Thursday, December 26, 2013

Recognizing Opportunities and Creating New Ventures

Gregory G. Dess
G. T. Lumpkin
Marilyn L. Taylor





Categories of Entrepreneurial Ventures
•         Distinctions (with strategic implications) among entrepreneurial firms
•         Size
•         Age
•         Growth goals
n  Entrepreneurial firms generally favor growth
n  Entrepreneur may sell shares to support growth
Elephants, Mice, and Gazelles
•         Elephants
•         Large
•         Older
•         Cannot change direction quickly
•         Have laid off more people than hired in past 25 years
•         Can be hard chargers
•         Can mover rapidly because of power in the marketplace
•         Command respect
•         Can influence marketplace and business conditions
Elephants, Mice, and Gazelles
•         Mice
•         Small firms that power the U.S. economy
•         Small retailers, manufacturers
•         Small service firms, auto repair shops, plumbers, restaurants
•         Don’t have much market power
•         Can change direction quickly in response to changes in business conditions
•         Many do not aspire to grow large
•         Maintain profitability
•         Some, however, aspire to grow
Elephants, Mice, and Gazelles
•         Gazelles
•         Seek rapid growth and above  average profitability
•         May be listed in the Inc. 500 or Entrepreneur Hot 100
•         Grow at least 20 percent a year for five years, from a base of at least $100,000 in revenues
•         Doubles in size during the four-year period
•         Value proposition often includes radical innovation or implementation of new technology
•         Seek growth rather than control
•         Create many jobs in the economy
Opportunity Recognition: Identifying and Developing Market Opportunities
•         Opportunities come from many sources
•         Start-ups
n  Current or past work experiences
n  Hobbies that grow into businesses or lead to inventions
n  Suggestions by friends or family
n  Chance events
n  Change
Opportunity Recognition: Identifying and Developing Market Opportunities
•         Opportunities come from many sources
•         Established firms
•         Needs of existing customers
•         Suggestions by suppliers
•         Technological developments that lead to new advances
•         Change
Opportunity Recognition Process
•         Period when you first become aware of a new business concept
•         May be spontaneous and unexpected
•         May occur as the result of deliberate search for
•         New venture projects
•         Creative solutions to business problems
•         Evaluating an opportunity (Can it be developed into a full-fledged new venture?)
•         Talk to potential target customers
•         Discuss it with production or logistics managers
•         Conduct feasibility analysis
•         Market potential
•         Product concept testing
•         Focus groups
•         Trial runs with end users
Entrepreneurial Resources
•         Major challenge for entrepreneurial firm is lack of resources
•         Money
•         Human capital
•         Social capital
•         Money (New-Venture Financing)
•         Early-stage financing
•         Personal savings, family, and friends
•         Bank financing, public financing, venture capital
•         Debt
•         Equity
•         Bootstrapping
•         Money (Going Concern)
•         Later-stage financing
•         Angel investors
•         Venture capital
•         equity financing
•         Commercial banks
•         Human capital
•         Social capital
•         Government resources
•         Small Business Administration
•         Government contracting
•         State and local governments
Entrepreneurial Leadership
•         Launching a new venture requires a special king of leadership
•         Courage
•         Belief in one’s convictions
•         Energy to work hard
•         Three characteristics
•         Vision
•         Dedication and drive
•         Commitment to excellence
•         Vision may be entrepreneur’s most important asset
•         Ability to envision realities that do not yet exist
•         Able to communicate with a wide audience
•         Willing to make unpopular decisions
•         Determined to make sure your message gets through
•         Create and implement quality systems and methods that will survive
•         Dedication and drive are reflected in hard work
•         Patience
•         Stamina
•         Willingness to work long hours
•         Internal motivation
•         Intellectual commitment to the enterprise
•         Strong enthusiasm for work and life
•         To achieve excellence, venture founders and small business owners must
•         Understand the customer
•         Provide quality products and services
•         Manage the business knowledgeably and expertly
•         Pay attention to details
•         Continuously learn
•         Surround themselves with good people
Entrepreneurial Strategy
•         Best strategy  for the enterprise will be determined to some extent by
•         Unique features of the opportunity, resources, and entrepreneur(s)
•         Other conditions in the business environment
•         Can use various tools and techniques to determine strategic choices
•         Five-forces analysis
•         Value-chain analysis
Entrepreneurial Strategy
•         Best strategy  for the enterprise will be determined to some extent by
•         Unique features of the opportunity, resources, and entrepreneur(s)
•         Other conditions in the business environment
•         Can use various tools and techniques to determine strategic choices
•         Five-forces analysis
•         Value-chain analysis
Entry Strategies
•         Getting a foothold in the market
•         Pioneering new entry
n  Creating new ways to solve old problems
n  Meeting customer’s needs in a unique new way
•         Imitative new entry
n  Strong marketing orientation
n  Introduce same basic product or service in another segment of the market
•         Adaptive new entry
n  Offer product or service that is “somewhat new and different”
n  Aware of marketplace conditions and conceive entry strategies to capitalized on current trends
Generic Strategies
•         How new ventures can achieve competitive advantages
•         Overall cost leadership
n  Simple organizational structures
n  More quickly upgrade technology and integrate feedback from the marketplace
n  Make timely decisions that affect cost
•         Differentiation
n  Use new technology
n  Deploy resources in a radical new way
•         Focus
n  Niche strategies fit the small business mold
Combination Strategies
•         A key issue is the scope of a small firm’s strategic efforts relative to those of its competitors
•         Pursue combination strategies
n  Combine best features of low-cost, differentiation, and focus strategies
n  Flexibility and quick decision-making ability of a small firm not laden with layers of bureaucracy

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