Take the E-Boomer Quiz

They say that at any given time about seven million U.S. adults are trying to start new business ventures.

That is an awful lot of people who seem determined to become their own boss. Perhaps you have a couple of newly minted entrepreneurs among your friends.

How can you tell whether you are well suited to be your own boss?

It seems that people in the world of work can be categorized into one of two groups:

• Type Emp - diehard employees
• Type Ent - individuals with strong entrepreneurial yearnings

You can use the personality traits described below to see in which group you feel you belong.

Type Emp

These individuals are extremely loyal employees and often define themselves by their job title. Their personality traits include:

• They avoid personal risk, relying upon their corporate organization to provide needed financial support.
• They take great pride in providing well-developed and often highly specific skills.
• They enjoy regular paychecks, paid holidays and vacations, health-care benefits and such perks as company cars and performance bonuses. Many today demand stock options in return for their loyalty.
• They don't generally like to assume the responsibility for profit and loss, to negotiate sales contracts or handle legal problems.
• They prefer to focus on one project at a time and enjoy coordinating internal staff and resources.
• They need to have outward signs of upward advancement and to be recognized by their superiors and peers for their talent.
• They feel more comfortable being part of a team than on their own.

Type Ent

These individuals contrast significantly in their personality and outlook:

• They are risk takers who get bored doing the same thing too often.
• They are confident that they can overcome any obstacle.
• They know their limitations and capitalize on their strengths.
• They are quick to take advantage of new opportunities and are driven by an unquenchable curiosity.
• They willingly accept the notion of "no risk, no gain" in their financial lives.
• They are persistent and don't usually need the approval of others to feel right with their decisions.
• They quickly learn how to apply their corporate skills to bring innovation to their marketplace.

Don't be discouraged if you really want to start your own business, but seem to be solidly entrenched in "Type Emp".

You are just going to have to put in some extra time researching the financial risks and rewards of any potential business concept before you will feel comfortable jumping in.

Note: Type Emp people sometimes join with a Type Ent person to succeed quite well in a business partnership.

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