Launching New Ventures

LAUNCHING NEW VENTURES, 8e provides tomorrow''s entrepreneurs with the tools to launch a successful new business in a global marketplace today. When you have completed this book and its activities, you will not be able to make a wise decision about whether entrepreneurship is for you, you will have learned and practiced the skills and tools needed for success. Even if you decide that entrepreneurship is not for you, the skills and tools you will have acquired will be valuable in any career you choose because every career is associated with business. You will find that the book has a journalistic style, so it’s very readable. And with the new inline digital activities, you’ll be able to break up your reading with a learning activity to reinforce what you’ve read. Part One introduces the foundations of entrepreneurship and helps you understand the entrepreneur’s journey including the kinds of decisions that entrepreneurs make. It also explains the opportunity creation process and the tasks that you must undertake before starting a business. Part Two addresses the heart of entrepreneurial activity -- the development and testing of a new business model through feasibility analysis. Here you will learn the tools and skills needed to validate an opportunity, build a founding team, and estimate startup requirements. Part Three focuses on the planning that goes into designing an effective, scalable startup organization including a marketing plan. It also addresses the key topics of ethics, social responsibility, and the legal form of organization. Part Four looks at planning for growth and change in your new organization and includes growth funding, growth strategies, accessing the public markets, and planning for harvest and exit.