SALT Central Coast Issue 2 | Page 34

Do You Have What it Takes? Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? 5 questions to ask yourself.  Jordan Purcell Ashburner How comfortable are you with risk?  Does uncertainty make you uncomfortable? Are you the kind of person that needs to feel in control? Often people frustrated with working for others find the idea of entrepreneurship appealing. There is a perception that running your own venture puts you in the decision maker’s seat and gives you a sense of ownership and control.  In most cases this could not be further from the truth. Entrepreneurship requires operating in an environment of constant uncertainty; it requires a propensity for risk taking and the ability to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.   How strong is your support network?  Often we see entrepreneurs as the lone wolf, we idealise the concept of the entrepreneurial leader who set out on their own, overcoming all obstacles to forge their own path in the world. This is rarely the case. An entrepreneur needs a strong support network both personal and professional. To start a successful new venture the entrepreneur needs to tap into the expertise of other professionals and to be able to fall back on family and friends when this goes wrong. Entrepreneurs need to be able to play well with others. The success of start-up ventures can often depend on the strength of relationships and networks of the entrepreneur and the capacity to tap into the support, trust and wisdom of others.   Are your ideas the best ideas?  If you are the kind of person that has great ideas and holds on to them then you may want to reconsider a future in entrepreneurship. The t