The Question Most Business Owners Avoid

Between the deadlines, the decisions, and the constant demands of running your business, there’s a question that sits in the back of your mind.

Does your business run without you?

Whether you grow it, sell it, hand it down, or just take a real vacation:

When everything feels important, nothing becomes a priority.

See what deserves your attention first Built for business owners. 24 questions. About 10 minutes. Free, results on screen.
What it measures

Seven areas determine business resilience over time.

The seven Hexiss domains, connected: Financial Health, Leadership and Succession, Operational Independence, Customer and Market Position, People and Culture, Direction and Focus, Risk and Continuity. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Financial Health Leadership& Succession OperationalIndependence Customer& Market Position People & Culture Direction& Focus Risk & Continuity
Scores in these four areas also reflect how much depends on you.
01
Financial Health
Can the business absorb a slow quarter or an unexpected expense without you covering the gap?
02
Leadership & Succession
Who’s in charge when you’re not there, and is anyone ready to take over?
03
Operational Independence
Does the work run on documented systems, or on what’s in people’s heads?
04
Customer & Market Position
Do customers come from reputation and repeat business, or from you chasing them?
05
People & Culture
Does the team perform the same whether you’re watching or not?
06
Direction & Focus
Does your team know where the business is headed and what matters this quarter?
07
Risk & Continuity
What happens if a key client, employee, or supplier disappears tomorrow?
Owner dependency

Same score. Different business.

Two businesses can score the same in an area for very different reasons. One gets there through systems and a capable team, the other because the owner handles it personally. Only the first holds up when the owner steps back.

The Business Stress Test measures both: how well each area works today, and how much of it depends on you or a few key people.

Built from published and peer-reviewed research on business continuity and succession planning. See how the questions were developed.

What you get back

What’s working, what leans on you, and what to fix first.

Each of the seven areas gets a score, along with how much of it depends on you. Then your 90-day plan ranks what to fix first.

Hexiss.Hexiss™ Business Stress Test · Sample report
Today With less dependency Affected by owner dependency
Operational Independence
Operational Independence
Today 38
Leadership & Succession
Leadership & Succession
Today 44
Risk & Continuity
Risk & Continuity
Today 52
Direction & Focus
Direction & Focus
Today 58 · With less dependency 78
People & Culture
People & Culture
Today 63 · With less dependency 80
Customer & Market Position
Customer & Market Position
Today 69 · With less dependency 84
Financial Health
Financial Health
Today 74 · With less dependency 88
Then: The Next 90

Each step is ranked by risk and by what your goal needs most.

Fix First1 item
Owner & Key-Person DependencyD2
Start now

Your feedback and score for this area appear here, drawn from how you answered.

Your steps appear here after you complete the Business Stress Test.

High Priority2 items
Working Capital & Operating ReservesD1
Start now

Your feedback and score for this area appear here, drawn from how you answered.

Your steps appear here after you complete the Business Stress Test.

Bench StrengthD5
Do in 90 days

Your feedback and score for this area appear here, drawn from how you answered.

Your steps appear here after you complete the Business Stress Test.

Your results show on screen when you finish. No email required. Add yours if you’d like a copy of your results to keep.

You may also share your answers anonymously to help improve the tool. We would appreciate it but won’t hold it against you.

Some fixes need a CPA, attorney, or banker. When they do, your report says so. See who we’d call

This is a sample report. Your results will depend on your business and your answers. The Business Stress Test is a screening tool, not a valuation.

For CPAs, advisors, and lenders

An easier way to start the conversation.

Send the Business Stress Test to a client before you meet. Hexiss helps business owners and advisors see what they might be missing, identify the underlying problem, and make more informed decisions about what to do next. It’s free, and their results stay with them unless they choose to share.

Advise owner-operated businesses in the Sioux Falls area? We’re building the list of people we refer owners to. Get in touch

Better business health starts with a better assessment.

Hexiss identifies what puts your business at risk, then helps you focus on what to prioritize first.

Built in Sioux Falls by a former nurse and healthcare quality advisor.

Take the free Business Stress Test.

Free, and it takes about 10 minutes. See where your business depends on you and what to focus on first.

Get your 90-day plan