Book excerpt: Now in its 5th edition this comprehensive, practically focused and highly accessible text explores the contexts, choices and strategies facing the small business venture, including extensive coverage of planning a new venture. Pedagogical features developed in response to market feedback include running case material to explore the same case situation from a number of different but interrelated angles, annotated further reading, new chapter-end real world case studies, learning objectives and linked chapter summaries – providing a student- and lecturer-friendly learning environment.Students on modules such as Personal Development and Effectiveness, Study Skills, Management Skills, Business Skills, Business Communication, Business Awareness, Managing Oneself and Others at – for example – BABS/BABA, HND/HNC, DMS, MBA levels will all find this a hugely valuable text through study and working life.