• Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

Personality Test for Entrepreneurship Success

By Jeanne Cole

I found this back in January and saved it for a time when Becky would be gone and I would need to step up to the plate and post something! A guy by the name of Andy Swan gave some pretty decent criteria for testing personality to see if you have what it takes to start a business. Here are his thoughts, and mine too on the four areas he addressed.

1. “Do you enjoy working? No….not thinking….not ideating….working. Executing. You have to execute. A mediocre idea well-executed is worth 100 times as much as a great idea that isn’t seen through. Do you REALLY think that Ray Kroc was the first guy to have the IDEA of a hamburger chain?”

Yes, having your own business is WORK, that dirty four letter word that some have the misguided impression does not apply when you are the boss.

2. “Do you gamble? I really think that there is something deep inside of some people that makes them CRAVE risk, thrive on it. Personally, I can honestly say I’d rather lose $200 on a round of golf than not gamble at all….and I LOVE golf. I’m not sure you can fake this one.”

Me, I’m not a golfer, and not much of a risk taker at all, and maybe that is why I work for someone else! But I do work with those risk takers every day of the week, and I also see the ones who are not good at risk taking. They usually fail in business.

3. “Can you fake it? A lot of entrepreneurship is promotion. You can’t wear your emotions on your sleeve, or you’re DEAD. Why? Because 90-95% of the time, your company is in trouble and you have major doubts. But guess what….investors, customers, partners….everyone….they DO NOT want to hear it, see it or sense it. They want confidence. Yes….later you HAVE to deliver quality….but today, you have to deliver confidence.”

How true is that statement? The ability to roll with the punches and come up smiling can get a new business owner a long way. How’s your duck n’ dodge?

4. “Are you good on your feet? Things change. ALL the time. …… Poof….the business plan you spent 8 days perfecting is gone. A lot of people can’t stand it when plans change at the last minute. Others expect it and stay up late.”

Times are changing rapidly and the successful entrepreneur learns to dance to a new tune every day. I agree with Andy Swan when he says that although there are exceptions to every rule and these four things are not a complete list, they are certainly keys to success, and good indicators of an entrepreneurial personality.

August 4, 2008 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, success

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2023 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in