Answers

The questions owners ask before they spend

Every one of these gets answered properly, including the parts that argue against us. If the honest answer is go ahead and hire, or go ahead and raise, that is what it says.

The owner trap Why does my business depend on me? Four structural causes, and they feel identical from the inside. Working harder does not resolve any of them, which is why it keeps not working. Before you hire Should I hire someone for my business? Hiring solves a capacity problem and cannot solve a structure problem. A one minute test tells you which one you have, before you write a job description. Before you raise How do I get funding for my business? What each type of funding is actually for, and the difference between a funding need and a cash flow problem, which look identical from the bank balance. Before you scale How do I get more leads for my business? The channels that work for owner run service businesses, and the reason volume tends to find the tightest point in a business rather than lift all of it. The money question Why does my business make money and I never have any? Revenue looks fine and the account never does. That gap has a name, cash flow inconsistency, and twelve structural causes. Which one is yours is what decides the fix. When cash moves Why does my bank balance swing when revenue does not? The revenue is level and the balance is not. That is cash flow volatility, and it has thirteen structural causes. Which one is yours is what decides the fix. The swing Why does my business go from too busy to too quiet? Slammed one month, silent the next. The feast or famine cycle has fifteen structural causes, and the fix depends on which one is producing it. Month to month Why are some months great and I cannot say why? The top line swings and the workload does not explain it. That is revenue volatility, with nine structural causes behind it. The ceiling Why has my revenue stalled even though I work harder? More effort, same number. A growth ceiling has ten structural causes, and which one is yours decides whether hiring or marketing would do anything at all.

Or just find out where you stand

The free pre-screen shows you where your structure is under pressure, which is the thing every one of these questions is really about.

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Related: what these terms mean · what kind of owner are you · how FramRI reads a business