10-Point Test for Entrepreneurs

Chicago-based entrepreneur and business writer Barry Moltz doesn't respect conventional quizzes that test your entrepreneurial aptitude.

Just thinking you have an idea or wanting to fire your boss does not necessarily make you a successful entrepreneur. The question is, can you stand the strain, the discomfort, the uncertainty and the people pressures?

Moltz's stripped-down, quick and easy-to-read test is a great preview of the business life.Here is: "The Only Entrepreneur Test that You Need to Take"

Q1. Are you resilient? All entrepreneurs need to be able to ride the rollercoaster of good and bad times on a daily basis.

Q2. Can you ask for help? You don’t know everything. You need to be able to listen and evaluate the advice of the people around you.

Q3. Can you get people to follow you? Loners need not apply since entrepreneurship is not a solo sport. In order to build a business, you need to lead and delegate.

Q4. Do you like to network and meet people? Business is ultimately about people. You grow your business through the people you build a trustful relationship.

Q5. Do you like to sell? If you don’t have customers, you don’t have a business. For awhile, you will be the chief sales officer.

Q6. Do you do well in ever-changing chaos? Everyday is different. Some days are very different. Get used to it.

Q7. Can you live on a variable monthly compensation? You don’t collect a paycheck every month like at a job. You pay your employees and vendors first. Some months, there may not be anything left for you.

Q8. Do you have a good personal support structure? You will need it. When you have a bad day, you will need someone to pick you up. When you have a good day, you will want to celebrate a lot with the people you love.

Q9. Are you flexible with your goal setting? As an entrepreneur, you will need to set patient interim goals and change your target as you succeed and fail.

Q10. Can you hold a real job and work for someone else? If you can, do it. Having a job is probably an easier career especially in the short term.

Moltz suggests that if you said yes to 8 or more of these questions, you have what it takes to start your own business. If you scored less than eight, don't quit your day job.

And here's an intriguing thought: "If you no longer have a day job, consider joining a small business to get the experience you will need to venture out on your own."