Are you entrepreneur material?

It's a new year, so I thought I'd start back at the beginning and write something about getting a small home business started.

If you've been reading articles and books on starting your own "micro" home-based business, you've probably heard this advice before, but it's well worth heeding: before you quit your day job and go out on your own, give some serious thought as to whether you have the type of personality and makeup needed to be an entrepreneur.

Not everyone is cut out to work for themselves; at least, it's going to be a constant struggle for some, while for others, many things will seem to be second nature.

Here's the list of traits, tendencies, and strengths that comes to mind:

• Are you good at "managing yourself"? Do you work well independently, organizing projects and tasks, getting started on them, and finishing them? Or do you flounder, get distracted, or lose energy when there aren't external structures ordering your time?
  
• Are you able to work very hard, sometimes long hours, within reason? Can you pace yourself, and take care of your own mental and physical health so that you stay productive? Or are you more inclined towards extremes, and might tend to either swing towards laziness or else complete burnout?
  
• Can you think creatively? When obstacles appear in your way, are you able to look at your various options and still keep your eyes on the goal? Or are you more comfortable diligently "staying the course" which has already been set out for you?
  
• Do you require the company of other people to stay energized, or can you work alone for many hours at a time?
• Are you disciplined enough to get out of bed every morning in time to be available to answer your office phone during business hours, without having someone forcing you to?
• Are you the kind of person who is able to, and even enjoys, setting goals and keeping your eyes focused on them, while ensuring that you take all of the small steps needed to achieve those goals?

Some of these traits can certainly be developed, but it's wise to be aware of the need for them, and if you're lacking in any, consider how you can improve, train, or educate yourself to be stronger in those areas.