Customer Reviews

The Handbook of Financing Growth: Strategies, Capital Structure, and M&A Transactions (Wiley Finance)

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As a CEO I usually don't have the time or inclination for doing reviews on books, but I found the Handbook of Financing Growth to be a "must read" for any Business Owner looking for money to grow their business. The book is written in a very readable format and gives a good educational insight on the different types of financing that can be put in place to help grow your business. I have read the first edition twice, given two copies to other CEO's and have had two of my Presidents read it as well. Excellent read and one of the 5 Books on my CEO must read list!

If you are a business owner or senior executive in a growing company, this book will be invaluable to you in your efforts to finance the growth of your company. At some point, virtually all companies will need to find money to finance growth. This book covers more than 20 financing methods and offers contact information on hundreds of sources of capital. It details everything a company should expect in planning for and raising needed funds. It offers 20 case studies to demonstrate how money is raised, so that the reader can get a complete understanding of why certain kinds of financing are more appropriate than others in certain situations. This book discusses capital strucure, the relationships of debt to equity, and how this relationship affects your business.

Whether you want to grow your company, lower your risk, create liquidity, prepare for a purchase or sale, grow through acquisition, or raise capital for some other reason, this book will show you how the money world works and guide you through it.

I highly recommend to the "Handbook for Financing Growth." As an owner of a growth company - but not a natural finance geek - I found the book tremendously helpful and exactly what I needed. My firm is blessed with good advisors, but I felt it could take decades for me develop the personal knowledge to judge a finance deal with any degree of confidence, or years to simply speak the language of finance. While HFG is not going to allow me let the lawyers go and kiss the i-bankers goodbye, it will allow me to judge their advice against the standards, protocols and norms described in the book, and talk the game with significantly more confidence. Consider the book a private crib sheet to prepare for and follow-up with the professional dealmakers. It's certainly a lot cheaper than bringing in another suit!

"For those interested in Financial Markets... this should be a Bible... M&A Advisors... check it out now!"

I was amazed about how important and deep were the analysis presente by Kenneth Marks in this book, being such a "pleasure reading". Technical books are used to be heavy reading, not this one!

Have fun and have it done! Worth your time.

I bought this book on recommendation from a friend.

The Handbook of Financing Growth is a rare treasure -- extensive information, clear language, and efficient prose. It's been a perfect introduction to the small business finance landscape.

Highly recommended for anyone looking to become knowledgeable about the sector.

I've been a long-time follower of Kenneth Marks and a big fan of this book. I noticed that it recently won the prestigious Axiom Business Book award in the Business Reference category: [...]

Kenneth Marks and his team did it again. His 2005 Handbook on company financing and M&A strategies served me well as a tool written for both the experienced and those looking to understand what to consider when contemplating a company's move to the next level. After reading Kenneth's 2d Edition it exceeded my standard for a practical, concise and straight talking business resource on company financing, growth and business strategies. Most of the managers and entrepreneurs I've worked with lack a rounded understanding of business strategy and financing. So I've passed on this easy read to company leaders unsure of a path forward to give us a common basis for dialog based on the Handbook's clear presentation of options and principles founded on solid research and experience. This is the best resource I've found for small to medium companies and their management team, no matter what their experience level with business growth strategy development and execution. I highly recommend this book and like me, Kenneth Marks' "Handbook for Financing Growth" will be the go-to-first resource for you, your clients, your business partners, or your students.

Kenneth Marks and his co-authors have created a book which literally defines how books about finance should be written. It is one of the most complete and informative books available on the financing of business.

Written for ordinary business people and students as well as seasoned CFO's, this book provides a broad overview of the multi-layered world of finance. It assimilates in highly readable language all the various avenues for capital acquisition available to small and middle market companies. As a bonus, it includes an extensive directory of sources of finance, providing a practical reference for those seeking funding of almost any variety. Rarely has a book been produced that is so thoroughly researched and accessibly written as this.

As a thirty five year veteran of the asset-based lending industry, I can comfortably assert that the section on my industry is right on point. So, in my opinion, are the other areas of finance covered in the book. The reader can easily access the particular field he or she is interested in, or can peruse the whole to obtain a thorough knowledge of the financing options available to the entrepreneurial company, as well as the growing established one.

Having previewed the book and written a cover blurb for it, I had a chance early on to gauge the quality of the work therein. I can assure the reader that they will not be disappointed. A remarkable book.

In my work as a Vistage International Chair, and in my private consulting, I often need some ideas about all the issues that Ken Marks et al discuss in this book. I have been using it rather as a reference book to help me best advise my clients on possible options. It seems exhaustive in the areas of how to grow your business and how to best finance it, and it is in plain english, not jargon.

Kenneth Marks and his co-authors have written an excellent overview of the process of financing growth in privately-held companies. A "handbook" in the true sense of the word, it is elegantly written in a no-nonsense style and with a carefully thought-out structure. The complementary appendices with glossary, overview of financial theory and directory of financing sources are a valuable addition to this comprehensive and practical guide.
- James G. Greer, principal at Garrison Consulting (Germany)