A practical diagnostic for SMEs, SaaS and service businesses to assess how ready they are for scalable growth.
Growth Consultant & Growth Marketing Analyst
Growing a business is not just about doing more marketing – it's about building the right foundations, systems and processes so that growth is sustainable.
This checklist is designed for SMEs, SaaS and service-based businesses who want to understand how ready they are for growth. It will help you see clearly where you are strong and where there are gaps to fix before you invest heavily in campaigns, staff or technology.
The checklist is divided into 9 key sections:
For each item, choose:
At the end of each section, the calculator will total your score (out of 10). Then it will add all section scores together to give your overall Growth Readiness score out of 90 and a recommendation.
Ensuring your business has a strong strategic, financial and operational base before scaling.
| Business Foundations – Checklist | YES (2) | PARTIALLY (1) | NO (0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. We have a written vision and mission statement that guides our direction and is understood by the team. | |||
| 2. We have a documented business or growth plan outlining key goals for the next 1–3 years. | |||
| 3. Our financial systems (bookkeeping, budgeting, cash flow planning) are in place to support growth. | |||
| 4. All required business registrations, licenses and regulatory compliances are up to date. | |||
| 5. Leadership and key team members are aligned on our growth goals and their roles in achieving them. | |||
| Section 1 Score (0–10): 0 Your foundational base. | |||
Checking how clearly your product/service and value proposition are defined and differentiated.
| Offer & Positioning – Checklist | YES (2) | PARTIALLY (1) | NO (0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. We have a clear and compelling value proposition that explains why customers should choose us. | |||
| 2. There is evidence of product–market fit (e.g. repeat customers, strong usage, positive feedback). | |||
| 3. We understand our main competitors and how we are different from them. | |||
| 4. Our messaging (website, pitch, sales materials) clearly communicates our offer and benefits. | |||
| 5. Our pricing model is defined and aligned with the value we provide and the market we serve. | |||
| Section 2 Score (0–10): 0 How clear & attractive your offer is. | |||
Assessing how well you understand your target customers and their needs.
| Audience Insight – Checklist | YES (2) | PARTIALLY (1) | NO (0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. We have clearly defined ideal customer profiles or buyer personas. | |||
| 2. We have done recent market or customer research (surveys, interviews, data) to understand needs. | |||
| 3. We know the main pain points our customers are trying to solve and what motivates them to buy. | |||
| 4. We understand the main alternatives or competitors our customers consider. | |||
| 5. We collect customer feedback in a structured way and use it to refine our product and messaging. | |||
| Section 3 Score (0–10): 0 How well you know your audience. | |||
Reviewing your core funnel and customer-facing web experience.
| Funnel & Website – Checklist | YES (2) | PARTIALLY (1) | NO (0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. We have a professional, up-to-date website or main landing page that explains what we do. | |||
| 2. Our website or landing pages have clear calls-to-action (e.g. book a demo, contact us, sign up). | |||
| 3. We have at least one way to capture leads (e.g. forms, sign-up, free trial, WhatsApp/chat). | |||
| 4. We have mapped our customer journey/funnel from awareness through to conversion. | |||
| 5. Our website/landing pages are reasonably optimized (mobile-friendly, fast enough, easy to navigate). | |||
| Section 4 Score (0–10): 0 Your ability to convert visitors. | |||
Making sure your decisions and experiments are driven by data, not guesswork.
| Tracking & Analytics – Checklist | YES (2) | PARTIALLY (1) | NO (0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. We have analytics tools installed (e.g. Google Analytics, product analytics) and collecting data. | |||
| 2. Key conversion events (e.g. sign-ups, purchases, form submissions) are being tracked. | |||
| 3. We have defined growth KPIs (e.g. leads, CAC, LTV, churn, MRR) relevant to our business model. | |||
| 4. We review reports or dashboards of our key metrics at least monthly. | |||
| 5. We use data (not just opinions) to make decisions about marketing, product and growth experiments. | |||
| Section 5 Score (0–10): 0 How data-driven your decisions are. | |||
Reviewing how you attract new leads and customers into your business.
| Acquisition Channels – Checklist | YES (2) | PARTIALLY (1) | NO (0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. We have identified our main acquisition channels (e.g. SEO, social, ads, referrals, partners). | |||
| 2. We have an active presence or programme running in at least one or two priority channels. | |||
| 3. We create content or campaigns suitable for those channels on a consistent basis. | |||
| 4. We track performance by channel so we know which ones bring the best leads or customers. | |||
| 5. We have a marketing/sales budget and we consider ROI or CAC when investing in growth activities. | |||
| Section 6 Score (0–10): 0 Your ability to bring in new customers. | |||
Ensuring new customers quickly reach their 'aha moment' and get value from your offering.
| Activation & Onboarding – Checklist | YES (2) | PARTIALLY (1) | NO (0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. We have a defined onboarding process for new customers/users (emails, calls, tutorials, etc.). | |||
| 2. New customers understand what to do next and how to get value within the first 7–30 days. | |||
| 3. We know what 'activation' looks like for our product/service and monitor it (e.g. key first actions). | |||
| 4. New customers can easily get help or support if they are stuck during the first weeks. | |||
| 5. We collect feedback on the onboarding experience and make improvements where needed. | |||
| Section 7 Score (0–10): 0 How fast new customers see value. | |||
Checking how well you keep and grow the value of customers you have already acquired.
| Retention & Monetization – Checklist | YES (2) | PARTIALLY (1) | NO (0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. We measure customer retention or repeat purchase in some way (e.g. churn, renewal, return rate). | |||
| 2. We have at least one strategy to keep customers engaged over time (e.g. updates, communities, loyalty). | |||
| 3. We have identified ways to increase customer lifetime value (e.g. upsells, cross-sells, add-ons). | |||
| 4. We proactively communicate with existing customers (e.g. newsletters, updates, personal check-ins). | |||
| 5. We collect feedback on why customers leave or stop buying and use it to improve our offer. | |||
| Section 8 Score (0–10): 0 How well you keep and grow customers. | |||
Evaluating whether your people and systems can support growth without breaking.
| Team & Tools – Checklist | YES (2) | PARTIALLY (1) | NO (0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Someone clearly 'owns' growth in our organisation (even if part-time). | |||
| 2. We have access to key skills needed for growth (marketing, sales, product, data, operations). | |||
| 3. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined so people know what they are accountable for. | |||
| 4. We use appropriate tools (e.g. CRM, project management, automation, analytics) to support our work. | |||
| 5. We have basic processes/SOPs for repeatable tasks and a culture of continuous learning and improvement. | |||
| Section 9 Score (0–10): 0 How strong your internal engine is. | |||
Each YES scores 2 points, each PARTIALLY scores 1 point, and each NO scores 0 points.
You likely have significant foundational gaps. Focus on the basics: clarify your offer, fix your funnel, put basic analytics in place, and strengthen your team and tools.
You have some important elements in place, but there are leaks that will limit your ability to scale. Use your checklist results to identify your weakest areas and build a 60–90 day action plan.
You are in a strong position to pursue more aggressive growth. Double down on what works, run structured experiments, and keep improving your funnel, activation and retention.
Whatever your score, you now have a clearer picture of where your business is today – and where to focus next.
If you would like help turning this checklist into a practical growth plan, there are a few ways I can support you:
Even if we don't work together long term, a short conversation can help you prioritise and avoid costly mistakes.
Send your section scores or a screenshot of your results and we'll map out practical next steps together.