BEF stage location
Existence, Survival, Success, Take-Off, or Resource Maturity — data-backed, not self-assessed. Your stage determines what to work on and what to ignore.
The Business Read · Paid · Standalone product
We read the business. You get the plan.
You share your finances and answer ~100 questions. An AI-powered analysis maps your BEF stage, scores every layer, and pinpoints your real priorities. Tristan then walks you through the findings over 60 minutes — and your prioritised 90-day plan is rebuilt around what you both uncover.
$2,100 + GST · ~100 questions + AI analysis · 60-minute session · prioritised 90-day plan. Email for current availability.
1:1
Every engagement
9yr
Coaching
8yr
Longest active
The Business Read uses the same BEF methodology built over 9 years of 1:1 client work — now combined with AI analysis for depth and speed. See case studies →
How it works
Six steps. Usually 7–10 days end to end.
- 01
Book your spot
Pay upfront to lock in your place, and the financial data-prep checklist lands in your inbox within 24 hours. How your data is handled — and kept confidential — is agreed in writing before you share a single number.
- 02
Send your numbers
Your last 12 months from Xero (or a simple P&L), 12 months of sales data, and your current team setup. Messy books are completely fine — we work with what you have. Most owners are surprised how different the real picture is from the one in their head. That is exactly what we are here to find.
- 03
Walk us through your business
A guided set of questions about where you feel your business really is, the problems you have wrestled with, and what you have already tried. About 45–60 minutes — and it surfaces the things your numbers alone never show.
- 04
We build your first read
Your numbers and answers run through an AI-powered analysis against the Business Evolution Framework. It locates your stage, scores every layer, and pinpoints the three things most likely holding your growth back right now.
- 05
An hour with Tristan
One hour on Google Meet. Tristan has already studied your analysis before you meet. You walk through it together, you challenge it, and you pressure-test the findings against what you know better than anyone. No sales pitch — this is the real work.
- 06
Your prioritised 90-day plan
After the session, your plan is rebuilt around Tristan's findings and your own pushback: three specific moves, in the right order, and the things to stop. It is yours to keep — act on it yourself, hand it to your team, or brief another advisor with it.
The deliverables 01 02 03 04
What you walk away with.
Five-layer score
Foundation, Supporting Systems, Success Triad, Inner Core, Core Fulfilment — each scored against the BEF. Shows where the floor is, not just the ceiling.
Priority Map
The three things actually limiting your growth right now — not the three things you think are the problem. Ordered by leverage, not urgency.
Prioritised 90-day plan
Three specific moves, in the right order, with expected outcomes. And the explicit stop list — where last quarter's effort went that shouldn't.
Sample audit · anonymised
What the document looks like.
A 12–15 page PDF, table of contents below. Each section opens with the headline finding, then the data behind it, then the recommendation. Plain English, no jargon, no consultancy padding. Real client names and numbers redacted in the sample.
Book to see yoursTable of contents
01 — Executive summaryp.1
02 — BEF stage locationp.2
03 — Five-layer scoringp.3–4
04 — Priority Mapp.5
05 — Cash & concentrationp.6–7
06 — Three 90-day movesp.8–10
07 — What to stopp.11
08 — Stop / continue / referp.12
Why we need the real data
Owners describe their business. Numbers describe their business.
Most owners I work with are surprised how far off they are on buffer days and client margin, and wrong about where their hours actually go. The data isn't there to catch you out — it's there to surface what the operating story is hiding.
From Xero / your books
- →Real margin trajectory · 12 months
- →Cash buffer in operating days, not dollars
- →Hidden cost-line growth (the categories that crept)
- →AR-cycle reality vs. your terms
- →Tax + super provisioning vs. accrued
From sales data
- →Revenue concentration · top 5 clients
- →Win-rate by deal size and source
- →Retainer vs. project mix and trajectory
- →Client-tenure and churn pattern
Ready when you are
Start your Business Read.
Fill in your details and Tristan will reply within 24 hours with availability and what to prepare.
The guarantee.
If the written plan doesn't surface at least three findings you didn't already know, tell me on the follow-up and I'll refund in full. The plan is yours either way.
Want coaching instead? Apply directly.
Coaching has its own free funnel — short application, a 15-minute intro call, then The Bearings Call. You don't need The Business Read first. It's a standalone product for owners who want a paid, AI-backed read before deciding anything.
Later in 2026
A fully AI-powered version of the Business Read is in development — automated analysis, AI-generated follow-up questions, full written report on a faster turnaround. Register interest to be first to know when it's available.
Who The Business Read is for
Clear, before you enquire.
A good fit
- +B2B service business, $300K+ revenue
- +12+ months of Xero / accounting data available
- +You want a real opinion, not validation
- +Ready to act on the findings within 90 days
- +Considering coaching — or just want clarity first
Not a fit
- ✕Pre-revenue or under $500K — the work is product-market fit, not BEF work
- ✕Books too messy to extract 12-month trends
- ✕Shopping for someone to tell you you're crushing it
- ✕Looking for a coach to make the decisions you should make
Data handling, retention and NDA terms confirmed in writing before any numbers change hands.
Common questions
Before you enquire.
- Do I need to be an existing coaching client?
- No. The Business Read is a standalone product. You don't need to have worked with Tristan before, and it doesn't commit you to anything ongoing.
- What financial data do I need?
- Last 12 months from Xero (or equivalent P&L), 12 months of sales data, and your current team structure. Clean books are ideal but not required — we work with messy books if you can explain the discrepancies.
- How is this different from coaching?
- The Business Read is a one-off diagnostic. You get a written plan and a single 60-minute session. Coaching is an ongoing engagement — fortnightly or weekly sessions over 3–12 months. The Read is useful if you want a clear picture before committing to coaching, or if you just want the plan.
- What happens after the 60-minute session?
- Your prioritised 90-day plan is rebuilt to fold in Tristan's session findings and your pushback. You receive it in writing. No follow-up sales. The plan is yours to implement, share with your team, or brief another advisor with.
Still have a question? Email directly — we reply within 24 hours.
Start your Business Read.
Standalone. AI-powered. Written plan delivered. Yours regardless of what you do next.
Enquire nowNo drip sequence · No upsell on the call · Plan delivered either way
Want coaching not a Business Read? Apply directly here →