Founder Dependency Score

21 short questions about how your business runs day to day. It takes about 15 minutes. I will review your answers personally and send you a short report on what a buyer will see when they look at how much the business depends on you.

Decisions

When a decision over £5,000 needs making (a purchase, a discount, a hire), who makes it? Always me Usually me; others check with me first Managers decide within written limits; bigger ones come to me Managers decide; I see a summary

If you were unreachable for two weeks, how many decisions would wait for your return? Most of them Several important ones A few unusual ones Almost none

Are spending and approval limits written down for your managers? No Informally understood Written for some areas Written and used across the business

Customers

What share of revenue comes from customers whose main relationship is with you personally? Over half A quarter to a half Under a quarter Almost none

Do your ten biggest customers each have a second named contact in the business who knows the account? None do A few do Most do All do

Is each key account's history (pricing, issues, agreements) recorded where others can see it? Mostly in my head or my inbox Scattered across emails and files In a system for most accounts In a system for all key accounts

Pricing and quoting

Who prices non-standard jobs or quotes? Only me Others draft; I check every one Others price within rules; I check large ones Others price using written rules; I rarely see them

Are your pricing rules (rates, margins, discounts) written down? No Partly, but I adjust most quotes Yes, for most work Yes, and they are built into our systems

If you stepped away tomorrow, how confident are you that quotes would stay profitable? Not confident Somewhat confident Fairly confident Very confident

Knowledge

How much of how the business runs is written down in procedures staff actually use? Very little Some, but out of date Most core processes Nearly all, and kept current

When staff hit a problem they have not seen before, what usually happens? They ask me They ask one or two long-serving people They check a procedure, then ask a manager They follow a documented route

Is there knowledge only you hold (supplier terms, technical know-how, logins, history) that is not recorded anywhere? A lot Some important pieces A little Almost none

Numbers

Can the business tell you which jobs or customers made money last month? No Only if I work it out Yes, with some manual work by someone else Yes, it is in a regular report

Who produces the monthly management figures? There are no regular monthly figures I do, or they depend on me Our finance person or accountant, with my input Our finance team, without me

How soon after month-end do you see your numbers? Only at year-end More than a month later Within a month Within two weeks

Team

Is there someone who could run the business day to day if you stepped away? No Possibly, with a lot of support Yes, for a short time Yes, they largely do already

How clearly defined are your managers' responsibilities? Not defined; everything comes to me Loosely understood Defined for most roles Written down and working

How many people report directly to you? More than eight Five to eight Three or four One or two

Absence

What is the longest you have been fully away (no calls or emails) in the last two years? Less than three days About a week Two weeks Three weeks or more

The last time you were away, what happened? Things stalled or went wrong I was called several times a day A few calls about unusual issues It ran normally

Could you take four weeks off next quarter without the business suffering? No Only with heavy planning and some risk Probably, with some preparation Yes

About the business

What is your role? Owner and managing director Co-owner Managing director (not an owner) Other

Roughly what is the business's annual revenue? Under £5m £5m to £15m £15m to £30m Over £30m

How many people work in the business? Under 20 20 to 50 50 to 150 Over 150

Where to send your report

Full name

Work email

Company name

Company number (optional)

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The Founder Dependency Score is run by OpSync AI Ltd, registered with the Information Commissioner's Office. When you complete the Score, we collect your name, work email, company name and your answers. We use them to produce your report and to follow up with you about it. Our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in providing the report you asked for and discussing it with you. If you tick the box, we will also send you occasional updates, and you can stop these at any time. Your answers are held in our Google account and on our own secured systems. They are not shared with anyone else and are not used to train AI. We keep them for 12 months after our last contact unless you become a client. You can ask to see, correct or delete your data at any time by emailing charlie@opsync.co.uk.

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How much does your business depend on you?