The Summit Standard
One published bar. The same for everyone.
Certification is a structured review of the evidence behind a business — not a vanity score and not a public listing. This is exactly what a credentialed reviewer checks, written down so you can read it before you start.
Five pillars
What we review, and the evidence behind each.
Every pillar answers one question a serious buyer, lender, or investor asks. We look for evidence, not assertions.
Financial clarity
Can the numbers be trusted and traced?
- Reconciled statements with a documented revenue recognition basis
- Owner add-backs identified and separated from operating costs
- Bank and processor records that tie out to reported revenue
Operating systems
Does the business run without heroics?
- Core workflows documented, not held in one person’s head
- Tooling and access recorded with no single point of failure
- Repeatable delivery evidenced over multiple periods
Concentration
How exposed is the business to any one dependency?
- Customer and channel concentration measured and disclosed
- Supplier and platform dependencies identified
- Contractual terms that survive a change of ownership
Owner independence
Can it transfer without the founder?
- Relationships and knowledge distributed beyond the owner
- A named second layer for critical functions
- A transition plan the evidence actually supports
Transferability narrative
Is the story backed by evidence, not assertion?
- Growth claims tied to source data a reviewer can check
- Known risks named rather than hidden
- A gap register the owner has seen and acknowledged
Reviewed by a person.
A credentialed advisor signs every certificate. Software organizes the evidence; it does not issue the grade.
What the grade means
A grade of readiness, not a promise of price.
The certificate states how ready the evidence shows a business to be, and names what is still open. It does not guarantee a sale, a loan, an investment, or a valuation.
- 01Each pillar is assessed against the published criteria on this page
- 02Open items are written into a gap register you receive and acknowledge
- 03The overall grade reflects the weakest load-bearing pillars, not an average
- 04A credentialed reviewer signs off before any certificate is issued
Versioning
The bar is published, dated, and can change.
A certificate records the version of the Standard it was issued against. When the Standard changes, existing certificates stay valid until they expire, and the change log explains what moved and why. Certificates expire twelve months after issue.
Effective on publication