Entrepreneurship Merit Badge
Six requirements that build on each other. Interview someone who started a business (3). List business ideas, pick three, choose one (4). Write a business plan for that idea in five sections, including a promotional flyer or poster (5). Then imagine it running: successes, problems, failures and ethical questions (6).
The plan behind this
The order that matters
- Requirement 4: write down as many business ideas as you can, select the three best opportunities, and choose one, explaining why you chose it and why it can succeed.
- Requirement 5: a written business plan for that idea, with all five sections below.
- Requirement 6: once you believe the idea is feasible, imagine it up and running: the successes and problems, how you would overcome failures, and the ethical questions you might face. Requirement 3 needs someone who has started a business to interview, so it is worth finding them early.
Requirement 5: the five sections of the plan
| section | what it covers |
|---|---|
| 5(a) Product or Service | (1) the product or service; (2) goals; (3) how you can make enough of the product or perform the service to meet them; (4) potential liability risks; (5) any license needed |
| 5(b) Market Analysis | (1) who would buy it; (2) competitors, with their strengths and weaknesses; (3) what makes yours unique |
| 5(c) Financial | (1) money needed to start, and how you will obtain it; (2) cost and the price that makes a profit; (3) what happens with the money you make |
| 5(d) Personnel | (1) what you will handle yourself, and your qualifications; (2) whether you need help, and the responsibilities and qualifications for each role |
| 5(e) Promotion and Marketing | (1) promotion methods; (2) using the internet and social media; (3) design a promotional flyer or poster |
The explanations
Entrepreneurship defined in your own words, and how entrepreneurs impact the U.S. economy (1); and why ten skill areas matter to an entrepreneur (2): communication, planning, organization, problem solving, decision making, basic math, adaptability, technical and social skills, teamwork, and leadership.
What this page is
The Entrepreneurship merit badge, drawn so the idea chosen in requirement 4 is drawn as the prerequisite of the plan in requirement 5, with the plan's five sections as steps and requirement 6 after them. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Entrepreneurship Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-09-19 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .