I’ve worked with thousands of small business owners over the past 15 years and I’ve discover there are FIVE primary types.
Each comes with different strengths and weaknesses, so take a look and see which one resonates with you.
The Starter
Most entrepreneurs are naturally creative people. They get excited about exploring new ideas. The creative process can be extremely energising and for many Starters, a wonderful distraction from the day to day grind.
Starters typically get SUPER EXCITED about a NEW IDEA and start to dream about the possibilities and dollars that could potentially be realised with their new brainwave.
For a Starter, the planning process, sharing the concept and daydreaming about the potential results, is the most stimulating part.
As they move closer to needing to start to do the WORK that will be required to turn the idea into a reality, their enthusiasm begins to drain.
One of the positive parts of being a STARTER is their ability to come up with innovative ideas that COULD provide a real competitive advantage or add a substantial income stream.
The obvious negative is that STARTERS seldom ever see an idea all the way through to fruition. They will typically usually abandon it before it ever has the chance to deliver a result, and instead start something new that will keep them entertained and excited.
If you’re a natural Starter, “An Ideas Person”, it’s important to connect with someone who can see your ideas through to completion. Otherwise you run the real risk of never seeing your ideas realised.
The Procrastinator
The Procrastinator is always going to get started but before they do, they usually need to clean something up first!
The Procrastinator spends a lot of time planning, thinking and analysing, but seldom anytime implementing.
They often find themselves trapped in AIMING mode.
The strength of a Procrastinator is they often have done the research, they understand the opportunities but they lack the commitment to put what they KNOW should be done into action.
Instead, they tend to busy themselves with an endless stream of low level tasks that they will convince themselves, and others, needs to be addressed before they can move forward.
If you know you’re a Procrastinator, it may be time to stop avoiding what you KNOW needs to be done and move your focus from all the small stuff to the ONE big thing that will make a difference.
The Perfectionist
The Perfectionist is NEVER satisfied and completely terrified of the idea of failure. They are constantly polishing and improving a product or service before it’s released.
The Perfectionist is in a constant wrestle between the idea of quality and speed to market. As a result, they often miss opportunities because they spend so long polishing an idea, that by the time they finally act, the opportunity is gone.
If you want something done REALLY well, give it to a Perfectionist as they are obsessed with making things just right. They pay careful attention to every detail. They are great brand builders because they are so particular about the way everything looks and feels.
They want it to be PERFECT.
The issue with being a Perfectionist is that it can slow you down tremendously and at times, opportunities will have come and gone before the Perfectionist ever gets their act into gear.
Quality matters and consistency is important, but the perfect product or service will be of little consolation if no one gets to experience it.
Shiny Object Chaser (SOC)
The Shiny Object Chasers are the entrepreneurs who are easily distracted and knocked off course by the latest thing, idea or tool.
If you want to know about the latest cool gadget that’s going to help them to do more in less time, make more money or win more clients, they will know.
They are always looking for the magic potion, the silver bullet or latest new thing on the market. The clear strength of SOC’s is they have great awareness of the people, products and programs out there.
The weakness is they find it hard to build any real momentum in their business because they seldom keep their shoulder to the wheel long enough to create a meaningful breakthrough.
SOC’s are bright people who love learning. They enjoy being an early adopter but they often jump from one thing to the next with no real plan of attack.
Typically, SOC’s invest a lot more than they make, because they never stick with any one idea long enough to enjoy success, instead they get their adrenalin shot from the next big thing.
Action taker
Action takers are focused on doing what matters most and are willing to fail faster than any other entrepreneurial type.
They are natural risk takers and will often bite off more than they can chew, believing this is the only way to build a business.
Action Takers live the Ready Fire Aim philosophy and understand that the fastest way to learn, is to do. They will typically sell something first and build it second.
The strength of an Action Taker is they make things happen. They are bold and brave and willing to make mistakes in the pursuit of a goal.
The weakness of an action taker is they can often make a mess and often act before they form a clear plan. They need good people around them to tidy up the loose ends and ensure that everything that gets promised, and gets delivered.
If you’re a natural action taker, you may do well to spend at least a little time in planning mode before you hit the go button.
The Wrap
In the end, every entrepreneurial type comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. The truth is most entrepreneurs are a blend of types with one dominate style.
Identify your natural style and then decide what other traits you need to employ to enjoy greater success in your business.
Have fun.