Business Plateau Evaluator

Welcome to the Business Plateau Evaluator, please begin by entering your name in format 'Firstname Lastname'

1. Please enter the name of the business you will be answering the following questions for. If you have multiple businesses, please select one and make sure you are only answering from that business's perspective.
2. How long have you been in business for?
   1. 0-2
   2. 3-6
   3. 7-20
   4. 20+
3. Approximate annual revenue?
   1. Less than $1M
   2. $1-3M
   3. $4-7M
   4. $8-12M
   5. $13-20M
   6. Over $20M
4. Annual revenue is:
   1. Increasing (10% increse over the last year or 5% over each of the last 3 years)
   1. For how long?
   2. By how much?
   2. Decreasing (5% or more over the last year or consistent loss over the last 3 years)
   1. For how long?
   2. By how much?
   3. Static
   4. Bumpy
   5. Downward slope
5. If your revenue has been stable, how many years has it been so?
   1. 3 years or less
   2. 4-6 years
   3. 7-10 years
   4. Over 10 years
   5. Not stable (Trending upwards or trending downwards)
6. Is your business currently profitable?
   1. Yes, 10% or more annually
   2. Yes, 3-9% profit annually
   3. Break-even (-3% to +3%)
   4. Losing money (-3% to -10%)
   5. Losing money (greater than 10%)
7. Which graph generally shows your profit margin trends over the last 3-5 years?
   1. Increasing graph
   2. Flat graph
   3. Bumpy graph
   4. Decreasing graph
8. This profit margin:
   1. Exceeded
   2. Met
   3. Fell short
9. Do you have benchmarks for your business? Choose all that apply
   1. Yes - Financial
   2. Yes - Sales
   3. Yes - Marketing
   4. Yes - Strategic Plan
   5. Yes - HR
   6. Yes - Operations Plan
   7. Yes - Facilities/Space
   8. Yes - Technology
   9. Yes - Other. Please specify:
   10. No
10. In the last 6 months, have you launched a major initiative? A major initiative ultizes a substantial portion of the company's retained earnings or requires borrowed money. The initiative requires a substantial change in the company structure and function.
    1. Yes
    2. No
    3. In process
11. How many truly distinct initiatives have you launched to try to grow your business in the last 3-5 years?
12. How capable are you of currently funding an initiative?
    1. Very
    2. Somewhat
    3. With difficulty
    4. Unable to at this time
13. How willing are you to fund an initiative at this time?
    1. Very
    2. Somewhat
    3. With difficulty
    4. Not willing to at this time
14. Excluding any initiative launched in the last 6 months, what impact did these initiatives launched in the last 3-5 years have on your revenue?
    1. Increasing graph
    2. Flat graph
    3. Bumpy graph
    4. Decreasing graph
    5. I did not launch any initiatives in the last 3-5 years
15. Excluding any initiative launched in the last 6 months, what impact did these initiatives launched in the last 3-5 years have on your profit margin?
    1. Increasing graph
    2. Flat graph
    3. Bumpy graph
    4. Decreasing graph
    5. I did not launch any initiatives in the last 3-5 years
16. Why is now a critical time to assess your business (Choose all that apply)
    1. Working constantly (no work-life balance)
    2. Health
    3. Feeling stalled (business is not responding to efforts)
    4. Lack of money for personal uses (lifestyle, paying for kid's college, retirement, etc.)
    5. Lack of money to finance the business
    6. Opportunity
    7. Urgency (reaching burnout and something needs to change)
    8. Frustration (not reaching goals)
    9. Panic
    10. Other. Please specify:
17. What has your experience been as a business owner?
    1. Highly satisfying
    2. Satisfying
    3. Challenging in a good way
    4. Challenging in a bad way
    5. Frustrating
    6. Overwhelming
    7. Painful
    8. Other. Please specify:
18. How close have you come to reaching your original business goals?
    1. Nailed it
    2. Coming close
    3. Not even close
    4. Goals?
19. How stuck do you feel?
    1. I'm moving right along but curious about your offering
    2. Not stuck, but not moving fast enough
    3. Making slow progress
    4. I am spinning my wheels
    5. Everyday is uphill
    6. I can't tell you the last time I moved
    7. I'm not stuck, I'm falling
20. How fast do you need something to happen?
    1. Yesterday
    2. This week
    3. This quarter
    4. This year
    5. No rush, I'll get there
    6. I have a specific time frame in mind.
21. How do you feel about your employees and managers?
    1. Highly and successfully engaged without direction from me
    2. We work as a team
    3. With direction, they're mostly competent
    4. Frustrated most of the time
    5. We cannot seem to pull together
    6. I'd be better off working alone
22. Which of the following best describes the amount of time you have to think strategically?
    1. I spend time each day thinking strategically
    2. I set aside time each week
    3. Monthly
    4. I think about it once a quarter
    5. I do an annual plan
    6. Sporadically
    7. I can't recall the last time I had a minute to think
23. Which of the following best describes the amount of time you spend putting out fires and being in the weeds?
    1. Always
    2. Frequently
    3. Occasionally
    4. Rarely
    5. Never
    6. Only when necessary
24. How certain do you feel about achieving your financial goals annually and for the future?
    1. Certain
    2. Hopeful
    3. Questionable
    4. Doubtful
    5. Fearful
25. How open are you to full disclosure of information on your business in order to get effective assistance?
    1. Full disclosure and complete transparency
    2. There are a few things I'd be uncomfortable sharing
    3. If it's proven to me that it will get a result I'll disclose information
    4. Reluctant. Will give information on an as needed basis
    5. Not at all
26. What is your status with your vendors and key suppliers?
    1. Paid on time and in full
    2. Paid after the first reminder
    3. Paid when demanded
    4. Rotating vendors to maintain supply chain
    5. On a cash only basis
27. How is your cash flow?
    1. There is a surplus of cash in the bank
    2. The rainy day fund hasn't been touched
    3. We have some seasonal cash flow issues
    4. Our business revenue covers our cash flow needs without surplus (cash in, cash out)
    5. Lines of credit are maxed
    6. We exist dependent upon our next client payment
    7. We have already promised cash that is still 30 days out
28. Are you able to deliver your product or service to your clients as contracted?
    1. Always on time
    2. Occasionally delayed
    3. Top clients taken care of
    4. Dependent on getting vendors paid
    5. I have clients asking for their deposits back