Growth Readiness Assessment

How much of your growth depends on you?

Twelve questions across six areas. Answer based on what's actually true in your business today — not what you're planning to build. There are no right answers, only honest ones. The results will show you where to focus.

12 Questions

<10 Minutes

6 Focus areas

4 Stage outputs

Question 1 of 12

Founder Dependency

How do most new customers find their way to your business?

Almost entirely through my personal network, relationships, or reputation. I am the primary reason new clients come in the door.

A mix — some come through me, some through referrals, word of mouth, or marketing, but I'm still the closer or key contact for most.

Most new customers come through systems or channels my team manages — I'm not the primary driver of new business.

Question 2 of 12

Founder Dependency

If you stepped away from the business for 60 days, what would happen to new sales?

They would stop or slow to a trickle. The pipeline and relationships depend on me being present and available.

They would slow significantly. Some existing clients would stay but new business would be much harder without me.

The team could manage most of the pipeline and close new business. My absence would create some friction but not a crisis.

Question 3 of 12

Customer Acquisition

Do you have a defined, repeatable process for finding and converting new customers?

No. Every new customer comes through a different path. There's no defined process — it's different every time and mostly lives in my head.

We have a rough approach but it's not written down, consistently followed, or something others could replicate without me involved.

Yes. We have a documented process — from first contact to close — that the team follows and that produces consistent results.

Question 4 of 12

Customer Acquisition

Can you trace your marketing or outreach spend to actual new customers?

No. We spend on marketing but can't connect it to specific wins. We do what we've always done and hope it's working.

Partially. Some channels feel like they're working — trade shows, referrals, word of mouth — but we haven't measured it with real data.

Yes. We know where our customers come from and we use that data to decide where to invest in growth.

Question 5 of 12

Customer Retention & Growth

Do you know your customer retention rate — and does someone review it regularly?

No. I have a general sense of who stayed and who left, but we don't calculate it or track it as a metric.

Roughly. We could pull the number but it's not consistently tracked or reviewed as part of how we run the business.

Yes. We know our retention rate and review it at least quarterly. It's a metric we actively manage.

Question 6 of 12

Customer Retention & Growth

When existing customers expand their business with you, how does that typically happen?

They reach out to me directly, or I reach out to them personally. Expansion depends on my relationship with the client.

Mix — some growth happens through the team, some through me. There's no consistent process for identifying or pursuing expansion.

The team identifies and manages account growth through a defined process. Expansion isn't dependent on me being personally involved.

Question 7 of 12

Team & Capability

Does your team have defined commercial roles — or does everyone pitch in when growth work needs to happen?

Everyone pitches in. There are no defined commercial roles. Growth work gets done by whoever is available, which is mostly me.

There are informal roles and people own different pieces, but accountability for growth outcomes isn't clearly defined.

We have defined commercial roles with clear ownership. People know what they're responsible for and what success looks like.

Question 8 of 12

Team & Capability

If you needed to hire a dedicated sales or marketing person today, could you clearly describe what they would own?

Not really. I'm not sure what the role would look like separated from what I currently do. The work is too intertwined with me personally.

I have a rough idea but haven't defined it. I'd figure out the details once I found the right person.

Yes. I know exactly what the role would own, what success looks like in year one, and what kind of person would thrive in it.

Question 9 of 12

Tools & Infrastructure

Where does your customer and prospect information live?

In my head, my phone contacts, or a spreadsheet I maintain. If I left, most of it would go with me.

In a CRM or contact system, but it's not consistently used or up to date. The data isn't something we fully trust.

In a system the whole team accesses and maintains. The data is reasonably clean and we use it to make decisions.

Question 10 of 12

Tools & Infrastructure

Do you use tools to automate or streamline your marketing, outreach, or customer communications?

No. Most customer communication is done manually — email, phone, in person. Nothing is automated.

We use a few tools but they're disconnected, underutilized, or chosen based on what was easy to set up, not what actually works together.

Yes. We have tools in place that save time, connect our data, and give us visibility into what's working.

Question 11 of 12

Visibility & Metrics

What does your sales pipeline look like right now?

I know what's in progress, but it's in my head or scattered across emails and notes. Nothing is documented in a way others could use.

There's something that resembles a pipeline — a spreadsheet or basic CRM — but the data isn't reliable or consistently updated.

We have an active, documented pipeline with defined stages, expected close dates, and data the team trusts for forecasting.

Question 12 of 12

Visibility & Metrics

Do you regularly review commercial metrics — new customers, retention, revenue trends — with your team?

No. We look at the P&L but don't have a regular cadence for commercial metrics. I know where things stand but it's not a team conversation.

Sometimes. We have some numbers we look at, but the meetings are inconsistent, the definitions vary, and we don't always agree on what the data means.

Yes. We have a regular review cadence with a shared set of metrics. The team debates what to do — not what the numbers are.

Your Growth Readiness Stage

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Score: — / 24

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Score by focus area

Where to focus first

Want to talk through what this means for your business?

These results reflect a snapshot. A 30-minute conversation will give you a more complete picture — and a clear sense of where to start.

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