Striking out on your own. There is probably no career employee who has not wondered if self-employment would be a better option. It’s fun to look at other entrepreneurs who have “made it” and dream about doing the same. There’s a freedom and an excitement about being your own boss, to be sure. Visions of setting up a home office, of flexible hours, and of working in sweats are pleasant daydreams. But the reality of self-employment is so much more than that. If you are considering entrepreneurship, here is a “reality-based” checklist you need to carefully review.
1. You’re Action-Oriented.
When there are problems to solve and issues to be resolved, you get tired of the meetings that go on and on, discussing options, and pros and cons. You want to just take action and see where it goes. If it doesn’t “go,” then there is always a “plan B” to try.
2. You Feel a Bit Insecure About Starting a Business
Good. This means you will be really focused on making it go. It’s often the over-confident ones that let the small (and the big) things slide, hoping that all will work out. Being insecure means you focus on every detail and on every aspect of growing your business. You lose sleep; you go over the financials obsessively; you do anything to get new customers/clients. Some insecurity and fear is a great asset.
3. You are a Divergent Thinker
You are clever and crafty. When one path does not seem to work, you get “outside the box” and begin to think of unusual and unique ways to get around an obstacle. And you are willing to do the research to what others have done in similar circumstances. If one idea doesn’t work, you don’t give u; you move on to the next.
4. You Obsess Over Cash Flow in Your Personal Finances
This is a sign that you will obsess with cash flow in your business too. And that’s a good thing. It means that you will aggressively seek partners and investors to get the money you need to make your business a success.
5. You Tend to Get “In Trouble” at Work
You operate on the principle, “It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission.” So, you make decisions and take action because you believe you have the right answers. Superiors are not happy that you did not “run” your decisions by them first, even when they work out well.
6. You Take Risks in Your Personal Life
Your idea of a successful person is one who tries new things all the time. You are open to almost anything – you try sky diving, deep sea diving, and other extreme sports. You invest in a long-shot business. And if you fail, you dust yourself off and move on.
7. You’re Restless
Successful entrepreneurs are all restless. They have trouble sitting still and just letting things happen. They need to be involved; they need to be proactive and make things happen instead. This is a critical trait of an entrepreneur – she has to be hungry and on the move always.
8. You’re Flexible
If one way doesn’t work, you’ll always try another. And so it is with entrepreneurs. They begin with an idea and maybe freelance part-time while still an employee. They try to grow that business and it is a bust. No matter! They move on to the next idea. Being able to change gears is what bring ultimate success. Holding on to an idea that just isn’t working is disaster.
9. You Think of Yourself as a Misfit
This is a really subjective feeling. But, in your gut, you just don’t feel that you fit in with the corporate work style. You dislike the bureaucracy, the slowness of decision-making, and the constant need to get input from others before taking action. You dislike the expectations that your workday is set and scheduled. Entrepreneurs at heart are project-focused, not time-focused.
10. You Can Recover
When you meet with failure, in any aspect of your life, you are able to re-focus very quickly. That failure is just a learning experience, and you have many more ideas and many more paths to go down.
If you have seen yourself in at least 8 of these 10 scenarios, you are probably an entrepreneur in spirit. You need to consider what you have to offer consumers or other businesses that will fill their needs and set about making a plan to do just that.
