis of Categorical Data 605 Decision Dilemma: Selecting Suppliers in the Electronics Industry 605 16.1 Chi-Square Goodness-of-Fit Test 606 16.2 Contingency Analysis: Chi-Square Test of Independence 613 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 619 Decision Dilemma Solved 620 Ethical Considerations 620 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Foot Locker in the Shoe Mix 623 Big Data Case 624 17 Nonparametric Statistics 625 Decision Dilemma: How is the Doughnut Business? 625 17.1 Runs Test 628 17.2 Mann-Whitney U Test 632 17.3 Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Signed Rank Test 639 17.4 Kruskal-Wallis Test 647 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 651 17.5 Friedman Test 651 17.6 Spearman’s Rank Correlation 656 Decision Dilemma Solved 659 Ethical Considerations 660 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Schwinn 666 Big Data Case 667 18 Statistical Quality Control 668 Decision Dilemma: Italy’s Piaggio Makes a Comeback 668 18.1 Introduction to Quality Control 669 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 678 18.2 Process Analysis 679 18.3 Control Charts 686 Decision Dilemma Solved 701 Ethical Considerations 702 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Standard Motor Products 708 Big Data Case 709 19 Decision Analysis 710 Decision Dilemma: Decision-making at the CEO Level 710 19.1 The Decision Table and Decision-making Under Certainty 711 19.2 Decision-making Under Uncertainty 713 Thinking Critically About Statistics in Business Today 717 19.3 Decision-making Under Risk 720 19.4 Revising Probabilities in Light of Sample Information 729 Decision Dilemma Solved 737 Ethical Considerations 737 Summary / Key Terms / Formulas / Supplementary Problems / Exploring the Databases with Business Analytics Chapter Case: Fletcher-Terry: On The Cutting Edge 741 Big Data Case 742 Appendix A Tables 743 Appendix B Answers to Selected Odd-Numbered Quantitative Problems 784 Glossary 793 Index 801

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of Contents1 Introduction to Operations and Supply Chain Management 1 S1 Operational Decision-Making Tools: Decision Analysis 32 2 Quality Management 52 3 Statistical Process Control 106 S3 Operational Decision-Making Tools: Acceptance Sampling 149 4 Product Design 158 5 Service Design 190 6 Processes and Technology 224 7 Capacity and Facilities Design 254 S7 Operational Decision-Making Tools: Facility Location Models 293 8 Human Resources 313 S8 Operational Decision-Making Tools: Work Measurement 345 9 Project Management 362 10 Supply Chain Management Strategy and Design 415 11 Global Supply Chain Procurement and Distribution 445 S11 Operational Decision-Making 12 Forecasting 494 13 Inventory Management 553 S13 Operational Decision-Making Tools: Simulation 590 14 Sales and Operations Planning 606 S14 Operational Decision-Making Tools: Linear Programming 643 15 Resource Planning 676 16 Lean Systems 717 17 Scheduling 750 References 784 Appendix A Normal Curve Areas 785 Appendix B Solutions to Odd Problems 786 Index 792

Read more less

Book Synopsis3D Printing of Foods Table of ContentsPreface xiv 1 Introduction to 3D Printing Technology 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Digital Manufacturing: From Rapid Prototyping to Rapid Manufacturing 3 1.3 Milestones in 3D Printing Technology 4 1.4 Different Historical Eras in 3D Printing 5 1.4.1 Ancient Age 5 1.4.2 Middle Age 5 1.4.3 Modern Age 5 1.5 Prospects of 3D Food Printing 6 1.6 Design Considerations of 3D Printer 7 1.6.1 Printer Configurations 7 1.6.2 Components of a Typical 3D Printer 10 1.6.2.1 Enclosure, Build Plate, and Guide Rails 10 1.6.2.2 Mechanical Drive Systems 12 1.6.2.3 Microprocessor Controlling System 12 1.7 Software Requirements and Hardware Integration 13 1.8 Designing, Digital Imaging, and Modelling 16 1.8.1 Image Acquisition, Processing, and Modelling 16 1.8.2 Repairing and Post-Processing 20 1.9 Food Printing Platforms 21 1.9.1 Universal Platform 21 1.9.2 User-Defined Platform 21 1.9.3 Applicability of User Interface Systems 23 1.10 Comparison Between Food 3D Printing and Robotic Food Manufacturing 23 1.11 Conclusion 24 References 24 2 3D Printing Approaches 28 2.1 Introduction 29 2.2 Additive Manufacturing 30 2.3 3D Food Printing Technologies 33 2.4 Extrusion-Based Printing 35 2.4.1 Working Principle, System Components, and Process Variables 35 2.4.2 Classification of the Extrusion-Based 3D Printing System 39 2.4.2.1 Hot-Melt Extrusion 39 2.4.2.2 Cold Extrusion 41 2.4.2.3 Hydrogel-Forming Extrusion 42 2.5 Selective Sintering 44 2.5.1 Working Principle, System Components, and Process Variables 45 2.5.2 Classification of Selective Sintering System 46 2.5.2.1 Selective Laser Sintering 46 2.5.2.2 Selective Hot Air Sintering and Melting 47 2.6 Inkjet Printing 47 2.6.1 Working Principle, System Components, and Process Variables 48 2.6.2 Classification of Inkjet Printing 49 2.6.2.1 Drop-On-Demand Inkjet Printing 49 2.6.2.2 Continuous Inkjet Printing 50 2.7 Binder Jetting 50 2.7.1 Working Principle, System Components, and Process Variables 51 2.7.2 Classification of Binder Jetting 52 2.8 Bio-Printing 53 2.8.1 Working Principle, System Components, and Process Variables 54 2.8.2 Classification of Bioprinting 55 2.8.2.1 Extrusion-Based Bioprinting 55 2.8.2.2 Droplet-Based Bioprinting 56 2.8.2.3 Photocuring-Based Bioprinting 57 2.9 Future Prospects and Challenges 57 2.10 Conclusion 58 References 59 3 Food Components and Their Role in Printability 67 3.1 Recipes in ‘Print and Eat Technology’ 67 3.2 Role of Food Constituents 68 3.3 Panorama of Food Printing 68 3.4 Insights on the Printability of Different Food Constituents 69 3.4.1 Carbohydrates and Starch 69 3.4.2 Proteins and Amino Acids 71 3.4.3 Lipids and Fatty Acids 73 3.4.4 Dietary Fibre 75 3.4.5 Other Additives 77 3.5 Classification of Foods Based on Their Printability 79 3.6 Conclusion 79 References 80 4 Factors Affecting the Printability of Foods 83 4.1 Introduction 84 4.2 Factors That Affect Extrusion 3D Printing 85 4.3 Intrinsic Properties 85 4.3.1 Physical Properties 85 4.3.2 Rheological Properties 88 4.3.2.1 Steady Shear Rheology 89 4.3.2.2 Dynamic Shear Rheology 92 4.3.2.3 Yield Stress 95 4.3.2.4 Complex Viscosity 97 4.3.2.5 Thixotropy and Creep Recovery 98 4.3.2.6 Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Rheology 100 4.3.3 Mechanical Properties 101 4.3.3.1 Extrusion Assay 101 4.3.3.2 Textural Profile Analysis 102 4.3.4 Frictional Properties 105 4.3.5 Thermal Properties 107 4.3.6 Dielectric Properties 109 4.4 Extrinsic Properties 111 4.4.1 Optimization of Material Supply 111 4.4.2 Optimization of 3D Printing Process Variables 113 4.4.2.1 Nozzle Size and Nozzle Height 113 4.4.2.2 Printing Speed 115 4.4.2.3 Extrusion Rate 116 4.4.2.4 Printing Rate 118 4.4.2.5 Infill Percentage and Infill Pattern 121 4.4.2.6 Extruder Offset and Retraction Length 123 4.5 Factors Affecting Other 3D Printing Technologies 126 4.5.1 Selective Laser Sintering 126 4.5.2 Inkjet Printing and Binder Jetting 127 4.6 Conclusion 129 References 130 5 Printability and Techniques 138 5.1 Introduction 139 5.2 Printability and Material Characteristics 140 5.3 Material Characterization Techniques 141 5.3.1 Structural Imaging 142 5.3.1.1 Scanning Electron Microscopy 142 5.3.1.2 X-ray Microtomography 145 5.3.1.3 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy 149 5.3.2 Crystal Morphology 153 5.3.2.1 X-ray Diffraction 153 5.3.2.2 Small-Angle X-ray Scattering 156 5.3.3 Molecular and Chemical Analysis 159 5.3.3.1 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging 159 5.3.3.2 Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy 162 5.3.4 Thermal Analysis 164 5.3.4.1 Differential Scanning Calorimetry 164 5.4 Assessment of Printability 166 5.4.1 Line Test 166 5.4.2 Lattice Test 168 5.4.3 Cylinder Test 168 5.4.4 Extrusion Test 168 5.4.5 Assessment of the Dimensional Stability 170 5.4.6 Assessment of the Handling Properties 176 5.5 Printability Evaluation of 3D Printed Constructs 176 5.5.1 Shape Resemblance 176 5.5.2 Printing Percentage 177 5.5.3 Dimensional Deviation and Appearance 177 5.5.4 Dimensional Stability 179 5.5.5 Ternary Representation of Printability 179 5.5.6 Correlation of Printability and Rheology 179 5.5.7 Rational Approach for Printability 181 5.6 Conclusion 182 References 182 6 Natively Printable Foods 190 6.1 Introduction 190 6.2 Natively Printable Materials as Basic Food 3D Printing Formulations 191 6.3 Printability: Concepts and Underlying Mechanisms 192 6.4 Types of Natively Printable Materials 194 6.4.1 Cereal-Based Material Supplies 195 6.4.2 Sugar-Based Material Supplies 206 6.4.3 Gel-Based Food Systems 209 6.5 Insights and Scope for Commercialization 214 6.6 Concluding Remarks 215 References 215 7 Pre-Processing of Non-Printable Foods 221 7.1 Introduction 221 7.2 Natively Non-Printable Materials 222 7.2.1 Traditional Foods: What Makes Them ‘Non-Printable’? 223 7.2.2 Role of Food Hydrocolloids in Improving Printability 224 7.2.3 Role of Other Additives 229 7.3 Pre-Processing and Formulations for 3D Printing 230 7.3.1 Plant-Based Cellular Foods 230 7.3.2 Animal-Based Cellular Foods 235 7.4 Post-Printing Stability of the Printed 3D Constructs 237 7.5 Scope of Non-Printable Materials for 3D Printing Applications 239 7.6 Conclusion 240 References 241 8 Alternative Ingredients Used in Food Printing 247 8.1 Introduction 247 8.2 Alternative Food Sources and the Sustainability Perspective 248 8.3 Rationale of Alternative Material Supplies 250 8.4 Innovative Food Sources 252 8.4.1 Uncommon Food Sources 252 8.4.2 Unexplored Food Sources 254 8.4.3 Under-Utilized Food Sources 255 8.5 3D Printing of Alternative Ingredients 256 8.5.1 Insects as Food 257 8.5.2 Microorganisms as Food 258 8.5.3 By-products of Fruits and Vegetables Processing 260 8.5.4 Others 261 8.6 Future Trends and Perspectives 263 8.7 Challenges and Limitations 263 8.8 Conclusion 264 References 265 9 Post-Processing of 3D Printed Foods 273 9.1 Introduction 273 9.2 Material Supply Requirements for Food 3D Printing 274 9.3 Post-Processing Methods 277 9.3.1 Drying 277 9.3.2 Frying 279 9.3.3 Baking 280 9.3.4 Microwave Cooking 282 9.3.5 Sous Vide Cooking 285 9.3.6 Low-Temperature Processing 286 9.3.7 Other Post-Processing Methods 286 9.4 Novel Post-Processing Methods 289 9.5 Assessment of Post-Processing Characteristics 293 9.6 Sensorial Characterization 297 9.6.1 Qualitative Analyses 297 9.6.2 Quantitative Analyses 300 9.7 Requisites, Challenges, and Future Trends 301 9.8 Conclusion 303 References 304 10 4D Printing Technology 310 10.1 Introduction 311 10.2 4D Printing: Concept and Functionality 312 10.3 Smart Materials for 4D Printing 316 10.3.1 Shape Memory Alloys 316 10.3.2 Shape Memory Polymers 317 10.3.3 Shape Memory Composites 318 10.4 Mechanism of Shape Memory Polymers 319 10.5 Shape Memory Effect in 4D Printing 319 10.5.1 One-Way SME 321 10.5.2 Two-Way SME 322 10.5.3 Three-Way SME 322 10.6 Stimuli-Responsive Systems 323 10.6.1 Thermo-Responsive 323 10.6.2 Moisture-Responsive 323 10.6.3 Photo-Responsive 324 10.6.4 Electro-Responsive 324 10.6.5 Magneto-Responsive 324 10.7 Programming Strategies 325 10.7.1 Bending Strategy 326 10.7.1.1 Multilayer Approach 326 10.7.1.2 Material Gradients 329 10.7.1.3 Localized Activation 330 10.7.2 Buckling Strategy 331 10.7.2.1 Material Tessellation 331 10.7.2.2 In-Plane Material Gradients 332 10.7.2.3 Non-Homogenous Exposure 332 10.7.2.4 Mechanically Induced Buckling 333 10.7.3 Sequential Shape-Shifting 333 10.8 Spontaneous Transformation in Foods 334 10.9 Recent Advancements in 4D Food Printing 336 10.9.1 pH-Triggered Colour Transformation 336 10.9.2 Dehydration-Triggered Colour and Flavour Transformation 339 10.9.3 Dehydration-Triggered Shape Transformation 343 10.9.4 Temperature-Triggered Shape Transformation 345 10.10 Future Trends and Challenges 345 10.11 Conclusion 347 References 348 11 Applications of Food 3D Printing Technology 355 11.1 Introduction 355 11.2 Applications of 3D Food Printing 358 11.2.1 Food Customization 358 11.2.2 Personalized Foods and Digitalized Nutrition Control 361 11.2.3 Delivery of Specific Foods with Unique Functionality 364 11.2.4 Food Model Prototyping 366 11.2.5 Sustainable Approach for Conversion of Waste into Wealth 367 11.2.6 Food Packaging Designs 370 11.3 Future Outlook of 3D Food Printing 372 11.3.1 Healthy Dietary Practice 372 11.3.2 Complementing Existing Food Processing Practices 373 11.3.3 Kitchens with Food 3D Printers? 375 11.4 Conclusion 376 References 377 12 Integrating Encapsulation Technique with 3D Food Printing 384 12.1 Introduction 384 12.2 Integration of 3D Printing and Encapsulation 386 12.2.1 Encapsulation Followed by 3D Printing 388 12.2.2 Simultaneous Encapsulation and 3D Printing 392 12.3 Structure Modified Delivery Systems 394 12.3.1 Micro and Nano Emulsions 395 12.3.2 Lipid-Based Delivery Systems 396 12.3.3 Solid Lipid Nanoparticles 397 12.3.4 Nanoliposomes 398 12.3.5 Nanostructured Lipid Carriers 399 12.4 Techniques and Methods for Micro and Nanoencapsulation 400 12.4.1 Polymer-Lipid Based Encapsulation Techniques 401 12.4.1.1 Nanoprecipitation 401 12.4.1.2 Emulsification-Solvent Evaporation 401 12.4.1.3 Inclusion Complexation 402 12.4.1.4 Coacervation 404 12.4.1.5 Supercritical Fluid Technique 405 12.4.1.6 Fluid Bed Coating 406 12.4.2 Drying Techniques for Micro and Nanoencapsulation 408 12.4.2.1 Spray Drying 409 12.4.2.2 Freeze-Drying 415 12.4.2.3 Spray-Freeze-Drying 417 12.4.2.4 Conductive-Hydro Drying 420 12.5 Future Outlook and Prospects of Synergistic Approaches 422 12.6 Barriers and Research Constraints 424 12.7 Conclusion 426 References 426 13 Integrating Electrohydrodynamic Processes with Food 3D Printing 435 13.1 Introduction 435 13.2 Encapsulation Techniques Involving Electrohydrodynamic Process 436 13.2.1 System Components and Process Parameters 437 13.2.2 Encapsulation via Electrospraying 440 13.2.3 Encapsulation via Electrospinning 442 13.3 Applications in the Food Industry 445 13.3.1 Encapsulation of Bioactives and Probiotics 445 13.3.2 Enzyme Immobilization 448 13.3.3 Functional Food Packages 451 13.3.4 Food Coatings 454 13.4 Integrating 3D Printing with Electrospraying/ Electrospinning 458 13.5 Future Perspectives and Challenges 461 13.6 Conclusion 462 References 463 14 Globalization of Printed Foods and Consumer Perception to 3D Printed Foods 468 14.1 Introduction 468 14.2 Circular Economy in Food Printing 470 14.3 Globalization of Food 3D Printing Technology 471 14.4 New Horizons of 3D Food Printing 473 14.4.1 Strategic Market Foresight 474 14.4.2 Strategic Shifts and Economic Paradigms 475 14.4.3 Decentralization and Localization of Production 476 14.4.4 Role of Industry 4.0 477 14.5 3D Food Printing – A Classic Disruptive Technology 479 14.5.1 Food Choice and Consumer Behaviour 479 14.5.2 On Production Patterns 481 14.5.3 Sustainability and Value Addition 482 14.5.4 Anti-Counterfeiting and Food Authentication 483 14.6 Technological Barriers and Challenges 485 14.7 Conclusion 486 References 487 15 Food Industry Market Trends and Consumer Preferences 493 15.1 Introduction 494 15.2 Food Service Market: Consumption to Prosumption 495 15.3 Food Decisions and Consumer Attitude 497 15.3.1 Food Neophobia vs Food Neophilia 498 15.3.2 Food Choice Motives 500 15.3.3 Sensorial and Sustainable Claims 501 15.4 Approaches and Methods to Assess Consumer Perception 503 15.4.1 Theoretical Approaches 504 15.4.1.1 Quantitative Methods 504 15.4.1.2 Means-end Chain Theory 504 15.4.1.3 Social Science Models 505 15.4.1.4 Economic Models 505 15.4.2 Experimental Approaches 505 15.4.2.1 Surveys 505 15.4.2.2 Conjoint Analysis and Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis 506 15.4.2.3 Heuristics 506 15.5 Consumer’s Acceptance of Novel Foods 506 15.5.1 Genetically Modified Foods and 3D Printing 508 15.5.2 Food Irradiation and 3D Printing 508 15.5.3 Nanotechnology and 3D Printing 510 15.5.4 Stem Cell Technology and 3D Printing 511 15.5.4.1 In-Vitro Cultured Meat and 3D Printing 511 15.5.5 Miscellaneous Technologies 511 15.5.5.1 Alternative Proteins and 3D Printing 511 15.5.5.2 Meat Analogues and 3D Printing 512 15.5.6 Presumption and Outcomes of Novel Food Technologies 513 15.6 Intervention Tools for Enhancing Consumer Knowledge 513 15.6.1 Business Schemes and Public Policies 514 15.6.2 Social Media and Communication 514 15.6.3 Academia and Scientific Events 515 15.6.4 Internet and e-commerce 515 15.7 Trends, Advancements, and Future Directions 516 15.8 Conclusion 518 References 519 16 Safety, Challenges, and Research Needs 525 16.1 Introduction 525 16.2 Implications of Food Printing 527 16.3 Applicability and Storability 532 16.4 Food Safety Considerations 533 16.4.1 Process and Product Safety 534 16.4.1.1 Nature of Raw Materials 534 16.4.1.2 Processing and Design Factors 535 16.4.1.3 Finished Product Safety 536 16.4.1.4 Working Premises and Personnel Safety 536 16.4.2 Acceptance of 3D Printed Foods 537 16.4.2.1 Food Poisoning, Food Allergy, and Cross-Contamination 538 16.4.2.2 Long-Term Health Effects and Illness 539 16.5 Legal Framework and Regulations 539 16.5.1 Packed 3D Printed Foods for Mass Population 541 16.5.2 Unpacked 3D Printed Foods at Restaurants and Domestic Kitchen 543 16.6 Challenges and Research Needs 543 16.7 Conclusion 544 References 544 Index 549

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsForeword by Rory Sutherland xiii Preface xvii 1. Decision Science: Understanding the Why of Consumer Behaviour 1 2. The Moment of Truth: Decoding Purchase Decisions 37 3. Decoding the Interface: How the Autopilot Perceives Touchpoints 69 4. Optimizing the Path to Purchase: The Decision Interface Makes the Difference 129 5. Goals: The Driving Forces of Purchase Decisions 167 6. From Positioning to Touchpoints: Bringing Value to Life 213 7. Case Studies 269 Closing Remarks 287 Recommended Reading 289 About the Author 303 Index 305

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction: Selling a Service Is Different (and Harder) Than Selling a Product 1 Part 1: If I’m So Smart, Why Do I Feel So Stupid about Selling? 1 Things Rainmakers Do That Most of Us Don’t: The Five Rainmaker Skills Universities Don’t Teach Us and Our Firms Don’t Train Us 7 2 How Clients Buy Understanding the Client’s Buying Decision Journey 17 3 Where Clients Come From Understanding the Key Client Pathways 25 4 Rainmaking for Introverts and People Who Don’t Want to Sell Winning Client Business While Being True to Yourself 35 Part 2: The Five Skills We Must Learn If We Want to Become a Rainmaker Skill 2: Create Your Personal Brand Identity 43 5 Decide What You Want to Be Known For and Who You Wish to Serve You Can Be Known for Anything, But You Can’t Be Known for Everything 45 6 The Power of Focus The Key to Being Remembered 53 7 Choosing Your Specialty Shrink the Pond Until You’re a Big Fish 61 8 You Can’t Sell Beyond Your Credibility Zone The Cautionary Tale of EDS 69 Skill 2: Demonstrate Your Professional Expertise 75 9 How Clients Tell Who the Real Experts Are Clients Need Clues That We Are Really Good at What We Do 77 10 How to Toot Your Own Horn without Looking Like a Jerk Proven Techniques for Demonstrating Your Expertise 85 11 Using LinkedIn to Build Your Credibility It Won’t Make the Cash Register Ring, So What’s It Good For? 95 Skill 3: Build Your Professional Ecosystem 101 12 The Two Hundred People You Need to Know The Closest Thing to Knowing Something Is Knowing Where to Find It 103 13 Does Cold-Calling Work? And What to Do if It Doesn’t Remember What Mom Said: Don’t Talk to Strangers! 109 14 Making Friends in a Natural Way How to Get an Introduction without Seeming Pushy 117 15 I Can’t See the Forest for the Trees Segmenting Your Ecosystem into Three Distinct Groups 125 16 Why Advertising Doesn’t Work for Us Leveraging Your Firm’s Brand Reputation and What to Do When You Don’t Have One 131 Skill 4: Develop Trust-Based Relationships 139 17 What Is Trust and Where Does It Come From? Do Clients Really Hire People They Like? 141 18 Conversation Skills for Introverts (and the Rest of Us, Too) Using Small Talk to Find Common Ground 149 19 The Art of Keeping in Touch Finding Opportunities to Be Thoughtful and Helpful 155 20 Transparency Is Good, Right? How and When to Be Transparent 163 Skill 5: Practice Everyday Success Habits 171 21 The Daily Habits of Successful Rainmakers The One Hour Each Day That Will Build Your Career 173 22 Making the Rainmaker Skills Stick 66 Days That Will Shape Your Future 179 23 Finding Your Rainmaker M.O. Building a Rainmaker System That Works for You 187 Part 3: The Rainmaker’s Journey 24 Thoughts on Becoming a Rainmaker Stop Trying to Be Wonder Woman or Superman 195 25 Finding the Work That You Love And What to Do When You Don’t 201 26 A High Road with a Long View Parting Words as You Begin Your Rainmaker Journey 207 Appendix A: The Rainmaker Skills Self-Test What Are My Rainmaker Strengths and Weaknesses? 213 Recommended Reading 217 Acknowledgments 219 About the Author 221 Index 223

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part I Understand the Wellness Industry 9 Chapter 1 Making a Living in Wellness 11 Chapter 2 The Seven Dimensions of Wellness and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 17 Chapter 3 The Generational Lens 25 Chapter 4 The Future of Wellness in a Post-COVID World 37 Part II Prepare Yourself for a Hero’s Journey 43 Chapter 5 First Things First: Identify What You Love, Get Certified, and Work in the Industry 45 Chapter 6 Five Essential Traits of Successful Wellness Entrepreneurs 49 Chapter 7 Five Financial Metrics Every Entrepreneur Must Know 69 Chapter 8 Embracing the Holy Grail: Sustained Profitability and Value Creation 75 Part III Conceive Your Business 83 Chapter 9 Select Your Mentor, Lawyer, and Accountant 85 Chapter 10 Define Your Target Market 95 Chapter 11 Evaluate Retail versus Home-Based and Virtual Business Options 101 Chapter 12 Lay Your Foundation with Your Competitive Advantage 107 Part IV Plan Your Business 123 Chapter 13 Create a Vibrant Company Culture with Purpose and Core Values 125 Chapter 14 Design Your Role 137 Chapter 15 Select Your Integrated Software and Payments Platform 147 Chapter 16 Assemble Your Business Plan 159 Part V Launch Your Business 169 Chapter 17 Launch Your Website and Establish Your Online Presence 171 Chapter 18 Secure Your Financing 181 Chapter 19 Grow Your Clientele with Paid Marketing That Works 191 Chapter 20 Fuel Your Business with Effective Leadership 201 Part VI Keep Your Cup Full 207 Chapter 21 Staying Well as a Wellness Entrepreneur 209 Appendix - Resources for Wellness Professionals and Entrepreneurs 217 Acknowledgments 223 About the Author 225 Index 227

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsWhy we‘re taking you along with us on this journey 8 Foreword 10 Introduction 13 Part I: Apply the DTL mindset 24 Reflect, accept, and understand 42 Keep an energy journal 56 Integrating other people’s observations and perceptions of us 88 Define point of view 98 Find and select ideas 110 Design, test, and implement life plans 146 Self-check 178 Part II: Professional and career planning 184 Design career paths 214 Evaluate, test, and implement options 226 Questions for reflection on options 244 Last but not least – The journey’s end is really the beginning 248 Index 253

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER Add 50% to 100% to Your Sales?In 5 Minutes Per Day 5-Minute Selling presents a proven, simple process that can double your sales, even if you don?t have time for an elaborate new sales system. When you spend your days scrambling to take orders and resolving customer issues, there is little time for new sales techniques. This book is for you. In 5-Minute Selling, Alex Goldfayn describes how thousands of his clients and workshop attendees have generated dramatic annual sales growth with short bursts of action throughout the day. With three-second efforts throughout the day, you can add 50 to 100% to your sales. The techniques in this book are simple but powerful: You?ll learn the power of picking up the phone proactively to call customers and prospects when nothing is wrong, because almost nobody does this You?ll get approaches for offering customers additional products and services?Table of ContentsA Note about Selling in the Post-Pandemic World xi Acknowledgments xv About the Author xix Download Your Planners and Trackers xxi Preface: This Book is a System xxiii Part One: Introducing the 5-Minute Selling System 1 What is the 5-Minute Selling System? 2 2 I Don’t Want You to Read This Book, I Want You to Do This Book 16 3 Take the 5-Minute Selling Two-Week Challenge 24 Part Two: Foundational Principles 4 90% of Salespeople Sell Reactively 32 5 The Terrible Impact of Reactive Selling 40 6 How to Break Out of the Reactive Selling Vicious Circle 46 7 Comparing Your Proactive Communications Pathways 52 8 The Key Mindsets to Fuel Your Sales Growth 60 9 Start Now, and Implement Consistently 70 10 Your Wins Will Come Quickly 78 Part Three: Implementation 11 First, Plan Your Calls and Follow-Ups for the Week 86 12 Keep a Quote or Proposal Tracker 96 13 Track Your Actions and Successes 104 14 What to Do If You Miss a Day 112 15 Yes, You Should Leave a Voicemail 118 16 Listen, Don’t Talk 126 17 It Will Never Feel Perfect, so Just Take Action 132 Part Four: The 16 Proactive Communications That Will Grow Your Sales 18 All About These 16 Actions 140 19 Call Your Current and Former Best Customers 148 20 Call Your Small and Medium Customers to Make Them Bigger 158 21 Call Customers You Haven’t Talked to in Three Months or More 164 22 Call Customers Who Used to Buy but Stopped 170 23 Call Customers Who Just Received an Order 176 24 Call Prospects 184 25 Expand Your Products and Services with Customers 196 26 Ask What Else Your Customers Are Buying from Other Suppliers 206 27 Looking Back and Selling Forward: Leverage Order History 214 28 Follow Up on Pre-Quote Opportunities 222 29 Follow Up on Quotes and Proposals 228 30 Ask and Receive: How to Always Ask for the Business 236 31 Ask Your Customers What Percent of Their Business You Have 244 32 Ask for Referrals 250 33 Send Handwritten Notes 260 34 Send Weekly High-Value Email Communications 266 Part Five: Launch! 35 What a Typical 5-Minute Selling Week Looks Like 274 36 5-Minute Selling Scripts and Language 286 37 The Work is the Magic Bullet 298 38 5-Minute Selling Mindset Manifesto 302 Index 307

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAcknowledgements xiii About the Author xvii Preface xix Introduction 1 Part I: Lessons from the Past: What Cycles Look Like and What Drives Them 9 Chapter 1: Riding the Cycle under Very Different Conditions 11 Chapter 2: Returns over the Long Run 29 Returns over Different Holding Periods 31 The Reward for Risk and the Equity Risk Premium 35 The Power of Dividends 38 Factors That Affect Returns for Investors 41 Market Timing 41 Valuations and Returns of Equities versus Bonds 43 The Impact of Diversification on the Cycle 45 Chapter 3: The Equities Cycle: Identifying the Phases 49 The Four Phases of the Equity Cycle 50 Mini/High-Frequency Cycles within the Investment Cycle 58 The Interplay between the Cycle and Bond Yields 61 Chapter 4: Asset Returns through the Cycle 63 Assets across the Economic Cycle 63 Assets across the Investment Cycle 66 The Impact of Changes in Bond Yields on Equities 68 The Point of the Cycle: Earlier is Better 72 The Speed of Adjustment: Slower is Better 74 The Level of Yields: Lower is Better 74 Structural Shifts in the Value of Equities and Bonds 76 Chapter 5: Investment Styles over the Cycle 81 Sectors and the Cycle 83 Cyclical versus Defensive Companies 85 Value versus Growth Companies 90 Value, Growth and Duration 92 Part II: The Nature and Causes of Bull and Bear Markets: What Triggers Them and What to Look Out For 97 Chapter 6: Bear Necessities: The Nature and Shape of Bear Markets 99 Bear Markets Are Not All the Same 100 Cyclical Bear Markets 106 Event-Driven Bear Markets 107 Structural Bear Markets 109 Interest Rate Cuts Have Less Impact on Structural Bear Markets 111 Price Shocks: Deflation is a Common Characteristic 113 Belief in a New Era/New Valuations 113 High Levels of Debt 114 Equity Market Leadership Becoming Narrow 114 High Volatility 115 The Relationship between Bear Markets and Corporate Profits 115 A Summary of Bear Market Characteristics 117 Defining the Financial Crisis: A Structural Bear Market with a Difference 118 Finding an Indicator to Flag Bear Market Risk 119 Typical Conditions Prior to Bear Markets 121 A Framework for Anticipating Bear Markets 124 Chapter 7: Bull’s Eye: The Nature and Shape of Bull Markets 127 The ‘Super Cycle’ Secular Bull Market 127 1945–1968: Post-War Boom 129 1982–2000: The Start of Disinflation 131 2009 Onwards: The Start of QE and the ‘Great Moderation’ 133 Cyclical Bull Markets 134 Variations in the Length of Bull Markets 136 Non-trending Bull Markets 138 Chapter 8: Blowing Bubbles: Signs of Excess 143 Spectacular Price Appreciation . . . and Collapse 146 Belief in a ‘New Era’ . . . This Time is Different 150 Deregulation and Financial Innovation 157 Easy Credit 160 New Valuation Approaches 161 Accounting Problems and Scandals 163 Part III: Lessons for the Future: A Focus on the Post-Financial Crisis Era; What has Changed and What It Means for Investors 167 Chapter 9: How the Cycle Has Changed Post the Financial Crisis 169 Three Waves of the Financial Crisis 171 The Unusual Gap between Financial Markets and Economies 174 All Boats Were Lifted by the Liquidity Wave 178 The Unusual Drivers of the Return 179 Lower Inflation and Interest Rates 180 A Downtrend in Global Growth Expectations 182 The Fall in Unemployment and Rise in Employment 183 The Rise in Profit Margins 185 Falling Volatility of Macro Variables 187 The Rising Influence of Technology 189 The Extraordinary Gap between Growth and Value 190 Lessons from Japan 196 Chapter 10: Below Zero: The Impact of Ultra-Low Bond Yields 201 Zero Rates and Equity Valuations 206 Zero Rates and Growth Expectations 208 Zero Rates: Backing Out Future Growth 210 Zero Rates and Demographics 215 Zero Rates and the Demand for Risk Assets 217 Chapter 11: The Impact of Technology on the Cycle 221 The Ascent of Technology and Historical Parallels 222 The Printing Press and the First Great Data Revolution 223 The Railway Revolution and Connected Infrastructure 224 Electricity and Oil Fuelled the 20th Century 226 Technology: Disruption and Adaption 226 Technology and Growth in the Cycle 227 How Long Can Stocks and Sectors Dominate? 231 How High Do Valuations Go? 233 How Big Can Companies Get Relative to the Market? 235 Technology and the Widening Gaps between Winners and Losers 238 Summary and Conclusions 241 References 249 Suggested Reading 259 Index 265

Read more less

Book Synopsis***BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS - FINALIST 2021*** This timely book is a sequel to John Grant's Green Marketing Manifesto (2007) the award-winning and bestselling definitive guide to green marketing (and not greenwashing). Fast forward to mid-2020. Climate Change is back at the top of the public and political agenda. Even after covid-19, hundreds of big-name CEOs are committing to a #greenrecovery. And surveys show widespread global public support for this and recent shifts in sustainable behaviours and attitudes in markets ranging from organic food to flying. Sustainable brands are significantly outperforming conventional ones. As are sustainability related stock prices. Companies like Unilever continue to set ambitious targets related not just to climate, but biodiversity and deforestation, plastics, social justice, regenerative farming. Sustainability related trends such as plant-based foods and electric vehicles are showing steep growth and creating tomorrow's superbrands (Impossible, TESLA...). This book is packed with up to date learnings, case examples and trends, covering everything from eco labelling, transparency and the circular economy; to rebound effects, sustainable finance, blockchain and regenerative farming. A core message being that to drive sustainability, marketers firstly do really need to properly understand sustainability, its many applications and implications. Secondly to be effective, marketers need to understand what it means to their consumers and other significant audiences. Hence the book takes a long hard look at what was driving all the protests, boycotts and petitions in 2019 and what ideas, causes and platforms caught the public imagination. The ultimate goal is to go beyond marketing that simply looks good, to marketing that does good. This book helps in achieving that goal by showing the reader how to: Uncover strategies for sustainable marketing that actually deliver on green and social objectives, not just greenwashingReconceptualise marketing and business models, and learn to recognise the commercial strategies and approaches that are no longer fit for purposeLearn how hot topics like the climate crisis, biodiversity, social justice, single use plastics and supply chain transparency influence green and social marketingRead about numerous examples and case studies from both brand leaders and challengers that have developed innovations and fresh creative approaches to green and social marketingGet practical tools, models, facts, strategies, workshop and project processes and business case rationales - so that you can build your own plans and proposals This book is intended to assist marketers, by means of clear and practical guidance, through a complex transition towards meaningful marketing that makes a positive creative impact on the climate crisis and on improving human life in troubled times. Aimed both at big companies that are trying to be good, and good companies that are trying to be big.Table of ContentsForeword for ‘Greener Marketing’ By John Grant VII Introduction 1 Section I Not Bad 13 1.1 Waking up to an Environmental Crisis (again) 16 1.2 Actually, Consumers Do Buy Sustainable Goods 22 1.3 From Plastic Brands to the Circular Economy 24 1.4 Instagram, Influencers, and Brands as Folklore 29 1.5 Simple Marketing, Complex Sustainability 35 1.6 Fifty Shades of Greenwash 39 1.7 Transparency? Or Another Façade 49 1.8 An Advertising Vow of Chastity? 55 1.9 What is Sustainability? An Ethic and an Emergency 59 1.10 Sustainability as a New Way of Doing Business 71 1.11 Eco-Labels, Their Struggle and Ongoing Role 81 1.12 Let’s Redesign Life 88 Section II Net Good 99 2.1 Year of the Street Protest 102 2.2 The Blue Planet Effect 107 2.3 Plant-Based Revolution 115 2.4 Capitalism. Time for a Reset 123 2.5 Corporate Citizens 127 2.6 Every Business a Social Venture 136 2.7 Is it a Purpose (or Just a Pose?) 150 2.8 Brands Doing Good 162 2.9 Consumer Behaviour – Snakes & Ladders 170 2.10 Design for Nature and Human Nature 179 2.11 Build your own Paradigm Shift in 15 Steps 191 Section III Aim, Frame, and Game 211 3.1 AIM – Defining the Task 213 3.2 Frame – Cultural and Cognitive Positioning 220 3.3 Game – The Greener Marketing Grid 226 What Now? (Concluding Thoughts) 243 Index 245

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Getting Started With Selling On Amazon 5 Chapter 1: Laying the Groundwork 7 Getting the Lowdown on Selling Online 7 Weighing the pros and cons of online retailing 8 Taking a tour of online stores and marketplaces 9 Exploring How Amazon Works 10 Before you start selling 10 Selling products 11 Using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) 11 Comparing Amazon Business Types 13 Vendor (1P) versus Seller (3P) 13 Individual versus Professional 14 Arbitrage versus private label 15 Sellers with and without brand registry 17 Tabulating the Costs 18 Product sourcing 18 Shipping and storage 18 Amazon Seller fees 19 Returns 19 Other costs 20 Following Amazon’s Rules 20 Seller code of conduct 20 Accurate information 21 Acting fairly 21 Ratings, feedback, and reviews 22 Communications 22 Customer information 22 Circumventing the sales process 22 Multiple Amazon Seller accounts 23 Chapter 2: Selling on Amazon in a Nutshell 25 First Things First: Finding Products to Sell 26 Deciding what to sell and not sell 26 Exploring product sourcing options 29 Listing Products for Sale on Amazon 30 Prepping and Shipping Products to Customers 31 Introducing Amazon Prime 31 Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Small and Light (SNL) 32 Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) 33 Seller Fulfilled Prime 34 Drop-shipping 34 Multi-Channel Fulfillment 35 Boosting Sales with Advertising and Promotions 35 Providing Stellar Customer Service 37 Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Amazon Seller Account 39 Registering to Become an Amazon Seller 39 Completing Your Amazon Seller Business Profile 42 Business Address 42 Official Registered Address 43 Language for Feed Processing Report 43 Legal Entity 43 Merchant Token 44 Display Name 44 Checking and Adjusting Your Account Settings 45 Entering Shipping and Return Settings 46 Shipping settings 46 Return settings 47 Securing Your Amazon Seller Account 49 Chapter 4: Becoming Familiar with Seller Central 53 Finding Your Way around Seller Central 53 Switching marketplaces 54 Navigating the menu bar 54 Using the search bar 60 Viewing your payments summary 61 Taking advantage of Amazon business reports 62 Accessing the Buyer-Seller Messaging Service 64 Getting Help and Information 65 Engaging in the seller forums 66 Contacting Amazon support for help 67 Managing your case log 67 Consulting Amazon Selling Coach 68 Skimming Amazon headline news 69 Checking out Amazon’s app store: The Service Provider Network (SPN) 69 Exploring Amazon’s Seller University 70 Part 2: Procuring Products to Sell On Amazon 71 Chapter 5: Knowing What You Can and Can’t Sell on Amazon 73 Recognizing Products You Can Sell: Amazon’s Product Categories 73 Open categories 74 Categories that require approval 75 Steering Clear of Restricted Products 76 Brushing Up on Food Safety Rules 78 Organic products 79 Chilled and frozen products 80 Chapter 6: Finding Products with Profit Potential 81 Recognizing the Characteristics of Products with High Profit Potential 82 Uniqueness 82 Price range and profit margin 82 Sales volume 83 Shipping cost/complexity 84 Reviews 84 Steering Clear of Troublesome Products 84 Trademarked products 85 Mechanically complex products 85 Products that are difficult and costly to store and ship 86 Products sold in large retail stores 87 Conducting Your Own Product Research 87 Using product research tools 87 Sizing up the competition 89 Exploring Alibaba and other Chinese online wholesale marketplaces 90 Validating or Rejecting Product Ideas 92 Weighing the pros and cons of carrying the latest, greatest products 92 Considering seasonal products 93 Giving new brands a try (or not) 93 Focusing on Price and Sales Volume 94 Checking out different pricing strategies 95 Keeping an eye on the competition 95 Estimating sales volume 97 Setting realistic profit projections 98 Chapter 7: Exploring Your Product Sourcing Options 101 Mastering Retail Arbitrage 102 Buying from brick-and-mortar retailers 102 Buying from online retailers 105 Recognizing the importance of having a purchase order (PO) or receipt 107 Sourcing Products at Auctions and Liquidation Sales 107 Weighing the Pros and Cons of Drop-Shipping 109 Buying from Manufacturers, Distributors, and Wholesalers 110 Deciding whether a manufacturer is best 111 Knowing when to opt for a distributor 111 Deciding when a wholesaler is best 112 Sourcing Products from Alibaba 114 Finding Suppliers at Tradeshows 117 Making and Selling Your Own Products: Amazon Handmade and Custom 119 Selling your own hand-crafted products 119 Selling customized products on Amazon 121 Chapter 8: Evaluating and Negotiating with Suppliers 123 Deciding Whether to Use Domestic or Foreign Suppliers or Both 124 Recognizing the pros and cons of working with domestic suppliers 124 Weighing the pros and cons of working with foreign suppliers 125 Selecting Suppliers with the Right Stuff 126 Gauging experience and expertise 127 Ensuring clear communication 127 Sizing up a supplier’s reputation 128 Assessing a supplier’s responsiveness 130 Comparing prices 131 Negotiating Prices and Terms 132 Prepping for negotiation 132 Brushing up on effective negotiating tactics 133 Obtaining a purchase order contract 134 Part 3: Getting Down To The Business of Selling 137 Chapter 9: Listing Products for Sale on Amazon 139 Knowing What’s Required to Own the Buy Box 140 Ensuring buy-box eligibility 140 Meeting the quality metrics for winning the buy box 141 Thinking outside the buy box 144 Obtaining High-Quality Product Photos 144 Brushing up on Amazon’s product photo rules and restrictions 145 Procuring manufacturer photos 146 Taking your own photos 146 Outsourcing product photos 147 Checking out Amazon Imaging Services 148 Creating a Product Listing 149 Matching to an existing product listing 149 Creating a new product listing 151 Listing multiple products in bulk 155 Listing variations and bundles 159 Creating product subscriptions 162 Increasing Your Product Search Ranking on Amazon 164 Harnessing the power of the A9 algorithm 164 Checking out the competition 166 Using keywords to your advantage 166 Chapter 10: Fulfilling Customer Orders 171 Choosing an Order Fulfillment Method 172 Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) 172 Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) 174 Seller Fulfilled Prime 175 Drop-shipping 177 Using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) 178 Accounting for the costs 179 Knowing what to send and not send to FBA 182 Signing up for FBA 185 Preparing and shipping products to FBA 185 Removing inventory from FBA 190 Shipping Products Yourself: Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) 193 Chapter 11: Helping Shoppers Find You and Your Products 195 Gaining Traction with Product and Seller Ratings and Feedback 195 Encouraging customers to review products 196 Improving your seller rating and feedback 199 Harnessing the Power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 200 Jazzing Up Your Listings with A+ Content 201 Driving Web Traffic from Outside Amazon to Your Product Listings 203 Generating buzz via social media 203 Creating a website or landing page 204 Using pay-per-click advertising 206 Chapter 12: Boosting Sales with Marketing and Advertising 207 Exploring Different Ad Types 208 Sponsored Products 208 Sponsored Brands 210 Sponsored Display 211 Amazon demand-side platform (DSP) 211 Custom ads 212 Deals and coupons 212 Optimizing Your Search Rank with Sponsored Product Ads 214 Letting Amazon target your Sponsored Product ad for you 214 Targeting your own Sponsored Product Ads 215 Evaluating and adjusting your ad campaigns 217 Boosting Brand Awareness with Sponsored Brands 219 Giving Your Shoppers an Added Incentive to Buy: Deals and Coupons 221 Offering special deals 221 Offering coupon discounts 223 Creating promotions 224 Taking Advantage of External Marketing Options 225 Dipping into social media marketing 226 Harnessing the power of influencer marketing 228 Firing Up Your Email Marketing Machine 229 Chapter 13: Focusing on Customer Service 231 Understanding Why Customer Satisfaction Is So Important 232 Laying the Groundwork for Quality Customer Service 233 Managing and Shipping Orders 234 Responding to Customer Questions, Concerns, and Complaints 235 Processing Returns, Refunds, and Cancellations 236 Handling returns 237 Issuing refunds 239 Following up on order cancellations 239 Managing Seller Feedback and Product Reviews 240 Monitoring and responding to seller feedback 241 Monitoring and responding to product ratings and reviews 243 Fielding A-to-Z Claims 244 Chapter 14: Building and Managing Your Own Webstore 247 Choosing Where to Build Your Webstore: Inside or Outside Amazon or Both 248 Weighing the pros and cons of building an Amazon Store 248 Weighing the pros and cons of building a webstore outside Amazon 249 Creating two webstores 250 Laying the Groundwork for Your Webstore 250 Choosing a unique and recognizable domain name 250 Deciding how to build your webstore 251 Categorizing your products 252 Gathering the essentials to build your store 254 Creating Your Amazon Store 257 Creating a Stand-Alone Webstore 259 Designing your storefront 259 Making sure you have everything in place 261 Chapter 15: Managing Your Inventory 263 Grasping the Importance of Inventory Management 263 Managing Inventory via Amazon’s Manage Inventory Page 264 Maintaining Sufficient Stock 266 Forecasting sales 266 Accounting for lead time 267 Replenishing FBA inventory 268 Setting up replenishment alerts 269 Avoiding FBA’s long-term storage fees 271 Getting Some Cash or Credit to Buy Inventory 272 Hitting Amazon up for a loan 272 Getting daily payouts with Payability 273 Making savvy use of credit cards 274 Financing with loans or lines of credit 274 Part 4: Taking Your Business to the Next Level 277 Chapter 16: Putting Additional Amazon Seller Tools to Work for You 279 Tracking Your Account’s Health and Performance 280 Checking your account health 280 Reviewing customer feedback 282 Monitoring and managing your A-to-Z Guarantee claims 282 Monitoring and managing your chargeback claims 283 Accessing Amazon’s performance notifications 284 Gaining additional insight via the Voice of the Customer feature 284 Improving your performance via Seller University 285 Dealing with Sales Tax 285 Grasping the basics of Marketplace Tax Collection 286 Using Amazon’s Tax Calculation Service (TCS) 287 Generating Business and Inventory Reports 289 Sales reports 289 Inventory reports 290 Payments reports 292 Customer concession reports 292 Removal reports 293 Managing Your Amazon Seller Account with the Mobile App 293 Getting the Amazon Seller Mobile App 294 Navigating the Amazon Seller Mobile App 294 Chapter 17: Building Your Own Brand (or Not) 297 Deciding Whether Branding Is Right for You 298 Creating Your Own Brand 299 Discover your purpose 299 Analyze your competition 300 Identify your target market 300 Identify your brand’s key benefits 301 Write a slogan 302 Visualize your brand 302 Work it: Reinforce your brand 302 Trademarking Your Brand 303 Registering your trademark on USPTO.gov 303 Streamlining the trademark registration process with IP Accelerator 304 Adding your trademark to the Amazon Brand Registry 305 Building a Brand with Private-Label Products 309 Chapter 18: Taking Advantage of Third-Party Tools and Service Providers 311 Taking Product Research to the Next Level 312 Managing the Backend of Your Ecommerce Business 313 Handling multi-channel integration 314 Streamlining order management 315 Simplifying inventory management 315 Automating price changes 316 Automating Feedback and Reviews 317 Finding Help through Amazon’s Service Provider Network 318 Chapter 19: Expanding Your Operations: B2B and Global Sales 321 Selling Products to Amazon as a Vendor 322 Weighing the pros and cons of selling to Amazon as a vendor 322 Increasing your chances of getting invited to become a vendor 323 Selling to Other Businesses 323 Getting up to speed on performance standards and rules 324 Managing business pricing and quantity discounts 325 Creating business-only offers 328 Enrolling in Amazon’s tax exemption program 329 Negotiating business prices 330 Expanding Your Operations Globally 331 Simplifying the process with FBA Export 331 Expanding your operations into other countries using Amazon Global Selling 333 Part 5: The Part of Tens 335 Chapter 20: Top Ten Advertising Tips 337 Get to Know the Different Ad Types 337 Test the Market with Automatic Targeting 338 Make the Most of Manual Targeting 339 Find Your Long-Tail Search Terms 339 Research Your Competitor’s Search Terms 340 Write Copy Specific to Your Product 340 Avoid These Common Search Terms Mistakes 341 Specify Negative Search Terms 342 Always Test and Track 343 Don’t Rush! Good Advertising Takes Time 343 Chapter 21: Ten Tips to Deliver Awesome Customer Service 345 Follow Amazon’s Rules and Updates 346 Respond in a Timely Manner 346 Be Honest 347 Be Empathetic 347 Go the Extra Mile 348 Ask Questions 348 Personalize Your Responses 349 Stay Calm 349 Remain Positive 350 Think Long Term 350 Chapter 22: Ten (Plus One) Tips to Find Best-Selling Products 353 Recognize Key Product Selection Criteria 354 Find a Niche 354 Sell What You Know and Love 355 Do Your Own Thing 355 Don’t Expect Seasonal Products to Sell Year-Round 356 Decide Whether to Pursue Best Sellers 357 Capitalize on Low Competition 357 Focus on Products That Sell for More than 20 Bucks 358 Check Competitors’ Reviews 359 Reduce Returns 359 Avoid Legal Issues 360 Index 361

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsHow to Read This Book vii Preface xiii Who is This Book For? xvii Introduction xxi A Repeatable Path xxii Why a Second Decade? xxiv The Four Steps: A New Path xxix Getting Started Chapter 1: The Path to Disaster: A Startup is Not a Small Version of a Big Company 1 Chapter 2: The Path to the Epiphany: The Customer Development Model 19 The Customer Development Manifesto 31 Step One: Customer Discovery Chapter 3: An Introduction to Customer Discovery 53 Chapter 4: Customer Discovery, Phase One: State Your Business Model Hypotheses 69 Chapter 5: Customer Discovery, Phase Two: “Get Out of the Building” to Test the Problem: “Do People Care?” 189 Chapter 6: Customer Discovery, Phase Three: “Get Out of the Building” and Test the Product Solution 227 Chapter 7: Customer Discovery, Phase Four: Verify the Business Model and Pivot or Proceed 257 Step Two: Customer Validation Chapter 8: Introduction to Customer Validation 277 Chapter 9: Customer Validation, Phase One: “Get Ready to Sell” 291 Chapter 10: Customer Validation, Phase Two: “Get Out of the Building and Sell!” 357 Chapter 11: Customer Validation, Phase Three: Develop Product and Company Positioning 413 Chapter 12: Customer Validation, Phase Four: The Toughest Question of All: Pivot or Proceed? 429 The Startup Owner’s Manual “Site” Map 465 Appendix A: Customer Development Checklists 469 Appendix B: Glossary 531 Appendix C: How to Build a Web Startup: A Simple Overview 541 Acknowledgements 549 About the Authors 553 Index 557

Read more less

Book SynopsisSecure your investment gains and supercharge your results with this down-to-earth analysis of investing fundamentals Via powerful and unique insights, Ignore the Hype: Financial Strategies Beyond the Media-Driven Mayhem teaches readers how to keep their focus squarely on time-tested strategies for meeting their financial goals without getting distracted by a constant barrage of news headlines. The book takes a common-sense approach to the financial world that's ideally suited to the everyday investor. It covers topics including: How to avoid competing against hedge funds in a game they've rigged What you can do today to avoid taxes tomorrow Wall Street's Dirty Secret: Forecasting is just guessing Why some of your investments have worse odds than a casino game How the media circus can derail your financial plans Surviving a world where financial advisors don't have to act in your best interest Table of ContentsAcknowledgments xi About the Author xiii Preface xv Introduction 1 Part I: Yes, The Game is Rigged, But You Don’t Have to Play 7 Chapter 1: The Times They are a-Changin’ 9 There is a World of Difference Between Speculation and Investing 10 So, Why is It So Damn Hard to Ignore the Hype?! 12 To Play, or Not to Play, That is the Question 14 Life at the Speed of Light 15 Lower Transaction Costs 17 Self-Directed Investing 20 High-Frequency Trading 23 The 24-Hour News Cycle 24 Globalization 29 The Rise of the Institutional Investor 31 The Bottom Line 33 Chapter 2: Don’t Play a Game That’s Rigged 35 The Upward Path of Markets 36 Asset Class Returns 38 A Twist in the Plot 40 Time in the Market versus Timing the Market 41 Why are Las Vegas Casinos So Nice? 43 The True Cost of Sitting on the Sidelines 45 Does Crisis Equal Opportunity? 48 Chapter 3: Guess What? A Forecast is Just a Guess 51 But Forecasting is Fun 52 Economists 54 Wall Street Analysts 55 Media Pundits 57 The Federal Reserve (the Fed) 58 So, What’s the Problem? 59 The All-Star Team 60 What Should You Do with Forecasts? 62 Part II: If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going, You Probably Won’t Get There 65 Chapter 4: You Must Know What Drives Investment Returns 67 You Can Beat the Dealer, But Can You Beat the Market? 69 It’s Hard to Stand Above the Crowd in a Room Full of Tall People 70 So, What’s the Solution? 71 Indexed Products 72 A Rules-Based Approach 75 Fundamental Factors for Success 78 Stock Market Factors 79 Growth Stocks 80 Value Stocks 81 Bond Market Factors 87 The Bottom Line on Factor Premiums 93 Chapter 5: You Must Have a Specific Financial Goal 95 Step One: Determine Your Vision of Retirement 96 Step Two: Determine How Much You Spend Today 98 Step Three: Determine When You Want to Retire 99 Step Four: Determine How Much Income You’ll Need in Year One of Retirement 99 Step Five: Determine Your Sources of Retirement Income 103 Step Six: Determine How Much You’ll Need from Your Savings and Investments 103 Step Seven: Determine a Sustainable Distribution Rate 104 Step Eight: Determine How Much Money You Need to Retire 105 Step Nine: Determine Your Plan to Accumulate the Money You Need to Retire 105 Putting It All Together with a Step-by-Step Example 107 Already Retired? 111 The Bottom Line 111 Chapter 6: You Must Invest to Meet Your Goal 113 How Much Money Do You Want to Make? 114 How Much Money Do You Need to Make? 115 How Much Risk Should You Take? 116 Sleeping on a Bed of Money 120 Adding Some Stocks to the Mix 121 Portfolio A 123 Portfolio B 123 What Portfolio Do You Want? 124 Still Not Convinced? 125 Enjoy Your Retirement! 127 Chapter 7: You Must Practice Smart Diversification 129 What is Smart Diversification? 130 You Don’t Want to Be a Pig! 130 Owning What You Know May Not Be Best 132 It’s a Big World 137 Sometimes You’re Trapped by Your Own Success 140 Dealing with Concentrated Positions 143 Smart Diversification Enhances Your Odds of Success 145 Winning the Lost Decade 147 Chapter 8: You Must Learn How You’ll Be Taxed 151 But First, the Hype 153 And Now, the Truth 154 Income Taxes: A Quick Primer 154 Are Taxes Going Higher? 157 Tax Diversification 158 Do You Know Who Your Partner Is? 159 As If That’s Not Enough … 162 What’s Certain in Life? 163 Part III: Just Because You’re Paranoid Doesn’t Mean They Aren’t Out To Get You 169 Chapter 9: How to Avoid the Taxman Without Going to Jail 171 Building Your Tax-Free Pool of Money 172 Accelerating the Flow of Funds to Your Tax-free Pool 176 Building Your Taxable Pool of Money 177 Do You Want to Keep More of What You Make? 181 Chapter 10: Sorry, But You’re Probably Your Own Worst Enemy 185 Tales Your Parents Told You 187 Anchoring 189 Confirmation Bias 190 Overconfidence Bias 192 Herd Behavior 194 Framing Bias 196 Hindsight Bias 198 Self-attribution Bias 200 Myopic Loss Aversion 201 Chapter 11: FYI, the Media Doesn’t Care If You Make Money 205 But Then There’s the Media … 206 Did Black Monday Spell Doom for Investors? 211 What Side of the Aisle are You On? 214 Would You Hitch Your Family’s Future to the Circus? 217 Chapter 12: Avoid the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing 223 Does It Pass the Sniff Test? 224 Who’s Got Your Back? 224 Focus on Minimizing Unnecessary Fees 229 Is What You’re Buying Even an Investment? 232 Drowning in a Sea of Complexity 234 Do You Even Know What You’re Buying? 236 But My “Regular” Bonds are Free from Commissions, Right? 237 What are You Using Derivatives For? 241 Market Voodoo (AKA Technical Analysis) 243 Let Me “Sell” You an Annuity… 244 Now, Let Me “Explain” an Annuity… 245 The Bottom Line 247 Chapter 13: How to Survive a Bear Attack 249 Prepare for the Bear 250 Risk Capacity versus Risk Tolerance 252 Rebalance to Stay on Course 254 Buy-and-Hold Investing 257 Buy-and-Forget Investing 258 So, What Do You Do When Market Valuations are Extreme? 259 Does What Gets Measured Get Improved? 260 Ready for Some Good News? 262 A Better Life 263 Conclusion 267 Index 271

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction: One Minute to Midnight ix Part I The System is Broken 1 Chapter 1 Parasite 3 Chapter 2 Trading Places 13 Chapter 3 For a Few Dollars More 21 Chapter 4 Hustle and Flow 27 Chapter 5 Free Willy 35 Chapter 6 Parenthood 41 Chapter 7 The Never-Ending Story 53 Chapter 8 Goldfinger 65 Part II Those Who Cannot Remember the Past are Condemned to Repeat It 77 Chapter 9 Prometheus 79 Chapter 10 The Banker 89 Chapter 11 The Lion King 95 Chapter 12 The Money Pit 105 Chapter 13 It’s a Wonderful Life 109 Chapter 14 Signs 115 Part III Checkmate 125 Chapter 15 Black Swan 127 Chapter 16 The Circle 133 Chapter 17 Contagion 147 Chapter 18 The Big Short 155 Part IV The Great Revaluation and a Look at the Future 165 Chapter 19 The Mechanic 167 Chapter 20 White Men Can’t Jump 177 Chapter 21 The Matrix 187 Chapter 22 Back to the Future—Part II 195 Chapter 23 The Incredible Hulk 199 Chapter 24 Searching for Bobby Fisher 209 References 217 Index 243

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Taxable Investor's Manifesto: Wealth Management Strategies to Last a Lifetime is written for every investor with taxable wealth and every advisor who serves them. The Taxable Investor's Manifesto guides readers through a series of related topics, bringing clarity to complexity with an economy of words, while providing valuable and actionable advice at every turn. This remarkable book combines the deep industry knowledge of a seasoned practitioner with the communication skills of a leading educator. Author Stuart E. Lucas is the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Wealth Strategist Partners, a firm that advises complex family enterprises, including his own. He also co-founded the University of Chicago's Private Wealth Management program, now in its fourteenth year. Most investment books only address pre-tax headline returns, but individuals pay taxes. The incentives and disincentives of our tax system can have a dramatic impact on actual investment time horizons and returns. The Manifesto sensibly folds tax incentives into investment strategy in ways that can add profound value over a lifetime to actual results. It includes guidance on: How to keep a greater percentage of your profits with a higher probability of success and less effortWhy it's important to manage the intersection of investment, tax and estate planningHow to compete for better long-term investment returns against tax-exempt investors. Whether you're a young professional or entrepreneur, a mid-career manager, a senior business executive, or a retiree this book will give you tools to enhance your net worth considerably. If you are an advisor, studying and implementing Lucas's advice will strengthen your business and make your clients happier.Table of ContentsAbout the Author xi Acknowledgments xiii Introduction xvii Chapter 1 Taxable Investors Need to Think Differently 1 Chapter 2 Diversify at the Right Time and in the Right Way 9 Chapter 3 Generate Value From That Magical Liability: Deferred Tax 17 Chapter 4 If You Want Wealth to Grow, Own Stocks 25 Chapter 5 Lengthen Time Horizon to Lower Risk and Enhance Returns 39 Chapter 6 Control Cash Flow to Perpetuate Purchasing Power 49 Chapter 7 Don’t Be Misled By Performance 55 Chapter 8 Get Value From Active Management 65 Chapter 9 Approach Alternative Investments With Skill and Skepticism, Or Not At All 79 Chapter 10 Plan Your Estate: It Adds More Value Than Investing 89 Chapter 11 Shift From Success to Significance 99 Chapter 12 Reinforce Positive Family Culture Through Financial Design 105 Chapter 13 Evaluate The Risks to This Approach 111 Chapter 14 Select An Advisor With Strong Investment Skills, An Interdisciplinary Approach, and A Fiduciary Mindset 117 Appendix Additional Books About Taxable Investing 129 Index 131

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsForeword xix Preface xxi Acknowledgments xxv Chapter 1 Introduction to the Family Office 1 Kirby Rosplock, PhD A Macro View of Global Wealth 2 Billionaire Update 7 How Much Do I Really Need to Fund a Family Office? 10 Purpose and Definition of the Family Office 11 Historical Background of the Family Office 12 Family Office from the Industrial Age to Current 13 Key Roles of the Family Office 16 The Executor and Trusted Advisor 16 The Guardian and Watchman 17 The Librarian and Guru 19 Family Office Orientation to Family, Strategy, and Operations 19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 24 Notes 24 Chapter 2 Family Office Evolution: Inceptions and Archetypes 27 Kirby Rosplock, PhD Inception of a Family Office 27 Scale: How Much Is Enough? 28 Impact of the Family Business on the Family Office 30 Attractions and Challenges with Embedded Family Offices 30 Separating the Family Office from the Family Business 32 Sudden Wealth 33 The Investment-Focused Family Office 34 Family Offices Through the Back Door 35 Family Business Exit and Liquidity Event 36 Family Office Archetypes 37 The Founder’s Family Office 37 The Virtual, Administrative, and Compliance Family Office 38 The Philanthropic Family Office 39 The Direct Investment and Investment Offices 39 The Family Business–Focused Family Office 40 The Multigenerational-Focused Family Office 41 Mathile Case Study 42 Background: Inception 42 Evolution of the Family Office: Strategic Planning Cycles 43 A Multigenerational Perspective 44 Alignment, Urgency, and Action 45 Discovery and Steps 47 Involving Outside Experts 48 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 49 Notes 50 Chapter 3 Comparing Family Office Solutions: Multi- and Single-Family Offices 53 Kirby Rosplock, PhD Trends in the Family Office Landscape 54 Determining Family Wealth Management Needs 58 Why the Single-Family Office Solution? 59 Why the Multi-Family Office Solution? 65 Questions to Ask During the Evaluation Process 68 Pathways to Selecting a Multi-Family Office 74 Godspeed Case Study 75 Introduction 75 Background of the Family and Family Office 75 A Trigger and Decision for a New Direction 76 Journey to Find What Is Next 76 Decision-Making Process 77 Final Cut 78 Key Insights and Outcomes 80 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 81 Notes 82 Chapter 4 Family Values, Mission, and Vision and the Family Office 83 Kirby Rosplock, PhD Introduction to Values 83 The Process of Exploring Values 85 Values Statement 86 Mission Statement 87 Values, Mission, and the Family Office 88 The Importance of Vision 89 Elements for Successful Family Office Visioning 92 Building Your Family Office Vision 94 Pitcairn Family Case Study 95 Five Steps to Creating a Family Vision 98 Step 1: Clarifying the Process and Expectations 99 Step 2: Vision Retreat Pre-Planning 99 Step 3: Staging a Vision Retreat 100 Step 4: Timing for a Vision Retreat 100 Step 5: Aligning Vision and the Strategic Plan 100 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 101 Notes 102 Chapter 5 Establishing and Structuring of Family Offices 103 Ivan A. Sacks, Esq., Partner, Withers Bergman LLP William J. Kambas, Esq., Partner, Withers Bergman LLP Question 1: What Legal Form Should the Family Office Take? 105 Choice of Entity 107 Deciding Between an LLC and a C Corporation 107 Case in Point 113 Question 2: Who Should Pay for Establishing and Operating the Family Office? 114 Question 3: Who Should Own the Family Office and How? 116 Legal Ownership 117 Beneficial Ownership 117 Models of Ownership 117 Question 4: Who Should Manage the Family Office and How? 119 Structuring the Legal Formalities 120 Structuring the Scope of Services 122 Family Philanthropy, Legacy, and Social Capital 125 Managing Regulatory and Estate Planning Concerns 125 Question 5: How Are Family Offices Structured to Optimize Tax Efficiency? 126 Tax Deductibility of Services Provided by the Family Office 129 State and Local Tax 131 Question 6: Can a Family Office Be Structured to Manage Risk? 132 Case in Point 132 Risk Management Through Architecture 133 People-Oriented Risk Management 133 Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and Economic Risk Management 133 Question 7: What Is the Process of Establishing and Structuring a Family Office? 134 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 136 Notes 137 Chapter 6 Strategic Planning for the Family Office 139 Kirby Rosplock, PhD Creating a Family Office Strategic Plan 140 Discovery 141 The Family Capital Review 142 The Family Background 143 The Advisor Network Review 145 The Estate Plan Review 145 Mapping and Summarizing Legal Entities 146 Family Office Stress Tests 147 Risk and Insurance Management Considerations 150 Family Office Risk Assessment and Insurance Planning 151 Family Member Risk and Insurance Planning 154 Overview of Capital Sufficiency Analysis 155 Simple vs. Sophisticated Approach 156 Using Capital Sufficiency in the Family Office 156 Case in Point: Doryman Family 157 Key Takeaways 164 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 165 Notes 166 Chapter 7 Legal and Compliance Standards and Practices for Family Offices 167 David S. Guin, Esq., Partner and US Commercial Practice Group Leader, Withers Bergman LLP Regulations Affecting Family Offices: Dodd-Frank Act 167 Case in Point 169 The Single-Family Office Exemption 170 Case in Point 174 Clients of the Family Office May Need to Report Beneficial Ownership of Securities of Publicly Reporting Companies 175 How to Report Beneficial Ownership 176 Ownership of Securities in the Ordinary Course of Business 176 Passive Ownership of Less than 20 Percent of a Class of Securities 176 Other Acquisitions 177 Clients of the Family Office May Need to Report Beneficial Ownership as Insiders of Publicly Reporting Companies 177 Reporting Insider Status on Form 3, Form 4, or Form 5 178 How Do I Determine Beneficial Ownership in a Multi-Tiered Family Holding Structure? 179 Are You an Institutional Investment Manager? (The Answer May Surprise You.) 180 What Is an Institutional Investment Manager? 181 Reporting on Form 13F 181 Determining If the $100 Million Threshold Has Been Met 183 Confidential Treatment 184 Are You a Large Trader? 184 The SEC Gets Personal About Insider Trading 186 Compliance Policies 188 What Are the Components of a Good Compliance Policy? 189 Document Retention Policies 190 What Are the Components of a Good Document Retention Policy? 192 The Compliance Function: In-House Versus Outsourced 192 Special Issues for Family Offices When Considering Regulatory Requirements 193 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 194 Notes 194 Chapter 8 Investment Management and the Family Office 197 Kirby Rosplock, PhD Family Office Investment Management 198 Concentration 199 Measuring Success 200 Lifestyle and Legacy 201 Time Horizon 203 Hurdles to Growing Wealth 205 Family Office Investing: Paradigm Shift 206 Passive Versus Active Asset Management 208 A Practical Approach to Asset Allocation 209 The Investment Process in a Family Office 210 Investment Review 210 Investment Governance 211 Investment Objectives 214 The Investment Policy Statement 214 Investment Committee 217 Why Would a Family Establish an Investment Committee (IC)? 218 How Does a Family Establish an Investment Committee? 218 How Does an Investment Committee Usually Operate? 218 Strategic and Tactical Asset Allocation, Manager Selection, and Investment Monitoring 221 CIO Function: In-House Versus Outsourced 223 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 227 Notes 228 Chapter 9 Family Office Operations and Information Technology 231 John Rosplock, COO and CFO, Tamarind Partners, Inc. Robert Kaufold, President and Chief Risk Officer, Cauldera LLC Family Needs Drive Family Office Systems 232 Family Office Operations 233 Accounting 233 Reporting 233 Financial Reporting 235 Data and Decision Archiving 236 Family Office Management 238 Security 239 Other Technology 239 Assessing Operational Complexity 240 Simple to Complex Systems 242 Complex System Technology 244 Operations Lens to Insourcing Versus Outsourcing 247 Technology Considerations: Buy or Build 249 New Technology Due Diligence and Onboarding 250 Keys to Success 254 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 255 Notes 256 Chapter 10 Family Office Talent, Compensation, and Recruitment 257 Kirby Rosplock, PhD Introduction 258 Family Office Staffing 259 Single-Family Office Organizational Chart 261 Gender and Family Office Executives 267 Recruiting Family Office Talent 268 Finding a Good Chemistry and Culture Fit 269 Background Checks 271 Compensation 272 Methods for Determining Annual Incentives 274 Managing Family Office Talent 276 Role Clarity and Job Description 276 Reporting Hierarchy and Authority 276 Performance Management 277 Communication and Trust 278 Recruiting Internationally 278 Case Study: Setting Up the Office 279 Family or Non-Family at the Helm 280 Family Member Compensation 281 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 282 Notes 282 Chapter 11 Governance Issues for the Family Office 285 Barbara Hauser, JD, Independent Family Advisor Kirby Rosplock, PhD Governance Issues for the Family Office Itself 286 Benefits of a Good Board 286 Importance of Independent Directors 288 Interim Stage of Advisory Board 289 Accountability to the Family 289 Participation in Long-Term Strategy 289 Next Generation Issues to Address 290 Succession Planning for the Family Office and Its Executives 290 Governance for the Family Itself 293 Analysis of Existing Decision-Making Process 295 Hallmarks of Good Governance: Transparency, Accountability, and Participation 296 Benefits of the Family Creating Its Own Governance Process and Structure 297 How to Create the Family Governance 298 Family Councils 299 Family Constitutions 300 Kettering Family Governance Case Study 302 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 308 Notes 309 Chapter 12 Family Education and the Family Office 311 Kirby Rosplock, PhD Stewardship of Wealth 313 Psychology of Wealth and Child Development 314 Elsa’s Story 316 Overcoming Communication Challenges 317 Case Study: Waithram Family 319 Clear Expectations and the Power of Inherited Wealth 322 Inspiring Entrepreneurship and the Next Generation 325 Case Study: Jennifer’s Story 326 The Power, Influence, and Inspiration of Mentors 327 Creating a Family Education Plan 329 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 332 Notes 333 Chapter 13 Family Entrepreneurship and the Family Bank 335 Warner King Babcock Kirby Rosplock, PhD What Is a Family Bank? 335 Two Mindsets to Your Family Bank 338 Establishing and Funding a Family Bank? 339 Five Principles for Family Banks 340 Democratize 340 Harmonize 340 Customize 341 Flexibilize 342 Professionalize 342 Mini-Case Study: Intra-Family Financing of New Family Businesses 343 Organizing a Family Bank 344 Entity Choice 345 Evolution of Family Banks: From Simple to Complex 346 Mini-Case Study: A Family Bank Designed to Develop the Next Generation 349 Good Governance: Family Bank Boards, Committees, and Trustees 350 Mini-Case Study: Family Bank Without Good Governance 351 Limitations of Trusts 352 The Role of the Family Office 353 The Role of Outside Experts 354 Tax and Legal Considerations of Family Banks 355 The Anderson Family Case Study 355 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 358 Notes 359 Chapter 14 Legacy, Philanthropy, and Impact Investing 361 Kirby Rosplock, PhD Introduction to Legacy 362 A Generational Lens to Legacy 362 Defining Legacy 364 Financial Legacy 365 Social Legacy 366 Philanthropic Legacy 367 Philanthropy, Impact, and Sustainable Investing 368 Opportunities and Challenges of Philanthropy, Impact, and Sustainable Investing 371 Family Philanthropy and Foundations 373 The Root Family Legacy and Evolving Their Philanthropy 374 The Family Office Supporting Family Philanthropy 377 Cordes Family Case Study 378 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 385 Notes 386 Chapter 15 Private Trust Companies: Creating the Ideal Trustee 389 Miles Padgett, Partner, Kozusko Harris Duncan Don Kozusko, Partner, Kozusko Harris Duncan The Broader View 389 What Is a Private Trust Company? 389 What Are the Differences Between a Private Trust Company and a Commercial Trust Company? 390 Why Do Families Consider Creating a PTC? 392 What Are the Key Considerations to Be Addressed Prior to Pursuing a PTC? 392 Steps to Creating a PTC 398 Choice of Regulatory Regime 398 Geographical Convenience 400 Substantive Trust Laws 401 Trust Company Laws 402 Public Policy Environment 404 Trust and Trust Company Taxes 405 Achieving Success in a PTC: Setting Priorities 405 Fostering Beneficiary Development Should Be the Primary Objective of the PTC 406 Principles and Practices for a Successful Private Trust Company 408 The Parable Family 409 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 415 Notes 416 Appendix A: Family Office Complexity Assessment 419 Appendix B: Family Office Technology Segments 423 About the Author 425 About the Contributors 427 Index 431

Read more less

Book SynopsisWINNER AT THE BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS 2022 - SPECIALIST BUSINESS BOOK CATEGORY. As one of the leading business trends today, extended reality (XR) promises to revolutionize the way consumers experience their encounters with brands and products of all kinds. Top brands from Pepsi and Uber to Boeing and the U.S. Army are creating immersive digital experiences that capture the interest and imaginations of their target markets. In Extended Reality in Practice: 100+ Amazing Ways Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality are Changing Business and Society, celebrated futurist, technologist, speaker, and author Bernard Marr delivers a robust and accessible explanation of how all kinds of firms are developing innovative XR solutions to business problems. You'll discover the new ways that companies are harnessing virtual, augmented, and mixed realityto improve consumers' perception of their brands. You'll also find out why there are likely to be no industries that will remain untouched by the use of XR, and why these technologies are popular across the commercial, governmental, and non-profit spectrums. Perfect for Chief Executive Officers, business owners, leaders, managers, and professionals working in business development, Extended Reality in Practice will also earn a place in the libraries of professionals working within innovation teams seeking an accessible resource on the possibilities and potential created by augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies. An insightful exploration of extended reality from a renowned thought leader, technologist, and futurist Extended Reality in Practice: 100+ Amazing Ways Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality are Changing Business and Society offers readers a front-row seat to one of the most exciting and impactful business trends to find traction in years. Celebrated futurist and author Bernard Marr walks you through the ins and outs of XR, or extended reality, and how it promises to revolutionize everything from the experience of walking through an airport or shopping mall to grabbing a burger at a fast-food restaurant. Discover insightful and illuminating case studies from businesses and organizations in a variety of industries, including Burger King, BMW, Boeing, and the U.S. Army, and see how they're turning virtual, mixed, and augmented reality experiences into big wins for their stakeholders. You'll also find out about how XR can help businesses tackle the problems of lackluster engagement and lukewarm customer loyalty with reinvigorated consumer experiences. Ideal for executives, founders, business leaders and owners, and professionals of all sorts, Extended Reality in Practice is an indispensable guide to an indispensable new technology. The book is the leading resource for anyone seeking a one-stop reference for augmented, virtual, and mixed reality tech and their limitless potential for enterprise.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 1 What Is Extended Reality? 11 2 The Amazing Evolution of XR: A Brief History 23 3 Challenges with XR 33 4 XR in Everyday Life and Business 47 5 Customer Engagement and Retail 61 6 Training and Education 91 7 Healthcare 113 8 Entertainment and Sport 139 9 Real Estate and Construction 165 10 Travel and Hospitality 181 11 Industry and Manufacturing 197 12 Law Enforcement and the Military 217 13 A Look into the Future 231 Acknowledgments 243 About the Author 245 Index 247

Read more less

Book SynopsisBuy real estate overseas to earn cash flow to fund your dream retirement In Buying Real Estate Overseas For Cash Flow (And A Better Life): Get Started With As Little As $50,000, Kathleen Peddicord and Lief Simon explain how to incorporate an investment in foreign real estate into your portfolio for as little as $50,000. With a lifetime of experience on the subjects of living, retiring, and investing overseas, the authors delve deep into this complex topic. Simply put, this book is a practical guide to buying property overseas as a strategy for earning cash flow to fund your dream retirement. In the book, the authors cover topics as wide-ranging as: How to build the cash flow you need to fund the retirement you want 8 markets offering the best current cash-flow opportunities How to move money across borders in today's post-FATCA world Plus: How to run the numbers to evaluate a potential cash-flow investment Table of ContentsPreface xi Introduction: Earning Cash Flow from Real Estate Overseas is the Same as Earning Cash Flow from Real Estate at Home … with These Three Important Differences 1 I Buying Real Estate Overseas is Not Only a Top Cash-flow Strategy—It’s Also a Sure Way to Improve Your Lifestyle 9 1 Buy Overseas to Make Travel and Adventure Part of Your Life Right Now 13 2 Cash Flow from Property Overseas Can Fund Your Dream Retirement 35 3 Cash Flow from Property Overseas Can Pay for a Second Home You’d Never Be Able to Afford at Home 45 4 Cash Flow from Property Overseas Can Make You Rich (While Creating Diversification, Asset Protection, and a Legacy for Your Heirs) 49 II Start with This Key Question: How Much Can You Afford? 51 5 Consider Local Financing Options (If They Exist) and How You Can Qualify 55 6 Consider Shopping for Financing Back Home or with the Developer 57 III Six Strategies for Earning Cash Flow from Property Overseas 59 7 Short-term Rentals—Airbnb is a Double-edged Sword 63 8 Long-term Rentals—Here’s the Single Secret to Success and Maximum Return 69 9 Hard Money Loans—Earn Double-digit Returns Helping Other Investors 75 10 Preconstruction—Buy Before the Property is Built to Leverage and Flip and Multiply Your Return 79 11 Agriculture—Buy Land to Rent to a Farmer 83 12 Fixer-upper—Make Money While Learning the Local History, Language, and Culture (If You Can Survive the Experience) 91 IV World’s Top Cash Flow Markets—Where to Buy Whether You Have $50,000, $250,000, or $1 Million to Invest 97 13 Where a Strong Dollar Creates Opportunity 103 14 Where Tourists Rule 107 15 Where You Can Buy Preconstruction to Flip or Rent 113 16 Where You Can Leverage 119 17 Where a Productive Land Investment (of Less Than $50,000) Can Deliver Regular Pension Checks for the Rest of Your Life 123 V How to Buy Real Estate Overseas in Eight Easy Steps 127 18 Do Your Research and Identify Three Destinations That Fit Your Budget and Your Lifestyle Goals 131 19 Figure Your Budget, Including the Round-trip Costs of Buying and Selling 133 20 Build an In-country Network of Reliable Contacts 137 21 Identify a Purchase 143 22 Negotiate the Purchase 147 23 Close the Deal 151 24 Take Title 153 25 Manage the Asset—Understanding Your Tax Obligations as an Overseas Property Investor 157 VI How to Sell for Top Dollar 159 VII How Not to Lose Money—Confessions of a Couple of Overseas Property Investors Who Have Made Costly Mistakes 165 26 Don’t Be Tempted to Take a Second Bite 169 27 Know Who You’re Buying With 173 28 Understand the Local Bureaucracy 177 29 Be Sure of Your Exit Market 181 30 Manage Your Rental Manager 185 31 Remember the Fundamentals 189 VIII What Every Overseas Property Buyer Needs to Know About Transferring Money Across Borders in Our Post-FATCA, Anti-money-laundering Age 191 Appendix A: How to Do Overseas Cash-flow Math 199 Appendix B: Market Data 201 Appendix C: Due Diligence Checklist 203 Appendix D: Understanding Your Tax Burden 207 Acknowledgments 211 Index 213

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xxi About the Author xxiii 1 First Thoughts on Deal Sourcing 1 2 Thematic Deal Sourcing 17 3 Opportunistic Deal Sourcing 41 4 Deal Selection— Eliminating the Wrong Deal 63 5 Deal Selection— Identifying the Right Deal 79 6 Assessing the Top Management Team 95 7 Analyzing the Business Plan 113 8 Valuation 159 9 Deal Structuring 185 10 Deal Execution: Transaction Process and Due Diligence 209 11 Deal Execution: Legal Documentation 237 12 Adding Value Through Active Ownership 259 13 Exit Strategies and Deal Monetization 283 References 317 Index 331

Read more less

Book SynopsisImprove your personal and professional life with compelling strategies and practical advice Don''t Push Too Many Trolleys: And Other Tips from Navigating Life and Business teaches readers ten crucial principles required to succeed in life and business. Written by Ying Tan, Founder and CEO of a multimillion pound financial services company, Don't Push Too Many Trolleys imparts sage advice suitable for anyone, at any stage of their life. The author describes the attitudes, lessons, and traits that allowed him to become one of the youngest Vice Presidents ever at Goldman Sachs. He shows readers how he built a company from the ground up to create one of the most influential and powerful financial services companies in the UK. Full of concrete strategies and practical advice, this book provides: A deeply personal and humble perspective on success in life and business Actionable advice that makes a real difference in the pursuit of Table of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgements xi Prologue: The Anfield Dream xiii Introduction 1 Part I To Be Inspired 13 1 Being a Son, Brother and Grandson 15 2 Being a Husband and Father 25 Part II Good Principles from Navigating Life and Business 33 3 Keep Life in Perspective 35 4 Don’t Push Too Many Trolleys 43 5 Take Responsibility for Your Life 57 6 Do Your Due Diligence 65 7 Always Have a Plan 83 8 Set the Right Goals for You 97 9 Be Ambitious, Not Greedy 113 10 The Best Rewards Are the Hardest Won 127 11 Mind Your Manners 145 12 Stay in the Game 157 Part III To Be Inspiring 177 13 Being a Boss 179 14 Building a Loyal Team 185 15 Team Talk 195 Part IV The Future 207 16 Professional Goals 209 17 Personal Goals 213 Epilogue: A Legacy 219

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of Contents Introduction: Conversation with an Engineer ix 1. Embedded Values 1 2. The Difference Between a Road and a Street 15 3. Whose Mistakes Do We Forgive? 31 4. Understanding Roads 45 5. Great Streets 65 6. Traffic Congestion 83 7. Intersections and Traffic Flow 101 8. Transportation Finance 121 9. Public Transit 145 10. Transportation Technology and Fads 165 11. The Routine Traffic Stop 183 12. Reforming Transportation Professions 201 13. My Confession 223 About the Author 235 Acknowledgments 237 About Strong Towns 239 Index 241

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface ix Chapter 1: Introduction to Empowered Enterprise Risk Management 1 Chapter 2: Risk Defined 12 Chapter 3: Risk Theory 29 Chapter 4: Risk Culture 46 Chapter 5: Risk Governance 60 Chapter 6: Risk Register 78 Chapter 7: Risk Response 95 Chapter 8: Risk Appetite 116 Chapter 9: Risk Budgeting 132 Chapter 10: Risk Strategy 148 Chapter 11: Risk in Practice: The Case of Equinor 166 Chapter 12: Concluding Remarks 191 Bibliography 199 Acknowledgements 203 Index 205

Read more less