6-Week Business Launch Blueprint

From Idea to Reality

Follow this checklist step-by-step, and you'll have a launched business ready for your first paying customer in 6 weeks.

WEEK 1

FOUNDATION – Nail Your "Why" & Validate Your Idea

Day 1-2: Your Big Business "Why" & Commitment

Get crystal clear on WHY you're starting this business (not just what).

Complete "My Big Why" worksheet

Why now? (Why not 6 months ago or 6 months from now?) What problem am I solving for others? What will my life look like in 12 months if this succeeds? What will my life look like in 12 months if I don't start? What am I willing to sacrifice/invest to make this real?

Write your commitment statement: "I commit to launching [business name/idea] by [specific date] because [your why]." Share your commitment in Slack #launch-progress channel Post on your personal social (optional but powerful accountability)

Deliverable: Signed commitment statement (print, sign, post on wall)

Day 3-4: Business Idea Clarity

Narrow down your idea to ONE clear offering you'll launch with.

Brainstorm: List 3-5 business ideas you're considering For each idea, answer:

What problem does this solve? Who needs this solved RIGHT NOW? Can I charge money for this within 60 days? Do I have skills/expertise to deliver this? Does this excite me enough to work on it daily?

Use "Idea Scoring Matrix" template (score each idea 1-10 on: excitement, profitability, speed to launch, your expertise) Pick ONE idea with highest score Write one-sentence business description: "I help [who] achieve [what result] through [how]."

Example: "I help busy moms lose weight through personalized meal planning and accountability."

Deliverable: One-sentence business description posted in Slack

Day 5-7: Idea Validation (Test Before You Build)

Confirm people actually want/need this before investing time/money.

Identify 10 people in your target audience (friends, network, Facebook groups, LinkedIn) Use "Validation Interview Script" template Reach out: "Hey! I'm starting a business helping [target] with [problem]. Can I ask you 3 quick questions?" Ask these 3 questions:

"Is [problem] something you currently struggle with?" "How are you currently trying to solve it?" (reveals what you're competing against) "If there was a solution that [your offer], would you be interested in trying it?"

Document responses in "Validation Tracker" spreadsheet Need at least 6 out of 10 to say "yes, I'd be interested"—if not, pivot or refine

Red flags:

No one says it's a real problem = wrong audience or wrong problem
Everyone says "sounds cool" but won't commit = not painful enough

Deliverable: Completed validation tracker with 10 responses

WEEK 2

LEGAL & RESEARCH – Get Legit & Know Your Market

Day 8-9: Legal/LLC/Formation 101

Decide your business structure and get registered (if needed).

Review "Business Structure Decision Guide"

Sole Proprietorship: Easiest, no filing, but no liability protection. Good for: testing, side hustles, low-risk services.

LLC: Liability protection, simple taxes, professional. Good for: most small businesses, anyone taking payments online.

S-Corp/C-Corp: Complex, for high revenue or investors. Skip for now unless you know you need it.

Decision: Start as sole prop OR file LLC?

If sole prop: Use your personal name or "DBA" (Doing Business As) - file with county clerk If LLC: File with your state (online, $50-500 depending on state)

If filing LLC:

Choose business name (check availability: [your state].gov/business) File Articles of Organization online (15-30 min, state website) Get EIN (free from IRS.gov, takes 5 minutes online) Keep filing confirmation docs in Google Drive folder "Business Legal"

Set up simple recordkeeping system (Google Drive folders: Legal, Finances, Clients, Marketing)

Resources:

IRS EIN application: IRS.gov EIN Application
State filing search: Google "[your state] LLC filing"
Recommended: LegalZoom if you want hand-holding ($200-400) OR DIY state website (cheaper)

Deliverable: EIN confirmation letter OR sole prop decision documented

Day 10-12: Market Research Made Simple

Understand your competitors and what makes you different.

Google your service/product + "near me" or "online" Find 5 competitors (people doing similar things) For each competitor, document in "Competitor Research Template":

What do they offer? How much do they charge? What do their customers say? (reviews, testimonials) What's MISSING from their offer? (gap you can fill) What do they do well? (learn from them)

Identify your unique angle: "I'm different because..." Write positioning statement: "Unlike [competitor], I [your unique benefit]."

Examples: "I specialize in busy moms" / "I deliver results in 30 days, not 6 months" / "I include accountability, not just a PDF"

Deliverable: Competitor research doc + your unique positioning statement

Day 13-14: Customer Persona Setup

Get inside your ideal customer's head.

Use "Customer Persona Template" Create ONE ideal customer profile (pick your #1 most likely buyer):

Name: (Give them a name - "Busy Mom Michelle") Age range, location, income level Current situation: What's their life like RIGHT NOW? Pain points: What keeps them up at night related to your solution? Goals: What do they want to achieve? Objections: Why might they NOT buy from you? (price, skepticism, timing) Where they hang out: Facebook groups? LinkedIn? Local networking? Coffee shops?

Write a "day in the life" paragraph about this person Keep this on your desk—every decision you make should be "would Michelle buy this?"

Deliverable: Completed customer persona (one-pager)

WEEK 3

BUSINESS PLAN & BRAND – Make It Official

Day 15-17: One-Page Business Plan

Create a simple, actionable business plan (not 40 pages—just 1).

Use "Sierra One-Page Business Plan Template" Fill in each section (30-60 minutes):

1. Business Overview (name, what you do, who you serve) 2. The Problem You Solve 3. Your Solution (offer, how it works, price) 4. Target Market (who buys, potential customers) 5. Competition & Differentiation 6. Revenue Model (how you make money, 90-day goal) 7. Marketing Plan (3 customer acquisition channels) 8. Startup Costs (tools, software, inventory needed) 9. 90-Day Milestones (Month 1, 2, 3 goals)

Review with accountability partner or post in Slack for feedback Print and keep visible

Deliverable: Completed one-page business plan

Day 18-21: Brand Name, Domain & Basic Design

Create a professional brand identity (simple, not perfect).

BRAND NAME: Brainstorm 5-10 potential business names Check availability:

Google it (is someone already using it?) Domain check: Namecheap.com or GoDaddy.com Social handles: Check Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn

Pick ONE name Purchase domain ($10-15/year) - Go for .com if possible BASIC BRAND DESIGN: Use "Brand Kit Builder Template" Choose 2-3 brand colors (use Coolors.co for palette generator) Choose 1-2 fonts from Google Fonts (heading font + body font) Create simple logo (Canva / Fiverr / or just your business name in nice font) Create brand assets:

Logo (PNG with transparent background) Business card design (Canva template) Social media profile image (square, 500x500px)

Deliverable: Domain purchased, logo file saved, brand colors documented

WEEK 4

YOUR OFFER & PRICING – What You're Selling

Day 22-24: Your First Offer (Packaging What You Sell)

Turn your idea into a clear, buyable offer.

Use "Offer Design Template" Answer: WHAT (The Deliverable) - What exactly does the customer get? Answer: HOW (The Format) - How is it delivered? Duration? Answer: WHO (Ideal Customer) - Who is this perfect for? Answer: TRANSFORMATION (The Promise) - FROM: → TO: List WHAT'S INCLUDED (be specific):

X coaching sessions Y templates/resources Z email support Bonus items

Write your offer as one paragraph

Example: "This 6-week group coaching program helps aspiring entrepreneurs launch their first business through weekly strategy sessions, templates, and daily accountability."

Deliverable: Completed offer one-pager

Day 25-28: Pricing Your Product/Service

Set a price that's profitable and sells.

Use "Pricing Calculator Template" Calculate your costs:

Time investment: How many hours will you spend delivering this? Your hourly rate goal: What do you want/need to earn per hour? Tools/materials cost (software, supplies, etc.) Calculate: Minimum price = (hours × hourly rate) + costs

Research competitor pricing (low end, high end, average) Choose pricing strategy: Value-based / Cost-plus / Competitive Set your price (consider beta pricing: 20-30% off for first 3-5 clients) Decide payment terms: One-time / Payment plan / Monthly subscription Write pricing section for your website

Deliverable: Final pricing documented

WEEK 5

QUICKSTART MARKETING – Get Online Fast

Day 29-31: Set Up Your First Website/Landing Page

Create ONE simple page where people can learn about and buy your offer.

PLATFORM CHOICE: Choose platform (Wix / Squarespace / Carrd / Gumroad) BUILD YOUR PAGE: Choose template (services, coaching, or small business) Customize with your brand (logo, colors, fonts) PAGE CONTENT: Headline - What you help people achieve Subheadline - Who it's for The Problem Section (3-4 bullet points describing their pain) The Solution Section (introduce your offer, what's included) How It Works (3-step process) Pricing & CTA (clear button: "Get Started Now" or "Book Free Consultation") About You (2-3 sentences, photo) FAQ Section (answer 3-5 common questions) Contact/Next Steps (email, booking link, or payment button) PAYMENT SETUP: Connect payment processor (Stripe / PayPal / Gumroad) Test checkout (make $1 test purchase to yourself)

Deliverable: Live website with payment link working

Day 32-35: Opening Business Bank Account & Finances

Separate business and personal finances (clean books from day 1).

BUSINESS BANK ACCOUNT: Choose bank (Chase / BofA / Novo / Mercury) Gather documents: EIN letter, LLC filing, driver's license, initial deposit Open account (in-branch or online) Order business debit card Set up online banking Ask about: monthly fees, minimum balance, credit card payments, accounting software integration BASIC FINANCE SETUP: Download Wave (free) or QuickBooks Connect business bank account to accounting software Create tracking spreadsheet: Income tracker + Expense tracker Set up Google Drive folder: "Business Finances" (Receipts, Invoices, Tax Docs) TAX PREP: Save 25-30% of income for taxes (automatic transfer) Keep ALL receipts (photos uploaded to Drive) Track mileage if driving for business (MileIQ app)

Deliverable: Business bank account opened, basic tracking system set up

WEEK 6

YOUR FIRST CLIENT/SALE – Make It Real

Day 36-38: Your First Client/First Sale Plan

Create a specific plan to get your first paying customer in the next 14 days.

TARGET LIST: Create "First 20 Prospects" list

Personal network (friends, family, colleagues) Social media connections Local Facebook groups / LinkedIn groups Past clients/contacts if you've done similar work Bark.com profile (if relevant)

OUTREACH SCRIPT: Use "First Sale Outreach Template" - personalized messages Send to 10 people TODAY Follow up with anyone who responds within 24 hours SALES CONVERSATION: Use "First Sales Call Script"

Intro (2 min): Share what you're launching Discovery (5-10 min): Ask about their pain points Present solution (5 min): Describe your offer Handle objections (price, timing, skepticism) Close: "Does this sound like something you want to move forward with?"

CLOSING THE SALE: If YES - send payment link, welcome email, schedule first session Get payment confirmation CELEBRATE! (screenshot it, post in Slack, tell someone!) Over-deliver for this client (best testimonial source) Ask for referral after delivering great results

Deliverable: First sale closed (or minimum 10 outreach messages sent)

Day 39-42: Launch Week Momentum

Keep going—one sale isn't enough. Build momentum.

MARKETING BLITZ: Post on social media (announcement + your story/why + link) Send email to your full contact list (announcement) Join 2-3 relevant Facebook/LinkedIn groups Provide value first in groups (answer questions, be helpful) Share your offer where appropriate Update LinkedIn profile/bio with new title List on Bark.com (if service-based) - create profile, respond to leads within 24h FOLLOW-UP: Follow up with "First 20" list who didn't respond Send update: "Got my first client! Still have X beta spots left" TESTIMONIAL STRATEGY: After delivering results, ask for testimonial Get permission to use their name/photo Add testimonial to website immediately ITERATE: Track what's working (which outreach, objections, questions) Adjust your pitch/offer based on feedback

Deliverable: 2nd or 3rd sale closed (or 20+ total outreach messages sent)

🎉

YOU DID IT!

Congratulations on completing the 6-Week Business Launch Blueprint!

By End of Week 6, You Should Have:

✅ Clear business idea validated by real people
✅ Business structure decided (sole prop or LLC filed)
✅ EIN (if needed)
✅ One-page business plan
✅ Brand name, domain, and basic logo
✅ Clear offer with pricing
✅ Live website with payment processing
✅ Business bank account
✅ First sale closed (or active pipeline)
✅ Marketing plan in motion

NEXT STEPS (Week 7+):

Keep selling (goal: 5-10 clients in first 90 days)
Refine your offer based on feedback
Start building systems (templates, automation)
Consider Sierra Mastermind Cohort or Elite Intensive for growth