Launching New Ventures: An Entrepreneurial Approach » (5th Edition)

Dr. Kathleen R. Allen is the coordinator of the Undergraduate Entrepreneur Program at the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, which was ranked by Success as the #1 Entrepreneur Program for Curriculum. She is a founding member of a commercial development firm, as well as a brokerage and a new high-technology manufacturing venture. Her expertise in new and emerging ventures, coupled with her experience in feasibility analysis and market research, has made her a valuable resource for many government agencies and businesses. In 1997, Dr. Allen was chosen as the National Spokesperson for the Microsoft Office Small Business Edition Campaign. The author of five books, she has also published numerous articles in prominent journals and magazines.

Launching New Ventures provides tomorrow's entrepreneurs with the tools to launch a successful new business in a global marketplace. The text follows the logical development process, from initial idea through drafting of the actual business plan.The Fifth Edition represents the most current thoughts, ideas, and practices in the field of entrepreneurship. Allen focuses on the pre-start-up and start-up stages of a new business, with special emphasis on the process and activities that must take place prior to opening a new business. The student-friendly material includes real-world case studies, new venture checklists, and the advice from successful entrepreneurs and the author herself. Part One introduces the foundations of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial opportunity that are important to understanding the decisions that entrepreneurs make, the environment in which they make those decisions, and the tasks they must undertake before launching a new company. Part Two addresses the heart of entrepreneurial activity—the testing of a new business concept through feasibility analysis. Part Three focuses on strategy and drafting the business plan. Part Four looks at planning for growth and change in the new organization.

Note: All chapters include Learning Objectives, a New Venture Checklist, Issues to Consider, Experiencing Entrepreneurship, and Relevant Case Studies. I. Entrepreneurial Opportunity 1. Understanding Entrepreneurship Profile 1.1 David Can Still Beat Goliath The Promise of Entrepreneurship The Nature of Entrepreneurial Start-ups Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: Salesforce.com's Culture Is About Philanthropy A Brief History of the Entrepreneurial Revolution Entrepreneurial Trends Looking Ahead: The Organization of the Book 2. Preparing for the Entrepreneurial Journey Profile 2.1 From Professor to Entrepreneur Saying Goodbye to Stereotypes Pathways to Entrepreneurship Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: CyberAngels Protecting Cyberspace Entrepreneurship as a Career Path: Challenges and Opportunities Preparing to Become an Entrepreneur Global Insights: When New Businesses Go Global 3. Recognizing and Creating Opportunity Profile 3.1 A Genius Inventor with a Passion for Life Creativity and Innovation Invention as a Creative Process Challenges to Creativity Profile 3.2 Actor Turned Entrepreneur Removing the Roadblocks to Creativity Removing the Challenges to Problem Solving Sources of Innovation Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurs Teaching the Hungry How to Feed Themselves 4. Developing a Business Model Profile 4.1 Why a Business Model Matters Developing a Business Concept The Value Chain and the Concept The Business Model Global Insights: Business Models for the Developing World II. Feasibility Analysis: Testing the Business Concept 5. Conducting a Feasibility Analysis Profile 5.1 Let Your Product Speak for You Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: Say Hello to a Green Winery Preparing for Feasibility Analysis An Overview of the Feasibility Tests Drawing Conclusions from Feasibility Analysis 6. Analyzing the Industry and Market Profile 6.1 Joaquim Splichal: Really Cooking in a Tough Industry An Overview of Industry Analysis Frameworks for Understanding Industries Analyzing an Industry Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: Having It All Characterizing the Target Market Gathering Competitive Intelligence 7. Analyzing Product/Service Risks and Benefits Profile 7.1 When Proprietary Rights Bite The Nature of Product/Process Development How Entrepreneurs Develop Products and Services Intellectual Property Global Insights: Speeding Time-to-Market 8. The Founding Team Profile 8.1 All for One and One for All Creating the Founding Team Seeking Professional Advisers Building a Board of Directors Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: Survival of the Fittest Outsourcing with Independent Contractors Drawing Conclusions from the Founding Team Assessment 9. Analyzing Start-up Financials Profile 9.1 How Much Does It Really Take to Realize a Dream? Identifying Start-up Resource Requirements Develop Estimates for Financials Global Insights: Born Global Preparing the Pro Forma Income Statement Looking Ahead to Business Plan Financials III. The Business Plan: Building a Company 10. Constructing an Effective Business Plan Profile 10.1 Anatomy of a New Business Failure From Feasible Concept to Business Plan Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: The Little Schoolhouse That Could The Business Plan: Strategy and Structure Effectively Organizing the Business Plan Successfully Presenting the Business Plan 11. Choosing the Legal Form of Organization Profile 11.1 Which Form Is Best? Making the Decision About Legal Form Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships Global Insights: China Espousing New Forms of Business Ownership Corporation Limited Liability Company The Nonprofit Corporation Choosing the Right Legal Form at Each Milestone 12. Incorporating Ethics and Social Responsibility into the Business Profile 12.1 Promoting Women Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh Ethics Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: Room to Read Social Responsibility Vision and Values Core Values and Success 13. Designing an Entrepreneurial Organization Profile 13.1 You Won't Find This Fender on a Car Organization: Understanding the Way the Business Works Global Insights: Beware of Surpirses: The Downside of Doing Business in China Location: Finding the Appropriate Business Site People: Organizing Start-up Human Resources 14. Managing Operations Profile 14.1 Capitalizing on GE's Leavings Producing Products and Services The Production Process Managing the Supply Chain Global Insights: Emerging Players in Outsourcing Warranting the Product Outsourcing to Reduce Costs 15. Developing an Entrepreneurial Marketing Plan Profile 15.1 Six Apart: Fueling the Blogging Phenomenon The Product Adoption/Diffusion Curve The Marketing Plan Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: A Turnaround That Worked Advertising and Promotion Publicity Is King Internet Marketing and New Media Personal Selling 16. Funding a Start-up Venture Profile 16.1 Nothing Happens Until Someone Sells Something Resource Strategy Global Insights: Think Small to Grow Big in Istanbul Funding Start-ups Financing with Equity Financing with Debt IV. Planning for Growth and Change 17. Funding a Rapidly Growing Venture Profile 17.1 A Growth Model for Ponds The Cost and Process of Raising Capital Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: Investing in Ocean Power The Venture Capital Market The Initial Public Offering (IPO) Growing via Strategic Alliances Valuing the Business 18. Planning for Growth Profile 18.1 One Entrepreneur's Misery Is Another's Opportunity To Grow or Not to Grow Growth Strategies Integrative Growth Strategies—Growing Within the Industry Global Insights: Surfing in China? Growing by Going Global 19. Planning for Change Profile 19.1 Taking Risk in Uncertain Times Preparing for Contingencies Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship: The Social Venture Network The Harvest Plan Dealing with Failure: Bankruptcy Case Studies Case 1 Overnite Express Case 2 Craigslist: It's About Helping Others Case 3 A-1 Lanes and the Currency Crisis of the East Asian Tigers Case 4 MySpace: The Online Reality Show Case 5 iRobot: Robots for the Home Case 6 The Crowne Inn: A Classic Case of a Family Business in Turmoil Case 7 Linksys: The Essence of Opportunity Recognition Case 8 Finagle a Bagel: Managing the Pace of Rapid Growth in a Family Business Case 9: Command Audio Case Study: Three Start-ups for the Price of One Appendix Feasibility Analysis Notes Index