Arsen J. Darnay – Encyclopedia of Small Business

Автор: Arsen J. Darnay
Название книги: Encyclopedia of Small Business
Формат: PDF
Страницы: 1230
Жанр: Бизнес
Качество: Изначально компьютерное, E-book

INTRODUCTION
Amidst the triumphs, turmoils, mergers, acquisitions, and lately the dramatic scandals and
collapses of Big Business in America during the early years of the 21st century, small
business just keeps on going and going. Thus, the third edition of Encyclopedia of Small
Business has been prepared for and is dedicated to the largely silent majority of companies
that, together, weave the extremely varied multi-colored fabric of American commercial life.
Of the nation’s roughly 5.8 million firms with employees, well over 95 percent are classified
as small, whether using the official measures published by the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) or a simpler metric under which all firms employing fewer than
100 people qualify. To these small companies with employees must be added America’s
‘‘micros,’’ nearly 19 million businesses that do not have hired help and represent countless
individuals and couples in business for themselves—a rapidly growing segment of the
business population. Small business is small, but it is everywhere. It is innovative, adaptive,
quick on its feet—and, according to the SBA—it creates three out of every four new jobs.
Given the vast extent, productivity, ubiquitous presence, and deep integration of this
element of commerce in American life, it is appropriate to adapt a phrase from
Hollywood and say: ‘‘There is no business like small business.’’
Encyclopedia of Small Business is itself a relative newcomer, no longer a start-up, to be
sure, but still energetically changing and growing. The third edition, like the second,
features new entries and reflects the rapidly changing environment by intensive updating
of its contents. Since the second edition the U.S. has experienced the traumatic events of
9/11, descended into a brief recession in the wake of the terrorist attacks, has seen budget
surpluses turn into budget deficits, has seen gas prices spike, has witnessed the bursting of
the dot-com boom but has also seen the resilient recovery of electronic commerce—has,
indeed, seen many changes in public perception, government policy, securities legislation,
economic structures, and in technology. EOSB-3 reflects all these changes. Virtually every
entry has had to be revised, many rather extensively, to mirror accurately a dynamically
changing economic environment.
EOSB-3, like earlier editions, is intended as a resource for the small business owner, for
the would-be entrepreneur, and for students of business generally. It deals extensively with
most aspects of business activity, from human resources on up to organizational issues;
production and productivity; financial activities from accounting details on up to stock
trading; purchasing, sales and marketing; accounting and measurement issues including
various forms of valuation and assessment; and also with legal forms and regulatory
requirements. It deals with starting, buying, and selling businesses—as well as taking them
public or buying them back from the public. EOSB also attempts to cover major issues that
shape the business environment, like globalization, or shape the company, like business
ethics. Not least, EOSB also covers emerging and fading management fads and attempts to
highlight the lasting virtues as well as the more ephemeral aspects of these attempts at
improving sales, profits, quality, services, etc. In most cases, however, the point of view
reflected is that of the small business owner. All events in all companies have the same
fundamental character. But the same issue confronting a small business will very often play
out differently than it will in huge organizations where often choirs upon choirs of
committees must have their say.
EOSB-3 has 605 entries of which eight are new. These are Business to Business,
Business to Consumer (both reflecting trends in electronic commerce), Board of Directors,
Code of Ethics, Entrepreneurial Networks, Global Businesses, Sarbanes-Oxley (radical new
securities legislation), and Small Business. Yes, somewhat surprisingly, perhaps, EOSB has
delayed until its third edition to tackle the subject of actual definition: What exactly is
small business? The reader who wonders why it took so long needs only to read the entry
to realize that it took real courage to tackle the subject!
Many of the other existing entries have also been rewritten from the ground up on the
basis of new research that has suggested—or new events that have necessitated—a fresh
look. Users of EOSB who like to follow a subject closely might wish to look up and read
again entries that have helped them in the past. All other entries have been carefully
reviewed and updated in light of regulatory, market, legislative, technological, or global
changes.
USER’S GUIDE
The essays in EOSB-3 are presented alphabetically by topic in two volumes, with
Volume 1 covering essays beginning with A-I and Volume 2 containing essays J-Z. In
the very nature of things, some topics are covered in more than one entry depending
on context. An example is the broad subject of Internet-based commercial activities.
Some cross-referencing is provided at the bottom of entries under the See Also
heading. A look at the index will provide references to other essays in which the
topic may be covered in part or touched upon. Each entry is also followed by a
Further Reading section in which the reader can identify books, periodicals, and
government or other Web sites from or on which additional information may be
obtained.
EOSB-3 features a Master Index at the back of Volume 2. The index contains
alphabetical references to important terms in accounting, finance, human resources,
marketing, operations management, organizational development, and other areas of interest
to small business owners; names of institutions, organizations, associations, government
agencies, and relevant legislation; and ‘‘see also’’ references. Each index term is followed by
volume and page numbers, which easily direct the user to main topics as well as to all
secondary reference terms as mentioned above.
EOSB-3 works equally well as a reference work—to look up some category on
which more information is needed, e.g., Discounted Cash Flow—or as a book used
for browsing and as a source of general information on trends or practices, the reader
sampling an essay and being moved, perhaps, to read another that comes up in the
context of the first. However used, it is the editors’ hope that EOSB will have
served the reader well in presenting the subjects and in provoking thought and—best
of all—profitable action.