Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? How many of us have asked that question as we applied for yet another job, or sat though yet another dreary office meeting, or sat noodling around cool business start-up ideas over that fourth cup of coffee?
The fact is, people with disabilities tend to gravitate toward entrepreneurship in much higher numbers than does the general population. Might this be the path for you?
Characteristics of an Entrepreneur
Successful entrepreneurs tend to share certain characteristics. According to Wikipedia, our favorite non-authoritative information resource, the entrepreneur personality includes:
• Being motivated by an overwhelming need for achievement and strong urge to build
• Being tough and pragmatic, and driven by a need for independence and achievement (and apparently having authority issues)
• Being “mecurial” – defined here as prone to insights, brainstorms, ingeniousness, creativity, and resourcefulness (yes!) but also prone to deceptions, cunningness, and unsentimentality (okay, maybe not)
• Being opportunistic – which in this case means being able to identify and respond to an opportunity with a solution, quickly
• Being enthusiastic, passionate, positive, but also (and importantly) a prudent risk-taker
In addition, those embarking on entrepreneurship need to be self-confident, well-organized, willing to work long hours, and able to tolerate both risk-based decision-making and high levels of stress.
Questions to Ask Yourself before You Start Your Start-Up
Before you take the leap into entrepreneurship, you’ll want to very carefully think through your answers to the following questions:
• Can I handle (and those I care about) handle the level of stress that may accompany becoming an entrepreneur? For people with disabilities, this important question is not just about the ability to handle stress mentally and emotionally, it has physical ramifications as well
• Do I have the self-confidence, passion, and optimism necessary to carry me through the ups and downs of doing a start-up?
• Am I comfortable with making decisions that involve financial risk? And how much financial risk can I tolerate?
• Can I sell myself, my ideas, and my product to others?
If the answers to the above questions are “yes,” then it’s time to sit down and start lining out that business plan. One of the reasons people with disabilities are likelier to consider becoming an entrepreneur is because they’re already so used to working ten times harder than most people to create the life they want to have, the rigors of entrepreneurship seem pale in comparison. If that describes you, go for it!
