Do Extroverts or Introverts Do Better in a Small Business?

by Kori Rodley Irons | More from this Blogger

14 Nov 2007 06:28 AM

Making a go of a small home business can seem so precarious and so unpredictable, that many of us look for all sorts of ideas about what it will take to be successful. One of the latest I heard two people debating is whether or not introverts or extraverts make better small business owner/operators. What do you think?

I would probably define myself as an extrovert. But, as a writer, I am not really in an extroverted business. I have read biographies and articles and it seems that most successful writers prefer their own company and need to be alone to work. Maybe that is why I am not a world-famous novelist since I really need human interaction to keep me motivated and inspired, and give me ideas for things to actually write about. Perhaps if I was in a more sales-oriented business it would seem a better fit with my temperament? In my opinion, however, that isn't where my skills and talents lie. But, who knows?

I suppose a super-shy person should not do direct sales-or at least that is what we might think. But, does that mean that introverted people MUST be accountants and bookkeepers and other jobs surrounded by the myth of isolation? I can think of several people I know whose personalities do not seem the ideal match for their professions, and yet they seem happy and competent enough. There are others who seem quintessentially perfect for their work based on where they fall on the introverted/extroverted scale.

What do you think? Do you think it even matters? Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert and do you think affects your home business? Did you consider what type of business to go into based on your personality or your interests or something else?

Also: Do Your Values Affect Your Decision-Making Style?

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