The Prospective Entrepreneur’s Self Test
December 18th, 2008 . by Jeff McCall
There are so many opportunities lying around. They arrive with my post, they arrive with my email and they accost me whenever I’m surfing online. If you’re the same, once you’ve discounted the scams how are you ever going to decide which opportunity may be worth a try?
My wife tells me: “If it sounds too good to be true in probably is!” Sometimes I listen, sometimes I don’t. Is it just me, or is selective hearing a skill that every married man develops over time? As much as I love her, Janet is no judge of a good business opportunity. So who is?
If you have this dilemma here’s a self-test. Use it to determine whether you really should label yourself as an entrepreneur, and whether you should give that bizopp a try.
Time:
A – how much time do you have available to devote to a business opportunity?
B – how much time will your opportunity honestly require?
If A minus B is greater than zero then move on. If A is less than zero and you’re not prepared to change the equation, you’re not cut out for this, so go back to sleep and carry on dreaming.
Money:
A – how much money are you prepared to invest in yourself?
B – how much investment will your opportunity require?
Hey, it’s the same equation! If A minus B is greater than zero then move on. However, if either A or B falls in the bracket of ‘not much at all’ then sound the ‘cheapskate’ alert.
Unless you’re extremely talented or endowed with the most amazing luck, you’re unlikely to build a successful business on the cheap no matter what the opportunity’s sales copy will have you believe. So go buy your lottery ticket and carry on dreaming.
Motivation and attitude:
What are you going to do about that opportunity once you’ve signed up? Are you the little terrier who sinks his teeth in and never let go, or simply a quitter?
Do you have the strength of character to do what the opportunity requires, and stick with it when the going gets tough? Or do you hop off to catch another ’success train’ as soon as that next great opportunity comes along hooting and blowing and strutting its stuff, trying its best to look wonderful and original?
If you’re not ready to take action and maintain that action with a positive mental attitude then forget it and carry on dreaming. Hey, Mr Entrepreneur, do you dream in colour?
Likes and dislikes:
Does the business opportunity represent something that you’re going to enjoy doing? I mean, does it really ‘float your boat’?
That’s the optimum solution for success – find something you love doing and do it for the rest of your life. Shangri-La!
However wonderful the business opportunity and however large the sum they say you’ll make, if you don’t enjoy the work then eventually you’ll stop doing it. My sincerest apologies for mentioning the ‘W’ word. “You mean I’ll actually have to do some work?” snorts Mr Entrepreneur in his restless sleep.
Dreams and desires:
OK, so I’ve been poking fun at dreamers. As the saying goes: “Some people dream of worthy accomplishments, while a few stay awake and achieve them.” But the truth is, you must have a dream to begin with; a spark to light your fire. I’m talking about vertical dreams here, not horizontal ones brought about by the use of a mattress and a pillow.
Can you really see yourself succeeding in your chosen business opportunity? Truly, madly, deeply? Can you visualise your own success with your chosen business, and will you, often?
If you got this far then you passed the test. Best of luck with your new business and I’ll see you at the top. But before you go there’s one last thing you need to know; the two ‘real secrets of success’. And here they are:
Secret #1- Never tell anyone all your secrets!
Be successful.
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