--- title: Free Exit Readiness Assessment & Score | Stratworth Advisory url: https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/readiness-assessment/ description: How ready is your business to grow, raise funding or sell? Take the free SCALE2SELL® Readiness Assessment and get a tailored review with Nik Spencer. last_updated: 2026-10-08 publisher: Stratworth Advisory Ltd --- Complimentary · Confidential # How ready is your business? *Take the SCALE2SELL® Readiness Assessment* Four questions about your business, then three statements for each of the eight SCALE2SELL® pillars, rated 1 to 5. It uses the same eight pillars and 1 to 5 scale as the Quarterly Readiness Radar that clients use, so your free score is the same measure. It appears the moment you finish, with no email required. - **08**pillars assessed - **28**straightforward questions - **1–5**for each pillar, as on the quarterly Radar - **No email**needed to see your score Start the assessment [Book a Founder Conversation with Nik](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/contact/) Complimentary and confidential. Your answers stay in this browser unless you choose to send them. Your profile across the eight SCALE2SELL® pillars ## The SCALE2SELL® Readiness Assessment What it covers ## Eight pillars, *three statements each.* The statements are drawn from the worksheets in Nik’s eight SCALE2SELL® toolkits, one toolkit for each pillar. You rate each one from 1 to 5 on the scoring guide from his toolkits, from “No evidence or not considered” to “Fully prepared, well-documented and buyer-friendly”, and each pillar’s score is read on his 1 to 5 scale for that pillar. It opens with four questions about your business, and closes with two optional ones in your own words. [Explore the eight SCALE2SELL® pillars](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/scale2sell/) 1. 01 ### [Vision & Value](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/scale2sell/vision-value/) Clarity of purpose and shared organisational direction. - **1** Unclear vision - **3** Defined & shared - **5** Fully embedded & inspiring Toolkit 1: Vision & Value Alignment 2. 02 ### [Business Strategy](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/scale2sell/business-strategy/) Defined and evidence-based plan for growth and market positioning. - **1** Ad-hoc goals - **3** Documented plan - **5** Integrated & data-driven Toolkit 2: Business Strategy Clarity 3. 03 ### [Financial Clarity & Drivers](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/scale2sell/financial-clarity/) Understanding and control of financial performance, metrics, and drivers. - **1** Poor visibility - **3** Regular reporting - **5** Full financial control Toolkit 3: Financial Clarity & Value Drivers 4. 04 ### [Operational Efficiency & Systems](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/scale2sell/operational-efficiency/) Strength of systems, processes, and automation enabling scalability. - **1** Manual - **3** Partly systemised - **5** Fully scalable systems Toolkit 4: Operational Efficiency & Systems 5. 05 ### [Team & Leadership](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/scale2sell/team-leadership/) Capability, culture, and leadership alignment to strategic goals. - **1** Gaps in leadership - **3** Structured team - **5** Strong culture & succession Toolkit 5: Team & Leadership 6. 06 ### [Customer Value](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/scale2sell/customer-value/) Understanding of customer needs, value delivery, and satisfaction. - **1** No insight - **3** Regular feedback - **5** Strong advocacy & innovation Toolkit 6: Customer Value & Proposition 7. 07 ### [Market Position & Brand Strength](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/scale2sell/market-position-brand/) Reputation, visibility, and differentiation within target market. - **1** Weak brand - **3** Recognised niche - **5** Market leader Toolkit 7: Market Position & Brand Strength 8. 08 ### [Exit Readiness](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/scale2sell/exit-readiness/) Preparation and structure for future sale, exit, or succession planning. - **1** No plan - **3** Early planning - **5** Fully exit-ready Toolkit 8: Exit Readiness & Buyer Appeal How your score works ## A clear score, *and what it means.* You rate each statement from 1 to 5. A pillar’s score is the average of its three ratings, and your Readiness composite is the average of all eight, out of 5, as on the quarterly Readiness Radar. On the dial it becomes a score out of 100, where 1 is 0 and 5 is 100, which places you in one of three stages. 1. 0–39 Stage I · VisionComposite 1.0–2.5 out of 5 ### Laying the foundations Your business may be performing well, but much of what a buyer, investor or successor would look for is not yet in place, or still depends on you. That is common, and it is where there is most to gain. The first step is clarity: what you want from the business, and the few changes that will make the biggest difference first. 2. 40–74 Stage II · ValueComposite 2.6–3.9 out of 5 ### Building what drives value Solid foundations are in place, with clear gaps. Some pillars are already working for you; others would raise questions under scrutiny. Focused work on the weaker pillars is what moves your score most, and builds the kind of business a buyer or successor values. 3. 75–100 Stage III · WorthComposite 4.0–5.0 out of 5 ### Well placed to realise it Your business is well prepared across most pillars. The work now is refinement, and choosing the right route and timing, so that you realise its worth on your own terms. A conversation with Nik is the natural next step. Your score is a guide to where to focus first, based on your own answers. It is general information, not a valuation and not financial, legal or investment advice, and you should not rely on it to make decisions. Clauses 3 and 11 of our [Terms of Business](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/terms-conditions/) apply to this free assessment and to our free calls. After you finish ## Your score is only *the starting point.* 1. 01 ### See your results straight away Your Readiness composite out of 5, your eight pillars on a radar, and your strongest and weakest pillars with the toolkit that works on each. No email address needed. 2. 02 ### Send them to Nik, if you would like a review Nik reviews your answers and recommends the right level of support. You will receive an email with next steps. 3. 03 ### Talk it through on a Founder Conversation A complimentary Founder Conversation by Zoom, Teams or phone, including a tailored review of your assessment. **Your answers, in confidence.** They are saved only in this browser, so you can stop and come back. Nothing reaches us unless you choose to send it. Read [how we handle your data](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/cookies-privacy-policy/), or if you would rather talk first, [book a complimentary Founder Conversation with Nik](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/contact/). Questions ## Before *you begin* Straight answers to what founders ask most about the assessment and what follows it. [All frequently asked questions](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/faq/) What is the SCALE2SELL® Readiness Assessment? It's a complimentary, scored assessment of how ready your business is to grow and, when the time is right, to exit. It scores your business from 1 to 5 on each of the eight SCALE2SELL® pillars, the same pillars and scale our clients track on the Quarterly Readiness Radar, so your free score is the same measure you would work on as a client. Your answers are treated in confidence and used only for the assessment, and Nik can talk them through with you on a complimentary Founder Conversation. What happens on the complimentary Founder Conversation? It's a 30 to 45-minute, one-to-one conversation with Nik by Zoom, Teams or phone, at no charge. It's a chance to talk about your business and what you want from it, and for both of us to see whether we are the right fit. It isn't a detailed diagnosis or an action plan: if there is a fit, the next step is your Founder Discovery Session. How do I know which plan is right for me? You don't have to choose on your own. In your Founder Discovery Session, Nik works through the issues that matter most and recommends the plan that fits. As a guide, Essentials suits founders building toward exit readiness, Advisory+ suits those preparing for funding, sale or strategic transition, the Exit Programme suits founders roughly one to three years from an exit who need more time with Nik, and Bespoke, by application, is for complex transitions, M&A preparation or succession planning. How is a business valued for sale? Buyers typically value a company either as a multiple of its normalised earnings or by discounting its future cash flows, and both rest on assumptions about risk and future performance. Stratworth's valuation mapping helps you understand what drives value in your business. It is not a formal valuation: for that, and for anything tax-related, take independent professional advice. Does Stratworth give financial, legal or tax advice? No. Stratworth Advisory provides strategic business guidance only and does not offer regulated financial, legal or investment advice. Our work is about understanding what drives value and preparing you and your business for growth and exit. Where you need tax, legal or investment advice, or a formal valuation, take independent professional advice, and involve those advisers early. ## Prefer to *talk it through first?* Book a complimentary Founder Conversation with Nik by Zoom, Teams or phone. Honest, experienced guidance — no fluff, no pressure. [Book a Founder Conversation](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/contact/) [Send an enquiry](https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/contact/#enquire) --- Stratworth Advisory Ltd. Registered in England and Wales, company number 16078743. Registered office: Avon View Offices, 90 High Street, Bidford-on-Avon, Alcester, England, B50 4AF. ICO registration number ZB932222. Stratworth Advisory provides strategic business guidance only and does not offer regulated financial, legal or investment advice. Clients should seek independent professional advice where appropriate. Contact: nik@stratworthadvisory.com. Book a complimentary Founder Conversation: https://www.stratworthadvisory.com/contact/