Know what the business could be worth, where margin, cash and time are being lost, and what to fix first. A fixed-fee piece of work that ends in a written report and a first 90-day plan, yours to keep whether or not you go further.
The business has grown, and nobody is sure which work makes the money.
Cash is tighter than the profit figure suggests.
A sale, investment or acquisition is on the horizon, and the numbers need to stand up.
Too many decisions still wait for the owner, and it is unclear where to start.
The Diagnostic replaces guesswork with a baseline and a ranked plan, so the first changes are the ones worth most.
A written report in three parts, presented at a read-out meeting with the owner and leadership team. Figures come from the business’s own records, and where the data does not support a figure, the report says so.
What the business could be worth, and the targets that will get it there.
In the reportAn honest baseline, so every later gain can be measured.
In the reportWhere margin, cash and time are being lost, and the order to win them back.
In the reportA two-page extract from an illustrative report for a fictional contractor. The business and figures are invented to show the format; they are not results from a client.
The Diagnostic is the Diagnose stage of the improvement circle: value targets, a performance baseline and value leakage, turned into a ranked plan. Scoping comes first: a kick-off and the information request. The four to six weeks start once the information has arrived.
A kick-off with the owner agrees the value targets and likely route, and the information request goes to the finance lead.
Interviews with four to six managers, an optional walk-through from quote to payment, and analysis of the figures. A mid-point check with the owner tests early findings.
The report and first 90-day plan are presented to the owner and leadership team, with time to question every finding before anything is decided.
The Diagnostic is built on the business’s own figures and the people who do the work. Most of what is needed already exists; the finance lead usually gathers it in a few hours.
The last two to three years’ accounts and current management accounts; a job list for the last 12 months with quoted and actual figures, or a job-costing report; aged debtors, work in progress and retentions; the order book or pipeline; an organisation chart and who signs off quotes, hires and spending; any existing procedures, templates or reports.
The owner, about six hours across three sessions. The finance lead, about three hours. Four to six managers, about an hour each. About 13 to 15 hours of the team’s time in total, spread over several weeks, plus the optional half-day walk-through.
Read-only access to Xero and the CRM saves the team time. An optional half-day walk-through from quote to payment with the people who do the work shows where time and margin are lost in practice.
Managing Director, Electrical & Instrumentation Business
October 2026
“Paul has really added value to our organisation, setting up new structures and reviewing existing processes. He has highlighted the gaps, collaborated well and given feedback every step of the way, helping us push the business forward.”
Construction Company Owner
August 2025
“Paul has been helping me improve my estimating, scheduling, and tracking to create bigger margins and improve productivity. He clearly relates project delivery performance to business financials.”
Owner, Electrical Contracting Business
October 2026
“Rostone Operating Partners brought the structure, discipline and tools we needed. We now have a steady flow of new leads, and I have the clarity to achieve my long-term goals.”
The value targets come first: whether the business is working towards growth, funding, an acquisition or a sale. The ranked priorities and 90-day plan are ordered around that route, so the first changes are the ones that matter most for it.
Margin, cash and capacity
Ready for a funder’s questions
Bring another business in cleanly
Sell with the value built in
It is a fixed fee, agreed in writing before the work starts. It is set by the size and complexity of the business: turnover, the number of sites or companies, and the route being considered. It does not change unless the agreed scope changes.
The report and the 90-day plan are yours to keep and use, and there is no obligation to continue. If ongoing support starts within three months, the work picks up from the plan without a fresh baseline.
No. It is an opinion of value at a stated date, to guide decisions about the route. Where a transaction needs a formal independent valuation, for example for an employee ownership trust or for tax purposes, that is commissioned separately. More on the business valuation page.
No. The route is the owner’s decision, and it may be growth alone. The Diagnostic shows what each route would need from the business.
Not directly. The work is with the owner, the managers and the people who run estimating, accounts and operations. The optional walk-through follows a job’s paperwork from quote to payment, not the work on site.
The owner decides at the kick-off who receives it, usually the leadership team. Information shared for the Diagnostic is handled in confidence.
A free 30-minute call covers the business, the route being considered and what the Diagnostic would involve. If it is a fit, the fixed fee and scope are agreed in writing before anything starts.
