9 questions, about 90 seconds. Answered: 0 of 9.
If you stepped away for 8 weeks with no contact, what happens to the business? It would likely collapse or lose major clients It would survive but decline noticeably It would run steadily on existing systems and team It would run — and could still grow
How many decisions each week need you personally? Almost all of them Most operational decisions Only the strategic ones Few — the team decides
Are your core processes documented so someone new could follow them? No — it's all in my head Some informal notes Most processes are written down Fully documented SOPs and playbooks
How clean and current are your financials? Messy, or mixed in with personal money Basic books, not buyer-ready Clean, accountant-prepared each year Reviewed, buyer-ready, recurring revenue tracked
What share of revenue comes from your single largest customer? More than 40% 25-40% 10-25% Under 10% — well spread
Is there a leadership layer below you that runs the day-to-day? No — I'm the only manager One or two informal leads A capable management team in key areas A full second tier that could run it without me
What's your revenue trend over the last two years? Declining Flat Growing modestly Growing strongly
How exposed is your core work to being automated by AI in the next two years? Highly — it's mostly digital, repeatable knowledge work Moderately exposed Somewhat — physical or relationship work protects it Low — hard to automate, deeply trade- or relationship-based
Do you have an exit plan with a target date and a target number? No plan, no date, no number A vague intention to sell 'someday' A rough timeframe and a ballpark number A documented plan — date, number, and an advisor