The Method — Measure
Measure phase: a worksheet businesses can use today
Work through the five prompts below and you will have a usable draft of a baseline nobody argues with by the end of the afternoon.
7 min read · Reviewed by both partners
This is the do-it-yourself version. It will not match a facilitated session, and it is far better than skipping the phase.
Write the answers down. The value is in the artifact, not the thinking.
Step by step
Prompt one: state the goal in a number and a date
If it has no number or no date, it is an aspiration and this phase cannot use it.
Prompt two: list what you actually know, with sources
Two columns: the claim, and where the number came from. Blank second column is the finding.
Prompt three: name three candidate answers
For Measure that means three candidates for putting numbers on the constraint: cost to acquire by source, lifetime value, payback period. Three, not one.
Prompt four: find the number that separates them
Which single figure would eliminate two of the three? Go and get it.
Prompt five: write the conclusion in one paragraph
A baseline nobody argues with. One paragraph, dated, shared with whoever else needs it.
Common mistakes
Doing it alone
Owners are structurally unable to be objective about their own business. Bring at least one other person.
Stopping at prompt three
Three candidates is comfortable. Choosing between them is the phase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Measure phase: a worksheet businesses can use today?
This is the do-it-yourself version. It will not match a facilitated session, and it is far better than skipping the phase.
How does Growth-Scaling turn this into a concrete next step?
It sits under The Measure Phase in the Growth Scaling Method. The next step for an owner is the $1,500 Assessment, which reads your own numbers against everything described above.
How is this priced?
Three fixed steps at $1,500 apiece make up the $4,500 Foundation. Anything ongoing is scoped in writing by the Plan, with a $5,000 monthly floor.
Is there an account team?
No. David Mitroff and Steven Lockhart do the work themselves, which is why capacity is limited and why the diagnosis comes before any commitment.
References
- www.irs.gov — primary source
- www.data.gov — primary source
- www.usa.gov — primary source
Or have it run for you
The Assessment is this worksheet done properly, with both partners and an outside read.
Growth-Scaling is a marketing and business-scaling firm. It is not a licensed practitioner in any client vertical and does not provide medical, legal, financial, or contracting services; all industry content on this site is marketing and growth guidance for owners in those fields. Figures describing past engagements refer to specific businesses under specific conditions and are not a prediction of any future result. No outcome is promised.
Written by Steven Lockhart, reviewed by David Mitroff, Ph.D. Figures and regulatory details reflect the cited public sources; requirements vary by state and situation. Growth-Scaling is a marketing and business-scaling firm, not a licensed practitioner in any client vertical.