What You Need to Know about Business

Business is big. Actually, it's often small and medium-sized too. But the point is that it matters a lot. This book is designed to answer all those confusing questions that flit through your mind when you get to the business pages of the paper, and stop you being embarrassed in job interviews. It explains the things you really need to know about business, and will tell you: What the point of business is How what happens in the economy affects real businesses What the law means for business Finance, accounting, shares, bonds etc and other big numbers How companies grow and why the merge (even though most mergers fail) What HR departments actually do all day Time management, motivation, leadership, communication skills and all the other skills you'll need if you want to know what the view's like from the CEO's office After reading it, you'll smile knowingly whenever the advantages of outsourcing, balanced scorecards or Porter's 5 Ps come up in polite conversation.

Business is big. Actually, it's often small and medium-sized too.But the point is that it matters - a lot.This book is designed to answer all those confusing questionsthat flit through your mind when you get to the business pages ofthe paper, and stop you being embarrassed in job interviews.It explains the things you really need to know about businessand will tell you:* What the point of business is* How what happens in the economy affects real businesses* What the law means for business* Finance, accounting, shares, bonds etc and other bignumbers* How companies grow and why the merge (even though most mergersfail)* What HR departments actually do all day* Time management, motivation, leadership, communication skillsand all the other skills you'll need if you want to know what theview's like from the CEO's officeAfter reading it, you'll smile knowingly whenever the advantagesof outsourcing, balanced scorecards or Porter's 5 Ps come up inpolite conversation.

Introduction 11 What Is Business? 112 The Economy 353 The Laws 794 The Numbers 1035 The Strategy 1376 The Functions 1677 The Skills 1998 Success 227Acknowledgements 245Index 247