You may have a passion for entrepreneurship, but if you
don't take your core personality traits into account, your new
venture could be destined for failure.
"Your personality traits will help you select the best
industry," says Marc Becker, a business psychologist in
Anaheim Hills, California, "and that will help you weather
adversity during the start-up process.''
Here are common personality types and their best business
bets.
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Social Butterfly
Not content in an office in front of a computer or working solo
from home, you'll be happiest out among clients and colleagues.
You'd likely flourish in sales, teaching or consulting
businesses that require interaction. Consider any business that
involves networking, marketing and interacting.
Party-energizing service (people who pose as party guests
and mingle at social events, creating interesting conversation,
getting people to dance and so on)
Real estate sales
Catering
Management or executive recruiting
Public relations or marketing
Mobile DJ
Loner
Is working from the privacy of home your dream scenario? Then an
e-business is your ideal option-and you don't need to be
technologically sophisticated to get an online business going. But
you need to be a good decision-maker, self-sufficient and able to
play multiple roles.
Web site selling gardening tools, baseball cards,
cookies-choose your product
Lifestyle Web site
House- and plant-sitting
Chauffeur service
Web site design
Nuturer
You feel best when helping others. Many entrepreneurs who don't
have strictly "nurturing" businesses are satisfied with
nurturing and mentoring employees, but nurturers sometimes allow
themselves to be taken advantage of, so balance the nurturing with
toughness and authority.
Massage therapist
Senior care
Restaurant selling comfort foods such as peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches, meat loaf and mashed potatoes
Early Riser
Up before the sun? Being early is a trait most entrepreneurs would
love to have. Consider a business that provides products or
serv-ices to help those who get a later start.
Breakfast restaurant or food cart offering customers
eye-opening drinks and entrees
Morning transportation service to make sure
clients' children get to school or day care
Newspaper abstracting service for companies (reading
newspapers and writing brief summaries of the key articles to keep
busy clients well informed of breaking events)
Early pickup and delivery service
Wake-up call service
Night Owl
Night owls do well in homebased businesses, independent consultant
roles, and computer and Internet-related services allowing them to
work when they're most productive: in the wee hours.
Customer service center
Security service
After-hours dance club, book or video store,
cybercafe, etc.
Food-service business targeting late-shift
manufacturing or service operations
Secretarial or administrative support services
Worrier
Unpredictable income and uncertainties about the future will be
stressful. Try making a gradual transition from full-time
employment to entrepreneurship, and focus on low-risk ventures.
Consider businesses that will lessen your own anxiety.
Yoga school
Manufacturer or marketer of stress-reduction products
(aromatherapy, massage oils, worry beads, relaxation tapes)
Hyper-Energetic
You're best-suited to fast-paced, challenging and constantly
changing activities. Businesses that require physical exertion and
travel are also a good match for you. But stay away from solo
work-at-home options.
Child photographer
Adventure-travel coordinator
Personal trainer
Telemarketer
Firm that organizes and coaches pep rallies at large
group events
Training service
Pamela Rohland writes about the joys and tribulations of
entrepreneurship for a variety of regional and national business
publications.