Page 148 - guidance-supporting-europe-s-aspiring-entrepreneurs-policy-and-practice-to-harness-future-potential

Guidance supporting Europe’s aspiring entrepreneurs
Policy and practice to harness future potential

• provide a comparison to successful entrepreneurs;
• act as a reflection tool.
Some self-assessment tests fall under a number of the above categories.
They have been categorised below according to the element that is strongest
within each test.
Personality tests that establish if the user is suited to a career as an
entrepreneur are typically aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs. They tend to pose
questions regarding their suitability to run a business and the likelihood of future
success. The aim of these tests is to make aspiring entrepreneurs aware of the
pressures and challenges that new entrepreneurs face while the rationale for
them is that business success rates improve when aspiring and new
entrepreneurs are prepared.
Examples of personality tests for aspiring entrepreneurs were found in Spain
and UK, as well as international examples of such tests. The British online
business journal Businesswings (www.businesswings.co.uk) has an established
Entrepreneur personality test. It seeks to help would-be entrepreneurs by asking
them to question their personal characteristics and abilities, financial situation,
and the relevance of their skill-base.
Entrepreneurial skills tests help users identify existing skills and those that
they need to develop. Skills tests often prompt users to identify the skills and
competences that they believe are important for an entrepreneur they are based
on the examples identified and often include elements of personality testing.
Such tests are one of the more common self-assessment methods for
entrepreneurs in countries such as Austria, Germany, Spain Netherlands and
Finland. The Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade has developed a
Self-assessment of entrepreneurial attitudes test (Autodiagnóstico de Actitudes
Emprendedoras). The test comprises 25 closed questions on seven areas that
relate to the skills of an entrepreneur; it results in an assessment of
entrepreneurial attitudes and provides recommendations for future action.
The Finnish financing company Finnvera has developed an entrepreneur
test, Yrittäjätesti, for aspiring entrepreneurs (see Example 34). What
differentiates this test from others is that it is accompanied by a film that guides
individuals through the test. The film offers background information on the
questions posed and provides an insight into being an entrepreneur. It also
directs users towards organisations to help entrepreneurs and additional
information sources.

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