Business Models

Jacket text for Business Models

Different

Business Models is different from other investment books because it breaks new ground. It deploys 129 business models to empower an outside investor to analyse the internal competitive advantage of companies and sectors.

Competitive advantage

Strong competitive advantage is only achieved by having low costs and/or doing something different from the competition. This must add value to the customer, who then pays a premium price. He is glued to the company, which will earn dependable revenue streams and be in the profit zone.

Key features

- 64 company business models are scored for competitive advantage. They include moats, recurring revenues, product differentiation, bolt-on acquisitions and bargaining power.

- 65 sector business models are scored for competitive advantage. They include recession resistance, must-have products, sticky customers, toll bridges and megatrends.

- The economic cycle is the ultimate arbiter of investment success or failure.

- Other important tools are growth at a reasonable price, technical analysis, scuttlebutting, accounting for growth and investment axioms.

Conclusion

Business Models unearths the best companies to outperform in a bull or bear market, giving investors a real advantage. They can correctly evaluate a company or sector in 15 minutes and emulate Warren Buffett, who uses business models to invest in companies with strong competitive advantage.

Chapter headings for Business Models

1. Business models: investing in companies with strong competitive advantage

1. Competitors
2. Customers
3. Economics
4. Management
5. Products
6. Suppliers

2. Business models: investing in sectors with strong competitive advantage

1. Competitors
2. Customers
3. Economics
4. Management
5. Products
6. Suppliers
7. Sectors to avoid

3. Shifting deck chairs on the Titanic

1. The economic cycle
2. The cycle of opportunity

4. What sectors to buy and sell during the economic cycle

5. Growth at a reasonable price

1. Growth statistics
2. Value statistics
3. Further considerations
4. Trading

6. Technical analysis

1. A useful tool to improve performance
2. A chartist's view
7. First hand experience of the product: scuttlebutting

8. Accounting for growth

1. Broker forecasts
2. Cash flow
3. Dividends
4. Goodwill
5. Share options

9. Investment axioms

Appendix

1. Example of a company's business model: Radstone Technology

2. How Microsoft triumphed because of its business model

Further information
Index

About David Watson

David Watson read a bachelor's and master's degree in economics and finance at Manchester University. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, qualifying with Price Waterhouse in London. He has extensive UK and international business experience, principally in financial services, and was the deputy editor of Investing for Growth, an investment newsletter first edited by guru Jim Slater, author of The Zulu Principle. He welcomes comment and feedback and can be contacted at businessmodels@gmail.com.

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