Am I An Entrepreneur?

Here are the results from an on-line test I did a couple of years ago, to determine whether or not I had what it takes to run my own business. It's interesting. I have to say I agree with a lot of it. It may give some insight into who I am...

Achievement Drive: You are motivated by a moderate drive to achieve. You would probably be happy with a business that was moderately successful, as long as it met your personal needs and interests. Money may be less important to you than finding a business that meets your personal goals.

Focus: Not available

Adaptability: You are moderately are flexible in your approach to life. At times, you may have some difficulty adjusting to changing circumstances, preferring instead to follow what you are already familiar with. Although you tolerate some ambiguity, you may feel uncomfortable in highly ambiguous situations. You may dislike being in a business on the leading edge of change and should look for a relatively stable niche.

Focus: You scored in the middle on this dimension. You would probably find it challenging to run a business in an area where market change is constant and rapid, but, you could probably be successful over time. You may feel more comfortable with a business that does not subject you to ambiguity.

Autonomy: Being your own boss, with the freedom to select what you do and how you do it, is important to you. If you work for a large corporation now, it's likely that you feel stifled and constrained by company life, for example, by the difficulty of changing how things are done.

Focus: Remember, autonomy - the need to act on your own - is one of the most powerful motives driving successful self-made business people.

Decisiveness: You find it hard to reach decisions, or to act upon them. Some people may view you as overly hesitant and cautious. You may spend time agonizing over issues that are relatively unimportant.

Focus: If you scored low on this dimension, you may have some difficulties in running your business. You will have to try to become more decisive.

Destiny: You feel in control of your own destiny. You believe that you control what happens to you, for good or bad, and that luck has nothing to do with it. At times you may blame yourself for events that are entirely beyond your control.

Focus: This strong belief in personal control over events is one of the key factors identifying successful entrepreneurs.

Energy Drive: You are a moderately energetic person. At times, you feel a lack of energy which may affect how you handle your work and how you interact with potential clients and customers. It's possible that your periods of low energy result from unhappiness with your current circumstances and that you will feel more energetic once you start doing something you like better. In general, however, you are well prepared for the demands of running your own business. Remember to eat properly, exercise and look after your health.

Focus: Your energy will be a major asset, but you must keep your energy level up at all times. Eat properly, exercise, and don't push beyond your personal limits.

Enterprise: You have little interest in or knowledge of "trade skills". Buying, selling and negotiating are unexciting to you. You are much more interested in getting on with your work and in getting the job done.

Focus: You would probably not do well in an environment, such as retail sales, where you would be required to play an up front sales role. You would do better in a more "back room" business, or one in which a partner or employee handled the sales function.

Growth Motivation: Personal growth and development are important to you. You see your business as a means of expressing yourself as a person, rather than simply a money-making machine. You are strongly motivated by the desire to learn new things. You would not be satisfied in a business where the functions were largely routine and repetitive, no matter how great the financial rewards.

Focus: Not available

Intuition: You rely heavily upon your intuition and "gut feelings," whether in sizing up people or in making business decisions. Sometimes you may find yourself unable to justify your decisions to other people on the basis of the observable facts.

Focus: Good intuition can be a tremendous asset in identifying and pursuing new business opportunities. Compared to corporate executives, people who start successful businesses are typically far more intuitive in their decision-making.

Opportunity Seeking: You may not think in terms of spotting opportunities around you, or you may be somewhat negative in judging your ideas.. Being more open to opportunity can help you find your niche or find one that best matches your distinctive skills and strengths. Discuss ideas with people whose opinions you value.

Focus: Not available

Perseverance: When you experience setbacks, you may give up too soon. Perseverance is a key characteristic of successful business starters. Many actually failed in their first or second try, but ultimately went on to success. Perseverance in the wrong cause can be foolish, especially if you don't learn from your mistakes. But if you frequently feel the urge to quit, try to develop the resilience to keep on pushing.

Focus: You scored in the middle on this dimension. You should try to develop a resilience to failure and keep on pushing. Perseverance is a key characteristic of successful business starters.

Problem Solving: You may not see problem solving as one of your strengths. You may often be tempted to wait and see if a problem will take care of itself, but you can develop the confidence to tackle problems "head on".

Focus: Most of the time, your problem-solving skills will be an asset in your business. But, at times you will try to avoid solving problems, and this can hurt your business. Good problem-solving skills are necessary in any business, so try to view problems as opportunities to develop and improve your business, rather than as annoyances.

Risk Tolerance: You have a good ability to weigh risk against security and stability. Although people who start businesses are often thought of as "risk-takers", this is not how they see themselves. Convinced that they will succeed, they tend to discount the real risks involved. You are able to realistically assess risks that others might miss. You may feel uncomfortable placing yourself in situations involving high risk, such as going heavily into debt to launch your business. However, you need to be careful not to let yourself become excessively cautious in avoiding risk.

Focus: Depending on the situation, you generally try to balance risk with stability. However, you may tend to pass up good opportunities because you want to avoid what you perceive are unnecessary risks . To be successful in business, you must be confident of your ability to accept and manage risks.

Self Confidence: You lack faith in yourself and in your ability to succeed. You may become discouraged easily by setbacks, and you may have difficulty in giving yourself credit for your successes.

Focus: You should be especially careful not to transmit a negative image of yourself and your business to potential lenders and customers.

Social Skills: You can be persuasive when you want to be, but for the most part, you prefer to be in a position where you don't have to persuade and influence people. You may feel slightly uncomfortable in many social settings, especially in large crowds, but can overcome this when you have to. You may feel more comfortable in situations where you can work with ideas and objects, instead of people. You can improve your social skills - and degree of comfort in social settings - through training and practice.

Focus: Many successful entrepreneurs demonstrate strong social skills. In running your own business, you will find yourself in many social situations. You may feel more comfortable in these situations if you can improve your confidence and skill in dealing with people in groups. There are courses and clubs (such as Toastmasters) that can help you improve your social skills.