What is the Purpose of these books? The main purpose of these Handbooks is to provide readers with an insight of the firm's business performance, efficiency and customer handling. The analysis of many aspects of the firm's business activities will indicate relative current success, as well as suggesting future prospects.

What is the Audience? The main audiences for these Handbooks are primarily Competitors; potential or existing Clients and/or major users; other Firms seeking mergers or acquisitions; Firms entering a new geographic market; Firms wishing to extend their existing products and services; Companies or other clients moving to the U.K. or into the firm's area.

Should one buy this Handbook on one's own firm?   The short answer is, probably not.

These books would only be useful if one of the following were true:-

What about firms which provide a good service quality? During the 1960s and 1970s many British industrial companies provided a high quality product. Rolls Royce produced high quality aircraft engines and motor cars - yet they went bankrupt. British motorcycles were of a high quality - yet every single company went bankrupt. British commercial vehicles were exported around the world - yet those companies either went bankrupt or have fallen into foreign ownership. The sole reason for the failure of a business is not the quality of the product but the quality of the management. It is shocking to reflect that obviously there was not one high quality manager in the entire British motorcycle industry.

The 1980s have shown that the average British Estate Agent, Bank Manager, Accountant, Solicitor, et cetera, is simply not a good manager. If they had been then the stupidity and imprudence of the British Services Sector in the 1980s would not have occurred.

In Europe the quality of products and services offered are taken for granted and high quality of service is the norm. In the United Kingdom quality of service is the exception.

The question is, will firms survive? They will not under any circumstances survive if they do not provide a quality product - and they will only survive if they are good business managers, i.e. they plan; they control their products and know their markets; they satisfy their customers; they replenish their customer bases; they innovate; they use adequate systems and procedures; they command their cash-flow and budgets. It is not enough to be simply an excellent Estate Agent or Solicitor - one firstly has to be a good business manager.

Are these books designed to help British firms? These books were designed to allow European firms to enter and take-over the U.K. markets and as such will only be of use to those British firms which can interpret, understand and implement the data contained therein.

Who are the Publishers? These are a series of books researched and published by a large number of Professional Bodies, Associations and Companies in Europe which have pooled and shared databases and information. The books were originally for the use of Professional and Trades firms in Europe and SOME of the titles are now available to selected buyers in the United Kingdom.

These Handbooks provide five areas of information on the firm in question:-

• Comparative data on the firm's main competitors in their area/s of operation.

• Comparative data on the branch or office's performance with that of other branches or offices in the firm - and/or Comparative regional data for the products and services (where the company only has one office or branch).

• Business performance data on the firm's most important operational activities.

• Client opinion data on the firm's most important products and services.

• The Firm's staff perceptions of their company.

The following links give a detailed description of the various Professional & Trade series currently available as samples to non-members.