The pathway to bringing laboratory discoveries to market is poorly understood and generally new to many academics. This book serves as an easy-to-read roadmap for translating technology to a product launch guiding university faculty and graduate students on launching a start-up company. Addresses a growing trend of academic faculty commercializing their discoveries, especially those supported by the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health Offers faculty a pathway and easy-to-follow steps towards determining whether their discovery / idea / technology is viable from a business perspective, as well as how to execute the necessary steps to create and launch a start-up company Has a light-hearted and accessible style of a step-by-step guide to help graduate students, post-docs, and faculty learn how to go about spinning out their research from the lab Includes interviews by faculty in the disciplines of materials science, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, information technology, energy, and mechanical devices offering tips and discussing potential pitfalls to be avoided

The Changing Global Economy and its Impact on International Entrepreneurship addresses different changes and challenges that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) face in an economy where they need to compete at home and cannot refrain from participating in international markets. Contributors examine diverse SMEs that have succeeded in the face of adversity. They offer a combination of practical strategies and efficient tactics, grounded in solid theory and research, for firms in different competitive industries. This volume presents a collection of 12 carefully selected chapters that highlight challenging real-world cases to illustrate a variety of difficult problems. The editors present an analytical framework with three levels of analysis - entrepreneurial level, firm level, and institutional level - to document comprehensive, realistic and experientially-based entrepreneurial initiatives, potent firm and public policy strategies and informative and applicable results. The interactive structural design of this book offers progressively higher levels of analysis and incisive lessons, which make it perfect for academics interested in the rich range of theories, methodologies and topics surrounding SMEs' internationalization processes. Its analysis will also inform management and effective policy formulation for entrepreneurs, managers, and policymakers.

Great user experiences (UX) are essential for products today, but designing one can be a lengthy and expensive process. With this practical, hands-on book, you'll learn how to do it faster and smarter using Lean UX techniques. UX expert Laura Klein shows you what it takes to gather valuable input from customers, build something they'll truly love, and reduce the time it takes to get your product to market. No prior experience in UX or design is necessary to get started. If you're an entrepreneur or an innovator, this book puts you right to work with proven tips and tools for researching, identifying, and designing an intuitive, easy-to-use product. Determine whether people will buy your product before you build it Listen to your customers throughout the product's lifecycle Understand why you should design a test before you design a product Get nine tools that are critical to designing your product Discern the difference between necessary features and nice-to-haves Learn how a Minimum Viable Product affects your UX decisions Use A/B testing in conjunction with good UX practices Speed up your product development process without sacrificing quality

Reed Hastings is one of the world's foremost business leaders. As co-founder, chairman and CEO of Netflix, he has built one of the largest media and entertainment companies on the planet, with an estimated personal net worth of $3.6 billion. A notable philanthropist, he has served on the boards of a number of non-profit organisations as well as Facebook and Microsoft. This concise but detailed biography provides an overview of Hastings' career trajectory. From his unique management style to the biggest mistakes he has made along the way, to the reasons behind his decision to take Netflix from a business that dealt with products (rental DVDs) to a technology company that focuses on streaming, Burgess sheds light on Hastings' success and looks to what the future may bring for him and his ventures. Aspirational and positive, this is the perfect book for those looking for a concise and accessible account of a true global business visionary.

Entrepreneurial Business and Society analyses contemporary research in the field of entrepreneurship and small business and explores the interplay between the entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial firm and society. The contributors highlight that entrepreneurship may also contribute to social change and that welfare and success could be measured in terms of their effect on society. Topics explored throughout the volume are the promotion of entrepreneurial businesses, entrepreneurial people and entrepreneurial sectors. The book will prove invaluable for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of entrepreneurship and small business. Entrepreneurship and small business researchers as well as policy makers will also find plenty of relevant information in this important resource.

This important book identifies the current developments within entrepreneurship that are characterized by conceptual richness and methodological diversity. It presents the latest developments of topics such as the entrepreneurial mindset, culture and values as well as advances in entrepreneurship education and development. The contributors open the field for methodological renewal by introducing the current state of and opportunities for explorative research in entrepreneurship. Researchers, practitioners and policymakers will find the research in this book both innovative and refreshing, which will be particularly useful for those looking to renew their practices. It will also provide academics with some new ideas to adopt in their teaching and research in order to help their students to acquire entrepreneurial competences.

A new brand of entrepreneurs has arrived on the business scene, carrying with them a whole new set of values. They possess a sense of mission ? to be socially responsible, protect the planet, and do the right thing for all of their stakeholders. Rather than focus exclusively on financial gain, they aim to achieve a balance between profits and one or more causes of their choosing. In fact, they view for-profit entrepreneurship as a vehicle for social change. The authors call these pioneers "values-centered" entrepreneurs.

Some of the values-centered entrepreneurs have been around a few decades. In recent years, however, the numbers have proliferated and the nascent movement has started to make a true impact. These entrepreneurs? approach to management questions our basic assumptions about how businesses should be run and what their role should be in society.

Several of these entrepreneurs have attained high visibility. Yvon Chouinard of sportswear manufacturer Patagoina has been a role model for integrating environmental protection to every aspect of Patagonia's business operation. Howard Schultz of Starbucks has been able to build one of the strongest brands in the world while being the first retailer to offer comprehensive health benefits and stock options to its part-time employees. Paul Newman, legendary actor and racecar driver as well as a leading maker of salad dressings, gives 100% of Newman's Own brand's profits to charity.

This book explores how these highly unorthodox leaders have built their profitable and socially responsible business enterprises, and what lessons can be learned for the next generation of entrepreneurs. The authors examine a group of over 40 entrepreneurial companies and how each balanced the profit objective with social responsibility in key aspects of their business operation ? from their initial company formation, through growth, to exit ? to build successful triple bottom-line companies. Choi and Gray particularly focus on how these firms? commitment to values affected their company missions, hiring and organizational policies, marketing strategies, financial practices, exit options, and giving programs, and vice versa. In some cases, the authors find that the entrepreneurs? social objectives have actually strengthened, not weakened, their business enterprises. Based on their extensive studies of these companies, he authors have distilled a set of commonalities. The book presents ten of the most dominant and interesting of these commonalities with a focus on those policies and decisions that appeared to depart from conventional business practice.

In addition to devoting chapters to each of the core principles learned from these companies, the authors also include in-depth case studies of four of the ventures featured in their study.

Second tier high-tech regions are taking a different path than their well-known counterparts such as Silicon Valley or Route 128 around Boston. They may lack many prerequisites of growth such as a world-class research university or high levels of venture capital funding. Often, however, they can successfully leverage anchor firms and entrepreneurial spinoffs. This book explores the evolution of these regions in the United States. The author critically examines how they evolved as knowledge-based economies, how they leveraged entrepreneurship and innovation, and ultimately how they employed public policy to support economic growth. Filling a gap in the literature, the book speaks to researchers and policymakers across the fields of entrepreneurship, economic geography and economic development planning. Entrepreneurship researchers will find this book interesting because it focuses on the role of new venture creation in regional economic development.

One entrepreneur's journey and personal stories of success, complexity, and perseverance that will help up-and-coming entrepreneurs build their business, think differently, and employ unique approaches and strategies in their business and personal endeavors. This is a book for entrepreneurs who have experienced frustration and angst and also for those who have felt the thrill of victory - a must read for all small business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives alike. Jay Rodgers knows business! After decades of success as an entrepreneur building multi-million dollar companies and creating multi-million dollar deals, Rodgers decided to give back and devote his time and resources to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses and create more private sector jobs. One of his best lessons, "Entrepreneurs Ask" ignites leaders at all stages to carry on and push forward towards their Entrepreneurial dreams.

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. Edited by Alain Fayolle, this Research Agenda tackles the need for additional and robust intellectual foundations in entrepreneurship education, both at theoretical and methodological levels. The authors show that it is essential to connect entrepreneurship education more firmly with societal demands. Identifying two key issues, the eminent authors first question what the current pedagogies and practices in entrepreneurship education are. Secondly, the authors question what is known about the relevancy, usefulness and efficiency of the current practices in entrepreneurship education. This book calls for a pragmatic and critical approach in the development of perspectives in entrepreneurship education. This book presents innovative ideas and provocative contributions to the debate with the intention of generating significant new concepts for future researchers, policy makers and practitioners in entrepreneurship.

This engaging textbook offers a modern perspective on all that is essential to know about entrepreneurship. It will prove required reading for both lecturers and undergraduate and Masters students on upper-level entrepreneurship courses. Bjoern Bjerke covers all kinds of aspects of entrepreneurship including the history of the subject, our modern entrepreneurial society, local community development, entrepreneurship in different national cultures and women as entrepreneurs. He addresses some theoretical developments, and considers a narrow and a broad view of entrepreneurship, rational and natural entrepreneurial start-ups and entrepreneurship in space and place. At the end of every chapter, there are numerous 'Think' questions and a practice case, which may be useful when studying the subject alone or when teaching it. There are online resources for teachers to support the text.

The second edition of Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy provides entirely new insights into a number of the leading issues surrounding the teaching of entrepreneurship and the building of entrepreneurship programs. Prepared under the auspices of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), this book features fifteen scholarly perspectives on a range of entrepreneurship education issues. This 2016 edition spans topics ranging from methods for teaching creatively and the value of the lean startup methodology to empirical insights into whether or not entrepreneurship education changes minds. Five premier universities and the key aspects of their superlative entrepreneurship programs are reviewed. In addition, contributors highlight a number of individual innovations that have changed the way entrepreneurship is taught and the manner in which entrepreneurial behavior is facilitated. This book offers an introduction to innovative practices in facilitating entrepreneurial learning both inside and outside the classroom as it investigates critical issues in designing, implementing and assessing experiential learning techniques within entrepreneurship. This timely book uncovers new horizons in the development of entrepreneurship education for students, university campuses, communities and economies. Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy - 2016 is a must-have book for any entrepreneurship professor, scholar or program director across the US.

Currently, very little academic research exists on the intersection of entrepreneurship and philanthropy. This unique Handbook fills that gap, exploring how and why entrepreneurs who drive success in the for-profit world become engaged in philanthropy. Top scholars in the fields of family business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy explore the many facets of this fascinating subject. These expert contributors explore an exciting new field of research on entrepreneur philanthropists who have generated wealth through the creation and development of their own business enterprises. The book offers a broad overview of entrepreneurship and philanthropy, along with a focus on specific groups of entrepreneur philanthropists (including women, Black Americans, multi-generational family companies and technology entrepreneurs) and a selection of case studies from around the world. This pioneering Handbook will appeal to scholars in the fields of business, entrepreneurship, nonprofit and philanthropic studies, public policy and administration, as well as practitioners and policymakers with an interest in the practical aspects of entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

Stressed and unhappy at work, Celia Gaze thought to herself one day: "Surely there must be more to life than this?" She resigned from her high-powered health management role and started transforming a neglected farm into an award-winning wedding venue. She faced nearly every type of challenge an entrepreneur can face - tribunals, near bankruptcy, court hearings, staff issues, system problems - and survived to tell the tale. But the moment that transformed her business from a struggle to a success was the moment she put a bow tie on a llama. Everyone thought she was crazy - why on earth would you do that? But it turns out that the 'crazy' ideas are often the ones that change your life. This book is a roadmap for uncovering your crazy idea and implementing it. From the pitfalls and problems to the practical details of making your idea happen, this is a roadmap for anyone who wants more out of life.

Walking you step by step through a complete "life cycle" of a firm, ENTREPRENEURIAL FINANCE, 6e, vividly explains the theories, knowledge, and corporate finance tools and techniques you need to start, build, and eventually harvest a successful entrepreneurial venture. Extremely reader friendly, the text includes a strong emphasis on sound financial management practices as it explores how to secure financing, use business cash flow models, and strategically positioning your early-stage company. It also teaches you how to effectively interact with financial institutions and regulatory agencies that can affect venture growth and enable liquidity for investors. Based on real-life entrepreneurial ventures and common financial scenarios, numerous examples, mini-cases and even in-depth capstone cases bring to life such key concepts as venture capital funds, institutional investors, strategic alliances, the role of business angels, licensing agreements, exit strategies, and more.

Entrepreneurship generally is about creative organizing but with social enterprising this is especially so. Most social ventures cross the boundaries between the private, the public and the non-profit/voluntary sectors. This broad involvement of actors and intertwining of sectors makes the label 'societal' entrepreneurship appropriate. Stating the importance of both the local and the broader societal context, the book reports close-up studies from a variety of social ventures. Generic themes include positioning societal entrepreneurship against other images of collective entrepreneurship, critically penetrating its assumptions and practices and proposing ways of promoting societal entrepreneurship more widely. Providing a new conceptual framework and research methodology, this compendium will prove insightful for academic scholars. The basic concepts and illustrative cases/stories will also appeal to students and reflective practitioners.

"Nathan's Famous: The First 100 Years of America's Favorite Frankfurter Company" chronicles the history and business strategies of company founder Nathan Handwerker that led to the success of an iconic international brand and two of America's most loved foods: The Nathan's Famous Frankfurter and Crinkle-cut French Fries. Brimming with photos of historic Coney Island, New York, Nathan's Famous restaurants, and intimate family memories of author, former company Senior Vice president and grandson William Handwerker; "Nathan's Famous" details entrepreneurial spirit, business lessons, dramatic corporate missteps and growth. William includes insights into three generations of the Handwerker family, beginning with the founder's early life, growing up in extreme poverty in Galicia, Poland, as well as his own sons and grandson who contributed to expanding geographic locations, menu and the overall brand. Nathan's may have started as a small hot dog stand in 1916, but by sticking to his philosophy to "give 'em and let 'em eat," he was able to beat his competition by providing top quality food at low prices. "Nathan's Famous" reveals the successes, trials and tribulations of growing Nathan's original vision into the international frankfurter corporation it is today. Author William Handwerker is the grandson of Nathan Handwerker, founder of America's favorite frankfurter company and the iconic Coney Island, New York institution. Working alongside his grandfather and father, Murray, for 30 years, William penned "Nathan's Famous" to commemorate the enormous entrepreneurial spirit of his grandfather's legacy and the business history of one of America's most loved foods---the Nathan's Famous frankfurter. William has been interviewed by The Food Channel, the History Channel, and numerous national and New York media. He resides in Roslyn, New York and Delray Beach, Florida.

Entrepreneurship and regional development can be addressed from many different angles: clusters, creativity and human capital. Professor Acs, a distinguished researcher in this field, approaches this debate through technology. Technological change can be regarded as the most important factor in long-run macroeconomic growth. It has been argued in new growth theory that the technological element of the growth process results from the profit-motivated choices of economic agents. This important volume makes an essential contribution to this debate by presenting an authoritative selection of the most significant published work on entrepreneurship and regional economic growth.

LAUNCHING NEW VENTURES, 7e 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, to developing and testing a business model, to designing a business and preparing for growth. The seventh edition represents the most current thoughts, ideas, and practices in the field of entrepreneurship. Allen focuses on the pre-startup and startup 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 action plans, and 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 development and testing of a new business model through feasibility analysis. Part Three focuses on the planning that goes into designing an effective, scalable startup organization. Part Four looks at planning for growth and change in the new organization.

Entrepreneurs face a constant struggle to make a profit. They are entirely caught up in the day-to-day race against ever more demanding customers, rising material costs, a mounting tax and regulatory burden, increased international competition, and an ever more challenging labour market.

They rarely have time to get away from this ongoing struggle, to think about what they could do to find new customers, manage existing customers more effectively, cut operating costs, minimise their red tape, and get their staff working more productively. Yet, they know that if they could make even small improvements in those areas they would be able to revolutionise their businesses and their lives.

They are not alone in this. Few executives at larger companies have the time to address these issues. However, executives at larger companies usually do have the budget to hire consultants to advise them in all these areas. Entrepreneurs don't. They have neither the time nor the money to address these issues.

Furthermore, entrepreneurs tend to be conquerors, rather than empire builders. Very often those who are best equipped to make it through the early years, are least well-equipped to build on that early success. Yet they are desperately keen to see a reward for all the work they put in to get their enterprises off the ground. They have both a need and a desire for advice on how to take their businesses forward.

This book is a practical guide, showing them how they can make those improvements with minimal investment of time or money. The ideas will be simply expressed, the action points will be clearly achievable, and the theory will be illustrated with examples of small businesses that have already grown by following this path.

By reading this book, and by following each of the action points, every entrepreneur will be able, over time, to cut costs, increase sales and boost profits. It will revolutionise those businesses.

The proven system for B2B sales growth from the coauthor of Predictable Revenue, the breakout bestseller hailed as "Silicon Valley's sales bible" (Inc.com) If your organization's success is driven by B2B sales, this powerhouse of a book shows you how to generate new opportunities, build sales consistently, and focus on high revenue accounts with higher probability. It's the most reliable and predictable prospecting system available, developed by the coauthor of the bestselling Predictable Revenue and the author of the international bestseller How to Deliver a TED Talk. Following a proven step-by-step framework, you can turn any B2B organization into a high-performance business development engine. You'll learn how to target and track ideal prospects, optimize contact acquisition, continually improve performance, and achieve revenue goals-quickly, efficiently, and predictably. As a bonus, you'll receive full online access to sample materials, worksheets, blueprints, and more. If you are a business professional tasked with new business development, revenue generation, diversifying marketing lead generation channels, selling into disruptive markets, and justifying marketing ROI, Predictable Prospecting will be an invaluable resource.