It is just a matter of time before virtual fairs become as popular as social networks. Social networks are limited to people who know each other through a certain degree of separation. Virtual trade shows, on the other hand, make chance encounters possible. Therein lies their power and potential.

1. Virtual tradeshows might connect businesses, but they fail to connect emotionally with business professionals. It is more interesting to hear of a real-life romance that grew out of an online dating site than to hear of a successful business deal through a lead found at a virtual trade show. Ever heard of two businesses falling in love with one another at an online matchmaker, and wanting to do business together? Even if we hear of them, there are perhaps very few scenarios in which they could become human-interest stories.
2. Virtual tradeshow participants do not like to share their success stories. When we piloted a trade show for the promotional products industry way back in October 1999, I did some follow-up calls to find out if any real inquiries and orders were generated. An exhibitor actually had someone place an order directly after visiting his virtual booth. Here’s the problem. For competitive reasons, he did not want me to publicize it. About a month ago I heard that a virtual exhibitor was talking about 2 contracts she won after online visits at her virtual booth from buyers of a large Fortune 100 corporation. Again, due to competitive reasons, she has avoided media attention. I heard that it took 15 years for sliced bread to become wildly popular. I believe virtual trade shows will have greater success once it is not such a well-kept secret.
3. Virtual trade shows are too transparent. Every click of the mouse can be tracked in a virtual trade show. Trade show organizers are more easily held accountable for the return on tradeshow that they deliver to exhibitors. The return on investment in a virtual trade show is easy to identify and analyze in absolute terms. In a real-world trade show, there are several subjective aspects that factor into a participants’ perception of whether they consider a trade show a success or not.
4. Virtual trade show is an underdog with no cheerleaders. Without exception, whenever I have mentioned virtual trade shows to marketers and exhibitors they have always expressed tremendous enthusiasm for its value. However, when perceived as a replacement to in-person trade shows it has evoked strong mixed reactions. Often a trade show gig is an escape from the cubicle. It is the time when one can combine a trip to exotic locales along with the family and have a mini-vacation. Virtual trade shows are not merely fighting misconceptions about what they can do for a business, but they actually compete with a marketing executive’s leisure time. Virtual trade shows shoot themselves in the foot when they try to position themselves as helping a business executive spend time with her or his family. Asking someone to give up in-person trade shows and do only virtual trade shows is like asking a connoisseur of chocolates to give up chocolate. Highly unlikely.
5. “There is no such thing as a virtual trade show”: This, quite literally was the welcoming remark of a veteran trade show industry executive whom I had gone to meet during our early years in business, as I was being ushered into his office. As he described the magic of bringing to life an in-person tradeshow, the magic of ‘getting it right’, the magic of bringing the right attendees in front of the right exhibitors year after year, the magic of seeing an empty convention center come alive over a 3-day period, the thrill of creating value and entertainment, I could see in his eyes the pride and joy of creation. He said it feels like a Hollywood movie maker. Virtual trade shows may very likely have to wait until they have learned to scale up in alternate untapped markets before they can earn the respect and the attention of veterans in the trade show and media industry. For now, it is like telling Formula One drivers that their races will be held in the video game arcade. In their present state, virtual trade shows can provide neither a comparable adrenalin-rush, nor the incremental financial incentive to get established trade show organizers excited about them.
6. The tradeshow metaphor is being carried too far. When we began in the late 90’s it made sense to borrow the trade show metaphor for these online events. Making a virtual booth look and feel like a real-world trade show booth helped users scale the learning curve rather well. However, the demographics of the workforce has changed significantly in the past decade. The new entrants to the workforce view the web as an extension of their universe. There is no need for a real-world metaphor to explain what one is trying to do with a virtual trade show. Why then should a virtual booth look like a real-world trade show booth. Why should one have virtual trade shows that have a panoramic 2-dimensional view of an exhibition hall with meaningless human-like figures gliding by aimlessly? Why are virtual trade shows not defining themselves to really provide an extra dimension to the entire marketing experience of a business. Why provide a metaphor when the virtual trade show can never replace the in-person trade show and is not designed to replace it?
7. Absence of standards on what an ideal virtual trade show should do is a major obstacle. We get inquiries for different kinds of online environments. It is not possible to describe them accurately with the term virtual trade shows. They serve various purposes. They always have a business objective. They aim to solve one or more problems. They often have nothing to do with in-person trade shows. However, the absence of standards for virtual trade shows means that it is open to anybody’s interpretation. When one looks at publicly accessible virtual trade shows, whether they be of HGTV or of the EPA, one never knows what to expect. The concept of same-time, different-place interaction as my co-founder aptly puts it, is missing most of the time. Making users go through meaningless convoluted pages of navigation only go to reveal that the virtual trade show suffered from lack of a clear direction, purpose or sense of ownership.
8. Use of traditional media to pull audiences into a virtual trade show is known to fail. We have learned this from experience. If you send me a post card in the mail reminding me of a virtual trade show, or if you put an expensive ad in the nation’s leading journal about a virtual career fair, I still can’t click through to enter.
9. Exhibitors and sponsors fail to take ownership of the virtual trade show experience being offered. Unfortunately, some of the virtual trade shows that I have experienced include cases where a media company goes through hoops to advertise the virtual trade show, pummels me with emails to stay on my radar screen, only to have no real human being available online during the live event, or have someone clueless and/or indifferent, who simply takes down an email address and phone number to pass on to the right person. Virtual trade shows fail when sponsors and exhibitors do not have sufficient skin in the game.
10. The feeling that anything online ought to be free. There are two problems with giving access to a virtual trade show for free even when a sponsor is supporting it fully. One is that without sufficient skin in the game, the groups that are supposed to show up online to make the virtual trade show a success, will more than likely not show up. Secondly, when a virtual trade show is delivered for free, it can not be adequately supported. An improperly supported virtual trade show in turn is a disservice to the users and to the concept itself. Just like in-person trade shows, a virtual trade show distinguishes itself by the quality of the traffic and interaction it can produce.
11. I danced even though I had sore feet. Trade shows usually are a lot of fun. Often they include a band and a dance floor. Virtual trade show producers then have a very poorly woven argument under which to take cover if they try to tell trade show participants that you can spare yourselves some sore feet at our virtual trade show. Sometimes, the ‘no sore feet’ argument sells, but it is not a sufficiently strong one to result in a sweeping acceptance of virtual trade shows.
12. Neither the green movement nor soaring gas prices can help virtual fairs become mainstream. While getting on the green movement is great, I hesitate to anchor the value proposition for our virtual trade shows on that argument. It is the same about spiralling gas prices. The virtual fairs have been compelling in their value even when gas was selling at $0.95 a gallon. It should be no different even if gas hits $8 a gallon. Virtual fairs have been compelling in their value well before see-through screeners at airports force us to spend an extra 10 minutes at the gym. No free-gas coupons here. Riding the latest news headlines have never helped virtual trade shows.

Ramesh Sambasivan is the co-founder of iTradeFair.com, Inc. [ http://www.iTradeFair.com ] He can be reached at ramesh [at] itradefair [dot] com. He blogs at http://blog.sambasivan.com

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The innovative ideas in entrepreneurship include the methodologies and strategies to manufacture brand new products with the aid of spurring advanced technologies to market in novel markets. Wealth creation is a major aim of any entrepreneur. Hence the entrepreneurship must be advanced enough to tackle the demand by generating valuable cost worthy products to the customers. The main qualities required in an entrepreneurship are a seasoned professionalism, discipline and a well structured approach to handle thing in an appropriate manner. Systematical qualification is the major eligibility of an entrepreneur. Opportunity assessment and harnessing the valid opportunities is a major chore in an entrepreneurship.

An overwhelming intention to succeed, competitiveness, a solid determination, self confidence, ground breaking ideas, readiness to accept variety, incited and energetic nature etc are the major requirements for an efficient entrepreneurship. A good entrepreneur must be outstanding from the mass. A well performing entrepreneurship must handle the team of human resources proficiently retaining the team spirit of each and every employee for the efficacy of a better wealth creation. Uniqueness plays a key role in entrepreneurship also. It is not sufficient that the entrepreneurship just survive, but thrive. Relentless performance is what entrepreneurship demands.

Rather than skills, perception matters in the case of entrepreneurship. The world of an entrepreneur is always on the verge of risks. Successful entrepreneurs will be aware of the uncalculated risks. Opportunity risk is of little importance in a venture when financial risks as well as credibility risks are considered. Financial risk is a major issue since monetary issues are in to the matter. The capital input may fails to produce fruitful results in the flourishment of venture causing financial risks. It can even lead to the complete destruction of an entrepreneurship. The personal risk is laden with emotional and relational entailment. Credibility risk and value risks are another types of risks associated with entrepreneurship. Here the market fails to retain the signature of the products due to some reasons like any collapse in quality, supply, promotion etc. The entrepreneurship must be well armed to face these risks associated with the business.

The rewards of an entrepreneurship hits in various forms. A substantial entrepreneurship must give the venture challenging advantages that would create wealth. The broad experience and well seasoned entrepreneurship that perfectly balance the risks and rewards can bring out a fruitful business. The economic growth of a country highly depends on the entrepreneur clusters. Thus there is an invisible colligation between a successful entrepreneurship and national income.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Devi_Anoop

Hidden costs show up in three general areas – one upfront and two long term. They are (1) the initial purchase, (2) long term shipping costs, and (3) maintenance and updating costs. Understanding these hidden costs is critical to avoiding them when you purchase your next trade show display.

1) Upfront Costs When Buying Trade Show Displays.

In the past, your local display dealer had a monopoly on selling trade show displays, and one could see this in the price. If your town only had one dealer, prices would be even higher. But now with the internet and on-line shopping, one can buy trade show displays off the web, often directly from the manufacturer, and bypass the local dealer and his markup. Even better, multiple trade show display companies are selling on the internet, and the resulting competition has driven prices down even more. Trade show display prices have dropped over 50% in the last ten years. Due to the internet, there is now an even wider selection of types of trade show displays to select from. Your local trade show display dealer showroom is still a good place to see the various styles of displays and get ideas, but unless your dealer will negotiate and offer a fair and reasonable price, I suggest purchasing your next trade show display on-line.

Search Google for the the phrase “trade show displays”. You may be surprised at the number of trade show display companies you see (6,170,000 listings at last count, but fortunately not all of them are trade show display companies!). The resulting fierce competition is a good thing for you. Some of the trade show display companies you will find on the internet also offer easy on-line ordering for their displays – no calling a sales person – just point, click, and purchase. When you buy a trade show display on the internet (or locally for that matter), it’s important to determine the true cost of the display. The following are some points to to consider.

CHEAP DISPLAYS – There are some downright cheap displays available, but the sayings “if it sounds too good to be true…” and “you get what you pay for” are just as true today as ever. Cheap displays tend to be low quality imported displays, and should be avoided. Your trade show display is a critical tool for your trade show exhibiting success, and you don’t want to be dealing with a broken or non-functional display at your show. You also don’t want fraying or wobbling display in the background of your trade show booth creating the image of your company (first impressions do matter!). Don’t buy cheap displays!

OVERPRICED DISPLAYS – There are also some companies out there selling the exact same specifications and quality of trade show displays for more than others. The great thing about the internet is that you can determine the display you want to get, check the specifications and features, and then comparison shop to find the best price.

PRODUCT QUALITY – You need to make sure that you are getting a trade show display that will get the job done. You need a display that will set you apart at the trade show, insuring more booth traffic and more business for your company. You also want a display that will be reliable. Several trade show display companies now offer lifetime warranties on their display frames.

COMPANY RELIABLITY – It’s important to buy from a reliable trade show display company that can back up their product. Many companies now post customer testimonials and reviews on their website, which are a must-read to judge the company. Many companies also offer toll-free 800 numbers, indicating that you’ll be able to get in touch with them if you have a problem. You will probably want to update your display down the road, and you’ll certainly want a reliable company if you need to get your trade show display fixed, so be sure to select a trade show display company that provides excellent customer service (again, read their customer testimonials).

ORDER SHIPPING – One of the biggest hidden costs when buying on-line can be “shipping and handling”. Some internet companies are notorious for gouging on shipping costs. You think you’re getting a good deal until you check out and see the “Shipping and Handling” charge. Yikes! Some companies won’t even show you the shipping cost until you’ve set up an account with them and given them your personal information. Fortunately, a few on-line companies selling trade show displays today take the hidden cost of shipping your order completely out of the equation. They provide free ground shipping. It’s hard to hide any cost when it’s free. Because of this, if all the other considerations are basically equal, one should go with the company that offers free shipping.

2) Long Term Shipping Costs For Trade Show Displays.

Not too many people realize how much shipping a trade show display from show to show over the years can add up. Before you buy a new display, think about how many shows you expect to attend per year, and consider how you plan to get your new trade show display from show to show. Shipping displays is one of the biggest hidden costs in the trade show industry, and with high oil prices, it is getting worse.

The industry-standard “portable” trade show display today is the “pop-up” style trade show display, which was invented about 25 years ago. It consists of an easily expandable aluminum truss-work frame (also described by many people as an accordion or spider web frame). It generally has velcro-compatible fabric panels or custom-printed graphic panels. A pop-up display for a 10 foot wide booth space generally packs into a single shipping case. The shipping case when packed will usually weigh about 80 to 90 pounds (actual weight), but can have a dimensional weight of up to 100 pounds. Dimensional weight is calculated using the outside dimensions of the shipping container (length x width x height) divided by 196. It is used for calculating the shipping charge if one is shipping by air (such as Priority Overnight) and the dimensional weight is greater that the actual weight.

Shipping your display via ground service is fairly economical, but can take a week to get from the east coast to the west coast. If you have a last minute show, shipping the previously described trade show display from New York to Los Angeles via FedEx Priority Overnight would cost about $494 (March 2008). Imagine how the shipping costs would add up if you did this a couple times a year. And remember, you have to get your display TO the show, and the BACK from the show as well. If you take your trade show display with you on the airplane as baggage when you travel to the show, you will want to be aware of oversize and/or overweight baggage fees, which airlines have been raising and enforcing more vigorously lately.

Fortunately, there are more portable alternatives to pop-up type trade show displays. One alternative is the Signature trade show display from Pinnacle Displays, which is the same size as a traditional pop-up trade show display, but packs into a shipping case that is about both half actual shipping weight and half the dimensional size of a pop-up display’s shipping case. This can dramatically reduce long term shipping expenses. Other even more portable alternatives include pull-up or projector-screen-type banner stands, though they may not look as substantial. One does not want to go overboard on portability and end up looking less than professional at one’s show. The bottom line – always find out the shipping weight and dimensional weight of a trade show display and estimate your long-term shipping costs before making your purchase.

3) Other Long Term Costs For Trade Show Displays (updating, maintenance, expanding).

Besides shipping, there are three other long term cost associated with a trade show display that people often fail to take into consideration. They are updating your graphics, maintaining the display, and adding on to or expanding the display in the future.

Updating your graphics – One of the most important aspects of your trade show display is have great attention-grabbing graphics with a clear message. If your message changes (or, for instance, your company adds a new product), you will need to change some or all of your graphics. Find out upfront from your trade show display company if you can re-print just part of the graphics, or if you have to change out everything, and how much it will cost. Some companies charge more to replace graphics than the initial sale price once they’ve hooked you with the initial display.

Maintaining your display – Trade show displays can be handled roughly in the rush to pack up after a show, and FedEx and UPS don’t always handle shipments with kid gloves. This is why it’s important to get a well-built, high-quality display that will hold up to the rigors of trade show exhibiting. You also want to find out how you can get your display repaired if something does break on it. A few companies remove much of the worry of this by providing lifetime warranties on their display frames – a good indicator of a quality product and a reliable company.

Expanding your display – You may be buying a display for a standard 10 foot by 10 foot booth space, but you should plan ahead for the day you may get a 20 or 30 foot wide booth space. Many trade show displays are modular, and allow you to add on additional units seamlessly as your exhibiting requirements grow. If you don’t get all the accessories that come with the display, make sure that you can get them at a later date if you need them. As with many things, it pays to plan ahead.

In summary, there are many great deals to be had these days on trade show displays, especially if you buy on the internet. You want to be sure to get a display that will make your trade show booth stand out from all the other booths. You should pay what is necessary to get a professional display that will be effective. But there is no point in paying more than you should. Read and understand the three areas of hidden costs outlined above. Make a smart purchase when you buy your next trade show display. The money you save can be put towards other important aspects of promoting your trade show exhibit. Or you can just smile and put it in your pocket.

Pinnacle Displays is a leading internet trade show display retailer. Pinnacle Displays offers easy, convenient, secure, registration-free on-line ordering and free ground shipping for all of their trade show displays.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Petterson

Entrepreneurship is in full vogue in America. Small-business activities and growth is at its peak. About 2346 of small businesses are established each day! No doubt that most of it get disestablished each day, approximately 2106 every day! But this buzzing activity is keeping entrepreneurship alive. There are approximately 5.8 million firms in America, and nearly 10.1 million people working there are self employed.

Small business and industry hold a huge portion in the American economy. There is a plethora of small and medium entrepreneurs in America which constitute to major chunk of revenue and employment opportunities. The statistical data summarized and presented below in this context gives weightage to the aforesaid.

o Approximately 99% of businesses in America are small.

o The small business employs about 50% of the private sector workers.

o The small business adds about 75% per annum to the U.S. economy

o The small business represents the total strength of 99.7% employers

The dedication, innovation and initiative of small business owners make them an important part of the U.S. economy. The ample of opportunities provided by the small business makes them all the more popular. Small entrepreneurs provide means of livelihood to approximately to half of America. Indeed the job of small entrepreneurs is not easy but tough work gives them satisfying rewards. The popularity of small business is primarily because it gives freedom and flexibility to an individual. This in turn gives innovative ideas to the enterprise which encourages growth and productivity.

But the small entrepreneurs cannot run the entire show on their own. The U.S. economy plays a vital role in encouraging these players to nurture themselves into the economy. It provides affable environment and complimenting policies in order to allow them to flourish.

In order to construct workable environment, in which small businesses in the U.S. economy can prosper, President George W. Bush has tied with private-sector and nonprofit organizations to focus aptitude, skill, and other assets on facilitating economic development and enterprise all across America, and particularly in otherwise neglected areas. All these sectors have joined hands and are now educating people to lure them in entrepreneurship making it all the more popular and effective.

Entrepreneurship and Population

The trend shows that people in between the age group of 25 and 34 have strong inclination towards entrepreneurship.

Another facet to entrepreneurship in the U.S. is that in comparison to women, men are more inclined towards such opportunities. Almost 15.7 percent of the men show interest in entrepreneurship. On the other hand women count to 8.2 percent only. This indicates that in comparison to women, men exhibit almost double interest in entrepreneurship

People having specialized, professional, technical or business school degrees show greater inclination in entrepreneurship in the U.S. This was to almost 17.8 percent of the total entrepreneurial activity.

African- Americans contributed to the maximum TEA or Total Entrepreneurial Activity. The TEA rate of African Americans is almost 16.5 percent. Surprisingly the lowest rates are of white Americans of about 10.8 percent only, whereas the Hispanic Americans exhibit a rate of 15.2 percent.

Entrepreneurship and Financing

Financing of viable projects is an important aspect in the entrepreneurship. In the absence of sufficient investors, the ventures cannot take the shape of a working model. Mere conception of idea and jotting the same in black and white does not give wings to the project to take off. It is the life blood that supports both budding and existing entrepreneurs. The investment can be either in the form of informal or formal venture capital. America shows a high prevalence rate of informal investments. As per data 5 percent of people have contributed to the business ventures of their family or friends in their past three years. The formal venture investment accounted to only 0.2 percent of the total. Where the informal investment went to millions of companies in the United States, the formal investment contributed its presence to only 2500 companies in which the new venture very few.

Cultural and Social Norms

Entrepreneurs are a group of people who foresee a business opportunity, explore its viability and start the venture. The rate of growth of every country’s growth largely depends on the cultural and social norms prevalent in that country. American culture has been characterized as one seeking opportunities for new ideas and involving high risk taking in business. In fact, the culture supports the entrepreneurial development and the world index shows higher degree of entrepreneurial activities and opportunities in the U.S. as compared with other countries.

It has also been a consistent feature of the U.S. population that they possess strong perception of having the required skills for business, they are relatively less scared with failures and always strive towards new ventures and unexploited business ideas. Overall, the nation’s culture determines to what extent the social norms are encouraging the individuals’ intentions to conduct business in the country. The social and cultural norms are therefore vital to the growth of entrepreneurial sector of any economy.

To Sum Up

Entrepreneurship in the United States has been always on the upward trend and still continues to do so. The United States outshines the rest of the world in terms of entrepreneurial growth. It also leads in providing training and growth opportunities, to the individuals who show interest in this field. With the ever increasing popularity of internet the entrepreneurship in America has taken new dimensions and the pace of economic development has speeded up. Immigrants from all over the globe make United States their final destination to prosper in life. The large number of small business prospering in the country, employing more and more population of the country, along with its flexibility in operations and supporting laws, gives a clear indication that the future is of this sector and it will emerge as an important component in the future economic growth of the country. The supporting government rules and regulations make it a hub for future entrepreneurs. As already termed as the ‘Land of Opportunities’, America stands up to the name by providing a whole canvas to paint pictures of one’s own creativity and expertise.

For more on entrepreneurship, please go to canadiantradeenclave.ca

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It is makes good sense, then, to do your homework before you select a trade show display. The trade show industry identifies exhibits as either custom, custom modular, pre-owned, portable or rental. Each trade show display type suits a specific need depending on show requirements.

The top option is the custom trade show booth which is built from scratch with exacting booth space specifications in mind such as width, height and depth. With the custom build, you can have a one- of- a kind, eye-catching trade show exhibit that incorporates new design elements, materials and AV components that enhance your company’s powerful image. The custom trade show display can be the right choice when announcing a major breakthrough product or when you need to display your company’s dominance in its field.

The next trade show display option is the custom modular trade show exhibit which offers the dramatic trade show exhibit imaging without the higher cost of the custom trade show display. Its highly flexible components allow you to reconfigure the design or size of your booth from one trade show to the next. The custom modular trade show booth has interchangeable components such as back walls, counters, display pedestals and exterior panels. It uses lightweight structural materials such as aluminum, Plexiglas and high-grade fabrics. The benefits of the custom modular trade show booth are its simplified assembly, space-saving packing, and lower shipment and handling costs. This type of exhibit is a good solution for the exhibitor who wants a very high quality of design yet requires size flexibility and affordability.

Another option is the pre-owned trade show display that saves your company when you face a time or budget crunch. You can cut your trade show exhibit design time and construction costs by more than half when you select a previously owned trade show booth display. Professional trade show display companies have impressive inventories of top quality pre-owned exhibits for sale or rent. They often own exhibits that their clients have formerly used. You can find numerous options depending on size, design, scope and price similar to trade show display rentals. Be sure to select an exhibit configuration that fits your booth space and then modify the graphics and structural elements to conform to your staffing, image, communications and traffic requirements.

Yet another trade show exhibit option is the portable trade show booth. It is extremely easy to install and dismantle due to its skeletal frame that has attachable laminate panels which clip together offering multiple structural styles. It is lightweight and highly portable and is able to meet a variety of trade show display configurations while offering a distinctive creative image. Accessories such as bridges, counters, alcoves and backlighting can enhance the versatility of the interchangeable portable trade show display systems. The portable trade show display system can convert from tabletop to island trade show exhibits easily. It adapts to a multitude of trade show display situations with minimal effort. The ease of transporting and assembling is the key to the portable trade show exhibit. Cost-saving portable trade show displays are an especially suitable option for the first-time exhibitor and for appearances at smaller, regional shows.

Another way to go is to rent a trade show booth rather than purchasing one. Renting can be the perfect solution for an occasional island trade show exhibit; when you need to supplement your regular trade show exhibit; when you have a trade show booth scheduling conflict; or when a simultaneous trade show appearance requires you to exhibit at more than one location at the same time.

By selecting the appropriate type of trade show booth for your next show, you will be able to establish a trade show exhibit that will convey your company’s identity that fits your precise needs for any given trade show appearance. This is true wherever you have your custom trade show exhibit, custom modular exhibit, pre-owned trade show display, portable trade show booth or rental trade show exhibit– whether at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Moscone Center in San Francisco, the Santa Clara Convention Center or the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

Dick Wheeler is President of Professional Exhibits & Graphics, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with showroom in Sacramento. Firm is full service, premiere trade show exhibit, trade show graphics and management services. [http://www.proexhibitsdisplay.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dick_Wheeler

The word “Entrepreneurship” might sound unimportant or common to your ears, but I will advise you spend a little time on this article and get the tits and bits of what I am about sharing. The word entrepreneurship suggests several meanings and if a poll were to be conducted, I bet we will come up with 101 definitions of the term entrepreneurship.

Now what is entrepreneurship? According to Stevenson, “Entrepreneurship is the process of creating value by pulling together a unique package of resources to exploit an opportunity”. It can also be said to be the readiness and skill of either an individual or group of personalities to sniff out investments opportunities, start business ventures and run enterprises successfully.

But the definition I find thrilling is still that of Howard Stevenson, a college professor, “entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regards to resources currently controlled”. I feel this definition is the best so far and I thank my mentor, Robert Kiyosaki, for bringing it to my notice. So if the term entrepreneurship is now clear, then you may ask, “Why stress the need for entrepreneurship development?

Entrepreneurship development must be massively supported because it has the potential to achieve the following:

1) Create jobs through the formation of new business ventures.
2) Utilize available manpower and resources that might have remain idle and put them into productive use.
3) Entrepreneurship development makes it possible for individuals to create wealth, independence and status for themselves.
4) Stimulates growth in other sectors with increase in demand and supply.
5) Increases productivity by means of innovation.
6) Facilitate and increase the need for technology.
7) Boost the economy and increases the nation’s GDP.
Entrepreneurship development can reduce dependence on social security and Medicare.

With this few points, I hope I have been able to throw more light on the need for individuals to embrace entrepreneurship as a way of life and a means to better the society. Join the entrepreneur’s train and I will see you at the top.

I know you have been challenged by this article. To further boost your entrepreneur spirit, i am going to reveal to you 101 underground Secrets of building a Multi Million Dollar Business from scratch. If you are ready, Go now to http://www.StrategicBusinessTeam.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ajaero_Tony_Martins_Ifeanyi

Before deciding on what type of trade show display booth you want, however, you must first determine your space size requirements and the number of trade shows you will be exhibiting in during the next year. This information will help you decide whether to buy vs. rent. If you buy, there are four categories of trade show exhibit displays: custom, custom modular, pre-owned and portable trade show displays. Check out the advantages and disadvantages of each. Light weight materials are less expensive to operate than the traditional all-wood displays.

Use tension fabrics, woods, colored metal, layered graphics that require fewer shipping containers, provide a current design trend look, and save on operating costs. Older traditional trade show exhibit displays can be obsolete because they are expensive to handle due to heavy weight, require larger size and number of crates to ship, and they are not consistent with current design trends.

Let’s say you want to test the waters and you want to purchase a trade show exhibit. Did you know you could purchase a pre-owned trade show display that will save you time and money?

In fact, you can cut your trade show exhibit design time and construction costs by more than half when you select a previously owned trade show booth display. Check out the inventory from professional trade show display companies that handle top quality pre-owned exhibits. They often own exhibits that their clients have formerly used. You can find numerous options depending on size, design, scope and price similar to trade show display rentals. Be sure to select an exhibit configuration that fits your booth space and then modify the graphics and structural elements to conform to your staffing, image, communications and traffic requirements. You can then have customized trade show graphics on your trade show exhibit and can be “out the door and on the floor” in a matter of weeks.

By contrast, another option which is on the opposite side of the spectrum, is the custom trade show display booth which can be virtually anything you want it to be. As the term implies, the trade show exhibit is custom-built to your exact specifications. You can capture the drama of your firm’s breakthrough product offering and make your presence known on the show floor as you dazzle visitors with creative trade show graphic design, materials, size, elevation or AV components. The custom designed trade show exhibit is the “piece de resistance” of the trade show exhibit product field, where an exhibitor is willing to create high drama and powerful imagery for the sake of a truly powerful impact.

Another trade show display option is the custom modular trade show exhibit which offers the ultimate in trade show exhibit imaging without the higher cost of custom trade show displays. Modular construction means taking advantage of interchangeable components such as back walls, counters, display pedestals and exterior panels. Lightweight structural materials such as aluminum, Plexiglas and high-grade fabrics provide simplified assembly, space-saving packing and lower shipment and handling costs. The flexible trade show display components allow you to reconfigure the design or size of your booth from one trade show to another. Modular exhibits offer design and image quality without sacrificing value.

You may also consider a lightweight portable trade show display as a way to meet a variety of trade show display configurations while presenting a distinctive creative image. Easy to set-up, the trade show portable system has a skeletal frame with attachable laminate panels, which simply clip together in virtually unlimited structural styles. Accessories such as bridges, counters, alcoves and backlighting can enhance the versatility of the interchangeable portable trade show display systems. The portable trade show display system can convert from tabletop to island trade show exhibits in minutes and adapt to almost any trade show display situation with minimal effort. Usually your own booth staffers can transport and assemble the trade show exhibit themselves saving time and the added costs of drayage and contract workers. Portable trade show displays are an especially suitable option for the first-time exhibitor and for appearances at smaller, regional shows.

Or you may want to consider a trade show display rental. Renting before buying may be the perfect solution when you have yet to decide your trade show exhibit investment commitment. Or, for that occasional island trade show exhibit showing, when you need to supplement your regular trade show exhibit, you may wish to rent and customize a rental trade show island. You may thus escape those larger trade show exhibit management and storage costs. There may also be occasions when you have a trade show booth scheduling conflict or are booked for a simultaneous showing. If you want to hedge your trade show display purchase decision, save on an initial trade show exhibit investment or supplement your trade show booth inventory, try the trade show exhibit rental solution. If the rented trade show display works for you, you may ultimately want to purchase it as your permanent trade show exhibit.

Remember, it’s up to you what type of trade show display booth you select when you plan to exhibit in a trade show. You can have a memorable experience whether you have a pre-owned trade show exhibit display, a custom trade show exhibit, a custom modular trade show booth, a portable or pop up trade show exhibit display, or a trade show exhibit rental.

Trade show exhibit options are available wherever you have your next trade show –whether the show is in Orlando or the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Moscone Center in San Francisco, the Santa Clara Convention Center or the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

Dick Wheeler is President of Professional Exhibits & Graphics, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with showroom in Sacramento. Firm is full-service premiere trade show exhibit, graphics and management services company. http://www.proexhibits.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dick_Wheeler

In a world where ideas drive economies, it is no wonder that innovation and entrepreneurship are often seen as inseparable bedfellows. The governments around the world are starting to realize that in order to sustain progress and improve a country’s economy, the people have to be encouraged and trained to think out-of-the-box and be constantly developing innovative products and services. The once feasible ways of doing business are no longer guarantees for future economic success!

In response to this inevitable change, some governments are rethinking the way the young are educated by infusing creative thinking and innovation in their nation’s educational curriculum. In the same vein, they are putting much emphasis on the need to train future entrepreneurs through infusing entrepreneurship components within the educational system, especially at the tertiary level.

Some countries have taken this initiative to a higher level by introducing entrepreneurship education at elementary schools and encouraging them to be future entrepreneurs when they are of age. In a series of survey funded by Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, it was found that nearly seven out of 10 youths (aged 14-19) were interested in becoming entrepreneurs.

Being an entrepreneur is now the choice of the new generation as compared to the preferred career choices of yesteryears such as being a doctor, lawyer or a fighter pilot. In a recent visit to the bustling city of Shanghai in China, an informal survey was carried out among Chinese youths by the author. The results of the survey showed that being an entrepreneur, especially in the field of computer and e-commerce, is perceived as a ‘cool’ career and is an aspiration for many Chinese youths Prior to the ‘opening up’ of modern China, being an entrepreneur was perceived as the outcome of one’s inability to hold a good government job and those who dared to venture, were often scorned at by their peers. Times have indeed changed.

With this change in mindset and the relative knowledge that entrepreneurs bring forth increased job creations, the awareness and academic studies of entrepreneurship have also heightened. In many tertiary institutes, many courses of entrepreneurship and innovation are being developed and offered to cater to the increasing demand. The term “entrepreneurship” has also evolved with numerous variations. The proliferation of jargons such as netpreneur, biotechpreneur, technopreneur and multipreneur are coined to keep up with the ever-changing times and business conditions that surround us.

In view of these changes, it is important that the definition of entrepreneurship be refined or redefined to enable its application in this 21st century. To put it succinctly, “Good science has to begin with good definitions (Bygrave & Hofer, 1991, p13).” Without the proper definition, it will be laborious for policymakers to develop successful programs to inculcate entrepreneurial qualities in their people and organizations within their country.

The paper will provide a summary of the definitions of entrepreneurship provided by scholars in this subject area. The author will also expand on one of the definitions by Joseph Schumpeter to create a better understanding of the definition of the term “entrepreneurship” as applied in today’s business world.

Entrepreneurship through the Years:

It was discovered that the term ‘entrepreneurship’ could be found from the French verb ‘entreprende’ in the twelfth century though the meaning may not be that applicable today. This meaning of the word then was to do something without any link to economic profits, which is the antithesis of what entrepreneurship is all about today. It was only in the early 1700’s, when French economist, Richard Cantillon, described an entrepreneur as one who bears risks by buying at certain prices and selling at uncertain prices (Barreto, 1989, Casson 1982) which is probably closer to the term as applied today.

In the 1776 thought-provoking book ‘The Wealth of Nations’, Adam Smith explained clearly that it was not the benevolence of the baker but self-interest that motivated him to provide bread. From Smith’s standpoint, entrepreneurs were the economic agents who transformed demand into supply for profits.

In 1848, the famous economist John Stuart Mill described entrepreneurship as the founding of a private enterprise. This encompassed the risk takers, the decision makers, and the individuals who desire wealth by managing limited resources to create new business ventures.

One of the definitions that the author feels best exemplifies entrepreneurship was coined by Joseph Schumpeter (1934). He stated that the entrepreneur is one who applies “innovation” within the context of the business to satisfy unfulfilled market demand (Liebenstein, 1995). In elaboration, he saw an entrepreneur as an innovator who implements change within markets through the carrying out of new combinations. The carrying out of new combinations can take several forms:

The introduction of a new good or standard of quality;

* The introduction of a novel method of production;
* The opening of a new market;
* The acquisition of a new source of new materials supply; and
* The carrying out of the new organization in any industry.

Though the term ‘innovation’ has different meanings to different people, several writers tended to see “innovation” in the form of entrepreneurship as one not of incremental change but quantum change in the new business start-ups and the goods/services that they provide (egs, Bygrave, 1995; Bygrave & Hofer, 1991).

In the view of Drucker (1985), he perceived entrepreneurship as the creation of a new organization, regardless of its ability to sustain itself, let alone make a profit. The notion of an individual who starts a new business venture would be sufficient for him/her to be labeled as an entrepreneur. It is this characteristic that distinguishes entrepreneurship from the routine management tasks of allocating resources in an already established business organization. Though the definition tends to be somewhat simplistic in nature, it firmly attaches the nature of entrepreneurial action with risk-taking and the bearing of uncertainty by the individual (Swoboda, 1983)

In a Delphi study, Gartner (1990) found eight themes expressed by the participants that constitute the nature of entrepreneurship. They were the entrepreneur, innovation, organization creation, creating value, profit or non-profit, growth, uniqueness, and the owner-manager. The themes could be seen as a derivative and expansion of Schumpter’s earlier concept.

Expanding on Schumpeter’s Definition:

After digesting the numerous definitions of entrepreneurship, one would tend to see a strong link between these two terms: entrepreneurship and innovation. In retrospect, most of the definitions tended to be, to some extent, a re-work and expansion of Schumpeter’s definition of entrepreneurship (which is that of innovation being applied in a business context).

As defining the term of ‘innovation’ is highly debatable and would merit a paper on its own, the author has thus, for convenience, summarised the definition of innovation. Innovation can be perceived simply as the transformation of creative ideas into useful applications by combining resources in new or unusual ways to provide value to society for or improved products, technology, or services.

In the author’s opinion, the difficulties of defining “innovation” could be the reason for the quandary one finds in attempting to arrive at a clear-cut definition of the term “ Entrepreneurship”.

Take for example, if someone starts another run-of-the-mill hot dog stand in the streets of New York, will he termed as an entrepreneur? According to Drucker’s definition, he will be seen as one. However, if the above definition by Schumpeter was used as a guideline, the answer is probably ‘NO’.

Why? The core of the matter lies in what is so innovative about setting up another hot-dog stand which are in abundance in New York. On the contrary, if he is the first one to start a stand selling hot-dogs with Oriental Sweet and Sour sauce topping; he could be termed as an entrepreneur (even based on Schumpeter’s requirement) as he has done what others have not done before. In the context of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation are key points in the whole scheme of things.

In this manner, by adding “innovative” features to a product or services and setting up a business based on these additional features to compete in the existing market, new entrants may be able to gain this competitive advantage over existing market players.

In the case of the hot-dog seller, it may be argued that his addition of Oriental Sweet and Sour sauce toppings may be seen as nondescript. This runs in contrary to some scholars’ definition of entrepreneurship as requiring quantum changes in the products/ services to be justified as being entrepreneurial (Bygrave, 1985; Bygrave & Hofer, 1991).

Consistent with creating new products for sale, someone who starts a business by providing a totally new way of serving his customers/ clients is considered to be entrepreneurial too. Though, it is often argued that there are no real new products or services in a case where one does not look to the past products and services for ideas for improvements. Thus, the notion of incremental improvements should be accepted as being innovative too.

Innovation in the business sense may not necessarily involve, in the physical sense, the introduction of a new product or service. It can be in the form of what is commonly known as creative imitations. For example, if an individual starts selling a product that is already common in his area or country, he will not be seen as being entrepreneurial. However, if he is the first to sell the same product in a virgin locale or to an untouched market segment, he will be seen as an entrepreneur in his own rights.

Take Muhammad Yunus, for example. Yunus became an entrepreneur when he started a micro-loan program for the poor villagers in a rural part of Bangladesh named Grameen, with only US$26. The loan was divided among 42 villagers to assist them to buy small items such as combs, scissors, needles and other necessities to start their own home businesses. In the past 22 years, Grameen Bank has grown with over $2 billion loans granted. It has now become a model for several micro-loan facilities.

>From the following example, Yunus created banking and lending facilities in Grameen specifically for the poor villagers. Banking and lending money activities are not new but Yunus was the first to provide such facilities in a rural part of Bangladesh and that is definitely innovation and risk-bearing on his part as a social entrepreneur. In short, innovation need not arise mainly from a new product or service but it could be an old product or service finding a new market for penetration.

An individual could be termed as an entrepreneur if he or she sells a product or service using new systems and/ or mediums of marketing, distribution or production methods as a basis for a new business venture. A good example will be Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, the successful Web-based bookstore. He was one of the first to sell books on a large scale using an online store and also patented the one-click system for online buying. Though selling books is not an innovation in itself, Jeff Bezos was innovative in the use of the Internet then as a viable marketing and sales channel for selling books.

Another example from the field of e-commerce is Stuart Skorman, the founder of Reel.com. Reel.com is essentially one of the first cyber movie store with a very large inventory of over a 100 000 videos. Though setting a movie store was revolutionary then, Reel.com main distinction was being known as the first online store to expand by opening an offline store. The founder felt that by doing so, the online store could be an advertisement for the offline store and vice versa, thus strengthening this click and mortar business venture- an example of creativity and innovation applied in a profitable business context.

Conclusion:

This paper has started as an attempt to redefine the term of entrepreneurship but ended up ‘updating’ the wheel, based on the definition as proposed by Schumpeter. The paper expanded on this influential work by giving examples to illustrate what innovation in entrepreneurship was and hope that along the way, new insights were unearthed in the study of defining entrepreneurship.

In summary, the author hopes that this paper would further encourage the infusion of creative thinking and innovation within the educational system to nurture future entrepreneurs with a competitive edge. In the author’s view, the characteristics and capabilities to set up a new business venture based on doing things that have not done before should be encouraged. Innovation needs to be the cornerstone of entrepreneurship as opposed to the mere setting up of another new enterprise without implementing changes or adding features of improvements to the products and services provided and/ or its business processes.

About The Author

Dr. Alvin Chan is a Senior Research Consultant at First Quatermain Centre of Collaborative Innovation (www.firstquatermain.com).

For reprints permission, please contact bizguru88@hotmail.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alvin_Chan

1. Types Of Displays

There are all sorts of trade show displays that can be purchased from different sources. You can try getting your trade show displays from the internet where you can choose from numerous numbers of manufacturers. Or if pictures don’t really work for you, it might therefore be best to get your stocks of trade show displays from local manufacturers. This is better for you because you can see the merchandise beforehand to ensure you will be happy with it before it is purchased.

2. Your Displays Are Your Most Important Investment

Trade show displays greatly vary so starting from the trade show displays that are meant for table top use. If this is your trade show then it is it is useful to bear in mind that these kinds of trade shows displays are being offered for a very minimal price. This is because there are many manufacturers and suppliers who make these kinds of merchandise. There are also a lot of designs you can get for this kind of trade show display. Therefore, this is a very good investment for you to make. Such trade show displays for the table top styles are as follows:

- The pop-up

- Folding panel

- Prezenta show style

- Show max table top

3. Floor Standing Displays

These trade show displays are also called as the freestanding displays that are designed to be able to stand alone during the trade show. There are many different sizes as well as sizes and colors for these floor standing trade show displays, the most popular being floor standing trade show display models that are 10 foot-long pop-ups. The floor standing trade show displays also come in the folding panel type of display.

4. Roll-Up Displays

There is also the roll-up trade show display. The roll-up trade show display is also often referred to as the banner stands. The banners shades or the banner blades are portable trade show displays that offer tremendous flexibility and are most often used for either the trade show display stand alone units or the ones that are being used in conjunction with a larger trade show display in order to be able to highlight a particular item of interest in a trade show. This type of trade show displays are lightweight in design and are small as well as compact in size that makes them the perfect traveling trade show displays since they are also quick and extremely easy to be set up. There are two kinds of the roll up trade show displays, the single-sided roll-up trade show display as well as the dual-sided roll-up trade show display.

5. Acessories

Other trade show displays that you can purchase either from the internet trade show display stores or from the local trade show display merchants are the so-called trade show display accessories that are trade show display pieces that will not only complement your other trade show displays but can pull off that finishing touch to your trade show display. Trade show display accessories are the following:

- Extra halogen lights

- Trade show display carpet

- Podium kit

- Director’s chair

6. Good Luck!

The success of your trade show is heavily reliant on your trade show displays that is why you need to find really good pieces to act as your trade show displays. May it be newly made custom trade show displays or second had trade show displays, it really does not matter how much it costs as long as it each and every bit of you trade show displays complement each other and look great together. That is really the main key to a successful trade show.

For more great trade show display related articles and resources check out [http://www.weknowtradeshows.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Morris

Generally speaking, entrepreneurship based research usually focus on either Traits or Behavior. Since the nineties, behavior underlie the vast majority of entrepreneurship’s research, the main reason for this is a limited success of scholars to reinforce the existence of common traits that characterize entrepreneurs (Smart and Conant, 1994). Gartner (1988) argues that the focus should be on “what the entrepreneur does” and not “who is the entrepreneur”. Behavior based research focus on the entrepreneurship process through the entrepreneur activities, that instead of referring to personal specific traits (Smart and Conant, 1994). Behavior based entrepreneurship’s research is usually conducted at entrepreneur level; nonetheless, scholars claim that entrepreneurship is implemented at the firm level as well (Carland et. al., 1984; Naman and Slevin, 1993; Lumpkin and Dess, 1996; Wiklund, 1999).

This article tries to establish a common base for defining firm level entrepreneurship. Naman and Slevin (1993) states that organization can be characterized and measured based on the level of entrepreneurship demonstrate by the firm’s management. According to Covin and Slevin (1986), top managers at entrepreneurship’s firm possess an entrepreneurship style of management, which affect the firm’s strategic decisions and management philosophy.

In order to establish definition for the firm level entrepreneurship, it is necessary to present the characteristics of management behavior used by scholars for that matter. Schumpeter (1934) states that innovativeness is the only entrepreneurship behavior that separates between entrepreneurship’s activities to non-entrepreneurship’s activities. Innovation relates to the pursuit after creative solutions through the development and improvement of services and products as well as administrative and technological techniques (Davis et al., 1991). Innovation reflects the firm’s tendency to support new ideas and procedures, which can end as new products or services Lumpkin and Dess (1996).

In his book “Essai sur la Nature Commerce en General”, Richard Cantillon (1755) argues that the essence of entrepreneurship is a risk-taking behavior. According to Lumpkin and Dess (1996), risk-taking can range from relatively “safe” risk as deposit money to the bank to quite risky actions like investing in untested technologies or launching new product to the market. In their research, Miller and Friesen (1982) define an entrepreneurial model of innovativeness, this model regards firm that innovate audacity and regularly while taking substantial risks in their strategy.

Third dimension, which can be added to innovation and risk-taking, is Proactive. According to Davis et al., (1991) proactive associates with an aggressive posture, relatively to competitors, while trying to achieve firm’s objectives by all rational needed means. Lumpkin and Dess (2001) mention that proactive relate to the way the firm associates to business opportunities through acquisition of initiatives in the market it’s operate in.

Although other dimensions are used to define firm level entrepreneurship, the vast majority of scholars use these three dimensions – Innovation, Risk-taking and Proactive (e.g., Miller and Friesen, 1978; Covin and Slevin, 1986, 1989; Naman and Slevin, 1993; Knight, 1993; Wiklund, 1999).

Dr. Rami Schayek combining the academic world as a researcher and a lecturer at the ben gurion university with a field work as the CEO of several small businesses coincident with coaching many other small and medium businesses. You can see more from his work at http://www.small-medium-business.blogspot.com

Terms: Articles may be reprinted provided content is not edited and links are kept live.

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