Q: Do you think entrepreneurs are made or born? I say born, my partner says made. What say you? — Gerald
Layla

A: More often than not, I would say that someone is either an entrepreneur at heart or they are not. This is not to say that people cannot learn the skills necessary to be successful in their own business — of course they can, and they should. But do you want to start your own business? Actually, do you need to start your own business? That is the question.

I have a friend visiting from out of town this week. He has a great job — an excellent salary, amazing health insurance, a company car, a 401(k) that is matched dollar for dollar by his employer — you name it. I could only dream of such benefits. But do you know what? While he sometimes dreams of switching gigs with me, and vice versa, the truth is, we could never switch places.

Why is that? Some reasons are obvious: For me, the constraints, bosses, and policies he has to contend with would far outweigh the great benefits. And for him, the freedom and creativity that would come with being an entrepreneur would be no match for the fat paycheck and security he gets every two weeks.

We are two different breeds. While I am not saying one is better than the other, I am saying that people who are entrepreneurs should not be employees (indeed, they often make the worst employee), and employees usually should not try to be entrepreneurs (they may succeed, but often find the experience more stressful than enjoyable.)

How do you know which you are? Try this simple quiz: Let's say that tomorrow you walked into your job and are given two weeks notice. Which best describes what you think your reaction would be:

1. "Oh no! What am I going to do? I have a mortgage, a kid to feed, and bills to pay. I need to find another job, pronto."
2. "Woo hoo! I'm free."

If your answer is No. 1, you are not a born entrepreneur, and of course, if your answer is No. 2, you are. The risk, adrenaline rush, insecurity, and lack of structure that comes with being fired fuel the entrepreneur.

Now, needless to say, the willingness to jump into the fire is not enough, not nearly enough, to become a successful entrepreneur. It is in fact just the start. But it is that start that is the dispositive factor here. You know you are an entrepreneur if you are willing to go for it, damn the torpedoes.

Now of course you will need a lot more than simply the willingness to take a risk — you will also need some business acumen, financial savvy, a good product or service, and a wee bit of luck. But aside from the luck part, those other things could be learned. My friend has all of those things in spades but he would make a terrible entrepreneur because security is more important than freedom to him. For me, and you too maybe, the teeter totters the other way.

When you combine that with say, family support, money in the bank, transferable skills, a creative idea and a strong work ethic, then all of the ingredients are in place to "make" a successful entrepreneur, but the first and most important ingredient — a burning desire to do it on your own — is the one that cannot be taught.

Today's tip: Later this week, the State Department is sending me abroad on another speaking engagement. This time I am headed to the Middle East — to Jordan. There I will be meeting with and speaking about e-commerce with young entrepreneurs, government officials, and university professors. If you want to follow along (or see my pictures of Petra!), you can read all about it at my site, www.MrAllBiz.com.

I wish I had better choices for you, but I don’t. Good luck.

Today’s Tip: One last option: If you are behind but can see a way of staying current once you are caught up, consider borrowing the past due amount from friends or family. All due caveats apply, of course.