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Step 1—Take a Look

Time to get really honest with yourself, and about yourself, and take a look at what your skill strengths and weaknesses are as they pertain to these skills:

Sales and Marketing
Financial Planning and Accounting
Personnel
Communication
Personal

After each skill, select the number that most closely matches your ability and/or comfort level. Then see where you have the most highs and lows—and check out the guidelines to your answers.

► Click here to download this chart in printable format (.pdf).

BUSINESS SKILLS REVIEW
SKILLS	LOW	MEDIUM	HIGH
Sales and Marketing	1	2	3
Advertising, promotion, public relations	1	2	3
Creating marketing plans	1	2	3
Creating marketing strategies	1	2	3
Advertising copywriting	1	2	3
Pricing	1	2	3
Packaging	1	2	3
Sales planning	1	2	3
Negotiating	1	2	3
Direct selling	1	2	3
Customer service	1	2	3
Tracking competitors	1	2	3
Financial Planning and Accounting	1	2	3
Cash flow planning	1	2	3
Bank relationships	1	2	3
Managing credit lines	1	2	3
Bookkeeping	1	2	3
Billing, payables, receivables	1	2	3
Monthly profit and loss statements	1	2	3
Tax preparation	1	2	3
Personnel	1	2	3
Hiring employees	1	2	3
Firing employees	1	2	3
Motivating employees	1	2	3
Scheduling	1	2	3
Payroll	1	2	3
Benefits administration	1	2	3
General management skills	1	2	3
Communication	1	2	3
Oral presentation skills	1	2	3
Written communication skills	1	2	3
Computer skills	1	2	3
Personal	1	2	3
Ability to establish goals	1	2	3
Ability to work long, hard hours	1	2	3
Ability to manage risk and stress	1	2	3
Ability to handle failure	1	2	3
Ability to work alone	1	2	3
Ability to manage others	1	2	3

It’s All in the Numbers

There are no right answers to know if you’re cut out to be your own boss. But here are few guidelines:

If you see a lot of 1s or 2s in a specific section, those are probably areas you need to work on before you should consider going into business for yourself.
If you scored low in the Personal Skills section, you might want to think twice about being your own boss.
Are you mostly 2s and 3s? Then it’s time to go on to the next step.