Coping with Self Employment

The time has come: you’ve decided you are going to set up your own business. You want to control your own destiny, explore fresh challenges, and pursue your dream.

But starting up a business is a whole new life with fresh demands and concerns. Are you sure you know yourself, and what you really want?

Based on research into why people start up on their own, a leading psychologist has compiled this self assessment questionnaire to help you analyse yourself and your aspirations, your reasons for wanting to start up and how you compare to other people in the same position.

Directions

Score the statements quickly. Don’t think about it too much!

For each of the statements you can score 0-4, depending on how true you think the statement is for you.

Then count up the scores for each question and find out how well you fit with the four startup models.

0 = Completely Untrue
1 = Mostly Untrue
2 = Neither True nor Untrue
3 = Mostly True
4 = Completely True

.

1.	I want to set up my business so I can work more on my interest or ‘hobby’ .	0	1	2	3	4
2.	If I need to buy new telecoms equipment, I get advice from friends and contacts of the family .	0	1	2	3	4
3.	Running my own business is the only way I can achieve the standard of life I want .	0	1	2	3	4
4.	I keep up-to-date with the latest technology, but it must earn its keep/pay its way.	0	1	2	3	4
5.	My family supported and encouraged me to set up in business.	0	1	2	3	4
6.	I prefer to spend my working day with people who are close to me.	0	1	2	3	4
7.	I often ring my business colleagues just to keep in touch and have a chat, not only to do business.	0	1	2	3	4
8.	People think I take big risks, but they are really very carefully calculated.	0	1	2	3	4
9.	I am prepared to risk everything if I have to.	0	1	2	3	4
10.	I would put more money on a bet if one of my business competitors was watching.	0	1	2	3	4
11.	I am good at seeing business opportunities in other people’s ideas or inventions.	0	1	2	3	4
12.	I want to get out of the rat race and be my own boss.	0	1	2	3	4
13.	I must be in contact at all times or I worry that I’ll miss a great business opportunity.	0	1	2	3	4
14.	I’d work for someone else but my age or qualifications go against me.	0	1	2	3	4
15.	I was sick of working for other people and being told what to do.	0	1	2	3	4
16.	I love to be the first to be seen with new gadgets just as they come on the market.	0	1	2	3	4
17.	If this business doesn’t work I’ll start another one.	0	1	2	3	4
18.	I can usually see some benefit to the business of the latest technology.	0	1	2	3	4
19.	I dream of my own ideas making me into a famous business personality.	0	1	2	3	4
20.	I am often the only one who can answer queries so I need a reliable system for people to leave messages.	0	1	2	3	4
21.	I joined the family business because it offered me the best prospects.	0	1	2	3	4
22.	Going into my own business is only the beginning of a 5 year plan for me.	0	1	2	3	4
23.	I’m often out following up leads and ideas, so I need to keep in constant touch with the office.	0	1	2	3	4
24.	If I wanted a small business loan I would not consider a main bank.	0	1	2	3	4

 .

Score

Add up your scores for the following set of statements:

A	B	C	D
1=	2=	4=	9=
3=	5=	8=	10=
12=	6=	11=	13=
14=	7=	17=	16=
15=	21=	18=	19=
20=	24=	22=	23=
TOTAL A	TOTAL B	TOTAL C	TOTAL D

Most people will have one main score (a few will have two).

Highest Score: A – Solo Flier
Highest Score: B – Family Oriented
Highest Score: C – Stalker
Highest Score: D – Tycoon

Solo flier

You don’t want a boss telling you what to do. Neither do you want to be dictated to by partners, directors or shareholders. You have set your business course and will steer it in a dogged and determined way permitting no other hand on the tiller.

Resisting outside influences means minimising risks. All your decisions will be based on careful consideration.

You keep in close touch with customers because you are the only one who has the answers.

You’ll be interested in the subject matter of what you do. Indeed, this interest may well have sparked your decision to ‘go-it-alone’.

A quiet sense of achievement rather than glorious success will be your goal.

Family-oriented

There may well be a long family tradition behind your enterprise. Or perhaps you come from an ethnic group which places great importance on family cohesion.

You’ll draw your confidence and sense of security from the knowledge that you have strong family backing. And your motivation for success in your business will be to improve your family wealth and perhaps carve an important niche for yourself in your local community.

It’s important for you to keep in touch with your family business network. You may well see the family as your most important resource providing finance, labour, encouragement and advice.

Stalker

You might well be a chess player. Success is achieved through a series of carefully calculated moves, like a chess player, planning a few moves ahead. You might risk a few pawns on the way but only when you know you can afford to sacrifice them.

Although confident of your ultimate success, it is a quiet confidence born of professionalism.

You have a lot of energy and you are motivated by the thought of being successful.

There is nothing flamboyant in your approach to business. Thinking time is important to you.

And while you may work well with other people it’ll be essential that their ideas are in tune with your own.

Tycoon

You’re bursting with ideas, confidence and vitality.

You love working with other people so long as they realise that you are the boss. And you don’t mind treading on a few toes on your journey to success.

You’re a hard driver. Success by itself is not enough – you must be seen to be successful and become famous. So you’ll need lots of the latest gadgets, a high performance car, glamorous companions and to be seen in the right places.

Money is important to you.

You’ll be seen as a risk taker. But if your risks don’t produce cash they’ll certainly produce publicity.

Call Now

Please call Seamus Parfrey today on 021 431 0266 if you need further information on coping with self employment or a consultation.

Related Article:   So You’re Thinking of Starting Your Own Business?