Innovation and Creativity

Innovative and creative ideas are essential fundamental elements to be converted into a business opportunity. "Converting an idea into a business opportunity is the key element of the process of business creation," according to one creative type. Many authors, who believed that the best new idea will only be useful and meaningful if it can develop business opportunity and turn into a successful business venture, agreed with this statement.

Individuals who normally have such ideas to turn into a business opportunity are often known as an entrepreneur. The process of converting an idea into a business opportunity is included in the prior-to-business-start stage. Before an entrepreneur can proceed to business start-up, he or she needs to have the idea that can start a business and have a product or services idea around which the business can be formed. This is a critical stage where entrepreneurs are not only aware that business creation is possible, but must feel that it might be appropriate form them and that they can do it. For example, famous ice-cream maker Ben and Jerry's initially have an idea of selling high-quality ingredient ice cream. They convert this idea into a business opportunity and created a business by selling ice-cream in a small scale at first, then expand to supermarket chain and now Ben and Jerry's ice-cream had expanded to a world-wide distribution.

Not only the knowledge or education background of transferring an ideas into a business opportunity is essential, creativity also have a major role in enabling entrepreneur to be successful in the business world. Entrepreneurship is a creative, not a scientific, process. From the generation of the business idea to the development of the marketing plan to the management of the growing business, it is creativity in all aspects of the venture that sets the most successful new businesses apart from those that merely survive. Therefore, not only the knowledge, skills and abilities that count to turn an idea into a venture, creativity also play an important role in determining the successful of the venture.

Therefore, any business ideas that lack of innovation and creativity are vulnerable to the constant changing and challenging business environment. An idea that can be successful created into a profitable business will need to adapt to the customer and environment, become creative and innovative which enable entrepreneur to create opportunity in creating a successful business.