how does it work? Let’s go back to the issue of what interests you to see how knowing your E-Type can help you shape your choice of business.
Let’s say you’re interested in antiques. There are lots of different ways you can have a business involved with antiques. You could:
Each of these businesses centers around your interest area, but each requires very different types of skills and different ways of working.
Even if you know that you want to sell antiques, does that mean you’d be happy owning a retail store? Or would you be better suited to shopping at flea markets for bargains you can turn around and sell? Or perhaps you have the capability to profitably buy and sell antiques on eBay?
Your interest is clear—antiques—but you’ve got a number of different ways to build a business around that interest.
The question is how you like to work and what suits your situation. If you prefer working with your hands, you might want to be an antique restorer. If you like traveling and shopping, you might want to buy and sell at flea markets. If you want to interact with people every day, you might want to open an antiques store.
That’s where understanding your E-Type comes in.
The E-Type test
Based on my experience with thousands of entrepreneurs, I’ve identified nine specific E-Types that cover the range of personality traits and working styles. Later in this chapter I’ll describe the nine E-Types in depth. But first, I’m going to have you take the E-Type test.
The first thing to know about the test is that there are no right answers or wrong answers; no good answers or better answers. This is not a test that you can fail! I promise that no matter how you answer, I will not come back and tell you “you’re not fit to be an entrepreneur.” I’m simply going to help you find out what type of entrepreneur you are.
Next, be sure to answer these questions as honestly as possible—no one is going to see the results of this test except you. So don’t try to “second guess” the meaning of each question, choosing answers that you think will make the test come out more favorably for you. Remember, there are no wrong answers—there are just honest and not-so-honest answers.
Lastly, you will come across questions for which you feel no answer adequately represents the type of person you are. That’s okay—just try to pick the answer that is closest to you, even if it’s less than ideal.
E-Type Test
Section One
Circle the letter of the answer that best matches characteristics of your personality. Please circle only one answer. There are 36 questions in this section.
1.If I have to assemble something, I first
a.Read directions
b.Begin to figure it out
2.When buying something expensive, I would rather have
a.A fixed price
b.A negotiable price
3.I’m more likely to be valuable to a company for my
a.Strong financial head
b.Creativity
4.I’d rather spend time understanding
a.A new gadget
b.A new friend
5.I’m more comfortable
a.Giving a speech in front of a large group
b.Making a “cold call” to sell something to a stranger
6.When it comes to income, I prefer
a.A steady moderate income
b.Income with potential to be much higher, but also much lower
7.If I could make an equal amount of money, I would rather
a.Take over an existing organization
b.Create a new organization
8.At a friend’s wedding, I’d rather
a.Stand up and offer a toast
b.Help make the seating arrangement
9.I’d rather
a.Invest my own money in someone else’s venture
b.Go out and get customers for someone else’s venture
10. I am usually the one who
a.Organizes the logistical arrangements for a get-together
b.Finds out what everyone wants to do
11. If I were an artist, my medium of choice would likely be in
a.The performing arts
b.The visual arts
12. For a friend’s birthday, I’d rather
a.Make them a special meal
b.Take them out for a quiet dinner
13. I’d probably be better at
a.Caring for an ailing person
b.Caring for an ailing investment portfolio
14. I’d rather subscribe to
a.Technology Monthly
b.Investors’ Monthly
15. Friends and family are more likely to say I’m
a.Organized
b.Creative
16. If I worked for a computer software firm, I’d probably be better at
a.Helping develop the software
