This isn’t a personality quiz. It’s a mirror. Be honest.
Why This Matters
This is a clarity exercise—because you can’t fix what you won’t define. Most people never stop long enough to see where they actually are; they just keep moving, hoping motion equals progress.
Before we can build anything together, we need to know exactly where you stand.
This worksheet helps you find your footing, define your category, and figure out exactly what kind of pressure gets you moving again.
Every entrepreneur starts somewhere. What matters is seeing it clearly.
Where Are You, Really?
Below are four common starting points in the journey from employee to owner.
Each comes with its own challenges, fears, and opportunities.
1. The Working Searcher
(From Dreamer to Doer — Where Are You on the Line?)
Profile:
You’re employed full-time but thinking about ownership. Maybe you’re reading acquisition threads, watching YouTube case studies, or scanning BizBuySell between meetings.
The Spectrum:
- Dreamer: All talk, endless research, zero action. Loves ideas, fears mistakes, hides behind learning.
- Doer: Analyzes deals, sends messages, writes IOIs, and treats search like a second job. Makes imperfect progress daily.
Most people live somewhere in between. The question is whether you’re drifting toward action or away from it.
Reality:
You’ve got interest, maybe even capital, but not yet a clear process or filter. If you’re honest, you spend more time learning than executing.
What You Need:
A disciplined search framework, real-world mentorship, and accountability to move from theory to traction.
If you’re all talk, this is your wake-up call. If you’re in motion, this is your structure.
2. The Stuck Buyer
Profile:
You’ve found a business or signed an LOI, but the deal isn’t moving. You’re knee-deep in diligence, paperwork, or lender back-and-forth. It’s the most exciting—and most dangerous—stage in the game.
Reality:
You’re closer than most—but you’re in the fog where deals die. Time kills all deals.
What You Need:
An experienced operator’s eye to spot red flags, clean up structure, and get the deal to close before fatigue or fear kills momentum.
3. The Early Operator
Profile:
You own or just bought a business. The honeymoon’s over. You’re exhausted, fixing problems daily, and realizing ownership is a different kind of hard.
Reality:
You’re no longer dreaming about freedom—you’re fighting for stability. Fighting for your life.
What You Need:
Systems, discipline, and time. You can’t outsource this part. Build structure. Delegate right. Install systems that make the business work for you—not the other way around.
4. The Legacy Owner
Profile:
You’ve built something real. Employees depend on you. Customers trust your name. But you’re ready for your next chapter—growth, partnership, or exit.
Reality:
You’re proud, but protective. You want to ensure that what you’ve built outlives you—without selling your soul.
What You Need:
A real-world valuation, a clean structure, and an honest conversation about timing, fit, and legacy.
You Are Here
Answer the questions below to find out where you fit today.
1. How do you spend your time thinking about business ownership?
☐ I talk about buying a business more than I act on it. (Dreamer / Working Searcher)
☐ I’m actively reviewing deals and searching listings. (Working Searcher)
☐ I’m under LOI or reviewing financials. (Stuck Buyer)
☐ I already run a business, and it’s stressing me out. (Early Operator)
☐ I’m planning how or when to exit my business. (Legacy Owner)
2. What’s your biggest frustration right now?
☐ I can’t get started or stay consistent. (Dreamer / Working Searcher)
☐ I’m drowning in deal info and can’t tell what’s real. (Working Searcher)
☐ I feel stuck in diligence, or I can’t close the deal. (Stuck Buyer)
☐ I can’t get ahead in my own business. (Early Operator)
☐ I want to slow down or sell, but I don’t trust the process. (Legacy Owner)
3. What kind of help would move the needle most?
☐ Direction and accountability. (Dreamer / Working Searcher)
☐ Deal review and structure feedback. (Stuck Buyer)
☐ Operational systems and leadership. (Early Operator)
☐ Exit strategy and valuation clarity. (Legacy Owner)
4. How ready are you to take the next step?
☐ Just exploring. (Dreamer / Working Searcher)
☐ Ready to learn more seriously. (Working Searcher)
☐ Actively pursuing or buying. (Stuck Buyer)
☐ Already in the fight. (Early Operator)
☐ Preparing to exit. (Legacy Owner)
What Your Answers Mean
- Mostly Dreamer / Working Searcher: You need direction, commitment, and a framework to move from research to results.
- Mostly Stuck Buyer: You need deal support and hands-on guidance to cross the finish line—fast, before time kills your deal.
- Mostly Early Operator: You need structure and delegation to stabilize operations and reclaim bandwidth.
- Mostly Legacy Owner: You need exit readiness and structured transition planning.
Now What?
Don’t overthink it.
Circle your category, write your next move, and bring it to the table.
The faster we get honest, the faster we get to work.
Your Category: ___________________________
Your Immediate Next Step: ___________________________