2.6 Unit Summary
2.1 Overview of the Entrepreneurial Journey
As you prepare for your journey into entrepreneurship, it is critical to consider the multiple aspects associated with preparing for, experiencing, and completing a journey unique to you. The key is an honest and introspective assessment of how you can make a journey that brings your desired outcomes and results. The seven steps outlined in this section will provide you with a perspective of what you might encounter on your entrepreneurial venture.
2.2 The Process of Becoming an Entrepreneur
The entrepreneurial process provides a flexible guideline for launching a venture with an individualized approach. This process should be a fluid, not static, exercise that adjusts to market needs and demands until you achieve an appropriate fit to reap the rewards of your investment. The material in this section will be covered in greater depth as you progress through the rest of the chapters. For now, gaining a perspective on the entire process provides you with a background understanding of what an entrepreneurial venture involves, from ideation through creating the venture to harvesting the venture with the potential to begin the process all over again with a new idea.
2.3 Entrepreneurial Pathways
Your pathway to entrepreneurship might arise out of necessity, opportunity, or a combination of situations. Being open to the idea of becoming an entrepreneur provides you with the potential to identify a unique opportunity that fits your interests and goals. Entrepreneurs learn to recognize when an opportunity presents itself and how and when it fits with their goals and dreams.
2.4 Frameworks to Inform Your Entrepreneurial Path
You can connect your background, training, and discipline with your entrepreneurial pathway by using frameworks that capture your developmental activities. To achieve your goals, you need some type of plan that outlines the steps you need to take to reach them. Just as there are many types of ventures, there are many versions and types of plans and tools that can assist you in developing the plan that best fits you. As more global issues and opportunities continue to arise, many different types of entrepreneurs have emerged, offering innovative solutions. The diversity of entrepreneurial types provides unique niches for opportunities that might not fit the mainstream or traditional route to entrepreneurial success.