Stage 1 · A first look from the outside

The Acquisition Scan

A first look at a business, using only what anyone can see from outside. Answer four questions, name the one thing holding it back, and the Scan tells you whether it is worth a closer look.

Read this first. The Scan uses public information only. It uses no private or client data. Any size figure is an outside estimate, not audited accounts, used only to place the business in a size band. It is a quick first read, not a valuation or financial advice. CALIBRA writes its predictions down and checks them a year later. It promises to be held to account, not to be right every time.

How it works

You answer four questions, each scored out of 10:

Is there money to be made?
Do people know and rate the brand?
Is there a clear next move?
How safe is it?

Then you name the one thing holding growth back, three opportunities, and one prediction anyone could check in a year. The Scan gives you one answer: Go deeper, Worth a closer look, Start small, or Not now.

Two stages

Stage 1, this Scan. Public information only. A quick first read that says whether a closer look is worth it.

Stage 2, the Secured Benchmark. The full version, done on real numbers under a confidentiality agreement. The prediction is written down before the results come in, then checked against what happened a year later.

Step 1 of 4

The business

What you can see from outside. Press Return to move to the next box.

Business or brand name

What does it sell? How big is it? (outside estimate)

How does it sell?Its own online store, marketplaces, shops, wholesale, which countries. What can people see from outside?Best-selling product, range, founder, reviews, social following.

Step 2 of 4

Four questions

Score each one out of 10, from what you can see. Use the guide under each slider. If you don't know, leave it at 5. When you let go of a slider, the Scan moves to the next question.

Step 3 of 4

What is holding it back?

The one thing most holding growth backYour best guess from outside. The full version tests it on real numbers. Say it in one sentence Three opportunities One prediction anyone could check in a yearPick something public, such as reviews, website visits or the size of the range. Say where it will be in 12 months. Not sales or profit.

Step 4 of 4 · The answer

Acquisition Scan

The Scan’s answer

Overall scoreLikely rangeSize

How the Scan got there

What is holding it back

Opportunities

The prediction to check in a year

Next step: the Secured Benchmark.

The full version uses real numbers, under a confidentiality agreement. It turns this first read into a prediction written down before the results come in, then checks it against what actually happened a year later.

Basis. Public information only. No private or client data. Size figures are outside estimates used only to place the business in a band. A quick first read, not a valuation or financial advice.

Your callThe Scan suggests an answer. You make the decision. If you disagree, pick your answer and say why.

The result as text, ready to paste

How the answer is worked out

The overall score is the average of the four scores. The likely range is 1.5 points either side, because a read from outside is rough by design.

Size comes first: under AUD 10 million the answer is Start small, and over AUD 100 million the business is outside what this Scan is built for. Otherwise, 6.5 or more is Go deeper, 5.0 to 6.4 is Worth a closer look, and under 5.0 is Not now.