Entrepreneur
Someone who shows vision and creativity, and who takes risks by creating business ventures.
Entrepreneurship
Process of identifying, creating, and managing innovative ventures, driven by individuals who take calculated risks to bring about positive change and financial success.
Enterprise
A business that has been created by aspiring individuals. The term “enterprising" refers to being willing to try new challenges and to take acceptable risks.
FUNCTIONS OF AN ENTREPRENEUR
Conceptualising - the development of a new business idea
Planning - setting goals and planning to achieve them; creating a business plan
Accessing Funds - acquiring funds for the business; they can access funds through loans on credit
Operating the Business - ensuring that day-to-day business plans are carried out
Evaluating Performance - determining how the business is going
Organising to Business - keeping records, proper documentation, hiring staff and acquiring
resources
WHY AN INDIVIDUAL MAY WANT TO ESTABLISH A BUSINESS
Financial Independence -
When you operate your own business, you are not dependent on anyone else for wages or salary, you also have autonomy over the profit earned by the business
Self-fulfillment
This refers to doing something that makes you happy and allows you to pursue your passions and interests, leading to a more satisfying and meaningful life.
Self-Actualization
This goes beyond self-fulfillment, it is defined as a personal state of doing something that meets the highest level of human needs
Increased Income
Entrepreneurs will relatively make more income than a person that works for another person
CHARACTERISTICS OF A TYPICAL ENTREPRENEUR
Creative - the ability to come up with new ideas and to find solutions to problems
Innovative - The ability to identify new methods and ways of doing things and to develop a new idea
Flexible - The ability to react quickly to changes
Goal Oriented - Being driven to achieve results and having clear targets in mind
Persistent - The ability to keep trying and to be determined and confident
Persevering - The ability to work hard over long periods
Risk Taker - Being willing to take sensible risks even though there is a chance of failure
ROLES OF AN ENTREPRENEUR IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Collaborating- Entrepreneurs collaborate with other businesses, including suppliers and government entities, to contribute to a vibrant economy.
Providing Goods and Services- Enterprises supply goods and services that satisfy the needs and wants of the citizens
Creating Jobs - Entrepreneurs collaborate with other businesses, including suppliers and government entities, to contribute to a vibrant economy
Contributing to Nation Building - Businesses aid nation-building by paying taxes, funding social services, and maintaining infrastructure through sales and profits.
ROLES OF ENTREPRENEURS IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
Conceptualizing - Whether to go ahead with the business idea. Deciding which idea
will be most successful.
Planning- Where to produce the product, how to produce it, what size the enterprise should be, how to market and sell the product, and many other planning decisions.
Accessing Finances - How to raise finance, from whom to borrow, and how much
finance needs to be raised.
Organizing Factors Of Production - Which factors of production to use, how to combine different factors, and the composition of these factors
Evaluating - How to analyse the enterprise, and what criteria will be used to judge business success.
Risk Bearing - Deciding how much risk to take and determining which risks
are acceptable.
Operating The Business - Everyday decisions about running the business. Who will manage the business?
STEPS TO ESTABLISH A BUSINESS
Conceptualizing (the idea of the business, with details such as what the business will look like initially)
Research (market research needs to be done to identify potential customers and what they want)
Identification of resources ( this includes financial, human and material)
Creation of a business plan
Acquisition of funds
Operation of the business
WHAT IS A BUSINESS PLAN
A business plan is a document that details a company's goals and how it intends to achieve them. They are of benefit to both startups and well-established companies.
REASON FOR A BUSINESS PLAN
To research the business idea
To attract potential investors
To source financing
To guide decision making
THE IMPORTANCE OF A BUSINESS PLAN
A good business plan guides you through each stage of starting and managing your business. It's a way to think through and detail all the key elements of how your business will run.
ELEMENTS OF A BUSINESS PLAN
Executive Summary - The business plan should begin with a brief summary of the rest of the plan, enabling the reader to get a view of the business its owners, the market, the proposed
financing, proposed products and any plans for future growth
Operational Plan - This shows how the business will be organized and run. It includes the name, address and legal structure of the business. It describes the business’s aims and objectives give an overview of the personnel
Business Opportunity -This is a description of the product or service. It may include sketches and photographs, as well as a clear description of the product or service and its key features.
Marketing Plan -This should clarify who the potential customers are and how many of them might be.
Financial Forecast - The financial forecast identifies where the funds to set up and operate the business will come from. This will be followed by details of proposed sales numbers and sales revenues.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Primary research involves the collection of original and firsthand data directly from the source.
EX.
Surveys - surveys involve collecting data from a sample of individuals through structured questionnaires
Interviews - interviews involve direct one-on-one interactions between two parties where questions are asked to gather information
Photographs -
Artefacts and Objects
Original Documents
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Secondary research involves the use of existing data that has already been collected by someone else for a different purpose
EX.
Books
Articles
Documentaries
Biographies
FEASIBILITY STUDY
A feasibility study is a piece of research to find out whether a business or project will work.
SIGNIFICANCES OF A FEASIBILITY STUDY
To ascertain the viability
To be aware of the possible costs attached to the project, and
For possible sources of finance.
Level of Government Rule Making
Local Rules - Made by local government, for example, the government of Jamaica.
Regional Rules - Made by the regional government’s decision-making body. For example, CARICOM
Global Rules - Made by groups of governments working together
Local Government Regulations
Municipal Rules - The municipal council creates municipal rules in a large urban area. These are specific to a particular city or county, and the government bodies within those cities or counties.
Village Rules - Village councils are responsible for making the decisions necessary for the operation of their community.
Parish Rules - Parish councils are the local authority that makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish.
Monetary Policies
The monetary policy involves the management of interest rates and the total supply of money in circulation in a business
Fiscal Policy
Fiscal policy is a collective term used for the taxing and spending actions done by the government to influence aggregate demand in the economy
Consumer Protection Agencies
These agencies stop unfair and fraudulent business practices by collecting complaints and doing investigations
Environmental Policies
They are policies made to regulate resource pollution and to protect both humans and the environment
Intergovernmental Agreements
Any agreement that is made between two or more governments in cooperation to solve problems of mutual concern.
Geography
The natural features, population and the already existent industries dictate whether a location is good for a business
Availability and Location of Raw Materials
Businesses that use heavy, bulky materials that are expensive to transport are usually located near their source
Infrastructure
Businesses look at the physical and organizational facilities and structures needed to operate the business
Power and Water Supply
Telecommunications
It is important that businesses set up in areas where communication is clear and reliable
Health Facilities
Healthcare facilities that are near the business are important especially if the industry is more likely to have accidents
Supply of Labour
Businesses set up in areas where there will be a need for employment and with skilled labour
Collateral is an asset that a borrower provides as security in order to secure a loan from a lender
TYPES OF COLLATERAL
Property
Money
Bonds
Stocks
Cash return of Life Insurance
Motor Vehicles
Appliances