An entrepreneur is an individual who undertakes the risk associated with creating,

organizing, and owning a business.

According to Michael P Peters (2005), Entrepreneurship is the process of identifying and evaluating
an opportunity, development of a business plan, determination of the required resources and
managing the resulting enterprise. It seeks to create a new profit opportunity through
innovative activity this maybe developing of a totally new concept, turning an existing
concept into a business or using an existing concept.

The Entrepreneurship process has got some stages that an entrepreneur has to go through
and this has been illustrated below:

Vision/ Discovery

Evaluation / Strategic Planning

Growth

Entrepreneur

Business Plan
Implementation
An example of an entrepreneur is Engineer Norman Shoniwa who has created Nuabech
ideas a company which develops E-learning software for students. Naubach E-learning is the
first e-learning concept of its kind to be designed and developed in Zimbabwe it is an
amazing idea which is a game changer in education delivery, consisting on not only the
generally known Cambridge board but also Zimbabwe’s own Zimsec exam preparation
material in a unique and simplified way to the ordinary learner.

The first process that the entrepreneur goes through is the Discovery: The stage in which
the entrepreneur generates ideas, recognizes opportunities, and studies the market. In this
stage the entrepreneur has a vision based upon a inspired business idea. Engineer N.
Shoniwa’s vision was to bridge the gap between learners with access to educational content
and resources that adequately prepare them for public exams to those that have limited
access to such critical learning tools as well as using the computer. Engineer Shoniwa’s
motivation was triggerd by his social background, where he struggled to study due to
limited resources.This gentleman then proceeded to University where he obtained a degree
in Electronic Engineering, and furthermore got a valuable work experience at the United
Nations.It is with this ecperience that he realized an opportunity to make a difference by
creatingthe Naubach e-Learning concept.

The second process is the strategic plan (concept development). Its game plan to guide the
whole entity in the long term. This is where the entrepreneur exploits the business
environment in terms of opportunities and threats presented by Political Economic Social
Technological (PEST) factors in relation to its own strengths and weaknesses, refered to as
the SWOT analysis.

Strengths Weaknesses
- relevancy to local curricula -less experience in retailing computer hardware.
- developed locally, hence room for
improvement -
- the prices are lower and affordable
- more subjects integrated for each level
compared to competition
-shares the governments vision of e-learning in
Zimbabwe

Opportunities Threats
-expansion to foreign markets -users resistant to change from hardcopies
-solar electricity power provision -computer illiteracy
-computer training -competition in the provision idesktop and
- computer hardware maintenance laptops
-costly
A good business plan must be developed in order to exploit the defined opportunity. This is
a very time-consuming phase of the entrepreneurial process. A good business plan is
essential to developing the opportunity and determining the resources required, obtaining
those resources, and successfully managing the resulting venture.

Once this information has been obtained the marketing department then determines specific
strategies to make use of the organisation’s strengths, fortify its weaknesses, take advantage of the
opportunities and cobat threats.Naubach Ideas implements a growth strategy as its corporate
strategy .The following diagram aids in explaining the growth strategy:
Suppliers E-Learning Package Target Market

Zimsec and
Syllabi Primary
Cambridge
Grade 1-7
Text books

Publishers Notes

Past Exam Papers &

Ordinary Level Form
Marking Schemes
1-4
Teachers/ Exam simulations
Educationist
s Video Tutorials

Virtual Labs Advanced level

Online Typing Skills Form 5-6
sources

Naubach ideas has formed strategic alliances with suppliers and distributors in oder to
enhance its growth strategy.Moreover, ita has incorporated in house education experts who
work as consultants within the company so as to make sure the company produces
products with relevant content that will always be approved by the Ministry of Education as
well as other stakeholders in education.This can be referred to as backward intergration.

In addition, the company has also used forward integration as a strategy in which it expands
activities to control the direct distribution of its products to the target clientele.Naubach has
invested in a concept called e-learning libraries in which has planted computerized centres(e-
learning libraries) where students mostly in high density surburbs are benefiting.
 Ansoff Matrix

Product

Existing New

Market Penetration Product Development

- E-learning libraries - Fun and educational games.

Existing - Computer skills training - Exam simulations

Market
- Promotional activities

Market Development Diversification

- New office in South Africa - computer maintenance and

repair
- Adult literacy students
- computer hardware supplies
New - New branch in Bulawayo with credit facility
Market
- solar power supply

- advertising

The third process is the Business plan which is a formal statement of a set business goals, the reason
are believed to be attainable, specific, measurable, realistic and timeous and the plan for reaching
the goals. Business plans can be a 3 to 5 year plan which can be reviewed for annual return for that
time frame. A business plan has to have its audience that is the internal and external goals. A
business plan represents all aspects of business planning process declaring vision and strategy
alongside sub plans to cover marketing, finance, operations and as well as a legal plan. ‘... a good
business plan can help to make a good business credible, under stable, and attractive’.

The marketing plan describes the business, its product and the market it will serve. It should point
out just exactly what will be sold, to whom and why the business will hold a competitive advantage.
Naubach develops and sells educational software that it distributes using DVDs as a medium. It has
also invested in various promotional activities such as sales presentations in schools, radio and
television talk shows, advertising using the internet, press, brochures and flyers. All these tools are
used to reach its target market which includes parents, student, teachers and other interested
parties. Naubach also aims to open new branches in other cities and towns in Zimbabwe in order to
enhance its distribution channel and hence, increase its market share. This is shown in the Ansoff
matrix strategy above. Naubach, being a local company that develops software that is relevant and
timely for Zimsec and Cambridge students, it has gained competitive advantage over its competitors
who import e-learning packages.

The Financial plan highlights the important financial points of the business including sales, profits,
cash flows and return on investment. It clearly states the capital needed to start the business and to
expand. It should detail how the capital will be used, and the equity, if any, that will be provided for
funding. Naubach is a family venture and they have used their savings to finance the operation.
Financial statements are prepared by the accounting department annually.

Operational flow process

Data Capturing Research and Marketing Accounting

Unit Development

The fourth process in the Entrepreneurship process is the Implementation process, where the
entrepreneur operates the business and utilizes resources to achieve its goals and objectives. After
resources are acquired, the entrepreneur must use them to implement the business plan.
The operational problems of the growing enterprise must also be examined. This involves
implementing a management style and structure, as well as determining the key variables
for success. At Nabauch e-Learning, the process is implemented as follows: Data capturing
unit-responsible for entering all the data received from suppliers, who then in turn forward
it to the Research and development unit , these are responsible for programming the data
into the various formats that result in the Naubach e-Learning packages. After the package
has been developed, it is now the responsibility of the Marketing department to sell and
distribute the product to the target market. All the money that has been received is
deposited into the bank and handled by the Accounting department.

Evaluation and reviews this is the last stage of the process where the company matches its
set goals and objectives against the actual performance. This stage can be done annual or as
per time frame stated by the company. This stage helps the organisation know its
performance compared to the projections set by the business.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hisrich, PhD, Robert D., Michael P. Peters, PhD and Dean A. Shepherd, PhD.
Entrepreneurship.6 ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2005.

Norman Shonhiwa (2010), Naubach Ideas Operations Manual

Johnson, G. and Scholes, H.K. (1993), Exploring Corporate Strategy, Hemel Hempstead:Prentice-Hall,
3rd edition.