Strengths and Weaknesses Checklist

Benefits: The attached document will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses by asking you to rate yourself in several areas that are important to small business ownership. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is important because (1) it can tell you whether you're ready to start a small business, (2) in choosing a new business, it can help you match your skills to the right business, and (3) it can tell you whether you need to consider adding a partner who can bring skills to the business that you lack.

• a chart listing the skills that are the most essential to starting and running a new business
• a rating system for determining your strengths and weaknesses, as well as a scale for interpreting your answers, such as "you're ready to start a new business now" to "you should reconsider whether owning a business is right for you"