The Resilient SME — Strategic Assessment (Tier 3)

Tier 3 — Strategic Assessment

The Resilient SME
Strategic Review

A comprehensive assessment for businesses at a pivotal moment — combining resilience analysis, financial modelling, peer benchmarking, and a forward-looking strategic report tailored to your audience.

75+Questions

35–45Minutes

11Resilience Domains

5Report Personas

Your progress

Step 1 of 2 — Before You Begin

Who is completing this assessment?

Your response shapes the voice and framing of the report. The analysis and scores are identical — only the lens changes. Select the role that best describes your relationship to this business.

👤 Business Owner I own or co-own this business and am completing this for my own strategic clarity. 💼 Advisor I am an accountant, IFA, or business advisor completing this on behalf of a client. 🏦 Bank / Lender I am a relationship manager or credit analyst assessing this business for lending purposes. 📈 Investor I am considering an investment or equity stake in this business. 🎯 Corporate Finance I am advising on a sale, acquisition, refinancing, or exit transaction.

Please select who is completing this assessment before continuing.

Getting Started

Your Details

Before you begin This is not a formal audit, certification, or assurance process. There are no right or wrong answers — the purpose is to surface early signals of strength and fragility across key areas of your business. Your responses will be used to generate a Resilient SME Diagnostic Report. Insights may be used in anonymised, aggregated form to improve the service. You may withdraw consent or request data deletion at any time by contacting us. Privacy Policy. I have read and agree to the above. I understand my responses will generate a Diagnostic Report.

Please confirm consent to continue.

Email address *

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Your Name (Optional)

Job Title / Role (Optional)

Company Name *

Please enter your company name.

Size of Organisation *

Please select your organisation size.

Country *

Please select your country.

Industry Sector *

Please select your industry sector.

Have you completed this assessment before?

No, first time Yes, previously

Scorecard 1 of 10

Resilience Domain

Cash Flow Resilience

Please answer based on what is consistently true today, not what is planned or intended.

1. Do you have clear, forward-looking visibility of cash movement?

Rolling short-term cash flow forecast (e.g. 13 weeks)
Regular updates based on actual movements
Leadership understanding of forecast assumptions

No clear or reliable cash visibility Some forecasting, but inconsistent or unreliable Clear, current, and actively used forecast

Please select a response.

2. Do you understand when money actually arrives and leaves the business?

Visibility of customer payment behaviour
Awareness of timing gaps between revenue and cash
Understanding of major cash outflows and commitments

Cash timing is assumed or reactive Partial awareness of timing Clear understanding of inflows and outflows

Please select a response.

3. Is sales behaviour aligned to cash outcomes?

Payment terms considered at deal stage
Link between pipeline, invoicing, and cash forecasts
Sales behaviour aligned to cash, not just bookings

Sales activity disconnected from cash reality Informal or inconsistent alignment Explicit, disciplined alignment

Please select a response.

4. Do you know how much cash you need to stay in control?

Defined minimum liquidity threshold
Awareness of cash breakpoints that trigger action
Access to contingency options

No defined buffer or thresholds Informal awareness Clearly defined and monitored

Please select a response.

5. Are cash-related decisions deliberate rather than reactive?

Clear ownership of cash decisions
Defined rules for discounts or cash acceleration
Long-term impact considered

Reactive, ad hoc decisions Some discipline, inconsistently applied Clear rules and leadership judgement

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with cash flow management? (max 200 characters)

0/200

Scorecard 2 of 10

Resilience Domain

Deal Confidence

1. Is the person with budget authority actively involved?

Direct interaction with the economic buyer
Confirmation of budget ownership
Clear approval process

No access or indirect involvement Limited or inferred involvement Direct, active engagement

Please select a response.

2. Is there a clear, time-bound problem the customer needs to solve?

Defined deadline or trigger
Agreed consequences of inaction
Customer articulates urgency

Nice-to-have problem Recognised but not urgent Time-critical with clear impact

Please select a response.

3. Do you understand how and when a decision will be made?

Defined decision steps
Known stakeholders
Understood approval requirements

Decision process unknown Partially understood Fully mapped and validated

Please select a response.

4. Has the customer validated that your solution meets their needs?

Customer confirms fit
Feedback on solution relevance
Acceptance of approach

No validation Informal or partial validation Explicit customer validation

Please select a response.

5. Has the customer invested something meaningful in the process?

Time commitment
Data sharing
Internal sponsorship

No real commitment Some engagement Clear, tangible commitment

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with deal confidence? (max 200 characters)

0/200

Scorecard 3 of 10

Resilience Domain

Evidence-Based Customer Loyalty

1. Is the customer's spend stable or growing?

Consistent or increasing revenue over time
No unexplained volume decline
Predictable ordering patterns

Declining or erratic Stable but flat Stable and growing

Please select a response.

2. How embedded are you in the customer's organisation?

Multiple stakeholders engaged
More than one product or service used
Involvement beyond transactional buying

Single contact, narrow use Limited breadth Broad, multi-level engagement

Please select a response.

3. How easy would it be for the customer to leave?

Integration into processes or systems
Customisation or embedded knowledge
Time or cost required to replace you

Easy to switch Moderate friction High switching cost

Please select a response.

4. Does the customer explicitly recognise your value?

Willingness to discuss outcomes, not just price
Acceptance of price adjustments
Advocacy or reference behaviour

Value assumed or unspoken Implicit recognition Explicitly acknowledged

Please select a response.

5. Is there evidence of future intent?

Multi-period agreements or renewals
Joint planning discussions
Visible pipeline of future work

No forward visibility Informal intent Documented commitment

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with evidence-based customer loyalty? (max 200 characters)

0/200

Scorecard 4 of 10

Resilience Domain

Operational Resilience

1. Do you clearly understand which activities must not fail?

Identified critical products or services
Defined tolerable disruption thresholds
Leadership agreement on priorities

Critical operations not defined Partially understood Clearly defined and agreed

Please select a response.

2. Are key dependencies understood and visible?

Known single points of failure
Awareness of key people, suppliers, systems
Basic dependency mapping

Dependencies assumed Informal awareness Explicitly identified

Please select a response.

3. Are decisions made quickly and clearly during disruption?

Clear decision ownership
Deputies identified
Escalation paths understood

Decisions stall or bottleneck Inconsistent clarity Clear and tested ownership

Please select a response.

4. Can the business continue at a minimum viable level?

Defined minimum viable operations
Basic continuity arrangements
Awareness of recovery priorities

No preparedness Partial or untested Defined and understood

Please select a response.

5. Does the business learn from disruption?

Review of incidents and near-misses
Improvements captured and applied
Leadership attention to learning

Repeat failures common Informal learning Structured improvement mindset

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with operational resilience? (max 200 characters)

0/200

Scorecard 5 of 10

Resilience Domain

Risk & Governance

1. Do you know which risks matter most?

Identified key operational, financial, and regulatory risks
Leadership agreement on priorities
Periodic risk review

Risks implicit or unspoken Partially articulated Clearly identified and prioritised

Please select a response.

2. Is someone clearly accountable for each key risk?

Named risk owners
Clear escalation paths
Accountability understood

Ownership unclear Informal ownership Clear, accepted accountability

Please select a response.

3. Are important decisions made consistently and transparently?

Defined decision forums
Clear authority levels
Decisions documented where needed

Ad hoc decision-making Inconsistent discipline Clear, proportionate governance

Please select a response.

4. Are controls appropriate to the size and risk of the business?

Basic policies in key risk areas
Controls understood, not just written
Regular review

Controls missing or unused Present but poorly embedded Proportionate and applied

Please select a response.

5. Can you explain your risk posture to others?

Clear responses to customer or insurer questions
Consistent messaging
Ability to evidence controls

Reactive and defensive Partially confident Clear and credible

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with risk and governance? (max 200 characters)

0/200

Scorecard 6 of 10

Resilience Domain

Cyber, Data & AI

1. Do you know what critical data you hold and where it lives?

Identified key data types
Awareness of storage locations
Basic access controls

Data dispersed and unmanaged Partial visibility Clear awareness and control

Please select a response.

2. Are basic cyber controls in place and understood?

Strong authentication
Regular updates and backups
Staff awareness of threats

Minimal protection Inconsistent controls Proportionate, embedded hygiene

Please select a response.

3. Is AI used intentionally and responsibly?

Clear AI use cases
Human oversight
Defined approval processes

Ad hoc or uncontrolled use Limited governance Clear guardrails and ownership

Please select a response.

4. Could you respond calmly to a cyber or data incident?

Awareness of likely incidents
Defined first-response actions
Clear leadership ownership

No preparedness Informal understanding Defined and understood response

Please select a response.

5. Can you explain your digital controls to others?

Clear customer responses
Awareness of regulatory obligations
Confidence in third-party arrangements

Reactive and uncertain Partial confidence Clear and credible

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with cyber, data and AI? (max 200 characters)

0/200

Scorecard 7 of 10

Resilience Domain

People & Leadership

1. Can the business operate effectively without constant senior intervention?

Decisions made at appropriate levels
Clear authority boundaries
Leadership absence does not stall progress

Highly dependent Partial delegation Distributed and effective

Please select a response.

2. Are critical skills covered with sufficient depth?

Awareness of skill gaps
More than one person able to perform critical tasks
Plans for future needs

Single points of failure Limited depth Adequate coverage

Please select a response.

3. Is important knowledge documented and shared?

Core processes documented
Onboarding supported
Reduced reliance on tribal knowledge

Knowledge trapped in individuals Partial documentation Shared and accessible

Please select a response.

4. Do people feel empowered to decide?

Clear decision rights
Supportive escalation paths
Confidence without fear

Decisions avoided or escalated Inconsistent confidence Appropriate autonomy

Please select a response.

5. Is workload sustainable under pressure?

Realistic role expectations
Burnout risk awareness
Ability to absorb demand spikes

Chronic overload Periodic stress Sustainable capacity

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with people and leadership? (max 200 characters)

0/200

Scorecard 7A of 10

Resilience Domain

Communication & Behaviour

1. Do people clearly understand what matters most right now?

Clear priorities
Limited focus messages
Consistent leadership messaging

Priorities unclear or conflicting General clarity, inconsistent reinforcement Clear, consistent priorities

Please select a response.

2. Do leaders' actions reinforce stated messages?

Behaviour aligns with priorities
Leaders model expectations
No visible contradictions

Behaviour undermines messages Mixed alignment Strong behavioural signalling

Please select a response.

3. Can issues and risks be raised early without fear?

Bad news surfaces quickly
Challenge welcomed
Escalation paths used

Issues suppressed Hesitant escalation Early, open escalation

Please select a response.

4. Is communication proportionate and focused?

Regular but not overwhelming updates
Clear signal vs noise distinction
Reduced overload

High volume, low clarity Reasonable cadence Disciplined communication

Please select a response.

5. What behaviours are reinforced through recognition and response?

Behaviour rewarded, not just outcomes
Failure treated as learning
Learning shared

Fear or blame dominate Mixed signals Learning clearly reinforced

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with communication and behaviour? (max 200 characters)

0/200

Scorecard 8 of 10

Resilience Domain

Decision & Data

1. Are the most important decisions clearly defined?

Known decisions
Clear ownership
Agreed timing

Decisions implicit Partially defined Explicit and owned

Please select a response.

2. Do you know which data actually informs decisions?

Defined leading indicators
Clear thresholds
Agreement on what matters

Everything tracked Some prioritisation Clear signal focus

Please select a response.

3. Is data trusted enough to act on?

Consistent definitions
Known limitations
Confidence in core numbers

Data disputed Selectively trusted Sufficiently reliable

Please select a response.

4. Do different views of the business align?

Sales, finance, and operations coherence
Shared trade-off understanding
Joined-up reviews

Conflicting narratives Partial alignment Integrated perspective

Please select a response.

5. Do insights consistently lead to action?

Decisions tracked to outcomes
Learning captured
Adjustments made

Insights ignored Inconsistent follow-through Closed feedback loops

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with decision and data? (max 200 characters)

0/200

Scorecard 9 of 10

Resilience Domain

Growth & Change

1. Is growth aligned to strategy and capability?

Clear growth intent
Strategic fit assessed
Capability considered

Growth opportunistic Partially aligned Deliberately aligned

Please select a response.

2. Is the impact of change understood before committing?

Cash impact assessed
Capacity implications understood
Risks identified

Impact not assessed Partial awareness Clear understanding

Please select a response.

3. Does the organisation have bandwidth for change?

Leadership capacity awareness
Delivery capacity visibility
Change load managed

Overstretched Tight but manageable Adequate capacity

Please select a response.

4. Are changes delivered consistently?

Execution discipline
Delivery tracked
Slippage addressed

Change delivery unreliable Mixed execution Consistent delivery

Please select a response.

5. Does the business adapt based on evidence?

Feedback reviewed
Learning applied
Adjustments made

Course rarely corrected Occasional adjustment Evidence-led adaptation

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with growth and change? (max 200 characters)

0/200

Scorecard 10 of 10

Resilience Domain

Energy, Cost & Sustainability

1. Do you understand what truly drives your costs?

Visibility of major cost categories
Variable vs fixed awareness
Margin sensitivity understood

Costs opaque Partial visibility Clear and understood

Please select a response.

2. How exposed are you to energy and resource volatility?

Energy intensity awareness
Usage patterns understood
Alternative options known

Exposure unknown Informal awareness Explicit understanding

Please select a response.

3. Can pricing respond to cost changes?

Pricing review discipline
Ability to adjust terms
Customer communication clarity

Pricing fixed Limited flexibility Adaptive and disciplined

Please select a response.

4. Can you clearly explain your sustainability position?

Honest articulation
Regulatory awareness
Customer alignment

Position unclear Ad hoc narrative Clear and credible

Please select a response.

5. Are you prepared for external questions?

Responses ready for customers, lenders, insurers
Consistent messaging
Evidence available

Reactive Partially prepared Confident and credible

Please select a response.

Optional: What's your biggest challenge with energy, cost and sustainability? (max 200 characters)

0/200

FIN

Tier 3 — Financial Profile

Financial Context

Why this section matters: These inputs power the valuation range, 24-month stress test, exit readiness score, and peer benchmarking in your report. The more complete your answers, the more specific and actionable your report will be. All data is treated as strictly confidential.

📊

For the best report quality — the five fields marked Recommended below have the greatest impact on your Strategic Advisory output. All other fields are fully optional but add further depth where available.

Profitability

Approximate Annual Revenue *

Used to calibrate benchmarking and valuation range.

Please select your approximate revenue.

Approximate EBITDA Margin ★ Recommended

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation as a % of revenue.

Approximate Net Profit Margin

After all costs, interest and tax.

Approximate Gross Margin

Revenue minus direct costs, before overheads.

Revenue Trend (Last 3 Years) ★ Recommended

Overall direction of revenue over the past three financial years.

Growing strongly (>15% p.a.) Growing steadily (5–15% p.a.) Broadly flat Declining Volatile / mixed

Cash & Working Capital

Typical Customer Payment Terms

The terms you offer customers — not when they actually pay.

Average Actual Debtor Days

How long customers actually take to pay — often longer than terms.

Cash Buffer (Months of Operating Costs) ★ Recommended

How long could the business operate from cash reserves if revenue stopped?

Creditor Payment Days

How quickly you typically pay your own suppliers.

Revenue Quality & Customer Concentration

Revenue Structure

Recurring revenue behaves very differently to project-based revenue under stress.

Mostly recurring (subscriptions, retainers, contracts) Mixed — roughly equal recurring and project-based Mostly project-based or transactional Unsure

Largest Customer Concentration

Approximate % of total revenue from your single largest customer.

Top 3 Customers Combined

Approximate % of total revenue from your three largest customers.

Contracted Revenue Visibility

What proportion of next year's revenue is already contracted or highly predictable?

Over 75% contracted 50–75% contracted 25–50% contracted Under 25% contracted Unsure

Debt & Financing

Use of External Financing

Current borrowing structure.

Total External Debt

Approximate total outstanding borrowings across all facilities.

Approximate Interest Rate Across Facilities

Blended rate across all borrowing if you have multiple facilities.

Strategic Context

Primary Strategic Objective (Next 3 Years)

This shapes the roadmap and exit readiness components of the report.

Grow and scale — building for size and market share Prepare for exit — sale, MBO, or succession within 3–5 years Raise investment — seeking equity or structured finance Stabilise and protect — consolidating, reducing risk, preserving value Refinance or restructure — debt, ownership, or operational model Unsure / open to options

Owner Dependency ★ Recommended

Could the business operate effectively without the principal owner for 3+ months?

Financial Reporting Quality

How current and accessible is your financial information?

You're all done.

Your Strategic Assessment is complete. Your Tier 3 report — including your personalised Director's Letter, indicative valuation range, 24-month stress test, and 12-month roadmap — will be delivered to your email within 24 hours.

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Assessment Submitted

Thank you. Your Resilient SME Diagnostic Report will be sent to your email address shortly. We appreciate your time and candour.

The Resilient SME
Strategic Review

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