Increasing globalisation, technological advances, ever-shrinking product life cycles and ever-increasing expectations regarding product quality will make it increasingly difficult for Western companies to withstand high cost pressure from the emerging industrial nations of the Far East. In order for our currently high standard of living to be maintained, it will be vital, in the future, for all products to be placed successfully on the world market. This, in turn, means that the demand for highly qualified skilled workers will increase steadily – a demand that, in some industrial sectors, already cannot be adequately met without the help of skilled workers from abroad. What’s more, the German economy is currently also reeling from the latest population development forecast from the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden: according to the calculations, the demographic changes occurring in the course of globalisation will be one of the biggest challenges of the future, with proportions of individual age groups in Germany set to fall into a strong imbalance. The relative proportion of senior citizens will increase steadily such that by 2050, there are predicted to be twice as many older people as younger ones. These alarming numbers and findings illustrate the increasing scarcity of human resources and mean that company owners will forced to optimise their recruitment strategies. The need for qualified young talent – which, currently, is clearly not being met – will continue to generate better opportunities for older workers.

9 steps for solo entrepreneurs and smart company founders. More and more people are suffering the demands of a high workload that leaves little room for their private life – employees, entrepreneurs and self-employed workers alike. It’s time to turn the tables. Use the opportunities presented in “Smart Business Concepts” to develop ideas that will get you out of the hamster wheel and increase your level of independence. More and more self-employed individuals in Europe and the United States are doing just this: developing radically simple processes and combining them in new ways, giving rise to business ideas that can be managed by individuals with a revolutionary level of ease. In their “Smart Business Concepts”programme, Brigitte and Ehrenfried Conta Gromberg – themselves active as entrepreneurs for 20 years – show how to reduce your workload through smart business processes. They systematically unlock the secrets behind the new concepts and, using 9 steps and 18 sample business models, show you how to begin your journey to greater independence. Learn how to lower your workload while enjoying greater success, systematically developing ideas from business processes and finding the business idea that will change your life. The book contains 9 steps to discovering, developing, and implementing your idea, 18 business models to guide your way and 20 case studies that show how things work in practice.

Contents

• Strike out on your own
• Widen your perspective
• Take the steering wheel of the future
• Understanding and modifying business models
• 18 smart models for creating a “WOW” proposition
• Use the power of the internet
• Position yourself clearly through smart marketing
• Cash flow, finances and assets
• Be smart with your time right from the outset

Target audience

• (Prospective) founders
• Established entrepreneurs
• Advisors of start-up companies

Praise for the book

“Brigitte and Ehrenfried Conta Gromberg are experienced and earnest teachers for the path ahead of you. Let yourself be infected by their positive energy, already a source of inspiration for many individuals and whole companies.”
— Werner Tiki Küstenmacher, Author of the “Simplify your Life” Range

“A smart contribution to the new start-up culture in Germany”
— Dr. Florian Langenscheidt, Entrepreneur, Publicist and Business Angel

“A readable advice book with great ideas on how to build a lean, low-risk startup through e-commerce and outsourcing. Highly recommended for budding founders. A “must-read” for founders pursuing start-ups as a sideline!”
— Markus Fost, MBA, Director of FOSTEC & Company

Start-up founders often have an outstanding idea with high innovative potential, but are unable to rely on equity capital or other material resources as collateral for traditional borrowed capital. This means that the financing of the start-up is a fundamental requirement for the success and, indeed, the very existence of the company. It is an integral part of the implementation of the idea and establishes and secures the existence of the company and its operational activities.
This practical book on start-up financing, growth financing and corporate taxation, which is structured according to the respective company phases, is aimed primarily at the start-up scene – though investors, lawyers and business and tax consultants can also gain comprehensive know-how on new financing options such as crowdinvesting. Featuring numerous illustrations and proven insights from successful founders, including Jan Beckers (Hit Fox Group) and Fabian and Ferry Heilemann (Daily Deal).

Contents

• Principles of financing
• Capital providers and sources (seed, start-up and expansion stage)
• Investment negotiations and agreements
• Crowdinvesting
• Taxation of start-ups

Target audience

• Company founders
• Investors and advisors of start-up companies

Praise for the book

“Dr. Christopher Hahn’s book is up-to-the-minute and looks at all ways in which founders can finance their start-up company. After a brief round-up of the start-up scene, the author goes into detail about the different types of lenders and describes the characteristics of the individual financing and start-up phases. The last three chapters examine the taxation of start-ups, while interviews with successful founders provide insights into their experience with financing. The book incorporates contains modern forms of financing and is comprehensively written. In my view, therefore, it has a place on the bookshelf of every start-up company.”
– Markus Fost, MBA, Director of FOSTEC & Company

Trends around technology, demographics and globalisation don’t just make competition tougher – they also result in the rapid emergence and equally as rapid disappearance of new business models. Recognising new trends in a timely manner, letting go of old ones and making the necessary changes within your organisation is vital for ensuring that you remain competitive.

• Arrive at your goals more quickly and with minimum outlay
• High practical relevance thanks to sound insights from numerous case studies of strategy implemenation
• The follow-up to Matthias Kolbusa’s successful “The Strategy Scout”

Organisations wishing to retain their position on the market must not only enhance their levels of success in implementing strategies and change projects, but must carry out such projects more quickly than ever before. In this German-language follow-up to his successful “The Strategy Scout”, Matthias Kolbusa demonstrates key strategy-related principles.

You’ll learn:

• What makes implementation processes difficult
• How you can master complex implementation processes
• How you can move from push to pull management through “emotionalisation”
• and how to bring true implementation momentum to your strategies

Praise for the book

“Finally, a book that sets aside the many models and theories and examines what’s really vital for the implementation of strategies: people, their interests and their interaction.”  — Dr. Michael Koppitz, Director of EVONIK Services GmbH

“Technology and globalisation are advancing ever more rapidly and competitive boundaries are becoming ever more blurred. The result: “half-lives” of strategies are becoming ever shorter, which means that organisations must adjust their implementation speeds accordingly. Speed of implementation has become a competitive advantage in itself. In this book, Matthias Kolbusa shows how this competitive skill can be developed.” — Achim Berg, CEO Arvato AG

“Undoubtedly, a good strategy is fundamental to any business model. In practice, many companies have good strategies; however, only a few succeed in implementing these successfully. For me, the implementation of strategies is a discipline above all others – because without being able to get the “show on the road”, even the best strategy will not have much effect. This book by Matthias Kolbusa is a highly recommended read for anyone involved in the implementation of strategies and larger projects. A must-read for founders and corporate leaders”— Markus Fost, MBA, Managing Director of FOSTEC & Company