Free Business Owners Analysis Questionnaire
For "Existing" Businesses
by Bill Dueease

Your Personal "Coach" to Business Success

Business Name ____________________________Date ______________

Address_______________________________________________________

Telephone No. ____________ Fax No. ________E-mail __________

Your Name ____________________________Title __________________

This Analysis is geared to owners who have owned their business and who have recorded the activity of their business for over one year. If you are a business owner who has just started or is contemplating starting or buying a business, please use the Analysis entitled START UP.

The purpose of this Analysis is to determine your basic knowledge of the fundamentals of business, your level of management and visionary skills, and what areas of business you are performing well, and probably were unaware of. This is not a measurement of your strengths or weaknesses, but a quick discovery of what you know, how skilled you are, and what you are doing well. There are no scores calculated and no comparison with others.

Upon completion of this form, and delivery to Aspen Business Group, we will interpret your responses. This Analysis is not exact, but will provide a very good indicator of where you are today in the game of business, which will allow you to make a much more informed decision how to improve yourself.

Everything provided on and/or as a result of this document will kept in total confidence. It will not be disclosed that you even participated in the Analysis.

You are asked to respond to each question truthfully and completely, and you are encouraged to answer any question with multiple answers to reflect all of the feelings or thoughts you have had. If the choices of answers are not sufficient, please use the choice of "Other" to better describe your response.

Please mark all boxes that apply.

1. Why did you start and/or get into your own business?
__ 1. Do my own thing
__ 2. Bought it
__ 3. Brought into a family business
__ 4. Lost a previous job
__ 5. Wanted to control own destiny
__ 6. Wanted to do something unique
__ 7. Wanted to be a leader
__ 8. Wanted to make lots of money
__ 9. Wanted to try something new
__ 10. Tired of being taken advantage of
__ 11. Wanted to improve yourself
__ 12. Other reasons: _________________________________________

2. How would you best describe your experience as a business owner?
__ 1. Wonderful
__ 2. Confusing
__ 3. Satisfying
__ 4. Frustrating
__ 5. Overwhelming
__ 6. Rewarding
__ 7. Non Rewarding
__ 8. Tiring
__ 9. Boring
__ 10. Other _________________________________________

3. How close have you come to reaching your original vision for your company?
__ 1. Reached it
__ 2. Gotten close
__ 3. Still a very long way to go
__ 4. Given up on trying
__ 5. Never really had one
__ 6. Changed too many times
__ 7. Not thought about it
__ 8. Other _________________________________________

4. Why have you chosen to analyze your business knowledge and skills now?
__ 1. First time someone offered
__ 2. Too much stress
__ 3. Want to improve myself
__ 4. Health
__ 5. Working too many hours
__ 6. Making too little money
__ 7. Family considerations
__ 8. Want to get out
__ 9. Want to find out about myself
__ 10. Other reasons: _________________________________________

5. What type of business are you in?
__ 1. Wholesale
__ 2. Retail
__ 3. Manufacturing
__ 4. Service
__ 5. Professional
__ 6. Other _________________________________________

6. Who are your customers?
__ 1. Other businesses
__ 2. Individuals
__ 3. Combination of the above
__ 4. Not thought about it
__ 5. Other _________________________________________

7. What are the typical ages of your customers?
__ 1. Under 18
__ 2. 18-30
__ 3. 30-50
__ 4. 50 and older
__ 5. All ages
__ 6. Not thought about it
__ 7. Other _________________________________________

8. Where are your customers located?
__ 1. Within 20 miles
__ 2. Within 100 Miles
__ 3. Within your State
__ 4. Within Regional States
__ 5. Nationwide
__ 6. International
__ 7. Not thought about it
__ 8. Other _________________________________________

9. Where is your work area?
__ 1. Within 20 miles
__ 2. Within 100 Miles
__ 3. Within your State
__ 4. Within Regional States
__ 5. Nationwide
__ 6. International
__ 7. Not thought about it
__ 8. Other _________________________________________

10. How do you attract customers?
__ 1. Through the Media
__ 2. Through the Yellow Pages
__ 3. Through Referrals
__ 4. By our Reputation
__ 5. Through Telemarketing
__ 6. Through Direct Mail
__ 7. Through our Web Site
__ 8. Repeat Customers
__ 9. Through friends and family
__ 10. Not thought about it
__ 11. Through Personal Contact
__ 12. Other _________________________________________

11. Do you currently have a written marketing plan in place?
__ 1. Yes
__ 2. No
__ 3. Not thought about it
__ 4. Comments _________________________________________

12. Do you have a marketing budget?
__ 1. Yes
__ 2. No
__ 3. Not thought about it
__ 4. Other _________________________________________

13. How well do you determine, ahead of time, your profits on a daily, weekly, and/or monthly basis?
__ 1. Extremely well
__ 2. Not at all
__ 3. Sometimes
__ 4. Partially
__ 5. Confused
__ 6. Fairly well
__ 7. Rarely
__ 8. Don't know
__ 9. Not thought about it
__ 10. Other _________________________________________

14. How would you describe your budget of Income and Expenses?
__ 1. Written down and complete for several years out
__ 2. Written down for a year or less
__ 3. Not written down, but in your head
__ 4. Have not created one yet
__ 5. Had one but lost interest
__ 6. Still working on it
__ 7. Don't know
__ 8. Not thought about it
__ 9. Other _________________________________________

15. How is your Cash Flow?
__ 1. Excellent
__ 2. Not thought about it
__ 3. Good
__ 4. Fair
__ 5. Poor
__ 6. Hard to predict
__ 7. Don't know
__ 8. Other _________________________________________

16. What do you want to do with your business after you have it running more successfully?
__ 1. Sell it
__ 2. Franchise it
__ 3. Expand into larger areas
__ 4. Turn over to family
__ 5. Use it as an income source
__ 6. Stay involved
__ 7. Retire from the business
__ 8. Other _________________________________________

17. What payment terms do you provide your customers?
__ 1. Cash only
__ 2. Within 15 Days
__ 3. Within 30 Days
__ 4. Within 60 Days
__ 5. Payment in advance
__ 6. Don't know
__ 7. Other _________________________________________

18. How would you rate your Receivables collections?
__ 1. Excellent
__ 2. Good
__ 3. Fair
__ 4. Poor
__ 5. Have none
__ 6. Don't know
__ 7. Other _________________________________________

19. What type of financial reports do you generate regularly and how often?

20. How do you personally interact with your customers?
__ 1. In person at your location
__ 2. In person at their location
__ 3. By telephone
__ 4. By Fax
__ 5. By e-mail
__ 6. Through your website
__ 7. By mail
__ 8. Through your employees
__ 9. Rarely
__ 10. Other _________________________________________

21. How Many Full Time Employees do you have?
__ 1. None
__ 2. 1 Through 5
__ 3. 6 Through 10
__ 4. 11 Through 50
__ 5. 51 Through 100
__ 6. Over 100
__ 7. Other _________________________________________

22. How Many Part Time Employees do you have?
__ 1. None
__ 2. 1 Through 5
__ 3. 6 Through 10
__ 4. 11 Through 50
__ 5. 51 Through 100
__ 6. Over 100
__ 7. Other _________________________________________

23. How Many of Your Employees do you consider to be in management positions?
__ 1. None
__ 2. 1 Through 5
__ 3. 6 Through 10
__ 4. More than 10
__ 5. Not thought about it
__ 6. Other _________________________________________

24. How often do you really get the results you want from your people?
__ 1. Very Consistently
__ 2. Most of the Time
__ 3. Some of the Time
__ 4. Rarely
__ 5. Not thought about it
__ 6. Other _________________________________________

25. How well do your potential customers know and understand your concept of how your products and/or services are different from others?
__ 1. Extremely well
__ 2. Not at all
__ 3. Sometimes
__ 4. Partially
__ 5. Confused
__ 6. Fairly well
__ 7. Rarely
__ 8. Not thought about it
__ 9. Other _________________________________________

26. Do you have written documentation of what you expect from your employees?
__ 1. For every employee
__ 2. For managerial positions
__ 3. For some employees
__ 4. None
__ 5. Not thought about it
__ 6. Other _________________________________________

27. How well do you know the purpose and cost of all of the hard assets (things) in your business?
__ 1. Extremely well
__ 2. Not thought about it
__ 3. Not too well
__ 4. Partially
__ 5. Confused
__ 6. Fairly well
__ 7. Too few hard assets to worry about
__ 8. Other _________________________________________

28. Do you know what positions and when, you will fill in the future?
__ 1. Not thought about it
__ 2. Partially, the next one
__ 3. Yes, all future functions
__ 4. Have not decided
__ 5. Confused
__ 6. Other _________________________________________

29. How well does your business meet your goals and budget time schedules?
__ 1. Right on schedule
__ 2. Getting close
__ 3. Have not checked
__ 4. No schedules to meet
__ 5. Given up trying
__ 6. Not thought about it
__ 7. Other _________________________________________

30. Do you have a written training system?
__ 1. Yes
__ 2. No
__ 3. Other _________________________________________

31. Do you have a recruiting and hiring system?
__ 1. Yes
__ 2. No
__ 3. Other _________________________________________

32. What are your personal passions in life? What does your soul want to do? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

33. How much are your personal life passions part of the purpose and direction of your business?
__ 1. They are both the same
__ 2. Many of my personal passions are part of the direction of the business
__ 3. Some of my personal passions are part of the direction of the business
__ 4. Few of my personal passions are part of the direction of the business
__ 5. None of my personal passions are part of the direction of the business
__ 6. Not thought about it
__ 7. Other _________________________________________

34. How many of your employees know your Mission Statement?
__ 1. All of them
__ 2. Some of them
__ 3. Not thought about it
__ 4. Few of them
__ 5. None
__ 6. Other _________________________________________

35. What are the three most important challenges facing you and your business?
1. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

36. Please describe the product(s) and or service(s) your business provides. _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

37. How do your customers feel after purchasing your product(s) and or service(s)?
__ 1. Feel more secure
__ 2. Feel more powerful
__ 3. Feel more enjoyment
__ 4. Feel more profitable
__ 5. Feel less stressful
__ 6. Feel more in control
__ 7. Feel more fulfilled
__ 8. Feel more educated
__ 9. Feel more cared for
__ 10. Feel more healthy
__ 11. Feel more confident
__ 12. Feel more relief
__ 13. Feel more delighted
__ 14. Not sure
__ 15. Not thought about it
__ 16. Haven't asked
__ 17. Other _________________________________________

Upon completion, please send to Aspen Business Group. Do it soon!

By mail, fax or e-mail

All information supplied on this completed form will be kept in the strictest confidence by
Aspen Business Group.