IDENTIFYING YOUR SKILLS FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
What skills do you already have and how well do they match what is required?
Spend time on this and add to it over time, be specific and think about the general
skills you need to be an enterprising entrepreneur and the specific skills you need for
your own potential enterprise venture or activity. Be specific, for example if you are
considering communication, don’t just put down ‘communication skills’ but think
about the type of communication and the context so you may put down things such
as communication: negotiation skills on a 1-2-1 basis, negotiation skills in a group,
communication, formal presentation skills, communication, informal presentation
skills, selling skills etc. Read some books on the different types of communication.
Similarly consider the skills of: team-working, time management, ICT (computers
skills), mathematics or use of numbers. Spend time on this exercise. By identifying
the skills you have and the skills you need you will be able to develop and articulate
a plan for developing them. Produce your own version of this table in word or ask for
an electronic copy. Try not to overrate your own skills, or underrate them – which is
easier said than done. Don’t treat this as a quick one-off exercise. It’s something you
should take time over and re-visit week after week as you develop your skills and
identify new ones you need to develop. Make sure you read the section after this on
the behaviours and values that entrepreneurs need before doing this exercise. The
table below is provided as an example of what you could produce to identify your
skills. You should produce your own version in MS word and it should be much
longer than one below – typically you should aim for 5 or 7 pages of work. This
process is part of your own Personal Development Planning (PDP). Of courses it’s a
subjective process; but it should get you thinking.
Use the template below – save it in MS word and expand the boxes as required
Skill
How well do they match
what’s required? E.g. rate as:
very well, well, not so well or rate
from 1 to 10 – be honest