The questions in the Viabilio questionnaire

Clarify the problem you solve, what makes your offer distinctive and how far along the project really is.

• How important is the problem you solve for your customers?

  A frequent, costly or urgent problem justifies paying to solve it.

  Scale: Minor problem → Critical problem

• How does your offer differ from what already exists?

  Compare your solution with the options your customers use today.

  • Identical to existing offers
  • Minor improvements
  • Clear, noticeable differentiation
  • Genuinely new approach on the market

• Can you explain your offer in one clear sentence (for whom, which problem, which solution)?

  Scale: Not yet → Very clearly

• Have you already tested a proof of concept (prototype, minimum version, pilot project)?

  Individuel
  • None
  • Prototype tested internally
  • Minimum version tested with customers
  • Paid pilot project underway

• How protected are your know-how and intellectual property?

  Individuel

  Trademark, patent, exclusive recipe or method, proprietary data, exclusivity agreements.

  Scale: No protection → Strongly protected

Size, momentum, accessibility and geographic reach of your target market.

• How many potential customers can you reach in your service area?

  Count only customers genuinely likely to buy your offer.

  • Fewer than 1,000
  • 1,000 to 10,000
  • 10,000 to 100,000
  • More than 100,000

• How has demand in your industry evolved over the past 2 to 3 years?

  • Declining
  • Stable
  • Growing
  • Growing fast

• How easily can you reach your customers with your current means (channels, promotion budget)?

  Scale: Very difficult → Very easy

• Have you quantified your market size (total market, addressable market, targeted share)?

  Individuel

  Total market = all industry customers; addressable market = those you can realistically serve; targeted share = what you plan to capture.

  • No figures
  • Total market roughly estimated
  • Total and addressable markets quantified
  • All three levels quantified with reliable sources

• How does seasonality affect your revenue?

  Individuel
  • Very strong, with no mitigation
  • Marked, but anticipated in your forecasts
  • Moderate
  • Low or none

• Does your location or service area match where your target customers actually are?

  Individuel

  Foot traffic, access, delivery radius or online reach, depending on your model.

  • Area not chosen or poorly suited
  • Plausible area, but unverified
  • Area consistent with the target customers
  • Area validated with data (traffic, demographics)

Customer understanding, willingness to pay and strength of demand.

• How precisely is your typical customer defined (profile, need, budget)?

  Scale: Still vague → Very precise

• What signals show that your customers are ready to pay your price?

  Ideally validated through interviews, pre-orders or real sales.

  • No signal so far
  • Interest expressed verbally
  • Concrete commitment (pre-order, sign-up)
  • Sales already made

• How often will the same customer buy your offer?

  • One-time purchase
  • Occasional (a few times a year)
  • Regular (monthly or more)
  • Subscription or recurring contract

• How much does acquiring a customer cost compared with the margin that customer generates?

  Individuel

  Compare sales and promotion cost per customer won with the total margin they bring.

  • Cost exceeds the margin
  • Cost equals the margin
  • Cost is about one third of the margin
  • Cost is well below one third of the margin

• What level of customer loyalty do you expect?

  Individuel

  Scale: Very low → Very high

Competitive intensity, differentiation and barriers to entry.

• How many direct competitors have you identified in your area?

  No competitor can mean a brand-new market… or no demand at all.

  • No competitor identified
  • 1 to 3 competitors
  • 4 to 10 competitors
  • More than 10 competitors

• How strong and hard to copy is your advantage over competitors?

  Brand, expertise, technology, costs, location, network, exclusivity.

  Scale: Easily copied → Strong and defensible

• What barriers slow a new competitor entering your market?

  Individuel
  • No significant barrier
  • Low (start-up capital, awareness)
  • Significant (technology, permits, regulation)
  • Very high (network, patent, required scale)

• Can your customers easily meet their need another way (substitute, do it themselves)?

  Individuel

  Scale: Very easily → With difficulty

• Do your key suppliers dictate their terms (price, lead time, quantities)?

  Individuel

  Scale: Terms imposed on you → Terms negotiated

Revenue, margins, costs, profitability and financial assumptions.

• What gross margin do you expect (revenue minus direct costs, as a percentage)?

  Direct costs: materials, goods, direct labour, production expenses.

  • Under 20%
  • 20 to 40%
  • 40 to 70%
  • Over 70%

• Do you know the sales volume needed to cover all your expenses (break-even point)?

  Scale: No idea → Precisely quantified

• Can you increase sales without costs rising in the same proportion?

  Scale: No, costs scale directly → Yes, strong growth capacity

• What share of your revenue will be recurring (subscriptions, contracts, agreements)?

  Individuel
  • None (one-off sales only)
  • Under 25%
  • 25 to 60%
  • Over 60%

• Do you have to pay suppliers, inventory or wages long before collecting from customers?

  Individuel

  The wider the gap, the more cash you need at start-up.

  Scale: Very wide gap → Very narrow gap

• Could you raise your prices without losing a large share of customers?

  Individuel

  Scale: No room at all → Plenty of room

Skills, experience, funding, workforce, suppliers and ability to deliver.

• Do your current skills cover the project's key needs (management, sales, technical)?

  Scale: Major gaps → Full coverage

• What funding do you have available to start?

  Personal funds, confirmed loans, grants, committed investors.

  • No funding in place
  • Less than half of what is needed
  • Almost all of what is needed
  • All of it, with a safety margin

• Which regulatory obligations (permits, licences, standards) apply to your activity?

  • Very heavy or potentially blocking
  • Significant, but manageable
  • Usual for the industry
  • Few or no specific obligations

• How much time can you realistically devote to the project?

  • A few hours a week
  • About half a work week
  • Full-time

• Who is carrying the project with you?

  Individuel
  • Alone, with no support
  • Alone, with external advisors
  • Small team, with missing roles
  • Complete, complementary team

• How much experience do you have in this industry?

  Individuel

  Industry experience sharply reduces start-up mistakes.

  • No industry experience
  • Under 2 years, or indirect experience
  • 2 to 5 years of experience
  • Over 5 years, including management roles

• How long can you live without drawing income from the project?

  Individuel
  • Less than 3 months
  • 3 to 6 months
  • 6 to 12 months
  • More than 12 months

• Have you planned a fallback scenario if sales come in lower than expected?

  Individuel

  Scale: No scenario planned → Detailed and quantified scenario