Founder Dependency Checklist

Tick each statement that is true today. The more you leave unticked, the more the business depends on you.

• I could take two weeks off without the business slowing down
• Someone other than me owns sales targets
• Customer enquiries are followed up without me chasing
• Staff can approve routine spending within written limits
• Invoices go out on time without my involvement
• I know our cash position without asking anyone
• New staff learn from written processes, not just from shadowing
• Quality problems are caught before customers report them
• Pricing and discounts follow written rules
• Weekly numbers arrive without someone building them by hand
• Managers hold regular reviews without me running them
• If a key person left tomorrow, their work would continue

Fewer than 8 ticks usually means the business is running on people rather than a system. The free Business Diagnostic will show where to start.