Most new business owners spend months, sometimes years, preparing to launch. This guide takes you through it in four weeks. Not because four weeks is enough to build a finished business, but because the only way to know if a business will work is to start it. Everything below is a real step a real founder needs to complete. Skip nothing. Take notes as you go.
Validate the idea
Before you spend any money, you need to know whether anyone actually wants what you're planning to sell. Most failed businesses skipped this step and built something nobody asked for. This week, you only have one job: talk to 10 potential customers.
Day 1–2: Write your one-sentence pitch
Complete this sentence: "I help [audience] solve [problem] by [doing this]." Rewrite it five times until it's the clearest possible version. If you can't fit it in one sentence, your idea isn't focused enough yet.
Day 3–7: Talk to 10 potential customers
Find ten people who match your audience description and ask them three questions:
- How do they solve this problem today?
- What's the most frustrating part?
- If a solution like yours existed, what would they pay for it?
If at least seven of them have the problem, three or more have actively tried to solve it, and at least one says "I'd pay for that today," you have validation. If not, the idea needs refinement, go back to Day 1.
Make it legal
This is the week most founders dread, but it's surprisingly straightforward. There are five things to do, and none of them take more than an hour.
Day 8: Pick a business name
Search your state's business registry to confirm the name is available. Search the US Patent and Trademark Office database to make sure no one has trademarked it. Buy the .com domain if available.
Day 9: Choose your legal structure
For most first-time founders, an LLC is the right answer. It protects your personal assets, is cheap to set up, and is simple to maintain. You can always change later. (See our Glossary entry on LLCs if you want the longer explanation.)
Day 10: Register your business
File the LLC paperwork with your state. Most states allow online filing through the Secretary of State website. Cost: $50–$500 depending on the state. Time: roughly one hour.
Day 11: Get your EIN
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your business's tax ID. Apply at irs.gov, it's free, takes 10 minutes, and you get the number instantly. Avoid services that charge for this; it should never cost money.
Day 12–13: Open a business bank account
Take your LLC paperwork, EIN confirmation, and a personal ID to a bank. Open a business checking account. Never mix personal and business money, this is the most common rookie mistake and it creates tax and liability nightmares later.
Day 14: Set up basic bookkeeping
Use simple accounting software (QuickBooks, Wave, or even a spreadsheet template) to track every dollar in and out from Day 1. Future-you will thank present-you when tax season arrives.
Open the Launch Toolkit →
Set up operations
You now have a legal business. This week you build the minimum operational setup to take money and deliver to customers.
Day 15: Set your pricing
There are three ways to price: by cost (cost + markup), by competition (what others charge), or by value (what customers will pay). Most businesses use a blend. Don't underprice, it's harder to raise prices than to lower them.
Day 16: Build the smallest possible website
One page is enough to start. It should say: what you offer, who it's for, why it's different, and how to contact you. Use Squarespace, Wix, or Carrd, all are inexpensive and you don't need a developer.
Day 17: Get a payment method
Sign up for Stripe, Square, or PayPal. All three let you accept credit cards in under a day. If you'll have a physical location, a Square or Stripe terminal can take in-person payments.
Day 18: Write your terms and a simple contract
Even if you're a service business, have a one-page agreement that says what you'll do, what you'll be paid, and when. Send it before starting work. (Our Customer Services Agreement template works for most small service businesses.)
Day 19–20: Set up communication
A business email address ($6/month from Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, never use your personal Gmail for business) and a business phone number (or a separate Google Voice number). This is what makes you look professional from Day 1.
Day 21: Buy the minimum equipment or inventory
Whatever you actually need to deliver your product or service. Resist buying more than you need. Cash is what kills new businesses, and there's always time to buy more once you have customers.
Find your first customer
This is the week that matters. Everything before now was preparation; this is the test.
Day 22–24: Reach out to the people you interviewed in Week 1
They already told you they have the problem. Tell them you've launched, what you're offering, and ask if they want to be your first customer. Offer them a small discount in exchange for being a first customer and giving you feedback.
Day 25–27: Tell everyone you know
Personal network outreach is the single most reliable source of first customers. Send a message to friends, family, former coworkers, neighbors, classmates. Make it specific: "I just launched X. Do you know anyone who needs Y?"
Day 28–29: Try one paid channel
Pick one, local Facebook ads, Google search ads in your zip code, Nextdoor, or a community newsletter. Spend a small budget ($50–$200). The goal isn't to find a perfect channel; the goal is to learn what works.
Day 30: Close your first sale
Whatever it takes. Drop the price if you must. Throw in a bonus. Make it absurdly easy to say yes. Your first customer matters more than every customer that follows.
After day 30
You now have a real, legal, operating business. Most people never get this far. The work ahead, getting consistent customers, hiring help, growing margins, eventually scaling, is real, but it's the work of years, not weeks. The next thing you should do is talk to a mentor. We have hundreds of them, free, waiting to help.
What to do next
Three steps a GOF participant takes in week 5: