Part of the Littlechild & Haley Innovation Suite
SME Success Healthcheck™
A focused five-day diagnostic for stronger foundations, resilience and growth.
It gives owners and leaders an independent view of what is working, what could hold the organisation back and what to improve first.
Growing organisations need a clear view of their foundations
SMEs, charities and social enterprises often operate with lean teams while managing growth, regulation, people pressures, digital risk and economic uncertainty. Weaknesses in governance, resilience or decision-making can remain hidden until they become disruptive or expensive.
The SME Success Healthcheck™ looks across the whole organisation rather than reviewing finance, compliance, people or technology in isolation. It produces a clear picture of strengths, vulnerabilities and practical priorities for the next 90 days.
The readiness question
Narrow functional review
Is each individual area working?
SME Success Healthcheck™
Are our foundations strong enough for what comes next?
The Healthcheck connects governance, risk, finance, people, operations and digital readiness around the organisation’s plans for growth and resilience.
How it works
1. Review the evidence
Gather key documents and hold a focused leadership conversation about priorities and concerns.
2. Assess ten connected pillars
Consider the arrangements that support resilience, delivery and sustainable growth.
3. Agree the priorities
Explain the strengths and vulnerabilities, then set practical actions for the next 90 days.
Where it can be used
Growth investment and tendering
Test whether governance, systems and capacity are ready for the next stage.
Leadership or ownership change
Create a clear independent baseline before succession, restructuring or a change in direction.
Resilience and organisational maturity
Identify gaps before new regulation, greater scrutiny or operational pressure exposes them.
The Healthcheck is suitable for SMEs, micro businesses, family-owned firms, charities, social enterprises and other growing organisations.
The ten Success Pillars
Strategy and Direction
Governance and Leadership
Risk and Resilience
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Financial Sustainability
Sales and Marketing
People and Culture
Operations and Delivery
Digital and Information
Future Success
What you receive
- Assessment across the ten Success Pillars™
- A Success Confidence Score™ and Success Confidence Opinion™
- A visual dashboard and Success Heat Map™ where included in scope
- A clear view of strengths and areas of vulnerability
- Prioritised recommendations and the top actions for leadership attention
- A 90-Day Improvement Plan
- A leadership feedback session
Why Littlechild & Haley
Whole-organisation view
L&H connects governance, risk, people, operations and digital issues rather than treating them separately.
Senior independent challenge
Experienced practitioners give owners, directors and trustees a perspective that is difficult to create internally.
Proportionate priorities
The output focuses attention on the improvements that matter most instead of producing an overwhelming action list.
Related thinking
Why effective risk management must remain connected to decisions and delivery.
Testing whether positive reporting is supported by meaningful evidence.
A practical example of assessing organisational resilience arrangements.
Frequently asked questions
What does the SME Success Healthcheck™ cover?
It considers ten connected areas including strategy, governance, risk, finance, people, operations, compliance, digital arrangements and future readiness. The purpose is to understand how those foundations work together and where leadership attention is most valuable.
What does the five-day format involve?
The five days cover preparation, evidence review, leadership discussion, structured assessment, reporting and feedback. The work is focused and proportionate, with the exact timetable and information requirements agreed before it begins.
Is the Healthcheck an audit or certification?
It is an independent organisational diagnostic rather than a certification. It provides evidence-led challenge, a clear assessment and practical priorities, but it is designed to support improvement rather than award a compliance badge.
Is your organisation ready for what comes next?
Talk to Littlechild & Haley about a focused five-day Healthcheck and an independent view of your organisation’s strengths, vulnerabilities and priorities.
