{"id":378,"date":"2015-04-21T20:53:18","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T20:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/masterybusiness1xngcxmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=378"},"modified":"2024-05-03T15:34:14","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T15:34:14","slug":"putting-it-together-entrepreneurship","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontobusiness\/chapter\/putting-it-together-entrepreneurship\/","title":{"raw":"Putting It Together: Entrepreneurship","rendered":"Putting It Together: Entrepreneurship"},"content":{"raw":"We began this module by considering the contributions of entrepreneurs not only to the economy but to our daily lives. Reflecting on what you have learned in this module, think for a moment about how far entrepreneurs\u00a0have taken us, our economy, and the world. From the Wright Brothers who owned a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio...\r\n\r\n\"the\r\n\r\n. . . to this video of a modern day airplane.\r\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/b2xYwVOJB-U<\/p>\r\nYou can view the\u00a0transcript for \"Plans for Space Tourism\" (opens in new window)<\/a>\u00a0or text alternative for \"Plans for Space Tourism\" (opens in new window).<\/a>\r\n

Summary<\/h2>\r\nEntrepreneurs are the rockstars of the business world. However, as entrepreneur and venture capitalist Mark Suster notes, being an entrepreneur is only sexy for those who aren\u2019t entrepreneurs. The reality is \u201cit\u2019s gritty, tough work where you will be filled with self-doubt. Entrepreneurs are survivors.\u201d In a Forbes interview, serial entrepreneur and Dopple Cofounder Chao Wang echoed that sentiment, noting that behind the social media scenes\u2014what interviewer and fellow entrepreneur Carrie Kerpen terms \u201chustlebrags\u201d\u2014\u201cis the unglamorous nuts and bolts of building a company.\u201d The flip side is that working for someone else can also be gritty, tough work\u2014without the ownership upside (or glory).\r\n\r\nMany people consider working for someone else\u2014the \u201cguarantee\u201d of a weekly or biweekly pay check\u2014as the less risky option. Risk is relative. During the last (\u201cGreat\u201d) recession, officially from December 2007 to June 2009, financial institutions and automotive manufacturers were bailed out, but 8.7 million people lost their jobs, approximately eight million homes were foreclosed on, 2.5 million businesses closed, food insecurity spiked, and income inequality grew to a level not seen since the Great Depression. Perhaps the most significant statistic: 95% percent of the gains from economic recovery since 2009 have gone to the top 1% of earners. On the risk point, legendary investor and Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffet comments: \"if you think being an entrepreneur is risky, try working for someone else for 40 years and living off social security.\"\r\n\r\nThere\u2019s an essential difference between someone who is looking for a job and someone who wants to start a business. Entrepreneurship isn\u2019t so much a choice as a compulsion. LISNR CEO and Co-founder Rodney Williams cites \u201csheer ambition\u201d as his driver, a desire to test his grit and a belief that he could \u201cdo something great... So I did.\u201d\r\n\r\nFor those who are flirting with the idea of entrepreneurship, there are a multitude of assessments and articles on the best time or place or age to become an entrepreneur. All good perspective, but trying to time an entrepreneurial bid is a bit like trying to time the market. The only things that have proven to improve the odds of a successful start-up are planning\u2014specifically, developing a business plan that reflects economic, personal, and marketing realities\u2014and experience.\r\n\r\nTo the latter point, Wang mentions in her interview that she had originally considered attending business school but found \u201cactually building companies was so much more educational and gratifying.\u201d Her closing advice: \u201cJust get started\u2014it\u2019s never the perfect time. It\u2019s always going to feel scary. And detach your sense of accomplishment, happiness, and self-worth from how productive you are, or how fast your company is growing, or whatever OKRs or KPIs that seem hugely important. I\u2019ve always placed high importance on loving the process\u2014I\u2019m excited by the day-to-day challenges versus just finding happiness in reaching the milestones.\u201d\r\n
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Additional Resources<\/h3>\r\nThe Small Business Administration Website<\/a> has a wealth of resources for starting entrepreneurial ventures in the U.S.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

References<\/h2>\r\nZwilling, Martin. \"A New Era For Entrepreneurs And Startups Has Begun.\" Forbes. December 25, 2013. Accessed June 14, 2019. https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/martinzwilling\/2013\/12\/25\/a-new-era-for-entrepreneurs-and-startups-has-begun<\/a>.\r\n\r\nPatel, Sujan. \"25 Cities Worth Moving to If You Want to Launch a Business.\" Entrepreneur. August 20, 2015. Accessed June 14, 2019. https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/slideshow\/307581<\/a>.\r\n\r\nGallo, Carmine. \"New Studies Reveal the Ideal Age to Start a Business, and It's Not in Your 20s.\" Inc.com. February 14, 2018. Accessed June 14, 2019. https:\/\/www.inc.com\/carmine-gallo\/new-studies-reveal-ideal-age-to-start-a-business-its-not-in-your-twenties.html<\/a>.","rendered":"

We began this module by considering the contributions of entrepreneurs not only to the economy but to our daily lives. Reflecting on what you have learned in this module, think for a moment about how far entrepreneurs\u00a0have taken us, our economy, and the world. From the Wright Brothers who owned a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio…<\/p>\n

\"the<\/p>\n

. . . to this video of a modern day airplane.<\/p>\n