1. Cash Visibility
2. Reporting
3. Strategic Planning
4. Team Capability
5. Growth Readiness
Dimension 1 of 5
Cash Visibility
How well do you understand your cash position today — and what’s coming in the next 30, 60, and 90 days?
How would you describe your current cash flow visibility? (select one)
I check my bank balance periodically but don’t have a formal system
I review a basic cash report monthly but it’s often outdated
I have a 30-day cash view and review it weekly
I have a rolling 90-day cash flow forecast that’s updated regularly
How far out can you reliably forecast your cash position? (select one)
Less than 2 weeks — I’m mostly reactive
About 30 days with some confidence
60–90 days with moderate confidence
90+ days with high confidence, including seasonal variation
How often do you experience unexpected cash shortfalls? (select one)
Frequently — it’s a recurring source of stress
Occasionally — a few times a year
Rarely — I usually see them coming
Almost never — I have strong visibility and adequate reserves
Dimension 2 of 5
Reporting Quality
Are your financial reports giving you the information you need to make good decisions — or just historical data you don’t fully trust?
How would you describe your current financial reporting? (select one)
We rely mostly on our accountant’s year-end reports
We have monthly P&L but it’s often delayed and hard to interpret
We have timely monthly reports but limited KPI tracking
We have clean monthly financials + KPI dashboard we review regularly
How confident are you in the accuracy of your financial data? (select one)
Not very — I’ve found errors and don’t fully trust the numbers
Somewhat — directionally right but details are often off
Mostly confident — occasional cleanup needed
Very confident — our books are clean and reconciled monthly
How quickly do you know if the business is off-track financially? (select one)
Often not until weeks or months later
Usually within 30–45 days
Within 2 weeks via monthly close
Within days — we have real-time or near-real-time visibility
Dimension 3 of 5
Strategic Planning
Do you have a financial plan that connects where you want to go with how you’re going to get there?
Does your business have a documented financial plan or budget? (select one)
No formal plan — we operate based on experience and gut feel
We have a rough annual revenue target but no detailed plan
We have an annual budget we review quarterly
We have a multi-year financial plan with annual budgets and quarterly reviews
How do you make major financial decisions (hiring, pricing, expansion)? (select one)
Primarily based on intuition and available cash at the time
Some analysis but no formal modeling or scenario planning
We model out the financial impact before committing
Full scenario modeling with sensitivity analysis and risk assessment
How clearly do you understand your business’s profitability by service line or client? (select one)
I don’t — I only see overall P&L
I have a general sense but no hard data
I track margin by service line or department
Full profitability analysis by service line, client, and team member
Dimension 4 of 5
Team Capability
Who owns your financial function today — and are they equipped for where your business is headed?
Who currently manages your financial function? (select one)
Primarily the owner/founder, often reactively
A part-time bookkeeper or office manager
A full-time bookkeeper or controller with CPA oversight
A dedicated financial leader (CFO, fractional CFO, or strong controller)
How would you rate your financial team’s capacity to handle growth? (select one)
Already stretched — growth would break what we have
Manageable now but not scalable
Could handle moderate growth with some adjustments
Well-positioned — systems and people can scale
Does your financial team provide strategic input, or only historical reporting? (select one)
Mostly bookkeeping — no strategic input at all
Occasional analysis when I ask for it
Regular reporting with some forward-looking commentary
Proactive strategic partner — brings insights I didn’t ask for
Dimension 5 of 5
Growth Readiness
Is your financial infrastructure ready to support the next stage of your business — or will it become the bottleneck?
If you needed financing or investment today, how prepared would you be? (select one)
Not at all — our books and documentation aren’t lender-ready
Partially — we could pull together basics but it would take weeks
Reasonably prepared — could produce financials within a few days
Very prepared — we maintain clean, audit-ready books at all times
Do you have a clear picture of your business’s enterprise value? (select one)
No — I have no real sense of what the business is worth
A rough estimate based on industry multiples
A reasonable estimate with some supporting analysis
A well-documented valuation updated regularly
How aligned is your financial infrastructure with your 3-year growth goals? (select one)
Not aligned — finance is a bottleneck, not an enabler
Partially — we have goals but no financial roadmap to reach them
Mostly aligned — our plan exists but has gaps
Fully aligned — finance actively drives and supports our growth strategy
Ready to Close These Gaps?
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