Almost everyone is an entrepreneur at heart! Some go about becoming one aggressively, some wait for the right opportunity, and yet others pine away wondering what the next opportunity and the right conditions may be for them to start their venture, and keep wondering!
As a starting point a self-assessment is always a good idea. The test, called the Isenberg Entrepreneur Test, was developed by a business professor and is based on years of study of successful entrepreneurs at Harvard University. I have modified this test to incorporate my own experience with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and of those around the world. So, here it goes (and answer honestly):
- I don’t like being told what to do by people who are less capable than I am.
- I like challenging myself.
- I like to accomplish things and occasionally win.
- Not only do I know what to do, I know how to get it done!
- I like being my own boss.
- I don’t want to die wondering!
- I always look for new and better ways to do things.
- I like to question conventional wisdom.
- I like to get people together in order to get things done.
10. People get excited by my ideas; I get jazzed when people respond positively to mine!
11. I am rarely satisfied or complacent.
12. I can’t sit still.
13. I can usually work my way out of a difficult situation.
14. I would rather fail at my own thing than succeed at someone else’s.
15. Whenever there is a problem, I am ready to jump right in.
16. I think old dogs can learn—even invent—new tricks.
17. Members of my family run their own businesses.
18. I have friends who run their own businesses.
19. I worked after school and during vacations when I was growing up.
20. I get an adrenaline rush from selling things.
21. I am an Introvert, but I know how to team with others to get what I want
22. I am exhilarated by achieving results.
23. People often underestimate their capabilities. I want to use that to build a great team and a great business by inspiring them.
24. I am OK with running a business that is not glamorous.
25. I could have written a better test than this (and here is what I would change …).
(Note: If you noticed “I want to be rich” and “I like to take risks” aren’t on the test, give yourself extra credit. The professor’s study shows that a desire for wealth and risky behavior aren’t core traits of successful entrepreneurs.)
If you answered “yes” to at least 20 of the questions, you should be running your own show. If you think that the economy is bad right now, Hewlett-Packard, FedEx, and Farmers’ Insurance were started in severe economic downturns. Colonel Sanders was 70 when he started KFC and Ray Kroc was over 55 when he pursued franchising McDonalds!
So, get on with it!