STARTING A BUSINESS PLAYBOOK Fill-In Templates + Scripts Black Flag Media =============================================================================== INSTRUCTIONS =============================================================================== 12 templates. Follow them in order across the 90-day path. Replace [BRACKETED] with your specifics. Do NOT skip Templates 1-3 — they're the validation phase that saves you from building the wrong thing. =============================================================================== FRAMEWORK REFERENCE · THE 4-PHASE STARTUP PATH =============================================================================== PHASE 1: VALIDATE (Weeks 1-4) — prove demand before building PHASE 2: SETUP (Weeks 5-8) — legal, financial, digital foundation PHASE 3: LAUNCH (Weeks 9-12) — public announcement, first 10 real customers PHASE 4: OPERATE (Week 13+) — the ongoing business =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 1 · VALIDATION INTERVIEW SCRIPT (5 questions, 30 min per call) =============================================================================== Use for: Weeks 1-2. Talk to 20 potential customers. OPENING: "Hey [NAME], thanks for hopping on for 30 min. I'm researching a business idea and wanted to talk to real people about [PROBLEM AREA]. Not selling anything today — just trying to understand how you experience this. Cool if I ask 5 questions?" QUESTION 1: TELL ME "Tell me about the last time you dealt with [SPECIFIC PROBLEM]. What happened?" [Listen. Take notes on their exact words. Ask "and then what?" if they stop.] QUESTION 2: WHAT DID YOU DO "What did you do about it?" [Options: nothing, tried to fix it themselves, hired someone, gave up, worked around it. Any answer reveals a lot.] QUESTION 3: THE COST "What did that cost you? Time, money, stress, missed opportunities?" [Get a real number if possible. Even a rough one.] QUESTION 4: FIXED "If someone could make this problem go away, what would 'fixed' look like for you?" [This is where you learn what to sell. Listen carefully.] QUESTION 5: THE OFFER "If someone offered [YOUR ROUGH IDEA], what would you want to know before considering it?" [Their objections + curiosities tell you exactly what to include in the offer.] CLOSE: "Really appreciate the time. If I actually build this, would it be okay to circle back to you as one of my first 5 customers?" [If they say yes: they're a warm lead for Template 3. If they say no: interesting signal.] =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 2 · VALIDATION DECISION TREE (after 20 interviews) =============================================================================== Use for: End of Week 2. Decide whether to proceed. Score each conversation: - REAL PROBLEM (they described the pain in specific terms, not vague): __/20 - COSTLY PROBLEM (they can name a real time, money, or stress cost): __/20 - ACTIONABLE (they'd consider paying to solve it): __/20 Total possible: 60 DECISION: - 45+ points: GREEN LIGHT. Real demand. Proceed to Template 3. - 30-44 points: YELLOW LIGHT. Something's off — either the target customer, the specific problem, or the framing. Iterate the interview approach and do 10 more. - Under 30 points: RED LIGHT. This isn't a business right now. Move to another idea. This one saves you $10,000+ in mistakes. Additional signals: - Did anyone volunteer to be an early customer? Strong green signal. - Did anyone ask "can I pay you now?" Very strong green signal. - Did people politely nod but not engage? Yellow-to-red signal. - Did people say "why would anyone need that?" Red signal. =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 3 · MANUAL SALES PITCH (weeks 3-4, sell to 3-5 customers manually) =============================================================================== Use for: Turning the strongest 5 interview conversations into paying customers. EMAIL / MESSAGE: Hey [FIRST NAME], Thanks again for the conversation last week about [PROBLEM]. Been thinking about what you shared, and I want to try something. I'm putting together the first version of [YOUR SERVICE]. Here's what it looks like: [SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION — 2-3 sentences of exactly what you'll do] The investment is $[X]. Delivery in [TIMEFRAME]. You mentioned [SPECIFIC PAIN THEY DESCRIBED]. This addresses that directly. If you want to be one of the first 5 customers, I can start [SPECIFIC DATE]. If it's not the right fit right now, no worries at all. Let me know. [YOUR NAME] RULES: - Real price. Not free. Free doesn't validate. - Specific offer. Not "let's see what works." A concrete deliverable. - Deadline. First 5 customers or a specific start date. - No pressure. If they say no, no is fine. =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 4 · STARTUP EXPENSE CHECKLIST (what to buy, when) =============================================================================== Use for: Avoiding the "buy everything first" trap. PHASE 1 (Validate) - Total budget: $0 [ ] Nothing. Talk to people. Use free tools (email, phone, Zoom, notes app). PHASE 2 (Setup) - Total budget: $200-$600 [ ] LLC filing fee: $50-$500 depending on state (LLC Setup Guide has state-by-state list) [ ] EIN from IRS: $0 (free at irs.gov — never pay a third party) [ ] Business bank account: $0 (most banks free with min balance) [ ] Domain: $12/year (Namecheap) [ ] Business email: $6/user/month (Google Workspace) [ ] Simple website: $16/month (Squarespace) or $19/year (Carrd) or free (Google Sites) [ ] Payment processor: $0 setup (Stripe, Square — pay per transaction) [ ] Bookkeeping: $0 (Wave) or $30/month (QuickBooks) PHASE 3 (Launch) - Total budget: $200-$500/month [ ] Google Business Profile: $0 (free) [ ] Personal announcement: $0 [ ] IF ready for paid ads: $30-$50/day starter budget DO NOT BUY (until you're at $10K+/month revenue): [ ] Custom logo design ($500-$3,000) [ ] Professional website redesign ($2,000-$10,000) [ ] Office space ($500-$5,000/month) [ ] Business coach ($200-$2,000/hour) [ ] Custom software ($5,000+) [ ] Sales training programs ($1,000-$10,000) [ ] Anything with the word "personal brand" in it =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 5 · MINIMUM VIABLE WEBSITE COPY (one-page, 500 words max) =============================================================================== Use for: Week 7-8. Your first website should be this simple. HEADLINE (top of page): [SPECIFIC OUTCOME] for [SPECIFIC CUSTOMER] in [CITY] Example: "Lawn care that stays green all summer for homeowners in Wilmington." SUB-HEADLINE: [One sentence about who you are + years of experience or credential] Example: "Ridgeside Landscaping. 12 years serving Southeast NC." THE PROBLEM (2 sentences): [Name the customer's specific pain in their words] Example: "Tired of a patchy yard that looks bad by July? Watering costs adding up with no results?" THE SOLUTION (2 sentences): [What you do + how it's different] Example: "We handle it end-to-end: mowing, fertilization, irrigation checks, and seasonal treatments. One monthly fee, no surprises, guaranteed green or we come back." WHAT'S INCLUDED (3-5 bullets): - [Deliverable 1] - [Deliverable 2] - [Deliverable 3] - [Deliverable 4] PRICE (or PRICE RANGE): Starting at $[X]/[period]. Full estimate in a free 15-minute call. CALL TO ACTION: [Button: "Get My Free Quote"] OR: Call/text [PHONE] TRUST STRIP (bottom): [X.X★] on Google · [ROUGH REVIEW COUNT]+ reviews · Serving [CITY] since [YEAR] =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 6 · ANNOUNCEMENT — PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA =============================================================================== Use for: Week 9. Facebook + Instagram personal accounts. "After [TIME PERIOD] of thinking about it, I finally launched [BUSINESS NAME]. We help [SPECIFIC CUSTOMER] with [SPECIFIC PROBLEM]. Why now? [ONE-SENTENCE PERSONAL STORY — why you care about this problem] If you or anyone you know might need [SERVICE], send them my way. First 5 customers get [SPECIFIC BONUS or DISCOUNT] as a thank-you for helping us launch. [LINK to your website] Grateful for anyone who shares or refers. This is scary and I appreciate you being part of it." RULES: - Post once, don't spam - Be human, not corporate - Include the ask (referrals) explicitly - Include a small bonus for first customers =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 7 · ANNOUNCEMENT — FAMILY + FRIENDS TEXT =============================================================================== Use for: Week 9. Sent to your closest 20 people individually. "Hey [FIRST NAME] — quick heads up. I just launched [BUSINESS NAME] doing [WHAT YOU DO] in [AREA]. Not asking you to buy anything, but if you know anyone who could use [SERVICE], I'd really appreciate the intro. First 5 customers get [BONUS]." RULES: - Send individually (don't group text) - Personalize the opener when possible - No pressure — this is warm outreach, not a pitch - Follow up in 2 weeks if no response, ONCE =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 8 · ANNOUNCEMENT — PROFESSIONAL NETWORK EMAIL =============================================================================== Use for: Week 9. LinkedIn connections, former colleagues, industry contacts. SUBJECT: New venture — quick update Hey [FIRST NAME], Wanted to give you a heads up: I just launched [BUSINESS NAME]. We do [WHAT YOU DO] for [WHO YOU SERVE] in [AREA]. Why I'm reaching out: I want to build this the right way, which means finding the RIGHT first customers, not just anyone. If you know someone in [TARGET INDUSTRY / SITUATION] who might be a fit, I'd love an intro. For anyone you refer who becomes a customer, I'll [SPECIFIC REFERRAL THANK-YOU — e.g., "cover dinner" or "send you $100 or make a charity donation in your name"]. More at [WEBSITE]. Appreciate you. [YOUR NAME] =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 9 · WEEK 1 CUSTOMER TRACKING (Google Sheet columns) =============================================================================== Use for: From Day 1. Your first CRM. Columns: - Date first contacted - Name - Contact info (phone/email) - How they found us (referral / social / GBP / paid ads / other) - Status (interested / booked / active customer / done / lost) - Service delivered - Amount paid - Notes Weekly review: count new customers by source. That data tells you where to invest more time. =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 10 · 90-DAY OPERATING CADENCE (Phase 4 forever routine) =============================================================================== Use for: Week 13+. This is what running a business actually looks like. DAILY (30 minutes): - Check messages and voicemails first thing - Respond to any new leads within 5 minutes if in business hours - Check bank balance once (not more) WEEKLY (Friday afternoon, 60 minutes): - Review the week's new customers by source - Update the customer tracking sheet - Note what worked, what didn't - Plan next week's top 3 priorities MONTHLY (first Monday, 2 hours): - Reconcile books - Review key metrics: revenue, expenses, profit margin, customer count - Check cash position (see Cash Flow Forecasting Template if you have it) - Set next month's targets QUARTERLY (4 hours, once every 3 months): - What's the ONE priority for next quarter? - Which channel is producing best? - Should I raise prices? (Look at Pricing Calculator if you have it) - Should I hire? (Look at Hiring Playbook if you have it) =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 11 · WHEN TO QUIT THE DAY JOB (decision guide) =============================================================================== Use for: Once your business has traction. QUIT WHEN: - Business is producing at least 50% of your current job income - You have 6+ months of personal expenses saved - You have proven demand (not just projected — actual revenue for 3+ months) - You have systems that can absorb more time (not "I'll work double hard") DO NOT QUIT WHEN: - Under 3 months of consistent revenue - Under $2,000/month in business income (unless it's clearly growing 20%+ month/month) - No emergency fund - Business depends 100% on you (no delegation possible yet) - You're quitting FROM stress rather than TO opportunity RULES: - Give notice properly (2 weeks minimum) - Don't burn bridges — former colleagues become referral sources - Continue business income tracking obsessively first 6 months post-quit =============================================================================== TEMPLATE 12 · 90-DAY COMPLETION CHECKLIST =============================================================================== Use for: End of Day 90. Confirm you're done with the startup path. VALIDATION (Weeks 1-4): [ ] 20 potential customer interviews completed [ ] Green light decision made (or pivoted based on data) [ ] 3-5 paying customers acquired manually SETUP (Weeks 5-8): [ ] LLC formed in home state [ ] EIN issued by IRS [ ] Business bank account open [ ] Business email + domain active [ ] Minimum viable website live [ ] Payment processor set up [ ] Bookkeeping software active LAUNCH (Weeks 9-12): [ ] Public announcement made on all channels [ ] Google Business Profile live and verified [ ] Customer tracking system active [ ] First 10 customers acquired through systems (not just personal outreach) [ ] First month of revenue $[X] hit OPERATE (Week 13+): [ ] Weekly operating rhythm established [ ] Monthly financial review scheduled [ ] Next quarter's ONE priority chosen If all boxes checked: you did it. You have a real business. Now the work is running it, growing it, and eventually building the team that scales it. =============================================================================== END OF TEMPLATES =============================================================================== Next steps: 1. Do Template 1 (Validation Interview) with 20 people over 2 weeks 2. Score using Template 2. Green light? Proceed. 3. Use Template 3 to land 3-5 manual sales 4. Use Template 4 to avoid wasting money on things you don't need yet 5. Build minimum viable website with Template 5 6. Announce with Templates 6-8 7. Track customers with Template 9 8. Run Template 10 forever 9. Use Template 11 when considering leaving your day job 10. Confirm you're done with Template 12