How the Business Blueprint is scored

The response scale

Every scored question uses the same ladder. It measures how a commercial question is managed, not how capable the owner is. Wording is adapted per question; the rungs do not change.

1. 0Don't know / no visibility
2. 1Informal, largely in my head
3. 2Measured occasionally
4. 3Routinely measured and reviewed
5. 4Forecast and actively managed
6. 5Embedded in day-to-day decisions

Where a question genuinely does not apply to a business, “not applicable” is offered. It is excluded from both sides of the calculation, so it cannot reduce a score.

The six domains

Each domain is scored out of five as the weighted mean of the questions that applied. The overall figure is the mean of the domains that could be assessed, weighted equally. Equal weighting is deliberate: any other split would assert a commercial priority this instrument has not evidenced.

• Profit

  Whether the business can tell profitable work from busy work.

• Cash

  Whether cash pressure is seen before it arrives, not after.

• Capacity

  Whether the resource that limits delivery is understood and earning.

• Growth

  Whether future work is visible, funded and consciously chosen.

• Control

  Whether the business runs on information and systems, or on the owner.

• Future

  Whether the business is becoming stronger and less dependent on its owner, rather than simply larger.

A domain where too few questions produced a scorable answer is reported as not assessed, never as a low score. An unmeasured domain is not a weak domain.

The maturity bands

This describes how commercial information is currently managed. It is not a measure of the quality, profitability or prospects of the business.

• Emerging0.0 to 1.5

  Commercial information mostly sits with the owner. Decisions are made on experience and feel rather than on measured positions.

• Developing1.5 to 2.5

  Key numbers are known but reviewed occasionally. The business can explain what happened more easily than what is about to happen.

• Controlled2.5 to 3.5

  The business routinely measures and reviews its commercial position. Most questions can be answered from records rather than recollection.

• Forward-looking3.5 to 4.5

  Commercial positions are forecast and actively managed. The business can usually see pressure and opportunity before they arrive.

• Decision-led4.5 to 5.0

  Commercial information is embedded in day-to-day decisions. Capacity, cash and margin are considered before work is accepted.

The evidence standard

Every conclusion in this report is labelled with the strength of the evidence behind it. Observed means an answer you gave supports it directly. Indicated means a pattern across more than one answer suggests it, which is not the same as establishing it. Needs validation means the area may matter commercially but there is not enough information here to conclude anything.

The Business Blueprint does not estimate amounts. Where something is worth putting a number on, it is listed as something to quantify rather than guessed at, because an invented figure would be worth less than an honest question.

Scope

The Business Blueprint provides general commercial information only. It is not financial, investment, tax, legal or accounting advice, it does not take account of your personal circumstances or objectives, and it is not a valuation, an audit or a certification of your business.