The Small Business Guidebook
Everything you need to know to start, launch, operate, grow and sustain your business, all in one place. A plain-language guide and fillable workbook for small business owners in any country.
- 31 chapters in five parts, with a fillable workbook, worked examples and Ask AI prompts throughout
- Part 1, Start: your why, goals and pace; market research; your customer and competition; testing your idea; your offer and business model; the numbers that matter; your one-page business plan
- Part 2, Launch: what you need to legally operate and sell; business structures; when and how to incorporate; taxes; setting up your money and administration; protecting your business; your brand; your storefront; website, technology and social media; your launch plan
- Part 3, Operate: customer relationships; marketing and sales that fit you; operations and systems; your operating rhythm
- Part 4, Grow: growth levers; building your team; your full business plan; your investor fact sheet; funding growth; partnerships and relationships
- Part 5, Sustain: the risk register; resilience and continuity; your pace, your life; your annual review
- Resources: master checklists, an Ask AI prompt library, who to ask, and a glossary
- 3 Excel tools: Funding & Grant Tracker, Operating Rhythm & Compliance Tracker, and Money Routine Planner
- 3 months of free access to The Commerce Growth Lab Community