Risk and Entrepreneurship
Risk and Entrepreneurship-Why anyone planning a startup should know about the relationship?
It is a known fact that 90% startups fail. This implies that the startup entrepreneur take risks. Could they assess risks before committing resources? Abandon the idea if risk is higher or plan risk mitigation strategies.
At the startup stage, every entrepreneur will not focus on assessing the risks, let alone build plans to reduce the impact of the risks.
While you can always choose not to take risk, that means you’re essentially choosing not to be an entrepreneur.
Risk is the down payment on success. -The Success Club
Risk and Entrepreneurship - Expert View
AMY ROSEN Partner at the public Private Strategy Group
Source- Entrepreneur
Risk, especially entrepreneurship risk, has two parts: assessment and action.
After recognizing an opportunity and measuring the risk by talking to experts and doing your homework, the next part of the entrepreneurship mindset is taking that risk.
But how much risk is appropriate?
It would be easy if there were a magic formula that could tell us when risk is calculated and smart versus when it’s not. But there isn’t
Risk and Entrepreneurship- Assessment
Risk Assessment is always associated with any business. Risk vs. Return assessment is what an entrepreneur should evaluate. The higher the risks the higher are the returns.
At the startup stage, every entrepreneur will not focus on assessing the risks, let alone build plans to reduce the impact of the risks.
However, at some stage a business needs funds from external sources and entrepreneur need to answer the investors’ questions. They cannot shy away from this activity.
Risk and Entrepreneurship-Risk Assessment Category
Risks falls under two categories - controllable and uncontrollable. Some unforeseen and unpredictable changes in the environment are beyond the control of the entrepreneurs. A few examples-
- Oil shock in 1993 when fuel prices shot up three times
- Subprime crisis in 2008
- Natural Calamities
- Impact of Y2K on IT systems:
The whole world anticipated and prepared for the above transition. Billions of dollars were spent. Eventually, it was an anticlimax and there was not a single problem was witnessed. It made people wonder about the hype.
The risk assessment can be Industry Specific risk & Company specific risk.
Risk and Entrepreneurship-Types of Risks
A professional business plan should include a discussion of business risks and challenges.
Market Risks
Market may not grow as expected for a new product or service resulting in cash crisis for a startup business.
The entrepreneur may be supplying the product or service to a single large customer (B-B). The business of their customer is subject to economic environment and an unfavorable climate will slow down,affecting the business.
E- Commerce businesses affected brick and mortar setup. Solution could be to join the bandwagon.
(Flipkart, an e-commerce business offering mobile phones exclusively on their platform affected brick and mortar businesses)
Competition Risks
Low entry barriers will attract competitors in a growing market. The existing players have to retain customers through superior service or have customer loyalty program.
Fast food restaurants in the USA are facing competition from new entrant like Subway whose USP is “Freshness and healthy food”
In automobiles all multinationals are present in India. In spite of this, (Maruti ) Suzuki has retained its market share of 50%. This was possible by having an affordable entry-level car and a superior customer service.
Jagdish Kattar a former M.D of Maruti Suzuki had said that service got them more customers than sales effort.
Technology Risks
Internet has revolutionized the entire business processes. A customer can compare prices, quality, service etc of all the players sitting at home .
3 D printing is already changing the manufacturing paradigm .Costs will be lower even if a single piece is manufactured, defying mass manufacturing logic.
Regulatory Risks
The government can bring in new laws and cost of compliance may affect financial viability of the business.
Financial Risks
Cost of finance may go up or margins may drop due to excess supply or low cost alternatives.
Management Risks
The critical human resources leaving the organization may affect business. ‘How to have golden lock’ on these resources could be a strategy.
Malpractices, theft and non-compliance of statutory requirements are a serious threat.
Human greed has resulted in downfall of many businesses.
The entire 2008 subprime crisis is a result of top management greed or decisions based on short term gains.
Mitigating Risks-Process
- Prepare best-case and worst-case scenarios with key parameters of the business to help assess the quantum of risk.
- What are the measures proposed to counter these risks?
- Sensitivity analysis of key factors to simulate the impact of changes
Risk and Entrepreneurship-Recommended Book
The Dream: How I Learned the Risks and Rewards of Entrepreneurship and Made Millions -by Gurubaksh Chahal
One of America's most successful young internet entrepreneurs tells his unique and inspiring story, and reveals the risks and rewards behind the sky's-the-limit possibilities of internet entrepreneurship.
Review by Raj Dhawan
Read this book, if you have any entrepreneurial instincts, or if you want to get some wonderful ideas about how to make a successful business. All through the book he writes in very well the lessons that he learned from each effort or failure. Failures after all are a necessary stepping stone to achieving success.
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Risk and Entrepreneurship-Conclusion
Risk is inherent in any entrepreneurial venture. On can assess learn how to assess the risks and improve the probability of success. Sometimes an initial failure can be a great teacher.
"Taking risk gets much easier with practice,” he says. - Dale Turken -Serial Entrepreneur
