Financial Times Essential Guide to Developing a Business Strategy, The

Want to take your company to the next level?  You need a roadmap, a strategy.  Preferably one that is simple, workable and saleable.  This book provides you with just that.  It sets out a straightforward strategy development process, the ‘Strategy Pyramid’, and guides you through it.  It uses a lively central case study throughout, as well as drawing on examples of how real businesses have developed winning strategies.  Whether you are intent on growing your business, or setting out on your start-up, this book offers an uncomplicated, practical and readable guide on how to get the strategy you need for your business to succeed.

It offers sound advice on the following areas:

• Setting goals and objectives
• Forecasting market demands
• Gauging industry competition
• Tracking competitive advantage
• Targeting the strategic gap
• Bridging the gap with business strategy
• Bridging the gap with corporate strategy
• Addressing risk and opportunity

The FT Essential Guide to Developing a Business Strategy will help businesses of all sizes to chart and realise their growth ambitions.

‘This is the most succinct and most practical handbook on business strategy on the market. In just a couple of hundred well-written pages, it synthesizes the most important ideas in the field. What sets it apart – and brings it to life – is that every concept that is introduced is immediately illustrated in practice through the use of a real-life case study.’

Jules Goddard, Fellow, London Business School and author, with Professor Tony Eccles, of Uncommon Sense, Common Nonsense: Why Some Organisations Consistently Outperform Others

‘A concise and highly practical guide to the fundamentals of strategic analysis and strategic planning.’

Robert M. Grant, ENI Professor of Strategic Management, Bocconi University, Milan, Visiting Fellow at Georgetown University, Washington, and author of Contemporay Strategic Analysis, now in its eighth edition

‘This is the ideal companion to Evans’s The Financial Times Essential Guide to Writing a Business Plan. A plan worthy of investment is only as sound as its underpinning strategy. This terrific little book shows the manager just what he or she needs to do to build that strategy. Where has this book been for the last fifty years?’

Jonathan Derry-Evans, Partner, Manfield Capital Partners

‘It will be an enormous help to busy managers who are developing a business strategy for the first time, or trying to improve on previous attempts. This is another Evans book to be kept to hand on the desktop, not to be shelved!’

Grahame Hughes, Founding Director, Haven Power Ltd

‘If you are a small business or start up, this is an excellent guide to help you get your strategy right. Business strategy is all too often discussed in the context of big business. Vaughan Evans, on the other hand, makes it relevant to SMEs, demonstrating not only why but

how to develop the right strategy to succeed.’

Anthony Karibian, CEO, bOnline Ltd. and serial entrepreneur

 ‘This is a really good and practical guide – clear, insightful, straightforward and practical. It is a must-have guide for anyone setting out to build or grow a business. If strategy can be likened to charting a wise and successful course though challenging waters, then Evans proves

once again that he is a master mariner.’

James Courtenay, Global Head, Advisory and Infrastructure Finance, Standard Chartered Bank

 ‘Vaughan Evans is doing himself and his ilk out of the day job. With this easy-to-follow manual on how to develop a winning strategy, managers and investors won’t need to engage pricey strategy consultants any more. Thanks!’

Ken Lawrence, Partner, Gresham Private Equity

‘A seminal business strategy manual, as invaluable to the entrepreneur, manager or business advisor as to the student of strategic planning.’

James Pitt, Partner, Lexington Advisors UK Limited

Vaughan Evans is an independent strategy consultant with a background in industry economics. He worked at management and technology consultants Arthur D. Little and at investment bank Bankers Trust. Vaughan graduated from Cambridge and has a Sloan Fellowship with distinction from London Business School. He is the author of four previous books, including the best-selling  Financial Times Essential Guide to Writing a Business Plan.

'Vaughan Evans not only demystifies strategy, he provides a useful and enjoyable step-by-step guide to constructing effective business strategies.' Jeff van der Eems, Chief Operating Officer, United Biscuits 'A wonderfully practical and highly readable guide to strategy development.' Marcus Alexander, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, London Business School 'This is an uncomplicated DIY strategy manual for the SME manager. It works perfectly.' David Williamson, Managing Director, Nova Capital Management YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO BUSINESS STRATEGY Whether you're an entrepreneur or a manager, The Financial Times Essential Guide to Developing a Business Strategy gives you the tools you need to build a powerful strategy and take your business to the next level. By using its simple framework, you can achieve success without having to rely on external advisors or consultants. The innovative nine-step strategy process will help you turn your business goals into reality, whilst the lively anecdotes provide illuminating examples of strategy in action. Follow this guidance to create a roadmap for enduring business success. This book complements and is a companion to the best-selling FT Essential Guide to Writing a Business Plan. FINANCIAL TIMES ESSENTIAL GUIDES : THE KNOW-HOW YOU NEED TO GET THE RESULTS YOU WANT "This is the most succinct and most practical handbook on business strategy on the market." Jules Goddard, Fellow, London Business School and co-author of Uncommon Sense, Common Nonsense.

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

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