Checklist

One‑Person Business Starter Checklist

An actionable, saveable 0–90 day checklist to move from idea to first paying customers while preserving time and cash. Each step is broken into 1–3 quick actions, estimated time, and clear success signals so you can track progress, capture notes, and iterate fast.

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One‑Person Business Starter Checklist

Use this guided checklist to move from idea to first paying customers in about 90 days. Each section shows quick actions, an estimated time, and success signals. Mark progress, add notes, and save results so you can iterate without losing momentum.

This form is intentionally concise — treat each item as a practical experiment. Adapt timings and actions to your context.

Enter a date or short note like 'Day 0' if you want to record when you started.'
Be able to explain in one sentence who you help and the outcome you deliver.
Example actions: write a one-sentence offer; list 3 customer problems; draft a one-paragraph benefit statement.
How long will this take? Typical: 30–120.
Capture who pays, what you sell, key channels, cost and pricing assumptions on a single page.
Examples: sketch a one-page business model; list top 3 assumptions to test.
Typical: 60–180.
Have you spoken with a handful of potential customers to learn their problems? (Aim for 5–15 short conversations.)
Examples: create a 5-question interview script; schedule 5 calls; summarize patterns found.
Typical: 120–600 depending on number of interviews.
Run a low-cost test to see if people will say 'yes' or pay: a micro-offer, a paid pilot, or a landing page with email signups.
Examples: build a simple landing page; create a $50 micro-offer; run a small ad or post to your network.
Typical: 60–300.
Decide how you will charge (hourly, project, value, subscription) and the pricing level for early customers.
Examples: price 2 pilot offers; prepare a simple pitch and FAQ about value.
Typical: 30–120.
Set up the minimal legal and tax basics so you can invoice and accept payment without surprises.
Examples: register a business name if needed; set up a business bank account; consult a local tax checklist or advisor.
Typical: 60–180 (may vary by jurisdiction).
Know how many months you can operate and how much you need from early sales to stay afloat.
Examples: list fixed costs, estimate monthly burn, set a revenue target to cover runway.
Typical: 30–120.
Choose and configure the smallest set of tools to sell, deliver, and get paid (website, payment, client communication).
Examples: set up a simple site or landing page; enable Stripe/PayPal; prepare an onboarding email template.
Typical: 60–300.
Have a repeatable, minimal onboarding process so first customers get value and can give referrals or testimonials.
Examples: create an onboarding checklist; draft the welcome email; collect initial client goals.
Typical: 60–240.
Identify one or two ways to reduce your time per sale or delivery (templates, automations, contractors).
Examples: list repeatable tasks to automate; identify a contract role to offload a task; create a reusable deliverable template.
Typical: 60–240.
Record whether you've converted a paying customer during these steps.
Record the amount (use whole currency units).
1 = very low, 5 = ready to scale.
1.0 10.0
Summarize what worked, what didn't, and the next experiment to run.
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