To inform the development of “Leap” suite of tools, we conducted a survey aimed at gathering insights and experiences from the self-employed. Here is a snapshot of the results:
- Approximately 66% of respondents were currently self-employed, with the remaining 34% being self-employed previously
- The three most important characteristics of self-employed individuals were
- Self-discipline (25%)
- People skills (13.73%)
- Persistence (12.75%)
- Interestingly, while no one placed empathy in the top three, it was identified as an important characteristic within the qualitative section
The open-ended question results reflected very similar characteristics about personal abilities, with additional examples including creativity, curiosity, and resourcefulness. Relevant skills (e.g., networking, organization) and knowledge (e.g., ethical practice) were also deemed important.
Respondents also shared:
- Things they wish they’d known before becoming self-employed (e.g., how much time marketing your services takes)
- Helpful resources (e.g., http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/)
- Self-employment lessons/stories (e.g., “There's no quick solution to becoming successful at self-employment. You just have to get out there and market yourself. Success takes years”).
We’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the self-employment survey; the information gathered has informed the project components, specifically the course and the book.
