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Validate Stage

The following self-assessment is for entrepreneurs leading social enterprises at the validate stage. This means that you and your team are focused on validating the commercial viability and scalability of the business model described in the blueprint. This involves running market trials in which business plan assumptions are tested. This is an iterative process which results in the refinement of the product or services, as well as the business model.

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Is your organization currently being supported by NESsT?

Yes No

Social Enterprise

Contact ID

Contact your NESsT Portfolio Director or Manager to get your Contact ID.

Email Address

First Name

Last Name

Your Email Address

Your Organization's Name

Your Job Title

Country Where You Primarily Work

Your Organization's Social Impact Objectives

Access to clean water	Access to education
Access to energy	Access to financial services
Access to information	Affordable housing
Agricultural productivity	Capacity-building
Community development	Conflict resolution
Disease-specific prevention and mitigation	Employment generation
Equality and empowerment	Food security
Generate funds for charitable giving	Health improvement
Human rights protection or expansion	Income/productivity growth

Please select a maximum of two social impact objectives.

Year Your Business Started Operating

Your Entire Team's Size

1-2 people	3-4 people	5-6 people
7-8 people	10+ people

Your Management Team's Size

1-2 people

3-4 people

Number of branches/offices my social enterprise has:

3-5

Last Year's Annual Sales Revenue (USD)

$0-25K$26K-50K$51K-100K$101K-250K$251K-500K$501K-1 million$1 million+

How did you learn about the I2E Talent Tool?

MicroMentor and NESsT have partnered to provide you with the best mentoring experience possible! MicroMentor would like to understand if the following assessment helped you along your mentoring journey. Do you agree to share the results of your assessment with the MicroMentor team in order to help us to improve our products and services? The results of our analysis will be completely anonymous.

YesNoThanks so much for you help in improving our program for thousands of other entrepreneurs around the world!

Are you working with a mentor?

YesNo

Your Mentor's Name

Your Mentor's Email Address

Business Strategy and Priorities

Now let's talk about how you set your business strategy and priorities.

1.) The top priorities for my enterprise in the next 6-12 months are:

Current Priority #1

Current Priority #2

Current Priority #3

2.) The top priorities for my enterprise in the next 3 years are:

Future Priority #1

Future Priority #2

Future Priority #3

The following questions allow you to reflect on your product and business model.

3.) I have up-to-date, written strategic plan for the enterprise that covers:

Scaling goalsSWOT analysisScaling strategy and modelResource planOperations and HR plansRisk management planTimetable and milestones for scalingNone of the aboveCheck all that apply.

4.) We have conducted market research in the markets in which we plan to expand:

Identifying the local opportunityCapturing key aspects of these marketsDeveloping a market plan specific to the segmentDeveloping a sales plan including sales targets and projectionsEnsuring we have internal capacity to respond to the segment's characteristicsAssessing competition and key trends in these marketsRefining our product/service to adapt to these marketsUsing the experience of our existing enterpriseWe have not conducted this type of market research

5.) We have carried out financial modeling:

Assessing scaling modelsEvaluating scaling modelEstimating resource needsRevenue and cost infoAssessing financing optionsHave not carried out financial modeling yetCheck all that apply.

The following questions give you an opportunity to reflect on how you will monitor the development and growth of the business.

6.) We monitor market trends and customer satisfaction using:

Industry sourcesCustomer feedbackOur own sales dataTeam feedbackInformation from suppliers and distributorsExperts and advisorsCheck all that apply.

7.) We use a structured database/IT system to document:

Sales dataCustomer feedbackRevenue dataCost informationSocial impact dataProduction and delivery processesWe do not have the capacity or system to document these thingsCheck all that apply.

8.) We have access to updated sales data (leads, prospects, deals) on the following basis:

Real-timeDailyWeeklyMonthlyQuarterlyAnnuallyNot tracking sales

9.) We monitor revenue information:

On a daily basisOnce a weekEvery two weeksOnce a monthOn a quarterly basisWhenever we are able to compile it

10.) In the last 3 years, my sales have been:

Growing beyond projectionsGrowing as projectedBelow projections

11.) The costs for operating my enterprise are usually:

Below projectionsOn budgetOver projectionsNot sureOther

12.) If the enterprise is not meeting projections, we employ these strategies:

Strengthen marketing and sales activitiesReduce marketing expensesAssess all costs and reduce wherever possibleLook for lower-cost and pro-bono alternativesSeek more financingRevise projectionsNot applicable (always meet projections)Check the top two strategies.

13.) If the scaling business is not meeting projections, I plan to employ these strategies:

Strengthen marketing and sales activitiesReduce marketing expensesAssess all costs and reduce wherever possibleLook for lower-cost and pro-bono alternativesLook for new scaling partnersSeek more financingChange the scaling strategyRevise projectionsOtherCheck the top two strategies.

14.) My key risk mitigation strategies in relation to scaling are the following:

Build significant financial reservesRely on a number of suppliers and distributorsWork with a number of scaling partnersWork with one scaling partner onlyDiversify our business modelCentralize decision-makingExpand our client baseOtherCheck the top two strategies.

Let's also discuss how you are measuring the impact of your organization.

15.) What impact are you measuring?

Financial impactSocial impactOrganizational sustainabilityNot tracking impactCheck all that apply.

16.) We measure impact in order to:

Report to my board, donors and investorsEnsure that my impact is growingManage and make sound business decisionsAnalyze impact compared to time and financial resources in the businessNot tracking impactCheck all that apply.

17.) We are measuring impact by:

Tracking impacts on a quarterly basisTracking impacts on an annual basisUsing a manual systemUsing an automated systemNot currently tracking impactCheck all that apply.

Day-to-Day Activities

Now let's review how you're currently spending your time on a day-to-day basis.

18.) On average, the percentage of time I spend on the following activities is (must add up to 100%):

Strategy, market building and other activities to grow the business

Day-to-day operations (marketing & sales, team recruiting and financial planning)

Leveraging funding, financing and new partners and advisors

Product/service development and refinement

19.) On average, the percentage of time I would like to spend on the following activities is (must add up to 100%):

Strategy, market building and other activities to grow the business

Day-to-day operations (marketing & sales, team recruiting and financial planning)

Leveraging funding, financing and new partners and advisors

Product/service development and refinement

Let's discuss what factors you use and who you engage when making key decisions for the enterprise.

20.) When I am making key decisions about the enterprise, I rely primarily on:

InformationIntuitionTeam inputsEnterprise goalsInput from board members and/or external partnersSelect the top two factors you use to make decisions.

21.) Financial decisions are made by:

MyselfThe teamChief Financial Officer (CFO)Mentor/external advisorThe funder/financier

22.) Financial decisions are based on:

Financial data from the enterpriseCash in the bankSales dataFinancial models and scenario analysisAmount of available financingSelect the top two factors you use to make decisions.

23.) When considering strategic issues, who do you rely on most for making decisions?

My teamExternal advisorsStrategic partnersBoard of Directors

24.) My comfort level for making decisions when there are still unknowns is:

LowMediumHighVery High

25.) We keep up-to-date regarding legal and financial regulation by:

COO reading relevant publicationsConsulting a pro bono legal expertConsulting the accountantI don’t spend time on this we pay a lawyer insteadCheck all that apply.

Team Assessment

The following section provides you with an opportunity to assess your team and your team leadership style.

26.) During team meetings, I do this amount of the talking:

0-20%21-40%41-60%61-80%81-100%

26.) During team meetings, I do this amount of the talking:

0-20%21-40%41-60%61-80%81-100%

28.) I feel that current members of my team have the skills to carry out the following activities in a scaling enterprise:

Day-to-day operationsBusiness planning & strategyMarket building & salesFundraising & financingProduct/services developmentFinancial planning & managementMeasurement, monitoring & reportingProcess design & documentingCheck all that apply. If you don't feel that your team is capable of taking on any of these responsibilities, please do not check any boxes.

29.) My level of satisfaction with the performance of my team is:

Very satisfied or satisfiedSomewhat satisfiedSomewhat unsatisfiedDissatisfied or very dissatisfied

30.) The top strategy I use to motivate my team is to:

Lead by exampleProvide an opportunity to assume high levels of responsibility and decision makingOffer remuneration that reflects their seniority and experienceOffer an attractive career pathOffer attractive professional and personal development opportunitiesHelp overcome challenges

31.) Finding the right talent for my enterprise at this stage of its development is:

Very easy or easySomewhat easySomewhat difficultDifficult or very difficult

32.) When recruiting new team members in the next 12 months, I will search for talent that can:

Take over functions that I am currently doingAdd functions that no one on the current team is doingTake responsibility and make decisions independentlyWill not be recruiting

Partners, Advisors, Donors and Investors

The following section helps you to reflect on the strategic partnerships you're cultivating to support your enterprise.

33.) We currently have strategic partnerships with these types of organizations and individuals that can help us scale our enterprise:

Business advisorsSupplierFunderIndustry associationDistributorKey customerInvestorOther social enterprisesCheck all that apply.

34.) Of the organizations and individuals we have identified as strategic partners, I am personally cultivating this percentage of them:

0-25%	26-50%
51-75%	76-100%

35.) Our scaling enterprise will benefit from strategic partners in the following ways:

Additional resourcesNew marketsVisibilityAdvantageEngagement with beneficiariesSpreading of our social enterprise modelAdditional options for successful exitCheck all that apply.

36.) My advisory network of mentors, board members, industry experts, investors and donors, and strategic partners who readily support me consists of this number of people:

Less than 5	5-10
11-20	More than 20

37.) The network of advisors I actively reach out to for support includes:

Advisors	Donors and/or investors
Mentors	Industry experts
Board members

38.) For every 10 individual donors that I am cultivating, I am eventually able to convince this many to donate:

0	1-2
3-5	6-10
Not applicable (not currently cultivating donors)

39.) For every five investors that I approach, I am eventually able to convince this many to invest:

0	1
2	3
4	5
Not applicable (not currently cultivating investors)

40.) I have made this number of presentations regarding my enterprise to external stakeholders in the last three months:

1-34-67-10More than 10

Contact Information