Start-up: A Practical Guide to Starting and Running a New Business 2nd ed. 2019 Edition
by Tom Harris (Author)

About the Author
Before setting up his own management consultancy business, Hi Consulting, in 2002, Tom Harris was a lecturer and led an academic research group in a top ranked university department, then spun-out a medical device company which went on to win awards for product innovation. Tom’s current business supports and monitors funded R&D collaborations and assists start-up and developing businesses develop, grow and export.

About the book
This guide for aspiring entrepreneurs provides expert advice on every aspect of launching a new business. It is designed to be of particular value for academics wishing to exploit the commercial value of a new technology or business solution. Inspiring and readable, it shows how to evaluate the strength of a business idea, how to protect inventions, reviews legal steps and responsibilities, shows how to position products in the market, how to create a business plan and raise initial capital. Case studies, exercises and tips demystify the process of starting a business, build confidence and greatly increase the chances of success.

Table of contents
1 Introduction 1
2 How Good Is Your Idea?  3
    2. 1 A Stable Platform 3
    2. 2 Industries and Markets 4
    2. 3 Analysing the Market 4
    2. 4 Analysing the Industry 16
    2. 5 So, Do You Have a Business?  22
3 How Can You Protect Your Ideas?  23
    3. 1 Loose Talk Costs Lives! 23
    3. 2 Types of Intellectual Property 24
    3. 3 Patents 25
    3. 4 Registered Designs 34
    3. 5 Trade Marks 36
    3. 6 Copyright 37
    3. 7 Working with Patent Agents and IP Lawyers 38
4 What Is a Company?  39
    4. 1 The Company as a Legal Entity 39
    4. 2 Role and Rights of Shareholders 43
    4. 3 Company Ownership and Types of Shares 44
    4. 4 Shareholders Agreements 47
    4. 5 Roles and Duties of Directors 47
5 How Do You Market Your Product?  53
    5. 1 Marketing and Selling 53
    5. 2 The Product Adoption Lifecycle 54
    5. 3 Moving from one Group to the Next 58
    5. 4 Critical Success Factors 61
    5. 5 What Should Be in Your Marketing Plan?  66
6 How Do You Finance Your Business?  69
    6. 1 Cash Flow 69
    6. 2 Sources of Finance 72
    6. 3 How Does Venture Capital Work?  77
7 Grant Funding 85
    7. 1 State Aid 85
    7. 2 Funding Available 89
    7. 3 Contracts and Legal Arrangements 91
    7. 4 Management and Reporting 92
    7. 5 How to Win Grants 93
    7. 6 Avoid Becoming a Grant Junkie 97
8 How Do You Create a Financial Model?  99
    8. 1 The Basic Structure 99
    8. 2 Business Planning Tools 101
    8. 3 Building the Model 102
9 How Do You Write a Business Plan?  119
    9. 1 When Is a Business Plan Not a Business Plan?  119
    9. 2 What Should Your Business Plan Contain?  120
    9. 3 How Should the Plan Be Prepared?  123
10 Your Role and Your Team 127
    10. 1 What Do You Want to Achieve?  128
    10. 2 Satisfying the Critical Success Factors 129
    10. 3 How Important Is Experience 131
    10. 4 Networking 132
11 What Makes an Entrepreneur?  133
    11. 1 Entrepreneurial Skill Sets 133
    11. 2 Matching the Entrepreneur to the Business 138
    11. 3 Entrepreneurship Education and Training 140
12 Closing Remarks 143

Series: Management for Professionals
Length: 146 pages
Publisher: Springer; 2nd ed. 2019 edition (August 8, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 3319945467
ISBN-13: 978-3319945460

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