A step-by-step guide to researching, creating, writing and presenting a successful business plan.

One day to bookkeeping success. Since many small businesses leave the all-important job of bookkeeping to someone on the staff with no training, there is a demand for this easy, authoritative how-to on the subject. Readers will find principles and procedures adapted to suit the needs of various types of business operations-from retail to entertainment to financial institutions.

Learn UML, the Unified Modeling Language, to create diagrams describing the various aspects and uses of your application before you start coding, to ensure that you have everything covered. Millions of programmers in all languages have found UML to be an invaluable asset to their craft. More than 50,000 previous readers have learned UML with Sams Teach Yourself UML in 24 Hours. Expert author Joe Schmuller takes you through 24 step-by-step lessons designed to ensure your understanding of UML diagrams and syntax. This updated edition includes the new features of UML 2.0 designed to make UML an even better modeling tool for modern object-oriented and component-based programming. The CD-ROM includes an electronic version of the book, and Poseidon for UML, Community Edition 2.2, a popular UML modeling tool you can use with the lessons in this book to create UML diagrams immediately.

Readers have turned to The Complete Book of Business Plans for almost 10 years for advice and information, making it one of the bestselling business planning books of our time. Authors Brian Hazelgren and Joseph Covello have gone back to the drawing board on this updated edition, providing you with more than a dozen brand-new business plans that will help you attract the financing and investment you need. The Complete Book of Business Plans also includes revised and updated information on how to get started, what questions to ask and how to finalize a business plan that will get you off the ground and running. For business owners just starting out or seasoned veterans that want to bring their business to the next level, The Complete Book of Business Plans is the only reference they need to get the funding they're looking for.

Businesses involved in preparing a business plan need guidance on what to present, and how to present it. This book is primarily aimed at new businesses and the self-employed, but it will also be useful to any business that has to raise a financial case during the course of their trading. Straightforward advice is given about what to consider and include in the plan, and how to present it. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of business planning. THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.