Before an athlete trains for a season, a coach tests where they are strong and where they need work. Planning a venture works the same way. You already have enterprising experiences, even if you have never called them that: babysitting, running a club table, organizing a group project or selling at a garage sale. This lesson shows you how to describe those experiences, score yourself honestly on the characteristics and skills entrepreneurs need, explore entrepreneurial careers and build a plan to grow. The goal is not to label yourself as "an entrepreneur" or "not an entrepreneur", but to find your starting point.
Describing Your Enterprising Experiences
A simple way to describe any experience is the STAR method: Situation (where and when), Task (what needed to be done), Action (what you did) and Result (what happened, with numbers if possible). Then name the skills or characteristics the experience shows. This is exactly how strong job and scholarship applications are written, so practising it now pays off later.
| STAR part | Example: the Grade 10 bake sale |
|---|---|
| Situation | The Grade 10 class needed money for a field trip, and the deadline was three weeks away. |
| Task | I volunteered to organize a bake sale at lunch. |
| Action | I recruited 8 bakers, made posters, set prices and kept a sales sheet with a classmate. |
| Result | We sold out in two lunch periods and raised $310 for the trip. |
| Skills shown | Initiative, planning, promotion, money management, teamwork |
Scoring a Self-Assessment Inventory
A self-assessment inventory is a list of statements you rate yourself on, to measure where you stand. The sample inventory below has 10 statements: five on characteristics and five on skills. Rate each from 1 (not like me at all) to 5 (very much like me), then add the scores. Be honest. An inflated score feels good but gives you a useless plan. Low scores are not failures; they show you where to grow.
| # | Statement | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I start projects without waiting to be asked. | Initiative |
| 2 | I keep going when something I try does not work the first time. | Persistence |
| 3 | I am comfortable taking a risk after I have thought it through. | Calculated risk-taking |
| 4 | I often think of new or better ways to do things. | Creativity |
| 5 | I am confident presenting my ideas to people I do not know. | Self-confidence |
| 6 | I can reach a fair deal when people want different things. | Negotiating |
| 7 | I can explain why someone would benefit from a product or idea. | Selling |
| 8 | I keep track of the money I earn and spend. | Money management |
| 9 | I get along well with many kinds of people. | Interpersonal |
| 10 | I set goals and plan the steps to reach them. | Planning |
| Total score (out of 50) | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| 40 to 50 | Strong entrepreneurial profile; focus on your lowest one or two areas |
| 30 to 39 | Developing well; pick two or three areas to build this year |
| 20 to 29 | Emerging; small ventures and a mentor will build skills fast |
| 10 to 19 | Just starting; begin with low-risk enterprising roles at school |
Measuring and Developing Your Interest
- Internet research: read profiles of entrepreneurs, small-business websites and youth entrepreneurship programs to see what the work actually involves.
- Finding a mentor: a mentor is an experienced person who gives advice and guidance over time. Ask a family friend, a local business owner or someone from a small-business enterprise centre.
- Interviewing an entrepreneur: a short, prepared interview gives you first-hand information no website can.
- Job shadowing or part-time work: spending time in a small business shows the day-to-day reality.
- Trying a small venture: running a summer service or a school-store shift is the most direct test of interest.
- Joining a club or competition: business clubs and pitch competitions let you practise with support.
| Interview question | Why ask it |
|---|---|
| How did you get the idea for your business? | Shows how opportunities are spotted |
| What did you do before starting it? | Shows what experience helped |
| How did you get the money to start? | Shows real sources of start-up capital |
| What was your biggest challenge in the first year, and how did you handle it? | Shows persistence and problem solving |
| Which skills do you use most every day? | Shows which skills matter in practice |
| What does a typical week look like? | Shows the real workload |
| What would you do differently if you started again? | Shows lessons you can learn without paying for them |
| What advice would you give a student who wants to start a venture? | Gives direct, practical guidance |
Building a Personal Development Plan
A personal development plan turns your self-assessment into action. Start from your two or three lowest-scoring areas. For each one, write a specific goal, one or two actions, the resources or people who can help, and a deadline. Then check in every month and update the plan. Goals work best when they are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. "Get better at selling" is vague. "Sell five yearbook ads by November 30" is SMART.