Product Description
The basic premise of this book is that health care non-financial managers need to understand enough about financial management to be successful in their day-to-day activities while not being smothered with details. Ward provides managers with a basic level of financial management principles, including understanding financial statements and ratios, preparing an operating budget, and using financial analysis to help with decision making. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

for school only
The book is an easy read but if you are interested in Hospital Adminstration I would not it recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
A complete and balanced reference, Public Budgeting Systems, Eighth Edition surveys the current state of budgeting throughout all levels of the United States government. The text emphasizes methods by which financial decisions are reached within a system as well as ways in which different types of information are used in budgetary decision-making. It also stresses the use of program information, since, for decades, budget reforms have sought to introduce greater program considerations into financial decisions. This updated text includes:More cases studies and practical informationFigures and charts to make the information more accessible PowerPoint slides for professorsUsing this text, students will gain a first-rate understanding of methods by which financial decisions are reached within a system, and how different types of information are used in budgetary decision-making. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Bad size and shape, won't stay open.
The content of the book is fine.Mission accomplished.The thing that is driving me nuts is the size and shape of this book is just silly.It is a small, thick hardcover, and it won't stay open on the desk.How am I supposed to make notes or type if I have to hold the book open with both hands?

When I am typing I use a rock to hold the book open, but even this is a balancing act.It's frustrating.I hope the publisher makes the next edition of this book wider with fewer pages so it will stay open.

Arrived on time and in great condition!
The book arrived on time and in great condition! I was very pleased with the purchase and price.

Better than described
The book was listed in good condition, however, there were no signs of use at all - no highlighting, tears, bends - anything. Shipping was a bit scary at first because I didn't think it would arrive in time, but it did. Very satisfied with the purchase.

Public Budgeting Book
Public Budgeting Systems Great source of information; step-by-step resource on designing public budget systems.

Excellent Book for insight into the process of Budgeting
A step by step process of how a budget is really established. And hardly reduced. You'll be surprised at how this system works. And have all of your questions answered as to why certain policies in government can never change. A must read for anyone going into business management and politics. ... Read more

Product Description
Now translated into 11 languages! This reader-friendly, icon-rich series is must reading for all managers at every level

All managers, whether brand new to their positions or well established in the corporate heirarchy, can use a little "brushing up" now and then. The skills-based Briefcase Books series is filled with ideas and strategies to help managers become more capable, efficient, effective, and valuable to their corporations.

Managers in all types of organizations and environments must be able to prepare, or at least understand, a realistic and results-oriented budget. Budgeting for Managers­­rich in practical techniques and examples­­walks the reader through the entire budgeting process, from basic financial concepts and their use in creating a budget to methods for tracking actual spending. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good value for money!
This briefcase book provides a concise review of how to create, negotiate, present and track a budget. In particular, the 'smart managing' tips are practical and useful for producing budget. As a computer professional, I find the stuff helpful for project management.

Very helpful budgeting tool.
I'm amazed at the amount of useful information in this book. Using this text I was able to develop a working budget for my department and the budget for two small projects. This is a very good text for managers of small departments. It provides usable information and it concise. ... Read more

Product Description
The annual budgeting process is a trap. Pressured by fixed targets and performance incentives, managers focus on making the numbers instead of making a difference, meeting set goals instead of maximizing potential. With their compensation at stake, managers often resort to deceitful-even unethical-behavior. In the end, everybody loses-the employee, the company, and ultimately the customer.

Now, finance experts Jeremy Hope and Robin Fraser reveal the results of an intensive study aimed at fixing the broken budgeting process. They argue that companies must abandon traditional budgeting contracts in favor of a radical new model that links performance measurement to evolving competitive benchmarks-and shifts the firm's focus from controlling employee behavior to delivering customer value.

The Beyond Budgeting model is built on the best practices of companies that have successfully revised their centralized planning and budgeting processes. It combines a leadership vision that devolves more authority to operating managers and a finance vision that enables fast decision making through appropriate tools and accessible information. Through vivid examples, Hope and Fraser illustrate how companies can implement these shared visions-and the long-term benefits that accrue from embracing them.

Offering a compelling case for breaking free from the budgeting trap, this book paves the way toward making organizations better places to work for, invest in, and do business with.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

No more budgets

"Beyond Budgetting" describes a new way of managing your organization and its performance, a way without having budgets. Not having budgets does not mean chaos, it does not mean no control or visibility, it means using different organizational structures to manage the performance and resource distribution within your organization.

The book consists of four parts. The first part describes budgeting and the problems that are inherent to the budgeting process. It introduces an alternative based on what several companies have done, with the prime example being the Swedish Handelbanken. It splits the beyond budgeting concept it two adaptive process for managing performance and radical decentralization. These are covered in the next two parts.

The second and third part describe the two legs of beyond budgeting. The structure of the chapters is similar. The first chapter describes three cases of organizations that implemented these and similar concepts. The second chapter covers the principles while the last chapter in each part covers hints for implementation.

The adaptive process for managing performance suggests to set relative targets, decouple rewards from target setting, provide resources on request, and provide up to date and transparent information to everyone within the organization. Radical decentralization is build on top of this and recommends to empower people close to customers to make the decisions, work within teams and create an open and transparent information system that supports these people to make local decisions.

The last part of the book contains two chapters. The first one describes tools (and could have been left out from my perspective, didn't added much to the rest of the book). The second chapter described an overall vision for management in the 21th century and how Beyond Budgeting fits in that.

I liked the book, it challenges a whole lot of management assumptions and demonstrates an alternative not based on speculation but based on real cases. My only objection to the book was exactly that. Beyond budgeting is created based on what a couple of real companies do... but these companies all did slightly different things at different degrees. This variance makes the book sometimes hard to read as it makes it hard to fix the concept "beyond budgeting." Perhaps this was the authors intention... though from the readers perspective it would probably be easier to first describe the concepts and then move to case studies and show how different companies implemented the beyond budgeting concepts. Because of this, I considered a 3 star review... but as this book really provides a new concept, I feel that wouldn't be fair. So, four stars and a definitive recommendation for people who are tired of budgeting hell (aren't we all?) and like to know if there is an alternative. There is... it is called: Beyond budgeting!

Out of the box thinking!
Beyond Budgeting gives you many ideas on how to modify your business model as far as the financial module is concerned. A must for all companies that feel they have to move to more liberal and progresive mangement style.

Accepted ideas are no longer competent and competent ideas are not yet acceptable
This book and its associated Harvard Business Review articles (by Hope and Fraser) from 2003 has not attracted the attention it deserves.

When this was written it was seen as the antidote to the endless budgeting cycle based on the 'prediction' fallacy and the ensuing corporate gaming they create.

All of us have said at one time or another this process (budgeting negotiation etc.) is a joke, but we all continue to play our part in maintaining the joke, playing the game, fighting for survival in a world created by the madness of the corporate budgeting processes.

Hope and Fraser have clearly demonstrated that the current process is not only wasteful in terms of human effort but downright detrimental the the enterprise, employees and customers. They go further and show us all a way out of the trap.

There is an alternative, but it needs study and it needs more companies other than the ones illustrated in the book to lead the way. Only then can we change the current paradigm where 'Accepted ideas are no longer competent and competent ideas are not yet acceptable'

Must read for corporate managers
It's time to review some standard practices in all corporations. Most haven't come out of industrial age views on how to manage and run organizations. Today's risk and opportunity environment needs some fresh thoughts and views on how to solve common problems and improve standard processes. This book takes a new approach on one of the most damaging and least critized processes - read it.

How to avoid or escape from "the annual performance trap"

Given what Hope and Fraser perceive to be an obsolete core management model driven by the annual budgeting process, they offer an alternative to that model. It is based on "the decision-making needs of front-line managers [as well as] a coherent set of alternative processes that support relative targets and rewards, continuous planning, resources on demand, dynamic cross-company coordination, and a rich array of multilevel controls." In Part I, they explain how to break free from the annual "performance trap" and how this trap is sprung whenever managers are pressured to meet fixed targets by fixed dates. They provide an overview of two opportunities to think and act "beyond budgeting." In Part II, they examine the first opportunity and explain how a number of organizations have used beyond budgeting principles to implement more adaptive processes. Then in Part III, they examine the second opportunity and explain how and why abandoning the traditional (and ineffective) budgeting process can help to achieve what they characterize as "radical decentralization." In the last Part, Hope and Fraser examine how and why the adaptive and decentralized organization (as opposed to one with a traditional budgeting process) "meets the vision of business leaders in the 21st century."

Of special interest to me is what Hope and Fraser have to say about the differences between the fixed performance contract (FPC) and the relative improvement contract (RIC). For example, here are two of the six cited:

In terms of targets,

FPC: "Your [sales/profit] target is fixed at [$]"

RIC: "We trust you to maximize your profit potential to continuously improve against the agreed-upon benchmarked KPIs [key performance indicators] and to remain in the top [quartile] of your peer group."

In terms of resources,

FPC: "The agreed resources to support the capital and operating budgets are set out in the attached budget statements."

RIC: "You trust us to provide the resources you need when you need them. We trust you to keep within agreed KPI boundaries."

Note the references to "trust." Hope and Fraser insist (and I wholly agree) that there must be mutual trust between and among everyone involved when making a commitment to beyond budgeting principles. It is important to emphasize that Hope and Fraser did not write this book solely for CFOs. On the contrary, what they propose requires that all senior-level executives in a given organization understand and actively support the beyond budgeting principles. Although CFOs and heads of HR have responsibility for the implementation of strategy, more often than not, they are not centrally involved in the formulation of strategy. That is a serious mistake. Beyond budgeting initiatives will succeed only if a CFO can be trusted to make prudent and effective use of resources provided, and only if she or he trusts the given organization to make sufficient provision of them.

Otherwise.... ... Read more

Product Description
This unique budgetary survival guide will enhance your instructional, technical, and managerial skills not only as the school’s leader but also as the school’s visionary, planning coordinator, and budgeting manager. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent Purchase
I was able to get this book promptly.The packaging kept the book protected.Because I brought it new, it was in perfect condition.I am very happy with the book.The price was almost $10 cheaper than the Cal State East Bay bookstore.It was an excellent purchase.

TheQueen
This book is for anyone who is considering a career as a school administrator.It is phenomenal!

School Budgeting Made Easy!
This is a well written book that makes it much easier to understand the budgeting process. It captivates your interest with well-written vignettes about important budgeting issues. I was fortunate to not only use this book in class but also have the primary writer as my instructor. I didn't think it was possible to make school budgeting interesting or fun but the writer and the book made it happen! I wish all of my texts could be so interesting. Fantastic text! Happy Student. :)

Budgeting
Very helpful in understanding the ins and outs of school business.I am using this for a college class on school budgeting obvious.

School Budgeting
Wrong book with similar title was initially sent, but seller responded quickly to e-mail and sent correct item.Also covered cost of me returning wrong book--Very pleased. ... Read more

Product Description
The most comprehensive and accurate treatment of the public budgeting process on the market, this book offers a thorough treatment of the entire subject, with an emphasis on state budgets. Public Budgeting in America, 5/E is user-friendly, with a no-nonsense approach that offers readers a solid theoretical treatment of key constructs that underlie public budgeting in America.It includes case scenarios, practical examples, and instructional exhibits of working budget documents and analysis, as well as supporting data to demonstrate key concepts. Topics include: budget formats and preparation; modern budgeting; budget behavior; applied analysis; processing; operating budgets and accounting; capital budgeting and debt administration; revenue systems; and internal service functions.For individuals employed in the fields of public budgeting, financial management, and public finance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

snoozefest
budgeting is a bore and this book does not help, I mean it serves its purpose and provides some decent information, it is just a bit lengthy and everything is kind of crammed together.

Waste of Time
I bought the book because amazon knowingly advertised it as a hard cover when it was a paperback. I returned it five weeks ago and I have not received my refund. Meanwhile my credit card company is charging me interest on the purchase. Very bad experience.

Required Reading
This is a pretty dense read, but has a lot of useful information. I wouldn't read this for pleasure -- as a textbook, it's a little more dense and dry than I'd prefer. However, it's relatively easy to read and has a ton of information. Supplement with the NASBO manual.

Fits the bill
As required reading for the University of Richmond Public Budgeting and Finance course, Spring 2006, this small book is one that I will probably use for reference material even after the class.
The cover and binding is a classy,dark hunter green, the printing easy to read, and the subject matter is one everyone who pay taxes should read at least once. ... Read more

Product Description
If the very thought of budgets pushes your sanity over the limit, then this practical, easy-to-use guide is just what you need. Budgeting Basics and Beyond, Third Edition equips you with an all-in-one resource guaranteed to make the budgeting process easier, less stressful, and more effective. Written by Jae Shim and Joel Siegel, the new edition covers Balanced Scorecard, budgeting for nonprofit organizations, business simulations for executive and management training, and much more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Budgeting Basics & Beyond (Third Edition): Overall Disappointment
Jae Shim and Joel Siegel introduce their audience to the budgeting process in both the profit and non-profit sectors.Unfortunately, the authors fail to deliver on the expectations that this book generates for several reasons.First, and most importantly, the third edition of "Budgeting Basics & Beyond" contains a number of mathematical errors or missing numbers.Think for example about the second table of example 1 (p. 254), exhibit 17.5 (p. 263), and exhibit 20.5 (p. 316).Secondly, the book under review also contains errors in the legend of a number of exhibits and typos in text formulas.Think for example about exhibit 1.3 (p. 15), the bottom of schedule 1 (p. 79), and the definition of profit variance analysis for multiple products (pp. 138-139).All these errors confirm ironically what Shim and Siegel quote on p. 264: `Between 78 and 97 per cent of spreadsheets contain "serious material errors" with a potential to devastate the bottom line.'Thirdly, the book contains too many "skeleton" templates with little content or no content that add value to this manual.Think for example about the templates which are reproduced on pp. 205-223 in chapter 13.Fourthly, the third edition of "Budgeting Basics & Beyond" does not make extensive use of Excel screenshots to clarify a number of concepts.Think for example about the income approach to valuation, more specifically the discounted cash flow (DCF) method (pp. 297-302).To summarize, the book under review should be redone and proofread thoroughly before being put on sale anywhere. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by Bjarte Bogsnes, Beyond Budgeting pioneer, Implementing Beyond Budgeting reveals best practices from actual cases where the author headed up implementation of Beyond Budgeting in large global companies. Beginning with a Foreword by Robert Kaplan, cofounder of the Balanced Scorecard, this book reveals how your organization can maximize a performance climate with teams committed to a common purpose, shared rewards, and sustained value creation. This innovative book lucidly presents how every organization can release the ambition and energy of its people who were previously slaves to the budgeting process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book from the most experiences expert in Beyond Budgeting
I'm really happy to see that Bjarte Bogsnes has found the time to share his experiences with all of us interesting in innovative uses of management control systems. Bjarte has been in charge of implementing Beyond Budgeting (BB) in both Borealis and Statoilhydro - and he is probably the one with the most comprehesive experiences of bringing the Beyond Budgeting pricinples to work.

Actually the book is about totally abandoning budgets. That's the key principle in BB. But it's mandatory reading for anyone working with improving or reforming budgeting models. It may sounds like an impossible mission to give up budgeting. But it all depends on what you put instead.So, if you don't think you can live without a budget you need to realise how a combinaton of balanced scorecard, activity based costing, forecasting, benchmarking etc. can be designed to be an alternative to budgeting.

Even though you don't give up budgeting, it can still be improved. And "Implementing Beyond Budgeting" has lots of ideas here.

... Read more

Product Description
From reading financial statements to mastering budget forecasts to measuring human capital, this book explains everything readers need to know to make wise financial decisions for the HR department and the organization.

Today's HR professionals work side by side with senior executives to devise a strategy for their organizations and to marshal the talent and resources to implement it. That means going beyond the traditional HR domain and mastering the fundamentals of all aspects of business and management. The Business Literacy for HR Professionals series, developed in conjunction with the Society for Human Resource Management, is designed to help HR professionals do exactly that. Covering essential areas such as negotiation, decision making, change management, finance, and more, these highly practical books will help HR professionals in their goal to be true strategic partners who bring additional bottom line value to their organizations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

shipped when promised as promised
the book came during the time frame promised in very good condition and for REALLY cheap. would definitely purchase from this seller again.

Financial know-how for the HR professional
This is a good primer for non-finance professionals covering all the essentials of Finance and Budgeting. The book is co-published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and is part of a series of books called "Business Literacy for HR Professionals." Accordingly, there are several chapters written exclusively for HR professionals such as the chapter on measuring human capital and the chapter on the balanced scorecard.

What I liked about this title is its use of recurring examples that are explored in greater depths as the book progresses; this created a sense of continuity for me and I was able to link the different concepts and ideas effectively despite the 'dryness' of the topic. The only reason this book does not warrant a 5-star for me is two-fold: The order of the topics didn't really make sense and the book is extremely plain. I am a visual person and better graphics and colors would have helped me focus and maintain attention.

As an HR professional, I found the book covered all the aspects of Finance and budgeting I need to understand in order to operate effectively in the corporate world. I especially appreciated the practical implementation suggestions that are included in almost all the chapter. For example, there is a detailed methodology for implementing a balanced scorecard system in Chapter 4 as well as a step-by-step process for developing a budget in Chapter 9.

There are 14 chapters in total as well as several appendices for templates:
1-Finance and the HR professional
2-Financial statements
3-Finding meaning in financial statements
4-From financial measures to a balanced scorecard
5-Important accounting concepts
6-Taxes
7-Financing operations and growth
8-Money and capital markets
9-Budgeting
10- Practical tools for management decisions
11- Measuring and reporting human capital
12- The time value of money
13- Business valuation concepts
14- Developing and using your financial know-how ... Read more

Product Description
Praise for Project Management Accounting: Budgeting, Tracking, and Reporting Costs and Profitability

"You don't need to be a Six Sigma Black Belt or a CPA to understand the principles and the practical tools presented by Callahan, Stetz, and Brooks in Project Management Accounting. Their approach focuses on sound financial practices that will improve the ROI of your project whether it is your first or your hundred-and-first experience."
—Barry Van Dyck, PhD
Director of Degree Programs, Executive Education, Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame

"Project Management Accounting serves as a solid resource for the project manager seeking to leverage the tools of accounting and finance to maximize the quality of project outcomes."
—Jeffrey J. Lampe, CFA
Vice President, Hopewell Ventures

"Project Management Accounting clearly communicates fundamental accounting principles and applies them skillfully to the field of project management . . . even seasoned accounting managers will likely benefit from the application to project management. Talented project managers will find enough finance and accounting tools to transition toward profit and loss responsibility. This book will serve as a handy reference."
—Warren Davidson
CEO, Global Source Mfg.

"This is a must-read for everyone in business, whether you have made a career in project management, operations, facilities, or anywhere else. Project Management Accounting provides the framework to understand not only how to manage any project, but how the project interacts with the different functions of the company for the overall good. When applied, [this book] will improve the profitability of the company through an understanding of the costs and benefits of each project."
—Michael Alte
Management Director, ArvinMeritor

Today's project managers need to understand finance and accounting concepts in order to make both informed decisions and a greater contribution to their organization. Written for readers with limited business backgrounds, Project Management Accounting is an invaluable guide to successfully performing projects using sound finance and accounting concepts.

With the collected insights of authors and respected industry experts Kevin Callahan, Gary Stetz, and Lynne Brooks, Project Management Accounting offers guidance that project managers can use right away to know how to budget appropriately. Brief in presentation and rich in content, Project Management Accounting equips the leaders of today and tomorrow to hit the ground running with a profound business perspective in their current work and in future projects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Thank God Someone remembered to explain financial issues to project manager
This book provides project managers knowledge on project finances. But not only that it also explaines finances at a company level. I expected even more detailed explanation of poject budget preparation - this could be the only downside of the book. I recommend!

Not a bad book, just a misleading title
This book is actually a pretty good review of finance basics, some cost accounting, and some financial analysis (I realy like the pyramid presentation of the DuPont analysis on p26), but it has little to nothing to do with the nuts and bolts of management accounting applied to projects.

Mr. Hugos' very good review review highlights much of the good material in this book.My caveat to prospective readers of this book is that much of that material is not useful in project management accounting.

For example, a $280 million construction project has no GAAP balance sheet (it's not an entity, really), no share holders, etc., so I assert that ROI and Inventory Turnover-type measures have no place in the discussion.Yes, a firm may undertake a project with the hope that its future balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements are improved by having undertaken such a project, but I'd label this analysis as corporate finance or strategy, not project management accounting.

Having worked for a couple of years in project (mostly cost) controls for a small firm, I thought I'd read the book and learn how it's done "by the book."I don't feel as though I gained anything of the sort, and I don't see how reading this book would have helped the PM for whom I worked, client PM's or the PM's in major contracting firms working on our projects.

To sum, it's not a bad book - it's actually quite a good review of basic finance topics.My problem with it is the title, as there is practicaly nothing in the book identifying or explaining what makes project management accounting unique.Enjoy it, but don't bother reading it if your object is to get sharp on actual project accounting skills or project accounting best practices.

Project Management Accounting - Clear and To the Point
As a CIO and an explorer of ways to drive business performance, I highly recommend this book. Unlike many accounting textbooks that contain hundreds of pages of formulas and such, Project Management Accounting is concise and easy to read, but contains powerful information that can be applied immediately in most business contexts. Not only will this book be useful to project managers, but many business managers will find the chapters on the relationship between project management and business practice useful as well.

There are 7 chapters in the book, and each chapter can stand on its own as a summary of the topic covered, but taken in sequence, the book presents a comprehensive overview of the interaction between business accounting and finance and project management.

The first chapter sets the stage by providing an overview of project management practice. Most project management practitioners will find that this chapter covers all of the basics in a brief way. Business managers who lack background in project management will find this high level presentation an easy introduction to the major subject areas of project management.

Chapters 2 and 3 form the foundation for project managers to how company accounting and finance function through the use of the Dupont Method of analysis. Chapter 2 provides a basic introduction to the Dupont Method, with illustrations and tables that guide the reader through the definitions of critical financial ratios and what they reveal.

Chapter 3 provides a case study that reinforces Chapter 2, while providing a detailed study of a company's current financial status. In addition, the authors provide guidelines on how analyze business decisions made to improve a company's performance. The analysis and guidelines can easily be applied by the reader to any other company.

The next 3 chapters cover individual topics: Cost, Project Financing and Project Revenue and Cash Flows. In Chapter 4, Callahan, Stetz and Brooks clearly explain the difference between concept of cost and that of expense, crucial to understanding why project budgets often go awry.

In Chapters 5 and 6, the authors illustrate how the manner in which a project is financed effects the final outcome and value of a project. In addition, they provide an easy to understand checklist that the reader can use to guide a decision when trying to prioritize and choose between projects.

Chapter 7 ties the book together with a comprehensive case study that begins with a Dupont analysis to determine the financial health of a company and leads to making business decisions to improve company performance. Of particular interest in this chapter is the use of "pro forma" financial statements to compare the affect of various solutions on potential company performance. The authors conclude the book with a clear method to determine if project performance is enhancing business performance or not. In addition to project managers, many financial managers will find this chapter useful in judging whether or not to continue a particular project. Have you ever had to make that tough call of whether or not to keep putting more money into a project that has so far not lived up to expectations?


... Read more

Product Description
An in-depth guide to preparing accurate nursing budgets, this book will help you improve your financial skills and contribute to your organization's strategic planning. It discusses the different types of budgeting, the budgeting process, forecasting, variance analysis, and costing out nursing services. A variety of settings are included: hospitals, long-term care, home health, community health, managed care, and others. With this guide, you'll learn how to communicate effectively with financial managers, succeed in your role in the budgeting process, and assist in the delivery of high-quality patient care at the lowest possible cost.

• Each chapter includes Learning Objectives to focus your study and a Summary and Implications for Nurse Managers to reinforce what you've learned.
• Additional Suggested Readings provides helpful resources for further research and study.
• An appendix includes numerous sample budget forms and instructions, allowing you to see firsthand the various types of budgeting forms used in day-to-day practice.

Customer Reviews (3)

Budgeting Concepts
I was very pleased with the fast delivery and the great shape of the book. It looked liked it had never been used.

Budgeting Concepts for Nurse Mangers
Excellent book! I needed this for a Finance class in grad school. This book is an excellent resource. It clearly explains everything one would need to know about Budgeting in healthcare.It is loaded with examples of real life situations making it an easy book to read and hold your attention.i will be holding on to this book for future use.

The "Must Have" Budgeting Book for Nurse Managers!
This classic by Finkler & Graf has been used successfully in many graduate Nursing Administration programs. It is well written and understandable to people who don't have an accounting background.The content is well organized, thorough and accurate. Steven Finkler is one of the most prestigious authors in the field of finance, financial management and budgeting for non-accountant managers in health care. This book is an excellent resource for head nurses, nursing directors, and many nurse executives still keep it as a reference. Indeed, any manager who operates a 24/7 service business might find it useful for understanding how to prepare a budget for that kind of operation.Anyone interested in the concepts of budgeting, and especially, how to apply those concepts in a hospital nursing unit setting can benefit from this book.It is the best text I have found for teaching these concepts to graduate nursing students. ... Read more

Product Description
This second edition is updated throughout and includes additional material on time management and numerous interviews with leading designers. Empowered by the step-by-step guidance in this book, interior designers will be able to establish prices and budgets that make their clients happy and their businesses profitable. Written by a designer and veteran expert on pricing, estimating, and budgeting systems, the book provides practical guidelines on how to value the cost of designing commercial or residential interiors, from the designer's creative input to the pricing of decorating products and procedures.

The book shows how to determine a profitable and fair hourly rate, balance the client's budget with his or her wishes and needs, negotiate prices with suppliers and contractors, write realistic estimates and clear proposals, manage budgets for projects of all sizes and types, and position the firm's brand in relation to its practices. Interviews with experienced interior designers, case studies, and sidebars highlight professional pitfalls and how to master them, from daily crisis management and self-organization to finding the perfect office manager. This superbly thorough guide offers pricing, estimating, and budgeting advice that is a necessity for every designer and firm pushing to bolster the bottom line.   ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Commercial and residential interiors alike are covered along with interviews with experienced home designers
Theo Stephan Williams' THE INTERIOR DESIGNER'S GUIDE TO PRICING, ESTIMATING, AND BUDGETING appears in its second updated edition to provide interior designers with a fine business survey on fees and pricing. Commercial and residential interiors alike are covered along with interviews with experienced home designers and tips on competing effectively.

not really that helpful
I didn't get what I was expecting out of this book, and I think the title is really a misnomer. This book is written really more as a reference for young and inexperienced designers looking to start their own business. Note the following:

The author is a GRAPHIC designer, not an interior designer. She (yes, "Theo" is a she) makes reference to interior design projects that are laughable--designing a carpet is not interior design. And just because it will be a vinyl applied to a wall, doesn't mean a logo design is interior design. Not being an interior designer, the author makes absurd comments about the industry that just aren't true (like that per-SF billing models are a bad idea.maybe for residential but for commercial design, per-SF is standard.And profitable).I just don't think the author is qualified to be writing this book.

Furthermore, estimating and budgeting are ONLY talked about in very generic terms. Basically, the author wants you to know that these are important things to do right, or you won't make any money. Unfortunately I think most readers already know these are important things, otherwise they wouldn't buy the book. But there are no specifics on how to calculate different types of materials, labor, processes.Nothing of real substance that the reader can take with them to the job and apply.

There are lots of contradictions and very astonishing ideas expressed by the author. For example, the author says to 'respect the client's personal time' by not contacting them outside normal business hours....but then suggests that when you have bad news to share, wait until the last possible minute, so that the client can think about it over the weekend. How is expecting the client to think about work on the weekend respecting their time?? Even if that is respectful, its still bad advice--the LAST thing you want to do is give the client time to stew about the problem. By Monday morning they're sure to be really pissed. She also says that over the years she learned NOT to take responsibility for her staff's mistakes. Um, HELLO!?!? A client hires the company, and as the boss, you do have the ultimate responsibility for everything every employee does. Her advice is the exact opposite of what a designer should do.


I might reference the forms in the back of the book, maybe some day. But overall this book just didn't offer me anything I can use. Might be better for someone who has only a year or two of work experience.

The Interior Designers Guide to Pricing Estimating & Budgeting
I love this book and actually taking it with me all the time to work in order to refer to it while pricing products. It is a helpful reference that all interior designers would require.

chock full of useful information
This book has everything I need to know about budgeting and billing as an emerging interior designer.

Good basics
I have not yet had time to read this book cover to cover, however, upon skimming have found it to be very detail orientated and supplied with all of the basics.I would definitely recommend for someone just starting out in the ID field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Complete Reference Book on Government Budgeting
This is a complete and excellent reference book on Government Budgeting, a useful guide for practioners and students of public finance and administration. The language is lucid and direct, a quality that comes out of practical experience and well researched knowledge. I found the perspectives on contemporary reforms, although centered on OECD experience and developments in economies in transit, very relevant to the needs of developing countries in their pursuit of improved governance. The book is highly recommended for practioners involved in designing and managing public finance reforms.

Lives Up to It's Title
I purchased this book for a class.It's very good and easily understandable.This is designed for the person that is first begining to learn about budgeting. ... Read more

Product Description

Public budgeting is inherently political: too often, short-term partisan goals overrun long-term public interest. By presenting federal, state, and local budgeting within a clear, comparative framework, Rubins classic text focuses on the issues of federalism and the political jockeying that influences all governmental budgets.

Updated throughout to account for recent issues in budgeting, the sixth edition includes coverage of the Alternative Minimum Tax controversy, mayoral vetoes, state legislatures role in the budgeting process, conflicts between inspectors general and executives, PART evaluations, and more. In addition, Rubin now pays even greater attention to budgeting within state and local systems, incorporating examples from across the nation and better preparing students for future careers at all levels of government. Analyzing each strand of the decision-making process, Rubin shows the extraordinary coordination involved in passing a budget and achieving accountability.

Product Description
6 3/4 x 10 North American Distribution graphic designWhether you're a start-up business or an experienced owner, The Graphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting, Revised Edition, provides a one-stop source of indispensable, innovative methods for achieving productivity and profitability in every area of a graphic design business.This brand-new and completely updated edition offers practical guidelines for setting rates, dealing with clients' budgets, preparing an estimate, and establishing profitability. Readers will also discover step-by-step strategies for pricing on the Internet, negotiating effective pricing with clients, and developing options to traditional pricing. Plus, the easy-to-read sidebars throughout this valuable guide offer dozens of creative, resourceful success tips for running a top-notch business. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Be or not to be - in a business of visual comm
I found this book a very useful inside info for all freshmen who are still considering going on the market themselves or for those who are expanding business of design into full service with organizing all the basic non-creative processes. Nice plain and practical explanations. For seniors in the business its almost like when we pool out our own old photo album and some memories come back to us ...

Fantastic book should have every graphic designer and creative
I have this book for several years. I bought it in 2001, and each time I have used this book as a guide to find answers for my question. The information is very well organized, and the answers is clear.My advertisement artwork was stolen and reproduced by national publication in 30,000 copies without my permission. I was looking for the graphic designer contract which secure my Copyrights.I found my answer in the book on pages 172-175.The form of the contract which help you to run your business professional and secure your Copyrights. I have read hundreds of contracts, but contract which put together and written by Theo Stephan Williams is excellent copy to use.

The Graphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating, and Budgeting
This book is an excellent comprehensive guide for any person who is either considering becoming a freelance graphic designer, starting a design studio or setting up a full-service design firm. It outlines, in a detailed and easy-to-follow way, all the key elements one must consider, such as fixed costs, budget management and establishing rates. Theo Williams, the author, employs a fresh and user-friendly approach in every business concept she presents. This book is the bible I'm using to set up my business. Someone took my copy, so I ordered another right away! I don't know what I'd do without it!

basic theological discussion of pricing
This book is not nearly as helpful as I had hoped. If you want to read to entire book, you'll get an overview on basic ethical and pricing theories, but there is no pracitcal "this is what designers are charging now" basis, and it is less that fun to read. Skip it.

Not enough concrete information.
I have been operating a freelance graphic-design business on a casual basis for over 10 year and have just recently decided to take it to a more professional level. I purchased this book because I thought it would help me streamline my billing system and teach me something I didn't already know. Unfortunately, I found that this book was much more chatty than informative and that the information was a bit too vague. It would have also helped if the forms at the back of the book were more fully discussed in the book itself.

While I found it interesting and somewhat insightful to read about the author's opinions and experience (which is credible), I did not feel that I gained much new insight from the book. Another book that I found more pragmatic and useful was Cameron Foote's "The Business Side of Creativity". Even though that book covers all aspects of running a graphic design business, it also includes a section on billing with advice that isboth practical and concrete (including how to deal with clients who are price-sensitive in an assertive manner). While this book may help someone who is completely new at billing clients for graphic-design services, I personally gained more from Foote's book than this one. ... Read more

Product Description

The most comprehensive guide to graphic design pricing procedures provides startup and experienced design business owners with dozens of useful, creative methods for achieving profitability. Updated throughout with additional material on time management, expanded coverage of Web and multimedia pricing, and numerous new interviews with leading designers, this third edition is an invaluable industry guide focusing on these crucial aspects of running a graphic design business.
 
Coverage includes how to set rates, deal with competitors' pricing, use different pricing methods, prepare estimates, draft proposals, establish and manage budgets, negotiate, and position the brand of the firm. Graphic designers will find the clearly written, practical advice indispensable to professional success.

Customer Reviews (1)

Designers simply must have this business guide!
Graphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting offers a fine survey on how to create a profitable graphic design business. It comes from a designer who covers everything from handling competition to managing budgets and this third edition has been updated to include more information on time management, Web considerations and multimedia pricing, and more. Designers simply must have this business guide!
... Read more

Product Description
Having a baby can be one of the most wonderful times of your life -- but if you need help to conceive, it can swiftly become a staggeringly expensive undertaking. With the average cost of infertility treatments ranging from $35,000 to $85,000 in the United States (most of which is not covered by insurance companies), many women and couples find themselves having to make difficult choices about building their families.

Getting a grip on your finances is one of the few things you can do to regain control of this process. Infertility experts Evelina Weidman Sterling and Angie Best-Boss have created the ultimate guide to ensuring the most cost-effective care with the highest chances for success. With anecdotes, interviews, and advice from both doctors and patients, you can easily apply these specific money-saving strategies to your own unique situation. Learn how to:

- Select a fertility clinic with a high rate of success

- Convince your insurance company to cover more of the costs

- Track down the most affordable fertility drugs

- Travel abroad for cheaper care or international surrogacy

- Avoid the scams and unnecessary expenses every step of the way

Personal and professional, Budgeting for Infertility is an invaluable resource that shows you how to pay for infertility treatment...and still have money in the bank for diapers and day care. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Especially important in our current financial crisis, a Must Read!
Especially important in our current financial crisis, Budgeting for Infertility is a timely and accurate depiction of what it takes to pay for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to complete a family. I found this book not only assists with budgeting but also educating Intended Parents on all aspects of ART including treatment terms, how to choose a clinic, finding affordable fertility medications, understanding the financial options and even exploring adoption. I especially liked reading the comments from Intended Parents who know first hand what it's like to travel down the road of infertility treatments. I highly recommend this book for anyone starting out, or even in the middle of their own personal infertility journey. Well worth buying and passing along.

Infertility
This book was in great shape when it arrived and it's easy to read. Great ideas and I recommend this book to couples who have infertility.

Will Help You Think Outside the Box
Though at first I was skeptical at any book about the financial side of infertility, I realized a few pages into the book that the average reader would not only gain back the $16 spent on the book, but would probably save a minimum of several hundred dollars or more over the long run.

It doesn't just give you ways to save money, it gives you ways to understand how things relate to you financially on a personal level.For instance, it isn't helpful to make a statement about shared-risk plans without explaining how they work and who should use them.Financing can never be a one-size fits all approach.

And at the very least, the book helps you think outside the box and consider ways to save money on medications, treatments, and testing.It explains how to navigate insurance companies and how to find clinical trials.It explains fertility grants and scholarships and how to find them.But above all, it gives you the confidence to take charge of the financial side and understand how to budget for treatments.

Bless you for writing this book!!!!
I would like to personally thank the authors of this book. I am just starting my infertility journey. I am in my late 30's and it truly puts things into perspective. I often think with my heart and not my mind. This really helped me take a moment to think things through to prepare for the upcoming decisions that will need to be made with my treatment.

Fortunately I have a background in medical insurance so I know what to expect from my insurance carrier. For those that have no clue about their coverage (if they even have coverage to begin with), this book will arm you with everything you need to research your coverage so you aren't hit with a big surprise. I was very appreciative of the ICD9 codes that were included in the book. It is nice to have them for a quick easy reference.

I was amazed at all of the suggestions that were supplied for financing your treatment as well as the frankness of what to expect expense wise and how not to be taken advantage of (what areas that are possible money pits if you will).

I have only touched base briefly on the content of this wonderful reference tool. It is a must have for anyone even remotely thinking of seeking infertility treatment.

Thank you again for taking the time to put this together. ... Read more

Product Description
This text explores all areas of capital budgeting and all the strategies used to make long-term financing decisions.Utilizing a strategic framework, it discusses how the key concepts synchronize with overall corporate strategies and goals.This text covers practical capital budgeting and long-term financing decisions in a way that is comprehensive, applicable, understandable, and flexible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Book never received
I purchased this book over a month ago and have yet to receive it. I would like to have the book considering I am getting close to being halfway through the semester already.

unclear
I felt that this textbook which was used for one of my mba classes was confusing.There are mistakes and typos which are unacceptable in a finance text.The cases do not get directly to the point, and add distracting information to make the case seem more 'real,' but instead it is just unclear.The explanations and examples are not explained well.

A Classic and Must Have
This book explains very well the diffrent concepts and techniques used in capital budgeting such as Divident, risk-adjusted cash flow analysis, WACC calculations, and an introduction to Linear programing. However, it does not provide a very advanced analysis of the techniques. The book shows you how to use them, the different assumptions behind each technique, advantage and disadvantage, but does not explain how to apply the techniques in very complexe situations. Overall, it is a classic in terms of content and the number of topics cavered.

Old fashioned and somewhat confuse
I have used this as a textbook for executive MBA students. The text is comprehensive and the reading is easy but some cases, although short, are confuse. The authors spend precious time in topics which are usually subject of other disciplines and the students have already studied, like derivatives, lease analysis, linear programming and mergers, just to name a few. On the other hand, the discussion of option models is restricted to a few pages and do not emphasize the use of options to evaluate flexibility. It's almost unconceivable to organize a course in capital budgeting without discussing real options, so the book has to be complemented, while several chapters could be eliminated.

Excellent Professional Resource
An excellent book to refresh your knowledge or as a reference source. Well written and covers everything. ... Read more

Product Description
The most complete, reliable and comprehensive trade book about budgeting motion pictures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

THE industry standard for budgeting...
This book has been around for a long time, but it is still the definitive work on film budgeting. Whether you're working on a $50,000 indie or a $20,000,000 feature, this book lays out in detailed yet readable form the proper steps to accurately forecasting the budget of your feature. One of the most powerful aspects of this budgeting system, which makes it the industry standard, is that a full line budget gives you an individual line code for every single expense. This makes tracking your expenditures significantly less complicated.

You should be aware that this book is part two of a pair. The first part, 'Film Scheduling' shows you how to break down your script to get a shooting board, daily call sheets and the all important "actors' day out of days" - you need these calculations to feed into the budget.

Terribly Outdated and Poorly Edited
If you're looking to produce a very low-budget, extremely independent movie this book is not for you.If you are a completely green producer, this book is helpful in the sense that it gives you the page design of all the important budget forms at a much cheaper price than purchasing Movie Magic.However, the primary example in this book is a Coppola film, "The Conversation," which had a budget much higher than one could afford just with personal investments.Thus, a lot of adjusting math figures is necessary for you to get what you need out of it.What's more, this book is in desperate need of a new edition: this was printed in 1996, and a lot has changed in terms of technology and film "norms."For example, this book says the average mileage reimbursement is 28 cents per mile, which I'm sure was true in 96, but now, nine years later, the average acceptable payment is 40 cents per mile from a studio and 32 from an individual (ie low budget indie).Cell phones are not even mentioned once in this book.It's also a hard read because it's hard to get past the sophomoric spelling mistakes and typographical errors.These are small, insignificant details that just appalled me: I can't take advice from someone who doesn't know the proper use of "your" or "you're." Overall this book is just frustrating.I'm sure he is a fantastic force in the film industry, but the execution of this book made it seem like he just doesn't care; it feels like an afterthought.

WRITTEN BY A PRO
Author Ralph Singleton knows his stuff. He is not a "wannabe" producer (check out his credits on the IMDb!). Do what I did--take the complete 'do-it-yourself course' with the Scheduling book, Workbook andForms book. Computer budgeting software is great -- but this book actuallyteaches you HOW to budget -- not just put numbers in columns.

An excellent guide for new and experienced producers.
I used this book in the recent shooting of a feature film, and found it and the separately-available workbooks very helpful.The workbooks use examples from an actual film budget ("The Conversation"); thetext is clear, compelling, accurate and up-to-date.Best of the "howto" film production books I have seen and used. ... Read more