Liz Barclay 
The Unauthorized Guide To Doing Business the Philip Green Way 
10 Secrets of the Billionaire Retail Magnate

Philip Green, retail’s most colourful figure, is widely regarded as
the finest retailer of his generation and one of the best business
brains in the UK. He made his first million at 33, and now owns the
Arcadia Group, running about an eighth of the UK clothing retail
market. So how did a man who just fell into the industry by
accident go on and build this business empire?

The Unauthorized Guide to Doing Business the Philip Green
Way draws out the universal lessons from Philip Green’s
remarkable success and identifies 10 strategies for building a
business empire that can be applied to any business or career:

* Do it your way

* Make the business run as efficiently as possible

* Keep the customer satisfied

* Whatever you do, don’t break the supply chain

* People matter – you can’t run an empire without them

* Spot the money-making opportunity

* When the going gets tough – work harder!

* Aim high and keep trying

* Stay private but enjoy the publicity

* Give something back

Want to be the best? The secrets of phenomenal success are in
your hands.

Check out the other Unauthorized Guides in this series:
Richard Branson; Duncan Bannatyne; Alan Sugar;
Jamie Oliver; and Bill Gates.

Table of Content

Acknowledgements.

The Life and Times of Philip Green.

One: Do it Your Way.

Set your sights on your goal and go for it. Go with gut
instinct; never take ‘no’ for an answer; keep a eye on the deals
and the details.

Two: Make the Business Run as Efficiently as
Possible.

It’s not the same as cost-cutting – even in the good
times, you have to remain resourceful.

Three: Keep the Customer Satisfied.

Find out what your customer wants and give it to them, and
more. It’s the experience that counts.

Four: Whatever You Do, Don’t Break the Supply Chain.

The retailer, customer and supplier are all in it together.
Without the supplier there’s nothing to sell.

Five: People Matter – You Can’t Run an Empire Without
Them.

Hang the CV – find out what they really can do.

Six: Spot the Money-Making Opportunity.

Borrow when you can, repay quickly and make a profit.

Seven: When the Going Gets Tough – Work Harder!

The more efficient you are during the tough times, the better
you’re equipped to survive – but you have to work
harder to stay still.

Eight: Aim High and Keep Trying.

Don’t let a setback stop you. There will always be another
opportunity that will suit the business.

Nine: Stay Private, but Enjoy the Publicity.

Staying private rather than going public has advantages, but
the limelight is still a wonderful thing for business.

Ten: Give Something Back.

Support charity and good causes. It pays dividends for the
business.

How to Run a Business The Philip Green Way.

The Last Word.

Notes.

Reading List.

Index.

About the author

Liz Barclay writes for several monthly small business magazines and wrote a personal finance column for the News of the World. She has presented You & Yours on BBC Radio 4 for ten years as well as ‘Call You & Yours’ and Pick of the Week.
Liz’s TV experience includes three series of The Small Business Programme and The Business Hour on BBC2 – programmes for people who run SMEs, drawing on the experiences of other SMEs. Liz Barclay’s radio experience spans the airwaves in the UK with In Business on BBC Radio 4 covering weekly business issues and Work It Out for BBC Radio 5 Live on employment issues.
As a journalist Liz also writes on personal finance and small business including Moneywise, The Mail, The Express, News of the World and BBC News Online Business website.