ESCP Europe

This book explains how to conceive, develop, finance, and operate a business, and how particular elements, such as business plans and financial forecasts, function in the real world. The case studies cover a broad variety of service and product industries : retail, wholesale, mail order, and Internet. It examines the trials and rewards of starting a travel agency, launching a new glass-cleaning product, setting up a fashion Web site, and selling women's hosiery through direct mail. Other studies cover ventures in the computer industry, the restaurant business, automobile service franchising, and business consulting. Each case study is illustrated with exhibits (financial statements, business plans, sample contracts, and more) and many are supplemented with end-of-chapter questions that analyze the viability of each entrepreneurial venture and test ability to respond to the challenges of the entrepreneurial dreams.