Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the process of creating, managing, and growing a business to solve a problem, meet a need, or offer something new to the world. Entrepreneurs are creators, risk-takers, problem-solvers, and leaders.
At its core, entrepreneurship is about:
- Taking initiative to build something from the ground up
- Solving real problems with innovative ideas
- Taking risks with no guaranteed outcome
- Creating value for customers, for communities, and for yourself
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Turn Your Ideas Into Action
Entrepreneurship is a powerful way to turn your ideas into real-world impact– whether it’s launching a startup, freelancing, or building a small business. Many students think they need to wait until after graduation to start, but college is actually one of the best times to explore entrepreneurship.
Pursuing entrepreneurship doesn’t always mean starting a company right away. It can begin with solving a problem, testing an idea, or gaining experience through internships and side projects. With the right mindset and support, you can build valuable skills like leadership, creativity, and resilience, whether you choose to launch your own venture or make an impact within an existing organization.
UNLV offers a variety of resources to support students at any stage of the entrepreneurial journey. From one-on-one business advising and micro-internships to pitch competitions and startup communities, you don’t have to go it alone.
If you’re curious about entrepreneurship, ready to take your first step, or looking for guidance along the way, explore the resources below or connect with RebelForge or Career Services to get started.
Key Components of Entrepreneurship
Mindset
- Growth-oriented: Willing to learn, adapt, and fail forward
- Resilient: Able to bounce back from setbacks
- Creative: Constantly exploring new ideas or improvements
Business Planning
- Define your product or service
- Identify your target customer
- Analyze competitors and market trends
- Develop pricing, marketing, and operational strategies
- Project your startup costs and financial model
Market Research
- Validate that your idea solves a real problem
- Test your assumptions with real customer feedback
- Pivot if the market demands something different
Execution
- Build a minimal viable product (MVP)
- Launch your product or service
- Track performance and adjust based on feedback
- Start small, but think big
Truths and Realities of Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is rewarding, but it’s not easy. Entrepreneurship isn’t a straight path-it’s a zigzag full of wins, mistakes, pivots, and learning.
Here’s what to know:
Truths
- You don’t need a business degree to start
- You can start small-freelancing, selling online, etc.
- Many great ideas come from solving your own problem
- Community and mentorship make a huge difference
Realities
- Most businesses don’t become overnight successes
- You may work longer hours than a traditional job
- Rejection and failure are part of the journey
- Funding is competitive, so you need to prove your value
- It’s not for everyone, and that’s okay
Steps to Start a Business
- Develop an Idea: What problem are you solving?
- Write a Business Plan: Identify your mission, goals and how you’ll achieve them.
- Validate with Research: Talk to potential customers and look at what’s out there. Confirm there’s a market/demand for your idea.
- Register and Structure Your Business: Choose a legal structure (LLC, sole proprietorship, corporation, etc.), register your business, get an EIN, and secure necessary licenses.
- Build a Team or Go Solo: Define roles, recruit talent, or identify key support if working alone.
- Launch, Test, Improve: Release a minimal version, gather feedback, track performance, and refine.
- Grow or Pivot: Scale what works by refining systems and expanding reach- or pivot by reassessing your idea, strategy, or audience
Helpful Resources
UNLV Resources
- RebelForge
- Business advising and mentoring
- Help with business planning, strategy, and scaling
- Workshops and networking
- Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE)
- Entrepreneurship curriculum and competitions
- UNLV Entrepreneurship Hub
- Hub for ideas, events, pitch opportunities
- Blackstone LaunchPad
- Open to all majors
- Coaching and community for student startups
- StartupTree @ UNLV
- Connect with other student founders and mentors
- Parker Dewey Micro-Internships
- Short-term, paid projects offered by real companies
- Great way to build experience, network, and explore entrepreneurship before launching your own business
Community Resources
- Nevada Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
- Business advising, licensing, legal help, funding prep
- SilverFlume Nevada’s Business Portal
- Nevada’s centralized online platform for launching and managing a business in the state, covering everything from entity formation and licensing to tax filing
- StartUpNV
- Accelerator programs, investor introductions, incubator resources
- IRS Tax Information for Businesses