Owner Dependency Prompts

Prompts for diagnosing and reducing dangerous owner dependency in established businesses. Covers dependency audits, business-without-you simulations, decision delegation frameworks, knowledge capture plans, and second-in-command development — the single most common discount applied to SME valuations.

5 prompts · For: $500K–$50M owner-operated businesses · Best when: Preparing for sale or succession, or when the business cannot run without you

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5 prompts

Owner Dependency AuditFREE

The valuation question at the end is the most important provocation.

I want to understand how dependent my business is on me personally. [Describe: your role, approximate revenue, number of employees, how long the business has operated, and your honest estimate of what would happen if you were unavailable for 30 days.] Audit my owner dependency across five areas: 1. Customer relationships -- which customers would leave or reduce spend if I were no longer the primary contact? 2. Decision-making -- which decisions require my approval or judgment that no one else in the business can currently make? 3. Institutional knowledge -- what do I know about this business that exists only in my head and nowhere else? 4. Supplier and partner relationships -- which relationships are personal to me rather than belonging to the business? 5. Revenue generation -- what percentage of revenue depends on my direct involvement in sales, delivery, or client management? Score each area 1 to 5 (1 = highly dependent, 5 = fully independent). For any area scoring below 3, identify the one action that would move it up by 2 points within 90 days. Then tell me: what is the impact of this dependency on my business valuation?

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When to use: The valuation question at the end is the most important provocation. Owner dependency is the single most common discount applied to SME valuations -- buyers pay less for businesses that stop when the owner does. The five-area structure ensures the audit covers all dependency vectors, not just the obvious one (customer relationships). Start here ...

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