Skip to ContentGo to accessibility pageKeyboard shortcuts menu
OpenStax Logo

5.1 Entrepreneurial Opportunity

Entrepreneurial opportunity exists when consumer demand meets the feasibility of bringing the product or service to market. Joseph Schumpeter, an early scholar of entrepreneurship, identified creative destruction—when innovation is disruptive and creates potential entrepreneurial opportunities. Schumpeter’s focus on economics led him to categorize potential opportunities based on supply, demand, or changes in how technology is used.

Burgeoning entrepreneurs should be engaged with industries of interest to remain informed and aware of opportunities to research. Additionally, they should be attentive to drivers of opportunity, such as emerging funding options, technological advancements, and economic factors.

5.2 Researching Potential Business Opportunities

Researching the viability of your entrepreneurial idea will help you determine whether the venture is currently worth pursuing. Use primary and secondary research to determine whether there is adequate demand, market structure and size, and the needed margins and resources to launch and sustain the enterprise. Entrepreneurs researching options should also be aware of industry and consumer sources of opportunities.

5.3 Competitive Analysis

A competitive analysis helps determine the viability of your idea by considering how feasible it is within a specific competitive landscape. Tools such as a competitive analysis grid, a SWOT analysis, a PEST analysis, and the three circles approach can help you further examine issues and refine your plans.

Order a print copy

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Citation/Attribution

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/entrepreneurship/pages/1-introduction
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a digital format, then you must include on every digital page view the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/entrepreneurship/pages/1-introduction
Citation information

© Jan 4, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.