READY TO SCALE CHECKLIST

Is Your Business Ready for Growth?

WARNING: Premature scaling kills food startups!

Use this checklist to objectively assess whether your food business is ready to scale.

SCORING SYSTEM:

• 0-3 points = Not ready - focus on profitability first
• 4-6 points = Build foundation - plan to scale within 6 months
• 7-9 points = Ready to scale - proceed with confidence
• 10-12 points = Urgently ready - scaling is overdue

Companion to: Kitchen Decision Pack Chapter 7 (Scaling & Growth)

YOUR BUSINESS SNAPSHOT

Business Name:

_________________________________

Operating Since:

_________________________________

Current Monthly Revenue:

£_________________________________

Current Monthly Profit:

£_________________________________

Assessment Date:

_________________________________

SECTION 1: REVENUE STRENGTH (4 Points Maximum)

☐	Indicator	Points	Your Status
☐	Monthly revenue >£10,000 consistently (3+ months)	2	£_____ (avg last 3mo)
☐	Growing 15-20%+ month-over-month for 3+ months	1	_____% growth rate
☐	Profit margin >20% after all costs	1	_____% profit margin

Your Revenue Strength Score: _____ / 4 points

Red Flags (DO NOT scale if you have any of these):

☐ Revenue flat or declining for 2+ months
☐ Profit margin <10%
☐ Monthly revenue <£5,000

SECTION 2: OPERATIONAL READINESS (4 Points Maximum)

☐	Indicator	Points	Your Status
☐	Consistent product quality (5-star reviews, no complaints)	1	Avg rating: ___/5
☐	Systems documented (recipes, SOPs, HACCP)	1	Documented: Y / N
☐	Can produce 2x current volume without hiring	1	Capacity: _____%
☐	Repeat customer rate >30%	1	_____% repeat

Your Operational Readiness Score: _____ / 4 points

Red Flags (DO NOT scale if you have any of these):

☐ Frequent customer complaints about quality
☐ Inconsistent product quality (recipes not standardized)
☐ Already at 100% capacity (can't handle more orders)
☐ No repeat customers (indicates product-market fit issues)

SECTION 3: FINANCIAL INDICATORS (4 Points Maximum)

☐	Indicator	Points	Your Status
☐	Cash reserve >3 months operating costs	1	£_____ (___mo)
☐	Unit economics profitable (contribution margin >50%)	1	_____% contrib.
☐	CAC <30% of LTV	1	CAC: £___ LTV: £___
☐	No outstanding debt or manageable debt (<£5K)	1	Debt: £_____

Your Financial Indicators Score: _____ / 4 points

Red Flags (DO NOT scale if you have any of these):

☐ Cash reserve <1 month operating costs
☐ Losing money on each unit sold
☐ High debt (>£10K) with no repayment plan
☐ CAC > LTV (spending more to acquire than customer is worth)

TOTAL READINESS SCORE

Category	Score	Max
Revenue Strength	_____	4
Operational Readiness	_____	4
Financial Indicators	_____	4
TOTAL SCORE	_____	12

SCALING READINESS ASSESSMENT

0-3 POINTS

NOT READY - Focus on Profitability First

Your Next Steps:

☐Fix unit economics (reduce food costs, increase prices)
☐Improve product quality (standardize recipes, reduce complaints)
☐Build cash reserve (save 3 months operating costs)
☐Focus on repeat customers (aim for 30%+ repeat rate)

Timeline: Reassess in 6 months after implementing improvements.

4-6 POINTS

BUILD FOUNDATION - Plan to Scale Within 6 Months

Your Next Steps:

☐Document all systems (recipes, SOPs, HACCP)
☐Increase profit margin to >20%
☐Build cash reserve to 3+ months
☐Test production capacity (can you handle 2x volume?)
☐Improve repeat customer rate to >30%

Timeline: Continue building foundation for 3-6 months, then reassess.

7-9 POINTS

READY TO SCALE - Proceed with Confidence

Your Next Steps:

☐Choose scaling strategy (new products, new channels, or more volume)
☐Create scaling plan with 6-month timeline
☐Budget for scaling costs (equipment, staff, marketing)
☐Set growth targets (revenue, units, customers)
☐Implement tracking systems (weekly KPIs)

Timeline: Begin scaling activities within 30 days.

10-12 POINTS

URGENTLY READY - Scaling is Overdue

Your Next Steps:

☐You have strong fundamentals - don't wait!
☐Choose primary scaling strategy immediately
☐Hire first employee or scale production capacity
☐Expand to new sales channels or locations
☐Invest in marketing to accelerate growth

Timeline: Begin scaling immediately. You're leaving money on the table.

Kitchen Decision Pack | Ready to Scale Checklist | Be honest with your assessment - premature scaling kills businesses