(Note: this worksheet is referenced in the video, “The Founder’s Treadmill” on The Stewardship Channel at: www.youtube.com/@davidgrausr)
This quick self-check worksheet is designed to help small business owners assess how durable—and stewardship-driven—their business really is.
Self-Check: How Durable is Your Business?
- Have you identified your key stakeholders beyond just owners and customers (e.g., employees, officers, suppliers, community, environment)?
Does your business operate using clear systems that others could follow without you?
- Do your stakeholders think of you as a boss or a builder? A dictator or a caretaker?
- Are your business’s values written down—and consistently lived out in daily operations?
- Do you have a formal Mission Statement that you share with your entire team?
- Do you regularly reinvest in people, training, and long-term infrastructure?
- Do you have a written stewardship plan (even just one to two pages)?
- Are you tracking how well you serve each stakeholder—not just profits or revenue?
- Have you considered how your business could thrive beyond your direct leadership or ownership?
- Do you make a consistent, meaningful difference in your own community?
- Do you lead other small business owners in being a good steward, and doing good?
- Do you have written ten to fifteen-year goals for your business? Have you shared them with your team?
Scoring Yourself:
For each ‘Yes,’ give yourself 1 point:
• 0–2 points: High vulnerability – it’s time to start building durability and strength.
• 3–6 points: Good progress made – now double down with a stewardship mindset.
• 7–10 points: Strong foundation – continue investing in sustainability and succession and share your successes and your mission with other small business owners!
Remember: Doing Good, is Good Business!
You don’t have to build a perfect business—you just have to build one that lasts; that next gen talent aspires to be a part of and remain with. Start with a good Stewardship Plan and build from there.