Chapter 3: Enterprise, business growth and size Flashcards
Notes on entrepreneurs
- Have an idea for a new business
- Prepared to invest their own savings
- Accept the risks of failure
- Want to make all the decisions about the management of the business
What are the ideas for an enterprise (project or business)?
- A new idea for a good or service
- Offering an existing good or service in a way that hasn’t been offered before
- Offering an existing good or service in a new location
9 characteristics of successful entrepreneurs
- Innovative
- Self-motivated and determined
- Self-confident
- Multi-skilled
- Strong leadership qualities
- Initiative
- Results driven
- Risk-taker
- Good at networking
Innovative
They’re good at thinking up new ideas for goods and services or new ways of presenting existing goods and services.
Self-motivated and determined
They have the drive to keep going, even when things get difficult.
Self-confident
They have a strong belief in their own ability and ideas.
Multi-skilled
They have the ability to see an idea through from development to profitable sales. This requires a good understanding of the functions of finance, operations, human resources and marketing.
Strong leadership qualities
They have good communication skills, the ability to motivate others and good decision-makers.
Initiative
They not only have good ideas, but are also able to develop a good plan for achieving the business’s objectives.
Results driven
They are focused on achieving results and make sure products are sold for profit.
Good at networking
They are prepared to learn from others.
What does a business plan describe?
- The business (details of the entrepreneur, idea for the business, information about skills and expertise of managers or employees who need to be recruited)
- The business opportunity (information about the product, why the entrepreneur believes customers will buy it, market research)
- The market (current size, potential for growth and product’s main competitors)
- The objectives of the business (what it hopes to achieve)
- Financial forecasts (cash-flow forecast, projected sales, revenue and profit for at least the first year of trading)
How does a business plan assist entrepreneurs?
- The information it contains can be used to persuade lenders such as banks and investors to provide finance to the business.
- The plan gives the business a sense of purpose and direction.
- Sets out the resources required by the business such as finance, number and skills of employees needed, and how the goods and services will be marketed to customers.
- The objectives and financial forecasts provide the business with targets to aim at and enable the business to monitor its progress.
How does the economy and government benefit from start-up businesses?
- Job creation
- News ideas from entrepreneurs
- More competition
- Production of goods and services
- Growth of the small business
- Costs
Job creation
Although small firms may not individually employ many workers, together they employ a very large percentage of the working population.
New ideas from entrepreneurs
- The entrepreneurs who start up new businesses bring ideas for goods and services that increase the variety of products available.
- This helps to create a greater consumer choice in the market
More competition
- The more businesses there are in the marketplace, the greater the competition
- Competition usually results in lower prices and better quality of goods and services