SBDC StrategyAssist
Use this AI-powered assessment to evaluate your current practices and plan for what’s next.
This Tool Supports Strategic Planning
Running a small business means balancing day-to-day demands with long-term decisions. It’s not always easy to step back and assess what’s working—and where to focus next. This AI-powered assessment is designed to help you do just that. You’ll reflect on your current practices and receive practical, tailored suggestions to help you begin to prioritize your next steps and generate ideas and help get you “unstuck.”
You’ll work through assessment questions covering six core areas: financials, operations, employees, customers & marketing, products & services, and leadership.
At the end, you’ll receive a customized summary report with key takeaways and recommended actions you can put into practice.
How It Works
1. Start with your current focus
Tell us what’s prompting your planning—whether you’re navigating uncertainty, responding to a crisis, planning for growth, etc.
2. Work through guided questions
You’ll respond to a mix of rating-based questions and reflection prompts about your business practices. Feel free to skip questions or sections that do not apply.
3. Receive your personalized report & download your results
Your responses are used to:
- Generate 3 clear, prioritized suggestions grounded in SBDC best practices. These include two key areas to consider and one “quick win” that can serve as a starting point for action.
- Want more suggestions? Click the “see additional recommendations” button to see a wider list of suggestions across functional areas. You can then download the PDF results for your reference.
Your report is yours to keep—use it as a planning tool, a checkpoint, or a starting point for additional support. To use this tool thoughtfully, please keep in mind:
- Recommendations are generated using AI and may not fully reflect your unique situation.
- Outputs may contain errors or incomplete information.
- Not every suggestion will apply to your business; take these suggestions as brainstorming options that can serve as a starting point.
4. Need more clarity on your results, or want to talk through your options?
Want to work with someone to prioritize your suggested action steps? Choose “request a consultation” on the report page to request to meet with a Wisconsin SBDC business consultant. If you are located outside of Wisconsin, you can find SBDC consultants across the United States by searching here.
Assessment Tips & Instructions
This assessment will take 20-30 minutes to complete.
- The tool does NOT save your answers; be prepared to complete the assessment in one sitting.
- You’ll choose a primary reason that’s driving your planning, but you may take the assessment as many times as you want to explore another scenario.
- You may skip questions or select N/A as your answer.
- You’ll get the most value by answering honestly and using the results to guide your next steps.
For a Deeper Dive…
Your results can be even more powerful when paired with expert guidance. SBDC consultants can help you:
- Talk through your results
- Prioritize actions
- Build a plan tailored to your business
Did You Know…
The development of this tool was a collaboration between the UW-Madison SBDC and students from the Tech Exploration Lab.
At the link below, learn more about the Tech Exploration Lab and about the tool itself.