Entrepreneurship: Concept and Functions

Raising start-up capital

The entrepreneurship process follows a specific sequence: Self-Discovery → Identifying Opportunities → Generating and Evaluating Ideas → Planning → Raising Start-up Capital → Start-up → Growth → Harvest. After planning (which involves research and creating a business plan), entrepreneurs need to raise start-up capital using their business plan to attract investors, venture capitalists, and partners before they can actually launch their venture.

75% to 90%

The text states that entrepreneurs spend 75% to 90% of their working time communicating with others. This high percentage shows how crucial communication is in entrepreneurship. Communication involves exchange of ideas, feelings, emotions, knowledge and information between people. Since entrepreneurs need to coordinate with employees, customers, suppliers, investors, and other stakeholders, effective communication becomes essential for business success.

Innovation can solve social problems

The Mitticool refrigerator case study shows how Mansukhbhai Prajapati's innovation solved a real social problem - providing refrigeration without electricity for rural areas with frequent power cuts. Made from clay and working on natural cooling principles, it keeps food fresh and provides clean water. This demonstrates that entrepreneurial innovation can address social needs while creating business opportunities, especially for underserved markets.

Starting a business is easy

According to Guy Kawasaki, 'Starting a business is easy' is a major myth about entrepreneurship. In reality, it is not easy at all. Most people who begin the process of starting a company fail to get one up and running. Seven years after beginning the process, only one-third of entrepreneurs have a new company with positive cash flow greater than the salary and expenses of the owner for more than three consecutive months.