Impact Washington’s Business Assessment
What is the Impact Washington Business Assessment?
The Impact Washington Business Assessment is a collaboration between Impact Washington and Seattle Made. Impact Washington is an organization that strives to support and energize local industry by enhancing productivity and technology performance of Washington manufacturers. This program provides free business assessments (valued at $2,500) to any Seattle Made business with 20 or fewer employees.
This complimentary service helps you evaluate areas for improvement targeting manufacturing production, technology, and general business practices.
How Does the Business Assessment Work?
Phase 1: Business Assessment
Impact Washington will conduct a strategic business assessment. The time commitment will be between 6 and 8 hours, depending on your company’s complexity and situation. You will have several 2-hour virtual sessions to complete the assessment. Miguel, from the Impact Washington team, will create the meeting’s sessions in virtually in coordination with your schedule.
The assessment is divided into two segments outlined below.
Discovery Phase:
Miguel will lead you through 18 questions on a macro level. The questions are divided into two groups. The first group of nine questions are about outside the company (market and marketing); the second group of nine questions are about aspects inside the company.
Deep Dive Phase:
Miguel will ask questions to discover more details about your company. This second stage consists of 120 questions divided into the same two groups mentioned above. Miguel will further ask a lot more questions in specific target areas to define the advice and solutions he’ll offer.
Impact Washington will require basic financial information (revenue and EBITDA in the last year and the number of FTE). They will not review financial information in detail.
Phase 2: Strategic Growth Report:
Impact Washington consultants will analyze the assessment findings and present you with a current state report. They will provide you with a statement to develop a consensus plan for attacking the red flags and pursuing the most impactful opportunities revealed in the analysis.
The report can be shared by email, and you can set up an additional session with Miguel to go over the information. He will offer specific advice and suggestions. We’d suggest confirming a follow-up meeting in addition to receiving the report by email. It’s always helpful to ask for additional details on an area of particular interest to you.
An additional requirement of the Assessment
The service agreement will include a clause that asks you to answer an impact survey about the services provided by Impact Washington. Impact Washington is a partially federally funded organization. To keep their funding, they need to show how they are using the funds, providing value to the manufacturing community, and learning how to improve their services.
Is The Information Gathered Through The Assessment Kept Confidential?
Yes, the information you share is used only to create an Assessment Report for you. Seattle Made or other partner organizations outside of Impact Washington are not provided access to your assessment report or information you provide during the sessions.
How Much Time Will The Whole Process Take?
The below is an approximation based on past member experiences.
2 – 3 hours to prepare materials for assessment meetings.
6 – 8 hours of assessment and review meetings. Meetings typically take place over 2 – 3 weeks.
Thirty minutes to complete the Impact Washington post-assessment survey.
What Happens After I Receive Business Assessment?
The assessment outlines red flags and areas for improvement for your businesses. The evaluation also provides an overview of how you can address the challenges. The Impact Washington and Seattle Made team will be available free of charge to help connect you to the right resources ensuring your company gets the most out of your participation.
When Can I Start My Business Assessment?
Assessment may start at any time. They run on a rolling basis. If you are not ready to start the assessment yet, you can schedule for a future date.
How Do I Sign Up?
OR
Reach out to Miguel at Impact Washington to get started. Miguel is also happy to answer any additional questions you may have about the program before committing to participation.
Miguel A. Moreno Hierro
Account Executive | Small & Rural Business Impact Washington
425.330.2327
gro.notgnihsawtcapmi@oneromm
impactwashington.org
Seattle Made Member Participant Testimonials
“The Impact Washington business assessment was incredibly helpful! Miguel helped me understand where my company lives in the greater market, what that even means, how I could grow my business, but most importantly he reminded me that I don’t have to have a bigger company to be successful. He helped me feel more confident about my business and gave me some actionable insights on how to make it better. It was worth the time and mental energy. I would recommend it to any small business owner, especially those in the “what’s next?” phase.”
Kaela Farrington – Owner of Lagana Foods
“The business assessment with Impact WA allowed me to take a thorough and holistic approach to my business. Following the final report, I feel ready to tackle the priority topics that we uncovered during this process. There has never been a better time to do an assessment of your business. The concepts and drivers within this process will result in a thorough sense of where you are in your journey as a business owner.”
Molly Ray – Fragrance Designer & Owner of Molly Ray Parfums
“Working on Swift’s Business Assessment with Impact Washington helped us identify weak points in our company that are inhibiting our ability to grown on a solid foundation. The best part was that once we saw those issues clearly, working with the Impact Washington team opened up a world of resources and opportunities to face those challenges.”
Martina Brimmer – CoFounder of Swift Industries
Photo includes Martina and CoFounder Jason
“Working with Impact WA gave me a comprehensive overview of my business, showing me both where my strengths are shining, and which areas are in need of most improvement. The final report shows which areas hold the greatest potential for improving revenues, and I look forward to unlocking that potential by tackling those tasks. “
Jessica Vidican-Neisius – owner of Morning Glory Chai
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