2. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
The EntrepreneurThe Entrepreneur
• The entrepreneur is our visionary, theThe entrepreneur is our visionary, the
creator in each of us. We're born with thatcreator in each of us. We're born with that
quality and it defines our lives as wequality and it defines our lives as we
respond to what we see, hear, feel, andrespond to what we see, hear, feel, and
experience. It is developed, nurtured, andexperience. It is developed, nurtured, and
given space to flourish or is squelched,given space to flourish or is squelched,
thwarted, without air or stimulation, andthwarted, without air or stimulation, and
dies.dies. - Michael Gerber- Michael Gerber
Author of “The E-Myth Revisited”Author of “The E-Myth Revisited”
3. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurship is
Applied Scouting
• Know Yourself
• Opportunity Identification,
Evaluation, and
Execution: Ready – Fire –
Aim
Requirement 1
5. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Starting a BusinessStarting a Business
• Opportunity CostOpportunity Cost
– Example: Quit your job to start your ownExample: Quit your job to start your own
companycompany
• Opportunity cost is your current salaryOpportunity cost is your current salary
• RiskRisk
– Financial lossFinancial loss
– Livelihood of employeesLivelihood of employees
Requirement 1
6. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
• Entrepreneurship is not as RISKY as some
would have you believe.
– Myth – 90% of businesses fail in 5 years
– Truth – 80% of Businesses Succeed
• You can systematically improve the probability
of your succeeding as an entrepreneur
Requirement 1
Starting a BusinessStarting a Business
7. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Roles and ContributionsRoles and Contributions
• Elephant, Mice, and Gazelles
• Economic Development
– SME represent 99% of all employers and
provide 75% of all new jobs.
• Providing for People’s Needs & Wants
• Providing most innovations
Requirement 1
8. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Opportunity IdentificationOpportunity Identification
• N-E-W-S
• Every Problem is an Opportunity
– Find the angle
– Pain, Pleasure
WOW
Requirement 3
9. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Identifying OpportunitiesIdentifying Opportunities
• Opportunities exist all around us.Opportunities exist all around us.
– Not all opportunities are worth pursuing.Not all opportunities are worth pursuing.
• Compile a list of possible opportunities.Compile a list of possible opportunities.
• Do not evaluate opportunities until afterDo not evaluate opportunities until after
compiling a list of possibilities.compiling a list of possibilities.
Requirement 3
13. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Evaluating OpportunitiesEvaluating Opportunities
• Evaluate to determine whether anEvaluate to determine whether an
opportunity is right for you.opportunity is right for you.
– Have the interestHave the interest
– Get the knowledgeGet the knowledge
– Question yourselfQuestion yourself
Requirement 4
14. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Feasibility StudiesFeasibility Studies
• Business
– Technical (Good or Service)
– Market
– Financial
– Human Resources (Personnel)
Requirement 4
15. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Technical FeasibilityTechnical Feasibility
• Good or Service
– Simple
– Observable
– Understandable
Requirement 4
16. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Target CustomerTarget Customer
• Who is the Perfect Client?
• How Many Clients Are There?
• Try to get a feel for…Try to get a feel for…
– Whether they would be interested in your product.Whether they would be interested in your product.
– How much they would pay for your product?How much they would pay for your product?
– How much of your product are they willing to buy?How much of your product are they willing to buy?
– Ideas that can improve your idea.Ideas that can improve your idea.
• If you have a prototype of your productIf you have a prototype of your product
you should show it to potential customers.you should show it to potential customers.
17. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
There are three levels of a product
1. Product or Service – What it is.
2. Features – What it has.
3. The Benefits – What does it do for my
customer.
Product
Features
Benefits
Product/Service VisionProduct/Service Vision
What are we selling?What are we selling?
Requirement 4
Don’t Be A Feature CreatureDon’t Be A Feature Creature
18. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
CustomersCustomers
• Part of evaluating opportunities might includePart of evaluating opportunities might include
interviewing potential customers.interviewing potential customers.
• Try to get a feel for…Try to get a feel for…
– Whether they would be interested in your product.Whether they would be interested in your product.
– How much they would pay for your product?How much they would pay for your product?
– How much of your product are they willing to buy?How much of your product are they willing to buy?
– Ideas that can improve your idea.Ideas that can improve your idea.
• If you have a prototype of your product youIf you have a prototype of your product you
should show it to potential customers.should show it to potential customers.
Requirement 4
19. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Financial FeasibilityFinancial Feasibility
• Budget
– Start-Up Costs & Operating Costs
– Fixed Costs & Variable Costs
• Financial Model
– Profit & Loss Statement - Am I going make money?
– Cash Flows - When will I make money?
Requirement 4
20. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
600600
500500
400400
300300
200200
100100
1010 2020 3030 5050 6060
Fixed ExpensesFixed Expenses
Profit AreaProfit Area
Breakeven PointBreakeven Point
SalesSales
Total CostsTotal Costs
Loss AreaLoss Area
Unit SalesUnit Sales
Expenses(thousandsofdollars)Expenses(thousandsofdollars)
Requirement 4
Break Even AnalysisBreak Even Analysis
21. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Financial FeasibilityFinancial Feasibility
• Finding the Money
– Personal Savings
– Love Money
– D &D
– Angels
• Bootstrapping
Requirement 4
22. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Human Resource FeasibilityHuman Resource Feasibility
• The Entrepreneur’s “SWOT”
S – Strengths
W – Weaknesses
O – Opportunities
T - Threats
• Mentoring
• Outsource
Requirement 4
23. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Interview an EntrepreneurInterview an Entrepreneur
Requirement 2
ChapmanChapman
EnochEnoch
24. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Start a BusinessStart a Business
• Do a Good Turn Daily
– Any service can be turned into a business opportunity
• During the next two weeks do the following
– Pick an idea & ask others about it
• Write about what you are going to do
– Do Feasibility Study on idea
– Promote your Business
• Make promotional materials
• Advertise your business
– Start your Business
– Bring back Evidence
Requirement 6
25. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
Show Me The MoneyShow Me The Money
• Option #1
– Sketch Prototype
– Write Detailed Description
• Option #2
– Create a Prototype
– Write about Creation
– Materials list
• Option #3
– Design a Promotional Poster or Flier
• Option #4
– Proforma Income Statement
– Describe Assumptions
Choose 2
Requirement 5
26. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
HomeworkHomework
• Finish Requirement #3 d & e
• Do Requirement #4 – all four sections
• Do Requirement #5 – Do 2
• Do Requirement #6 – Start a business
• You can download files from
www.AddOptions.org/merit-badge
27. BYU Merit Badge PowWow
RememberRemember
If your mind can conceive it,
and your heart can believe it,
then you can achieve it!
&
An Opportunity is
Hard Work and Preparation
Mixed with
a Vision and Passion
Editor's Notes
BYU/UVSC Merit Badge PowWow
October 27 & November 10, 2007
UVSC Classroom – WB109
Other Merit Badges – Communications, Personal Management, Public Speaking, Salesmanship
Entrepreneurs always think they are very smart when they have money, but often they get cocky and need a disaster to remind them how “smart” they really are.
Learn from others mistakes
Know your strengths and weaknesses. Play to your strengths and team up on your weaknesses.
Work Hard & Play Hard
A Specialist always beats a Generalist
Success and Failure are both highly overrated
ADD – Focus is inconsistent, Successful because focus comes with passion, Need Balance to survive
Know your strengths and weaknesses. Play to your strengths and team up on your weaknesses.
Which horse should you buy? Depends on the purpose
Quarter horse = short distance and quick turns
Thoroughbred = strength for harder work
Arabian = Stamina & Energy for long distances
Do what you love, know what you love, so you can know what you do
Opportunity cost: the opportunities not taken or given up in order to pursue a course of action.
When quitting your current job in order to start your own company; Opportunity Cost = your current salary
Most entrepreneurs are risking severe financial loss if their idea is unsuccessful.
In many cases they are also risking the livelihood of their employees.
Entrepreneur is spelled R-I-S-K
Elephant = Big business (500+ employees)
Mice = small owner managed business (less than 5 employees)
Gazelles = fast growing (5-5000 employees) create more jobs than big business loses
Utah has been ranked #1 for entrepreneurs starting businesses
Provo/Orem is ranked first in the state
Just released Inc500 –
#2 uSight is in Orem & owned by 27 yr old Brandt Andersen with 2003 Revenue at $27.6 million and 65 Employees.
Robert Bennett, a former Inc. 500 CEO who now serves as a senator from Utah, was easily re-elected to another term yesterday. But in New Hampshire, first-term Gov. Craig Benson, the founder of the now defunct Inc. 500 company Cabletron, was bounced out of office. The Associated Press quoted Benson as saying, "I believe in fate. What's meant to be is meant to be. I'm an entrepreneur. I see opportunities in everything."
BOOKS – The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
Love is the Killer App by Tim Saunders
Surprise is the “WOW” factor
Opportunity Costs – the next best alternative which you gave up
The Challenge is to find solutions to what people want
Book for ideas at ftp://ftp.business.uvsc.edu/ceoclub
Before deciding on a specific opportunity an entrepreneur should compile a list of possible opportunities.
Think of every problem, need, want, event, or new possibility that you can.
70% of new ideas come from ideas conceived at previous employment
Entrepreneurs are Strategic Thinkers, Planners, and Analysts
Adversity weeds out the fearful and refines entrepreneurs
Slight variations are 94% successful as compared to 30% success for wildly new ideas
Finding an opportunity does not mean you should automatically pursue it. Evaluate it to determine whether it is the right opportunity for you.
Pick something that you are interested in personally. If you are not interested in what you are doing, you may be limiting how well you can or how long you want to do it.
Do you know enough about it to pursue this opportunity? The more you know about the opportunity, the greater the chance of success. Learn all you can about your opportunity.
Will your idea allow you to compete successfully? Would enough people actually be willing to purchase your product or service? What risks are there for competition? How expensive will it be to pursue this opportunity?
Be honest with yourself. You may have a good idea, but if your research shows that you cannot be successful, change or abandon your idea.
If your product depends on you educating people why they want it, then watch out
Know Your Customer
Not Everyone is your customer and Not all your customers are like yourself.
Sell the sizzle not the steak
Sample questions to ask potential customers:
Do you like my business idea? Why or why not?
Would you be willing to buy my business product? Why or why not?
At what price would you be willing to buy one unit of my business product?
How many units would you be willing to buy at alternative prices? (List possible alternative prices, from high to low.)
Do you think my business product is better than that of my competitors? Why or why not?
Do you think this product or service will be too expensive to produce or provide?
What could I do to improve my business product that would encourage you to buy more or pay a higher price for the same product or service?
Do you think the market for my business product will last long enough for it to be worth my starting a business?
The biggest challenge for most entrepreneurs
The devil is in the details
Industry Ratios
Excel templates at ftp://ftp.business.uvsc.edu/ceoclub
The biggest challenge for most entrepreneurs
The devil is in the details
Industry Ratios
Excel templates at ftp://ftp.business.uvsc.edu/ceoclub
Who is going to do the work?
You
Employees
Outsource
NICE - Mentorship
E-Myth
Technician – Does the work
Manager – Organizes the work
Entrepreneur – Envisions the work
Work in the Business or Work on the Business
Raking Leaves
Cleaning Gutters
Pre-paid snow shoveling
Tree trimming
Paint house
If you want a job or want to find out if a job is what you would want to do, work for free.
You gain skills, experience, and insight to become better focused on your goals.
Week 1 – Requirements 1, 2, 3 abc
Introduce Feasibility Studies (4)
Week 2 – Requirements 3de, 4, 5 (choose 2), 6
Week 3 – 10 Truths Entrepreneurs Violate at their own risk
Basic Web Business Elements
Business Planning (4, 5 – especially option 4)
Report, Review, Sign Cards