Personality

The purpose of a personal assessment is to help you see more clearly the habits you possess and to compare these to the core traits of entrepreneurs. Remember, this is a starting point for you to identify the skills you might need to improve upon as you begin your small business venture.

Read each statement and enter a score using a scale of 1 to 4.

     1 = strongly disagree      2 = disagree      3 = agree      4 = strongly agree

When you are finished scoring, calculate your total by adding all points.

____ I enjoy competition in both work and play.
____ I often set goals for myself.
____ I often meet the goals I set for myself.
____ I set limits for myself and follow them (with money, time, projects).
____ I am happiest when I am responsible for myself and my own decisions.
____ If given a choice, I prefer to work with other people on a project.
____ In group situations, I usually take a leadership role (setting the agenda, organizing duties, etc.).
____ I do things on my own. Nobody has to get me going.
____ I work best when there are no precedents for what I am doing.
____ I enjoy putting myself "on the line."
____ When I start something, I am able to generate enthusiasm and commitment among other people.
____ I believe that "luck favors the prepared mind."
____ I do not perform well when other people set goals and define tasks I am to do.
____ I am an on-time kind of person.
____ I enjoy seeking out new challenges.
____ I thrive on inventing new ideas, products, concepts.
____ I find it exciting and exhilarating when circumstances change and I must adapt or expand my abilities.
____ I enjoy speaking in front of groups of people.
____ I have strong intuition, and I listen to it.
____ I have many natural talents.
____ I often identify new skills I need and work at acquiring them.
____ I prefer to be very busy.
____ I enjoy the task of juggling several tasks at once.
____ I can make up my mind in a hurry if I have to and these decisions turn out to be good ones.
____ I get excited about new opportunities, ideas or projects about every day.
____ Total Points

A score between 63 and 100 points indicates you are well on your way to having the right mix of personal skills to weather the challenges of starting a small business. You enjoy setting your own goals and achieving them, and you are comfortable with taking some risks. On those statements you scored yourself below a 3, consider ways to enhance these skills. Your ability to identify your weak areas and seek out ways to improve upon them speaks to how successful you will ultimately be in your entrepreneurial venture.

Scoring between 25 and 62 points could mean that starting a business may not be for you. It can also mean that you lack confidence in certain areas, and with training and experience you could develop these skills and abilities. Partnering with other people or going to work in a small, entrepreneurial business to identify and learn about the areas in which you need to improve may be wise for you.

This checklist has been reprinted from the NxLeveL Guide for Business Start-ups with permission from the US West Foundation.