@article {685, title = {Navigating Risk When Entering and Participating in a Business Ecosystem}, journal = {Technology Innovation Management Review}, volume = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {05/2013}, pages = {25-33}, publisher = {Talent First Network}, address = {Ottawa}, abstract = {Entrepreneurs typically have limited resources during the start-up phase of a business. Business ecosystems are a strategy for entrepreneurs to access and exchange many different aspects of value, resources, and benefits. However, there may be business risks for entering a particular type of ecosystem, and further risks may be encountered after entering and participating in a business ecosystem. These risks are significant and can inhibit a startup{\textquoteright}s growth. In this article, the literature on business ecosystems is reviewed as it relates to risk to discover insights of relevance to entrepreneurs, top management teams, and business-ecosystem operators. First, the published research is organized into two streams: i) risks relating to categories of business ecosystems, and ii) risks relating to participating in business ecosystems. Then, the problem is abstracted to develop a potential strategy for managing these risks, which features a pre-entry inspection followed by real-time resource management. Finally, five recommendations are offered for entrepreneurs seeking to enter and participate in business ecosystems.}, keywords = {business ecosystem, due diligence, entrepreneurs, literature review, mitigation, risk, risk identification, startups, threat management}, issn = {1927-0321}, doi = {http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/685}, url = {http://timreview.ca/article/685}, author = {Derek Smith} }