#268. Should You Be An Entrepreneur?
Posted on | The Agurban
Should You Be An Entrepreneur?
Daniel Isenberg, a Professor of Management Practice at Babson College, recently developed a 2-minuteĀ Entrepreneur Test, to help people decide if they have what it takes to make the leap to entrepreneur. Below are Professor Isenberg’s 20 questions:
If you answered “yes” on 17 or more of these questions, look at your paycheck (if you are lucky enough to still get one). If the company that issued the check isn’t owned by you, it is time for some soul searching: Do you have debts to pay? Kids in college? Alimony? Want to take it easy? Maybe better to wait. Do you have a little extra cash in the bank and several credit cards? Do you have a spouse, partner, friends, or kids who will cheer you on? If so, start thinking about what kind of business you want to set up. It doesn’t matter what age you are: research by the Kauffman Foundation shows that more and more over-50s are setting up their own businesses. Talk to people who have made the plunge, learn how to plan and deliver a product or service, think about that small business you might buy, talk to people with whom you would like to work, and talk to customers.
All else being equal (and all else is rarely equal in the real world), on the average, people who set up their own businesses don’t make more money, although a few do succeed in grabbing the brass ring. But the “psychic benefits” – the challenge, autonomy, recognition, excitement, and creativity – make it all worthwhile. Do you have what it takes?
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