o you think you want to be an entrepreneur, own your own business, work for the best boss around (you), set your own schedule and keep all the profits for yourself?

As you begin to consider starting a new business venture or expanding an existing one, this article will help answer the following questions and provide tools to help you assess your readiness to start your own business:

• What is an entrepreneur?
• Why do people start new businesses?
• What are characteristics of successful entrepreneurs?
• What are habits of unsuccessful entrepreneurs?
• Why do businesses fail?

What is an entrepreneur?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an entrepreneur as "one who organizes, operates and assumes the risk in a business venture in expectation of gaining profit."

The writer Robert L. Schwartz said, "The entrepreneur is essentially a visualizer and actualizer. ... He can visualize something, and when he visualizes it, he sees exactly how to make it happen."

Why do people start new businesses?

In economic uncertainty, why would anyone possibly want to start a new venture? What is your reason for delving into the great unknown of business ownership?

According to data published on The Business Link - Business Service Centre (www.cbsc.org), here are the top reasons people start a new business:

Considerable debate has taken place through the years to determine whether entrepreneurs are born and possess innate genetic talents, or if the skills necessary to become successful are learned.

Most experts now generally agree that entrepreneurs are not born; they learn to become entrepreneurs. What do you think?

In the book The Entrepreneurial Mindset, authors Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian MacMillan list 10 characteristics of successful entrepreneurs.

I've described most of them below. How many of these traits do you already possess? Successful entrepreneurs are action-oriented. They also:

· Simplify. Entrepreneurs have superior conceptual abilities. This helps them identify relationships in complex situations and quickly spot problems and solutions.

· Passionately seek new opportunities. Entrepreneurs are relentless in pursuing their goals and are supremely confident in their ability to achieve those goals.

· Pursue opportunities with enormous discipline. Successful entrepreneurs have tremendous discipline when it comes to evaluating opportunities and ideas.

They have a comprehensive awareness of the overall situation and fully understand the ramifications involved in each decision they make.

· Pursue only the very best opportunities. They avoid exhausting themselves and their organization by chasing every option.

By focusing on the vision and organizational goals, successful entrepreneurs explore only those ideas that are in concert with the company's mission.

They like to keep their fingers on the pulse of things, and they need to know the status of everything. Occasionally they wear rose-colored glasses, but most of the time they are realistic about situations and the resources of their companies.

· Exhibit ruthless discipline about limiting the number of projects they pursue. Successful entrepreneurs understand their limitations. They take an objective approach to evaluating new projects to determine the fit with their company's mission and purpose.

· Focus on execution. Ideas and opportunities without execution are of no use to entrepreneurs.

· Show flexibility. They seek, understand and embrace change and acknowledge that the only constant in life is change.

While they focus on their mission and purpose, successful entrepreneurs also fully understand the need to remain available to adapt to potential projects.

· Engage the energies of everyone in his or her domain. Motivating employees, co-workers, colleagues and friends is absolutely necessary to achieve success. Very few entrepreneurs realize success without assistance.

· Engage the energies of everyone outside of his or her domain, too. Successful entrepreneurs understand the value of professional colleagues and networks. They surround themselves with counselors and advisors who can provide insight, guidance and support to create a successful endeavor.

What are habits of unsuccessful entrepreneurs?

The Web site www.successfulbusiness.org lists four poor habits, which I've described below:

· High-risk taking: While entrepreneurs are assumed to take extreme risks, successful entrepreneurs take the time to assess risks and take every action possible to reduce or minimize the threat in new ventures.

· Poor planning: Successful entrepreneurs do the research. They know their niche, their competition, their distinctive competencies and their limitations.

· Overestimating: A professional business plan, accurate forecasting, detailed analysis of the trade market and a network of professional advisors provide the tools necessary to assure success.

· Impatience: It's absolutely unrealistic to assume that you will create the perfect business or make a profit from day one. Statistics show that the majority of new businesses fail within the first five years.

Successful entrepreneurs have a realistic plan to assist them in dealing with the discouragement that is a part of any new business venture.

Why do businesses fail?

The SCORE - Counselors to America's Small Business Web site, a nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the success of small businesses nationwide, lists some main reasons why businesses fail at www.foxcitiesbusiness.com/score/whybusinessesfail.htm

Are you an entrepreneur?

Now is the time to determine your readiness to start a new business venture.

Jim Pennington, an entrepreneur and Certified Public Accountant, offers 10 questions on his Web site (www.pennington.james.net/entreprenurial.htm) that I found intriguing.

The questions are designed to help you measure your entrepreneurial quotient, or EQ:

1. Are you goal driven?
2. Are you a leader?
3. Are you self-confident?
4. Are you a risk taker?
5. Are you prepared to work long hours?
6. Are you good at solving problems and making decisions?
7. Are you a skilled communicator?
8. Are you organized?
9. Are you competitive?
10. Are you a team player?

Pennington says if you answered yes to eight or more of these questions, then you have the makings of an entrepreneur.

If you answered yes to less than half of the questions, you might not be ready to venture out on your own.

Consider finding a partner who is skilled in areas in which you show weaknesses. For a further quiz, visit http://www.cbsc.org/alberta/tbl.cfm?fn=quiz and take the Entrepreneurial Evaluation.

If you have specific topics you would like addressed, e-mail me. I am happy to consider all of your ideas and look forward to your input.

Also, e-mail me your success stories. If you decided to start your own business, I'm eager to know how you did it and how you are doing in your new venture.

This story was originally published Oct. 28, 2004, in The Green Sheet, issue 04:10:02. Vicki M. Daughdrill is the Managing Member of Small Business Resources LLC, a management consulting company. Reach her by e-mail at vickid@netdoor.com or by phone at 601-310-3594.