Do you think you could go it alone and start your own business?

Have you been looking at your work prospects during the recent pandemic? Do you think you could go it alone and start your own business ?

Research shows that the UK is a nation of "intro-preneurs". In a recent survey of 1,000 small-business owners and entrepreneurs across the UK, the top traits were thoughtfulness (62%), flexibility (61%) and consideration (57%), which was associated with introverted personality types, which is stark contrast to many think what an entrepreneur should be.

In another survey of 2,000 UK consumers, it uncovered the beliefs that the top qualities of business owners is confidence (66%), drive (61%) and creativity (57%). The gap between perception and reality suggests that their may be barriers to people taking the leap and starting up on their own and becoming an "upstart".

An upstart is someone who has taken the leap and launched a business on their own. However, there are seven traits to identify different skills or desires for moving forward on this step. The upstarts have in common a belief in themselves and a tenacious attitude. The majority of the respondents (88%) said they believed their skills to be successful, and 4 in 5 (81%) say the key to success is grabbing every opportunity that comes their way.

Other findings from these surveys found seven traits that different upstarts have:

The Lone Wolves (33%): with a clear vision and know they can achieve their ambitions independently.

The Specialists (17%): a sought-after skill set and know they can deliver.

The Humble Heroes (16%): prefer being the puppet-master, rather than the face of the business.

The Originals (12%): offer something different to stand out in the market.

The Chancers (9%): don't have everything mapped out, but can pivot at a moment's notice.

The Winging-It Ones (8%): had a business lightbulb moment, but still working out the day-to-day plans.

The Hustlers (6%): busy life, but they can't resist getting stuck into even more projects.

Are you an "upstart"?