Effective business planning will help you to assess where your business is now, where it is going to go in the future and how it is going to get there. Our selection of books, articles, links and guides can help you identify strategies, techniques and best practice for building and growing your business.
Online books, guides and publications
eBooks
The library provides full text access to a selection of key business and reference eBooks from leading publishers.
The growing business handbook: Inspiration and advice from successful entrepreneurs and fast growing UK companies
Jolly, Adam (10th ed. Kogan Page, 2008)
"Drawing on a wide range of professional expertise and commercial experience, this book gives a comprehensive insight into techniques and solutions for maximising growth and controlling risks". The book is designed as a practical guide for entrepreneurs and managers.
Good small business guide: How to start and grow your own business
Belbin, Meredith (2nd ed. A & C Black, 2005)
This book is "aimed at anyone thinking of starting or growing a business in the United Kingdom". It provides practical help on a range of topics, including growing your business, with an easy-to-read action list per topic, answers to frequently asked questions and tips on how to avoid common mistakes.
You will need to be logged-in to the website to read these eBooks.
Briefings
Directors' Briefings and Start-Up Briefings are four-page guides written for the busy practitioner, director and entrepreneur providing concise, practical advice on core business issues.
Checklists
The How to do it guides from BHP Information Solutions are a collection of checklists providing a step by step approach to key business issues.
Disclaimer: These publications from BHP Information Solutions Limited are for general guidance only, for businesses in the United Kingdom governed by the laws of England. BHP Information Solutions Limited, expert contributors and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (as distributor) disclaim all liability for any errors or omissions.
Online articles
The library provides access to a range of articles in full text from leading business, finance and management journals.
You will need to be logged-in to the website to gain full access to the range of articles available online.
Small Business Update
A selection of articles aimed at small businesses from Small Business Update magazine:
Useful links
Information and guidance
Grow your business
This section of the Business Link website provides information and resources on planning for growth and strategies for growing your business.
Assess your business' performance
This interactive tool from Business Link is designed to help business owners "analyse key areas of your business' operations with the aim of improving performance. The tool can help you work out how to overcome financial or operational problems that your business may be facing. It also explains how you might prepare your business for future growth."
The British Library: Business planning
The British Library's Business & Intellectual Property (IP) Centre incorporates services and information on business planning, including a wide range of essential information to help you plan and grow your own business.
BT Business Insight: Growing your business
Useful advice on strategies to grow and expand your business from BT Business Insight which provides information on a wide range of business issues.
Growth Business
Website from Vitesse Media which provides practical information, resources and inspiration for "established businesses which are achieving rapid expansion, helping them overcome obstacles to their growth and maximise their potential". The growth strategies section covers issues of interest for the growing business including leadership & management, business expansion, human resources and technology.
Small business organisations in UK
Federation of Small Businesses
The "UK's largest campaigning pressure group promoting and protecting the interests of the self-employed and owners of small firms". The FSB publishes the annual Voice of Small Business Survey in cooperation with ICM Research which "seeks the small business perspective on key issues from the economy to employment". The FSB and CEBR also publish the quarterly Voice of Small Business Index which provides "a macro-economic picture of the UK economy from the point of view of the small business owner". The index looks at employment, revenues and the confidence of small firms and provides information on regional businesses with a breakdown by sector across the UK.
Forum of Private Business
Not-for-profit membership organisation which provides guidance and support for SMEs and aims to "represent small businesses views and be their voice in government".
British Chambers of Commerce
The website of the network of Chambers of Commerce across the UK provides information on their activities and a tool to find your local Chamber of Commerce.
Articles and books in the Library collection
To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to book loans.
You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports by post, fax or email through our document delivery service.
Can't find what you're looking for?
If you have any difficulty in finding the material you are looking for please contact the enquiry team by phone on +44 (0)20 7920 8620, by fax on +44 (0)20 7920 8621 or by email at library@icaew.com.
The ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.