The Readiness Score.
The Readiness Score is an evidence-based measurement of a trades business's operational and transition readiness. It is scored against 25 criteria across five groups, using the records, contracts and financial documents the business can produce. A criterion with no supporting document cannot score above 1, regardless of the owner's explanation.
The criteria groups.
- Financial Performance
- Financial statements, margins, cash visibility and the records behind the numbers.
- Operational Efficiency
- Documented workflows, repeatable delivery and what happens when the owner is absent.
- Sales Process
- The sales process, customer relationships, revenue concentration and how work arrives.
- Management Structure
- Decision authority, the management bench, pay structures and accountability.
- Exit & Growth Readiness
- The evidence a buyer, lender or incoming leader would need to understand and run the business.
When the score is taken.
The measurement schedule is Day 0, Day 90, Month 6 and Month 12. Each checkpoint uses the same 25 criteria and the same supporting-document rule, so the comparison is based on evidence rather than a changed test.
- Day 0
- Establish the baseline. Record the supporting evidence and missing documents against each of the 25 criteria.
- Day 90
- Re-score the same 25 criteria against the documents the business can now produce, then compare the evidence with the baseline.
- Month 6
- Review the same criteria again to check which changes remain supported by current records and where gaps remain.
- Month 12
- Repeat the measurement against the same criteria and evidence rule to document the position at the end of the year.
What the score is not.
The Readiness Score is not a valuation, not a price, and not a prediction of what a business will sell for. It measures what the business can demonstrate against the readiness criteria. It does not assign a dollar value or promise a sale outcome.