An entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

A creative entrepreneur utilizes creativity combined with initiative to minimize the risk of an enterprise.

Here are five creative steps I have applied to entrepreneurial endeavors which have enabled me to become my own boss…and live to enjoy (and yes, perhaps even gloat about) it!

1.) Explore the disgruntled “why?” Whenever you find yourself repeatedly asking, “Why doesn’t somebody do something about ______ ?”  Take a hard look at possible answers to the “Why?” question. A disgruntled feeling usually means passion, and the “Why?” question usually indicates a need.

2.) Examine where your passion intersects a need. This intersection indicates a possible business opportunity. The key is to examine the size of the need and whether a percentage of the potential market can sustain your financial needs.

3.) Evaluate the competition. We have millions of dollars of market research technology at our fingertips. It’s called “Google.” Research the companies that are currently supplying your potential market.

4.) Engage a social networking strategy. If it’s free, it’s for me. The tools of social networking (Twitter, Facebook, etc) can be combined to form a powerful marketing platform that will help in building and informing a niche market (a tribe, if you will) for your product. And they are FREE!

5.) Enact the “3 C’s.”  (Converge. Center. Create.) I talk much more about this all-important strategy during my 48 Hours of Solitude mentorship opportunity at the mentees request. Suffice it to say, there must be a concentrated look at the overall potential of the market, a centered focus of the need, and a creative execution of a good strategy.

What say you? Can you add to this?

Questions? Thoughts?