Ready to Start a Home Business? Take this Quiz to Find Out

Many people talk about starting a work-from-home businesses, and many dream about becoming their own bosses. Making the transition from a full-time career to self-employment, however, is a big change in anyone’s life. Are you really ready to make the move to a home business, or should you put the idea of having your own work-from-home business on the back burner for a while longer?

To help you decide, take the following work-from-home business quiz. Circle your answer to each of these questions, add up the results, and find out if you’re ready to take the plunge!

1. How strong is your drive to succeed in your own work-from-home business?
   1. I can and will be a success. Period.
   2. I’m fairly confident that if I put my mind to it, I will succeed.
   3. I’m not sure. Let me think about it for a while.
   4. Did I say that I wanted to start my own business? Are you sure that was me?
2. Are you ready to work as hard as or harder than you have ever worked before?
   1. You bet — I’m ready to do whatever it takes to succeed!
   2. Sure, I don’t mind working hard as long as I get something out of it.
   3. Okay, as long as I still get weekends and evenings off.
   4. What? You mean I’ll still have to work after I start my own business? Isn’t that why I hire employees?
3. Do you like the idea of controlling your own work instead of having someone else control it for you?
   1. I don’t want anyone controlling my work but me!
   2. That’s certainly my first choice.
   3. It sounds like an interesting idea — can I?
   4. Do I have to control my own work? Can’t someone control it for me?
4. Have you developed a strong network of potential customers?
   1. Yes, here are their names and numbers.
   2. Yes, I have some pretty strong leads.
   3. Not yet, but I’ve started kicking around some ideas with potential customers.
   4. I’m sure that as soon as I let people know that I’m starting my own business, customers will line up.
5. Do you have a plan for making the transition into your work-from-home job?
   1. Here it is — would you like to read the executive summary or the full plan?
   2. Yes, I’ve spent a lot of time considering my options and making plans.
   3. I’m just getting started.
   4. I don’t believe in plans — they crimp my style.
6. Do you have enough money saved to tide you over while you get your work-from-home business off the ground?
   1. Will the year’s salary that I have saved be enough?
   2. I have six months’ expenses hidden away for a rainy day.
   3. I have three months’ worth.
   4. I’m still trying to pay off my college student loans.
7. How strong is your self-image?
   1. I am self-esteem!
   2. I strongly believe in my own self-worth and in my ability to create my own opportunities.
   3. I feel fairly secure with myself; just don’t push too hard.
   4. I don’t know — what do you think?
8. Do you have the support of your significant other and/or family?
   1. They’re all on board, are an integral part of my plan, and have been assigned responsibilities.
   2. They’re in favor of whatever makes me happy.
   3. I’m pretty sure they’ll support me.
   4. I’m going to tell them about it later.
9. If it’s a necessary part of your plan, will you be able to start up your work-from-home business while you remain in your current job?
   1. Sure — in fact, my boss wants in!
   2. If I make a few adjustments in my schedule, I can’t see any other reason why I can’t.
   3. Would you please repeat the question?
   4. Maybe I’ll be able to work on it for a couple of hours a month.
10. What will you tell friends when they ask why you quit that great job?
    1. I’m free at last!
    2. That the benefits clearly outweigh the potential costs.
    3. I don’t know; maybe they won’t ask.
    4. I’ll pretend that I’m still working for my old organization.

Give yourself 5 points for every 1 answer, 3 points for every 2, –3 for every 3 (should be easy to calculate), and –5 for every 4. Now tally up the numbers, and compare your results with the following ranges of numbers.

By comparing your total points with the points contained in each of the six following categories, you can find out whether you’re ready to jump into your own work-from-home business:

• 25 to 50 points: Assuming you were honest with yourself as you answered the preceding questions (you were, weren’t you?), you’re ready to start a work-from-home business! You just need to decide whether to drop your day job or work into your new business gradually.
• 1 to 24 points: You’re definitely warming up to the idea of starting your own work-from-home business. Consider starting your own business in the near future, but make sure to keep your day job until you have your venture well under way.
• 0 points: You can go either way on this one. Why don’t you try taking this test again in another month or two? Read this book in the meantime.
• –1 to –24 points: Unfortunately, you don’t appear to be quite ready to make the move from career to work-from-home business. You should do some additional research and then take this test again in a few months. Maybe working for someone else isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you.
• –25 to –50: Forget it. You were clearly born to work for someone else. A work-from-home business isn’t for you.

Are you ready to make the move to starting a work-from-home business? If the quiz indicates otherwise, don’t worry — you’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future. When you’re ready for a work-from-home job, they’ll be ready for you. If you’re ready now, congratulations!

If you’re ready, use these tips to succeed in your work-from-home business.