YOUR BUDGET What you set aside to get open The number you would be unhappy to go past. Not a wish.

WHAT KEEPS COSTING AFTER LAUNCH Software and services per month Bookkeeping, email, storage, phone, website. Add up the subscriptions. Annual report or franchise fee What your state charges each year to keep the entity alive. Look yours up. It runs from $0 to over $800.

YOUR TIME Hours you have put into setup Rough is fine. Most people undercount this by half. What an hour of your time is worth Not what you charge a client. What you would pay someone else to do this.

WHAT YOU EXPECT TO EARN A typical invoice, once you are open Used to show how many jobs it takes to pay the setup back.

WHERE YOU ARE

Tasks on the list—

Done—

Still open—

Percent complete—

WHAT IT HAS COST

SPENT SO FAR—

Estimated cost of what is left—

PROJECTED TOTAL TO GET OPEN—

Budget left right now—

Budget minus the projected total—

Done tasks: over or under estimate—

WHERE THE MONEY WENT

Registration—

Tax & IDs—

Licenses—

Banking—

Insurance—

Brand & web—

Tools & space—

Getting paid—

THE COST NOBODY WRITES DOWN

Your hours, valued—

Cash spent plus your time—

ONCE YOU ARE OPEN

Year one running costs—

First year, all in—

Invoices your size to cover setup—

The Checklist

Work down it. Set the Status, type the real cost, and the running total takes care of itself.

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Small Business Startup Checklist

WHERE YOU ARE

WHAT IT HAS COST

WHERE THE MONEY WENT

THE COST NOBODY WRITES DOWN

ONCE YOU ARE OPEN

The Checklist

Want it as a spreadsheet you own?

Small Business Startup Checklist: the full workbook

Email me these results

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