Jordan — your Buyer Readiness Report
We’ve emailed a copy to jordan@example.com.
Mostly ready, with a couple of blind spots.
You’d handle most of the process well. But blind spots don’t announce themselves; they show up after closing. Tighten the areas below now, while it’s cheap to do.
Cracked open. Here’s what’s inside.
Overall Readiness
The average of your six dimension scores. Experienced buyers tend to land above 80. Every point below that is a gap you can close before you buy.
Your six dimensions
Where you’re strong
Lean on these. They’re real advantages most first-time buyers don’t have.
Financial Fluency
89%You can read the numbers, and you know the difference between stated profit and profit you can actually buy. That alone protects you from overpaying.
Operator Fit
78%You’re clear on your role, and your skills match the kind of business you’d run. That’s rarer than it sounds. Most buyers figure this out after the wire clears.
Temperament & Discipline
67%You stay skeptical until the numbers earn your trust, and you can walk away. That discipline is worth more than any spreadsheet.
Where you’re most likely to get burned
Based on your answers, not a generic list. At the size you’re considering ($250K–$500K), these gaps turn into real money.
Deal-Evaluation Instinct
44%The mistake you’re set up to make: Missing the deal-killers hiding in plain sight: one customer who is a third of revenue, an owner the business can’t run without, three down years dressed up as “retiring.” You’d find out after you own it.
Fix it by: Learn the red flags before you need them. When you have a live deal, pre-screen it before you spend real money on due diligence.
Start here: Three fast checks on any deal: is one customer more than 20% of revenue? Does it run without the owner? Are the last three years flat or down? Any “yes” means dig deeper.
Team & Process
44%The mistake you’re set up to make: Going it alone to save a few thousand in fees, skipping protections like a working-capital peg and a holdback, then paying far more when something surfaces after closing.
Fix it by: Line up a CPA and an attorney now, not when you’re already in a deal. Learn the path (NDA → LOI → due diligence → close) and find a mentor or community before you make an offer.
Start here: Today, get two names ready: a CPA who’s done a small-business purchase and an M&A attorney. You don’t hire them yet; you just have them, so you’re never the lone buyer.
Money & Runway
56%The mistake you’re set up to make: Buying with too little in reserve, then becoming the bank for your own business in month one, paying the loan out of your personal savings.
Fix it by: Size three numbers before you shop: your down payment, 6–12 months of personal runway, and a working-capital cushion for the business. And learn DSCR: you want at least 1.2×.
Start here: DSCR = the business’s yearly cash flow ÷ your yearly loan payments. You want ≥ 1.2× (a 20% cushion). Under 1.2×, one slow month makes you the bank.
Your next steps
You’re actively looking, so close these gaps alongside your search, not after you find “the one.”
- Study the classic deal-killers (customer concentration, owner dependence, a declining trend) until you can spot them in a listing in five minutes. The free 10 Red Flags guide is built for exactly this.
- Line up a CPA and an attorney who’ve done small-business deals — before you make an offer, not after. And find at least one person who’s bought a business and will take your calls.
- Get the free 10 Red Flags guide and learn the patterns now, while no deal has your emotions. It’s a lot cheaper to study red flags than to buy one.
Keep going
This one is Jordan’s. Get yours.
20 questions, about 5 minutes, free. Your own scores, your own blind spots, your own next steps — on screen and in your inbox.
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Sample report for a fictional buyer, shown for illustration. The assessment is a self-assessment for educational purposes, not financial or legal advice. It scores the buyer’s readiness; it does not evaluate, certify, or guarantee any specific business.