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Step 1 - Take a Look 
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:
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:
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.