Innerpreneurship

Innerpreneurship is the practice of starting a new business in response to identified opportunities, personal growth needs and a desire to create social change. Innerpreneurship is often a difficult undertaking, as a vast majority of new businesses fail. Innerpreneurial activities are substantially different depending on the type of organization that is being started. Innerpreneurship ranges in scale from solo projects (even involving the innerpreneur only part-time) to major undertakings creating many job opportunities.

History of Innerpreneurship

The term innerpreneur and the identification of innerpreneurship as a movement can be credited to the work of marketer Ron Rentel. In the 2008 marketing text, "Karma Queens, Geek Gods and Innerpreneurs", Rentel identifies the growing movement of innerpreneurship.

Innerpreneurship is born from the values of the Cultural Creative subculture. The practice has existed since the 1960's but was not identified or named until 2008.

The Innerpreneur

Innerpreneurs have the same character traits as entrepreneurs, but they start businesses to aid in their personal growth rather than that of a company’s. They start their businesses to find personal fulfillment and satisfaction through their work. Innerpreneurs are driven by their need to realize their full potential, make a difference and constantly learn and evolve.

Characteristics of an Innerpreneur

* high need for achievement
* high need for independence
* low need for conformity
* internal locus of control
* love of ambiguity
* propensity for risk-taking
* obsession with opportunity
* believe you should do what you are and what you love
* see the world in a different way than most
* let their values and passion for exploration guide their lives
* have an innate need to be creative and honest, to follow their own unique path
* want to make things different; and are attracted to industries that improve the world
* may alternate periods of career focus with periods of reflection and/or adventure

ee also

;General:Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Economics, Political entrepreneur, Knowledge entrepreneurship, Social entrepreneurship, Internet Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship education, Cooperative Entrepreneurship, Digital Entrepreneurship, Intrapreneurship;Business: Business incubators, Business opportunity, Junior enterprise, KaosPilots;Lists: List of management topics, List of social entrepreneurs;Other:Bootstrap funding

References and external articles

;Books and publications
* Rentel, R. (2008) "Karma Queens, Geek Gods and Innerpreneurs"
* Paul H. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson, "The Cultural Creatives". New York: Harmony Books, 2000. ISBN 0-609-60467-8.