Glossary

wealthy, private individuals seeking investment options with a greater potential return than is traditionally expected on publicly traded stocks

a method of tracking target expectations with actionable results by comparing one’s own company’s performance with an industry average, a leader within the industry, or a market segment

he level of operations that results in exactly enough revenue to cover costs

a plan for how venture will be funded; how the venture creates value for its stakeholders, including customers; how the venture’s offerings are made and distributed to the end users; and the how income will be generated through this process

the extent to which a company conducts its business operations in accordance with applicable regulations, statutes, and laws

the gross profit from a single item sold

provided to an author of an original work, including artistic, dramatic, architectural, musical, literary, and software works

costs that are specific to the product sold

collecting small sums of money from a large number of people

granted to an individual who creates something original and novel as an ornamental design

sharing the needed facts and details about a subject in a transparent and truthful way

the process of taking reasonable steps to verify that your decisions are based on well-researched and accurate information

an abbreviated pitch, a memorized talk that can get you in the door to put your full pitch deck on display

someone who identifies and acts on an idea or problem that no one else has identified or acted on

an awareness and focus on identifying an opportunity through solving a problem, and a willingness to move forward to advance that idea

when two or more individuals or entities agree to work together to operate a business for profit and all partners assume personal liability

an open or fluid market system with temporary positions made up of independent short-term workers

granted to an individual who invents or discovers something novel and purposeful such as a machine, a process, a product, an improvement to any of these, or even a composition of matter

the process of generating ideas and solutions through various techniques such as brainstorming and sketching sessions

describes how much money the company earned while operating the business and what costs it incurred while generating those revenues

a group of companies that are related based on their primary activities

a temporary partnership that two businesses form to gain mutual benefits, such as sharing of expenses and to work toward shared goals

a business in which the founders’ primary focus is the lifestyle they will attain through becoming entrepreneurs, rather than a primary interest in financial rewards

when two or more individuals or entities agree to work together to operate a business for profit with at least one general partner and one or more limited partners

when social enterprise owners pursue one mission over another

a business entity formed by two or more individuals, or partners, each of whom contributes something such as capital, equipment, or skills

a visual tool that can help entrepreneurs define which product attributes are most important to customers, the products that are currently offered, and find the gap where an opportunity may exist

a formal but brief presentation that is delivered (usually) to potential investors in a startup

a word, phrase, symbol, or graphic that identifies the origin or source of a service

when assets are not in use, it provides an opportunity for someone else to use that asset

an opportunity that becomes available, depending on factors such as where you work, your family obligations, your idea or invention, your unique creative expression, or a recent career search or job change

one that is independently owned and operated, exerts little influence in its industry, and has fewer than 500 employees

a for-profit business created to solve a social or environmental problem

ventures launched by entrepreneurs who are first and foremost advocates or champions for a social cause

a business entity that is owned and managed by one individual and has very little formal structure and no mandatory filing/registration with the state

the population who is most likely to purchase your product

that area of law that protects the rights of people not to be harmed physically, financially, or in any other way

provides the owner the ability to use a name, symbol, jingle, or character in conjunction with a specific good

granted to an individual who invents or discovers something novel and purposeful such as a machine, a process, a product, an improvement to any of these, or even a composition of matter

an individual or investment firm that specializes in funding early stage companies