Characteristics of Entrepreneurs

Personality characteristics of an entrepreneur include:

  • Achievement oriented
  • Risk taker
  • Independence and self-confidence
  • Innovativeness
  • Strong verbal and numerical skills
  • Selling skills
  • Problem-solving abilities
  • Strategic planning
  • Perseverance

After completing the four corners of entrepreneurship activity calculate your score.

If you scored from 32–40 points, born to be an entrepreneur: People scoring in this range tend to have strong interpersonal skills and are comfortable taking the lead. Their money and planning habits indicate they will have the financial resources and self-discipline needed to put their business ideas into action. These individuals can easily handle long work hours and high levels of responsibility when pursuing their goals. They don’t mind selling themselves and their ideas to others and thrive on competition.

If you scored from 23–31 points, entrepreneurial under the right circumstances: People scoring in this range have some characteristics associated with entrepreneurs, but they may need to work on other skills before starting their own business. For example, some who are shy now may become less so as they become experts in their field of knowledge or actively seek opportunities to develop more confidence in social situations. People who tend to be spontaneous with money or life decisions now may become more strategic in these areas as responsibilities increase.

If you scored less than 23 points, don’t worry, only 14 percent of the U.S. population are entrepreneurs: According to the 2014 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, only 14 percent of our population are entrepreneurs. These business owners will need you or you may decide to develop more of these skills as you age! It is predicted that 24 percent of entrepreneurs will hire 20 or more workers over the next few years. That means good career opportunities for you even if you do not have any interest in running your own business. Who knows, you may become so good at your area of expertise that you end up going out on your own one day.

Create a mind map using one of the following sites: Miro.com, Venngage.com. Look at your performance in each area associated with successful entrepreneurs. In your mind map identify:

  • Two areas in which you excel as an entrepreneur
  • Why these characteristics are important for entrepreneurs
  • Two areas in which you would like to improve
  • Why these characteristics are important for entrepreneurs