Your hands-on introduction to modern business and business education Whether you're deciding on a course of study, headed to university, or settling down to your first year, Business Studies For Dummies provides you with a thorough overview of the subjects that form the foundation of a business studies degree.

Introduction 1 Part I: What Is Business? 5 Chapter 1: Understanding Business and Business Studies 7 Chapter 2: Identifying the Internal and External Influences on Business 21 Chapter 3: Using Business Analyses 37 Chapter 4: Making Decisions 61 Part II: How Business Works 75 Chapter 5: Structuring and Evolving Organisations 77 Chapter 6: Meeting Stakeholder Demands 91 Chapter 7: Organising for Success 103 Part III: How to Be a Business and Do Business 119 Chapter 8: Understanding Business Strategy 121 Chapter 9: Creating Great Products and Services 137 Chapter 10: Marketing Your Products or Services 151 Part IV: Money, Money, Money 171 Chapter 11: Understanding Finance 173 Chapter 12: Structuring Accounts 193 Chapter 13: Investing in the Present and in the Future 211 Chapter 14: Using Numbers in Business 231 Part V: The Awkward Bit: The People! 245 Chapter 15: Knowing People 247 Chapter 16: Managing Human Resources 269 Chapter 17: Handling Employee Relations 289 Part VI: Putting It All Together 307 Chapter 18: Examining Operations 309 Chapter 19: Delivering Great Projects 327 Chapter 20: Using Technology to Your Best Advantage 341 Part VII: The Part of Tens 357 Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Succeeding at Business School 359 Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Put Your Knowledge to Work Outside the Classroom 367 Index 375

Learn about: Organisational structures and stakeholdersAccounting and finance, marketing and publicityHuman resources, management and leadershipThe role of technology in businesses today Stay a step ahead of the competition – at university and on the job Whether you're trying to decide if business is the best course of study for you, you're settling into your first year at university or you want to fill in the gaps of a business education on your own, this is the book for you. Written by an expert in the field, it supplies you with a solid foundation in all of the subjects covered in a typical business studies programme – from business start-ups to analytics, human resources to finance and accounting and more. See how companies are organised – learn about different types of organisational structures and how teams, departments and divisions function separately and how they interact Get a handle on operations – get the lowdown on business operations and the demands that production and service delivery place on companies Sort out strategy – discover the central role strategy plays in business and why it's important to have a core strategic position to guide every aspect of ongoing business development Know why marketing matters – find out why marketing is so crucial to success and the role it plays in everything from product development to customer engagement Make sense of business finance – get up to speed on the numbers side of business, from accounting to leverage, financial reporting to calculating ROI Factor in the human element – learn how to get the best from people in business by exploring business culture, leadership, employee recruitment and motivation Open the book and find: A bird's-eye view of different types of business organisationsHow great products and services are createdTraditional and up-to-the-minute marketing strategies and toolsInsights into the behavioural issues that can make or break a businessAn explanation of the critical role technology plays in businessPriceless tips on how to succeed in business schoolActivities for broadening your knowledge and understanding