BOOK REVIEW - And the Award for Best SME of the Year Goes to...

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Writuparna Kakati | 25 Jan, 2011
The small and medium enterprise sector is, collectively, the biggest business in India. Everyday new SMEs are launched in the country by entrepreneurs seeking economic self-sufficiency and freedom. But unfortunately, the failure rate among Indian small businesses is considerably higher. Most of these small guys, if not forced to close their doors, have to struggle continuously to survive, to stay at their business, or to look for 'big' future. What they lack most- it is often said - the support from the government. It is true but partly as when it comes to SMEs what matters most is a right approach and a right strategy by the top management. The Book 'And the Award for Best SME of the Year Goes to...' explores this aspect. Packed up with information, skills and approaches, this book could certainly be a hands-on-guide for CEOs running a small business in India.

The author, Ajay Wahi is not a hardcore scholar or an academic, and probably this why his terrific insights are practical enough for the CEO of a small firm who leads his business from the front. Wahi has worked 25 years in crucial positions with a number of SMEs operating across Asia, Europe and the US. With this book, he has compiled the treasures of learning from the real world of experience. In most of the chapters, for example, he has cited what helped him to bring in positive results when he worked as a CEO in different companies. Wahi frankly reveals that his experiences come mostly from IT firms but readers will hardly feel it as the book is authored to take them at the heart of every business with focus on "people, productivity, processes, culture, retention, motivation, positive energy, employees mindset and so on, which apply to all SMEs" as the author himself claims.

At the very first chapter of the book, the author gives a simple suggestion that most small entrepreneurs will find hard to follow. It is to keep the feet on the ground and let the mind reach for the sky. The book clearly distinguishes between two types of CEOs - one who leads by "remote control" and another who keeps direct touch with employees - a concept that has so much affinity with the Managing by Walking Around (MBWA) strategy introduced by Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. in their ground-breaking co-authored classic 'In Search of Excellence'. Wahi dedicates a few more pages of his book to employee management issues again in the fourth chapter, "Task Them Ahead of Their Experience". Here he explores some crucial challenges faced by SMEs in terms of handling employees, retaining them, and getting the best out of their potential.

Making the book more readable and engaging, the author also throws light on some of other crucial aspects of modern day small business management like data handling and ERP implementation. While illustrating his ideas with real-life experiences from the past, the author here intelligently focuses on the shortcomings of typical Indian SMEs in this respect. In another section, the author puts emphasis on 'realgency' (realty plus urgency) that can aid small firm to overcome another challenge - meeting the deadlines through smart time management. All through the book, the author maintains a simple and concise writing style while unfolding many basic and innovative ideas related to small business management.

As a whole 'And the Award for Best SME of the Year Goes to...' is an easy-to-understand, step-by-step guide for every entrepreneur who runs a small business. For a CEO, every page of the book provides meaningful insights into how to ramp up his management skills, handle the employees and processes, keep the customers more loyal, and harvest success. With the solid coverage of all aspects of small business management, this book is certainly what Indian small business owners and CEO have been looking for many years.

Priced at Rs. 500 for users of Tradeindia, the book is a must-buy for every entrepreneur. To book your copy today email to: ajaywahi@rediffmail.com