Entrepreneur

An individual who combines all the other factors of production (land, labour and capital) with the aim of establishing a profitable venture for the production of goods and services.

ROLE OF THE ENTREPRENEUR

1. Conceptualising

Coming up with an idea which they enjoy and could be profitable. The aim is to

provide something which is limited or lacking.

2. Planning

This is the overall formulation of objectives and policies of the business.

3. Accessing funds

Involves acquiring information from banks, credit unions, venture capitalist etc. on loan terms, years and repayment terms. There may also be funds from family, friends, and ones own savings.

4. Organising

Bringing together all the aspects of the production process and ensuring that everything is in place at the right time so that operations can run smoothly. Setting out tasks to be completed by various persons/entrepreneur himself.

5. Operating

Actually running the business on a daily basis

6. Evaluating the performance of the business

The monitoring of the operations and comparing it to the projections/budgets formulated. If the actual performance is below the budget, then corrective action may be taken after problem has been investigated.

N.B The entrepreneur bears all the risk of being involved in the new enterprise but is also entitled to the profits of the business.

PERSONAL TRAITS& LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF ENTREPRENEUR

1. Creative

2. Innovative

3. Flexible

4. Goal oriented

5. Persistent

6. Persevering

7. Be able to calculate risks

8. Self motivated

REASON TO START A BUSINESS

1. Financial independence

2. Wanting to be your own boss

3. Self-fulfillment

4. Self-actualization

STEPS FOR ESTABLISHING A BUSINESS

1. Conceptualisation

This is the formulation of the idea of what to produce. All business ventures begin with the conceptualization of an idea. At this initial stage the product or service idea is envisioned. Most Entrepreneurs identify a need in the market i.e. a service that is not being provided or a product that does not exist. If the product or service already exists then ideas to make improvements may be conceptualized.

2. Research

The entrepreneur is a shrewd investor and takes calculated risks. Before investing money in a business venture a market research must therefore be done to ascertain the extent of the need for the product or service. This helps to minimize losses. A market research involves gathering information about a potential market to help an investor make decisions about entering that market.

In order to remain competitive, the entrepreneur must be in touch with the consumers’ needs. One way of gathering such information is through research. There are two main types/categories of research

1. Primary Research

This includes gathering information from direct sources such as the customers themselves. Methods used to collect primary information includes:

a) sampling

b) questionnaires

c) interviews

d) observation

e) survey

2. Secondary Research

This is information gathering from what has already been compiled and documented by others. It includes: a) books

b) website information

c) newspapers

d) consumer review magazines

Why is research needed?

1. To be aware of consumer tastes and to identify if there is the need for a product

2. To find ways to improve on existing products

3. To create new products/services which are lacking

4. To find out how one’s product/service is being received or competing with others on the market.

5. To identify the target market to see if the production of a product is viable.

3. Identification of resources

What resources are needed to start the business?

If the market research is favourable the entrepreneur must now identify the necessary resources to operate business. The resources required are land, labour and capital. Land refers to location or place used to set up a business. This may be bought, rented or family home. Labour employed must be qualified and skilled to efficiently carry out their duties. Capital includes money, raw material and assets such as machinery and equipment.

4. Creation of Business plan

Preparing a business plan is very important before the start of a business. This will help the business to ascertain whether or not the business will be profitable. A business plan outlines the goals of a business and the strategies that will be employed to achieve them. This plan shows how the business will be organized, giving information on projected sales, production cost, projected profits. Usually financial institutions require that a business plan be presented when a loan is requested for business investment.

5. Acquisition of funds

There are several ways of acquiring funds to start a business. There are a myriad of financial institutions that are willing to assist small businesses once their business plans are deemed workable. The investor must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of acquiring funds from the various financial institutions. The cost of borrowing i.e. the interest rate charged and the length of the repayment period are factors to consider.

Funds may be borrowed from friends and relatives that may attract a lower or no repayment cost and a more flexible repayment schedule. Funds can also be acquired from personal savings. Encouraging partners or selling shares are ways of avoiding high costs of capital.

CAPITAL

Capital (financial capital) refers to the money that is required to start and operate the business. It can be obtained from the following sources:

· Family & friends

· Personal savings

· Lending agencies e.g. banks (commercial or development), credit union, insurance companies etc.)

· Venture capitalists

COLLATERAL

This refers to anything that may be used as a form of security, to safeguard against possible default on payment of what is owed. It is often used as a means of raising funds because it allows the lender the comfort of knowing that they will not loose if the debt is not repaid. This makes them more receptive to lending. Types of collateral include:

· Stocks/shares

· Life insurance policies which have cash values

· Title deeds to land & building (residential/commercial)

In the event that a debt cannot be paid, the items are sold to first recoup the debt and any additional funds would then be given to the individual

6. Operation of Business

Once all the necessary factors of production are in place, the business can

commence operation. A business must be efficiently operated to ensure high quality goods and service. This is important to keep existing customers and for business growth. Many companies employ an operation manager to design and oversee its operations. This person develops and manages the various processes used to create goods and services efficiently to ensure customer satisfaction.

FUNCTIONAL AREAS IN THE OPERATION OF BUSINESSES

1. Production Department

This is where the products/services are created. This is a vital department and without it there would be no business. The entrepreneur has to ensure that there are high standards and control measures to ensure that products/services are always of a consistently high standard. Problems in this department could cause the business to fail.

2. Marketing

This department is responsible for making customers aware of the product and getting feedback on customers’ reactions and needs. This department is also involved with determining packaging, distribution and promotion of the products. Without proper marketing, consumers may not be aware of a business’ products even if they are of excellent quality.

3. Finance

All the aspects of accounts are dealt with e.g. accounts payable, receivable, payment of wages & salaries, purchasing of raw materials etc. This department provides information to show whether expenditure is exceeding income. Without proper financial records, the entrepreneur will not be able to determine the profitability of the business or if corrective measures are to be taken to reduce losses.

4. Legal Department

This department advises the entrepreneur as to the legal requirements of operations e.g. contracts, paying of taxes (employee, corporate, VAT etc), acquiring licenses, registration, trademark, copyrights etc. It is also the duty of those in the legal department to advise and or represent the business in issues in court.

5. Research & development (R & D)

This is the “idea generation” department. Their job is to come up with new and

innovative products and services before the competition to gain market share. They may also improve on current products to mean changing consumers’ needs.

PLANNING

When setting up a business planning is of great importance for the following reasons

1. Plans act as a check point to compare actual to budgeted performance

2. Planning gives the entrepreneur something to strive towards.

3. Information found in plans maybe used by lending agencies to see the future profitability and viability

of the organization.

4. Short term plans may be broken down into tasks to be completed

Types of Plans

1. Short term plans

These plans are done daily/weekly or monthly, depending on the nature of the

business. These plans maybe made by low level management or supervisors. They usually relate to day to day operations.

2. Medium term plans

These are usually done every six months to a year by mid-level management

3. Long term plans

These give projections of what the organization wants to do over the future five to

ten years. Planning at this level is carried out by top level management. From these overall plans, short term and mediums term goals and plans can be created.

N.B. Please note that depending on the size of the organization, all three levels of planning can be carried out by one or two persons.

RULES FOR CONDUCTING BUSINESS

Within each business environment, whether local, regional or global, there are rules for

conducting business e.g.

Local

· Business which are incorporated must first register with the registrar of companies which require

M.O.A

Articles of Association

Audited reports

Disclosure of shares

Name, location of business etc.

· Corporation tax must be paid

· Employees’ N.I.S and income tax must be paid

· Licenses and health certificates are needed for selling alcohol or food respectively

· Professionals(lawyers, doctors, architects, engineers etc.) must register with their professional bodies and must be controlled/governed by their rules

Regional

· How would CARICOM and CSME affect the operation of one’s business

· Some countries may have bi-lateral agreements which may affect the business environment

Global

How will globalization affect the business environment

· Now that the world is being viewed as one large market, the traditional ways/rules applying to business are now changing e.g.

1. no more preferential treatment

2. increase in requirements in areas such as labeling of goods showing

3. ingredients, nutritional value and calories etc.

4. greater rules relating to environment protection

OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES OF TYPES OF ORGANISATION

The more popular business types which an entrepreneur may choose to operate under are as follows:

· Sole Trader

· Partnership

· Company

Each of the above will be faced with various challenges and opportunities. For each of the elements stated below explain how they can be seen as an opportunity or challenge for each type of organisation:

1. Customer service/personal relationship with clients

2. Profits

3. Decision making

4. Creativity

5. Financing

6. Cost of raw materials

7. Overall cost of production

8. Competition

9. Death/ removal of entrepreneur

10. Specialisation of tasks/ access to skilled personnel

ETHICAL & LEGAL ISSUES FACING BUSINESS/ENTREPRENEUR

1. Advertising

Ensure that products do what they say on the commercial e.g. if a good is suppose to take out stains, it should actually do the job.

2. Safety

Products should be free from defects and should not cause harm to users in the natural course of their use.

3. Taxation

Taxes and other deductions legally required by government should be paid e.g. personal income tax, corporation tax, VAT, N.I.S etc.

4. Environmental Issues

· Ensure that production does not pollute the environment e.g. if production produces smoke, make sure that you locate away from residential areas or make sure that there is a filter on the smoke stack.

· Dispose of waste correctly

· Reduce noises to acceptable levels

5. Production

Ensure that the raw materials used to produce items are of good quality and that ingredients are clearly stated to reduce harm.

CONSEQUENCES OF UNETHICAL & ILLEGAL PRACTICES

1. Withholding taxes is cheating the government of vital revenue which can be used to improve the economy. It usually attracts penalties/fines.

2. Improper waste disposal leads to pollutions

3. Misleading ads. which are unfair and fraudulent on the population may be brought before a fair trading commission /consumer protection agency and in some cases the law courts.

4. In order to “clean” money made through illegal activity, money laundering may occur. The money passes through a legitimate business so that it cannot be traced.

5. Lawsuits may arise if products cause illness/death.

6. A decrease in sales/profits as word spreads about unethical/illegal practices.