Choosing an Internet business - Do your skills and interests count?

In a previous article I posted three important points to consider before choosing your Internet business.

I've discussed the first two: defining your goals and needs and whether an Internet business will help meet these goals.

This article will look at the third topic - the relevance of your skills and interests to the online business model you choose.

A business is not like school where you have to get up every morning and go to every class even though you're really not suited to some of the subjects! You choose your business. But every worthwhile business development entails hard work and difficult stretches, so you may as well choose a type of Internet business with which you feel comfortable, otherwise you probably won't last long. The good news is that there are many network and Internet marketing business models to choose from, so more than likely you'll find one (or more) that suits you.

That's not to say you don't need to learn new things and expand your skill set. But there's no need to push at doing things you don't like. For instance, if you're not a techy type person and find it hard to learn HTML, you'll just need to outsource more of your tasks.

One way of helping determine what type of Internet business is best for you, is to make use of skills test tools.   

There are lots of these going around the web. Some you can use online, some are hard copy. Some are free and some are quite expensive. These tools claim to look at your various skills and then match them up with those needed to succeed in a particular occupation. They use different statistical methods based on personal inventories, skill matrices and occupational grids.

They can be quite useful but keep in mind that they are purely statistical, especially the yes/no answers or where you have to choose between several pre-selected alternatives. Also remember that some people are more confident and aware of their abilities, while others may underplay and underscore themselves in these tests.They can, however, confirm your own feelings or influence your research.  Here is one interesting example. 

If online tools aren’t for you then my advice is, as usual, get out a pen and paper and start thinking about your skills, aptitudes and interests.

Here are some examples of questions to ask yourself; you can add as many others as appropriate. Once again, there are no right or wrong answers. Only your answers.

• Think about your personal skills

Are you good at verbal and/or written communication? Do you enjoy networking? Do you have good listening, influencing or negotiating skills? Are you a logical thinker? Do you have good management and planning skills? Do you have basic or advanced computer skills? Do you have experience in finance or business? Do you know how to manage your time well and prioritize?