Investor's Dashboard

My company name is

We sell/provide

to solve the problem of

I have researched this and my inspiration is from observing competitors

I hope that I help people by

I have calculated the costs and plan to commit at least

to invest in the effort towards my launch.

My business will allocate a monthly salary of

for the founder/owner, starting in

I will make this money by setting a target of making this number of sales per week

within 3 months of me launching my business.

Founder’s Commitment Statement

I have reviewed the required sweat equity and the financial risks involved, and I commit to putting in the necessary personal time and effort. I acknowledge that success hinges primarily on my dedication, not solely on capital investment.

Part I: The Discovery (Strategy & Vision)

Focus: Defining the problem, the solution, and the purpose.

Chapter 1: The Problem Worth Solving

The best companies don't sell products; they solve deep-seated problems. If your customer woke up tomorrow and your company vanished, what is the single thing they would miss the most?

Write the single, most painful problem your business exists to solve.

Mini-Exercise: Write your Value Proposition in 15 words or less.

What makes your business unique where you are? How do people benefit from your system or products? It must tell the customer exactly what you do and why you're different.

Chapter 2: The Ideal Co-Pilot

We often dream of a huge audience, but great launches start by delighting one person. Describe the single, most important person you need to reach first. Are they the largest segment of your potential audience? Give them a name and imagine who they are.

My First Customer's Name (Persona):

Their Biggest Daily Frustration:

How would I reach them?

What is the first thing I would offer them?

Write a SCRIPT as if you were a Telemarketer.IF YES, Interested: Ask Qualifying Questions (e.g. Are you married?, Do you have children?)

Part II: The Blueprint (Financials & Legal)

Focus: Creating the security structures and defining financial survival.

Chapter 3: The Runway (The Cash Conversation)

Before you commit significant capital, we must define the rules of money. Your Runway is the most precious resource.

The Runaway Calculation: How much money can the business spend on non-inventory, operational costs (e.g., rent, software, content, packaging) before the first sale?

For Product businesses: Why are you buying inventory? What market evidence (not hope!) confirms these units will sell within 90 days?

Easy Win Checklist

Opened a dedicated Business Bank Account.

Set up a basic Expense Tracking System (even a simple spreadsheet).

Tip

If you're unsure of your first month's expenses, estimate high! It's safer to overestimate risk than revenue. For product businesses, validate the market by buying only what you need to make ~5 sales. Don’t buy a forest to sell one leaf.

Expanded List of Potential Costs

Select and fill in the estimated monthly cost for every line item that applies to your business.

Item	Description	Estimated Monthly Cost
1. Foundational & Legal Costs
Business Registration/Licensing Fees	Annual or recurring fees, amortized monthly (e.g., $1200/year → $100/month).	$
Professional Services	Bookkeeping, legal retainer, or initial consultation fees.	$
Insurance	Basic liability insurance (if applicable for physical products or services).	$
2. Technology & Software Costs
Website Hosting & Platform	Shopify, Squarespace, or dedicated hosting fees.	$
Email Marketing Service	Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or similar subscription.	$
Accounting Software	QuickBooks, Xero, or similar subscription.	$
Domain Renewal & Professional Email	Annual costs amortized monthly.	$
Security/Backups	Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox Business) or VPN.	$
3. Marketing & Sales Costs
Paid Advertising	Social media ads (Instagram/YouTube), Google Ads, etc. (Start small!)	$
Content Creation Tools	Stock photography, music licensing, or premium video editing software.	$
CRM (Customer Management)	Subscription to manage leads and customer history.	$
4. Operational & Fulfillment Costs
Utilities/Office Space	Rent, electricity, internet (if dedicated home office, include a percentage).	$
Packaging & Shipping Supplies	Boxes, tape, labels, and thermal printer consumables.	$
Payment Processing Fees	Estimated percentage of expected revenue (e.g., Stripe/PayPal fees).	$
Shipping Carrier Costs	Estimate of money spent out-of-pocket on postage before charging the customer.	$
The Non-Negotiable Cost
Founder Salary / Stipend	The minimum amount the founder must withdraw to cover personal living expenses. (Crucial for sustainability.)	$

Other Financials & Legal - Classic Small Business

I. Pricing & Profitability

Cost of Goods/Service Sold (COGS): Calculate the true cost of delivering one unit of value. (e.g., Product: Raw Material + Labor + Packaging. Service/App: Server costs, API fees, support time per user).

Breakeven Volume: Your monthly Fixed Operating Costs are $X. How many units/subscriptions must you sell each month to cover only those fixed costs?Retail Price Formula: Based on your COGS and desired profit margin, define your pricing strategy. (e.g., Product: 3x COGS, SaaS: 5x cost per user, Service: Hourly Rate x Hours).

II. Financial Structure

The 6-Month Runway (Cash Management): Calculate your total Monthly Operating Cost (MOC). How much capital reserve do you need to survive 6 months of zero sales? (MOC x 6)

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): If you spend $500 on ads and get 50 customers, your CAC is $10. Is your profit margin or customer lifetime value (LTV) high enough to justify this?

III. Legal & Compliance

Sales Tax / VAT Liability: Research the local threshold for registering for Sales Tax or VAT. What is the due date for your first tax filing?Product/Service Liability & Terms: What single sentence in your website's Terms & Conditions limits your liability for misuse of your product or service?

IV. Capacity & Logistics

Scalability Risk: For products, what is your supplier's MOQ? For services/apps, what is your capacity limit (e.g., clients per month, concurrent users) before performance degrades?Delivery Strategy: For products, is shipping Free, Flat Rate, or Calculated? For services, what is your client onboarding process?

Part III: The First Expedition

Focus: Defining the daily action and first steps to reach the customer.

My 5-Step Customer Journey (The Sales Pipeline)

Your job is to define the specific Action your customer must take to move to the next step.

Pipeline Stage	Customer Activity	Your Action Defined
1. Awareness	Hear about us.
2. Interest	Example: Clicks through a social media link.
3. Consideration	Example: Views the product or reviews page.
4. Conversion	Example: Completes payment and checkout.
5. Retention/Advocacy	Example: Receives product and follows up.

The Emergency Plan: If your primary operational system (e.g., your website, key software) crashed, who is the first person you call, and what is the immediate fallback plan?

Sample Process Flow: Customer Onboarding & Delivery

Rewrite the Action Taken column to reflect the specific tools and processes you will use (e.g., packaging materials, shipping provider, onboarding software).

Step	Action Taken	Operational Standard (Goal)	Responsible
1. Order/Signup Received	System: Confirmation email is automatically sent to the customer/user and the sales spreadsheet/CRM is updated.	Immediate (within 1 minute)	Website/CRM Software
2. Resource Check	Decision: Verify the item is in stock or service capacity is available. IF YES → Proceed. IF NO → Notify customer of backorder/waitlist.	Within 1 hour of order	Founder/System
3. Picking/Packing/Provisioning	Product: Item is packaged securely. Service/App: User account is provisioned, welcome materials prepared.	Within 1 business day	Founder/Automated System
4. Shipping/Onboarding	Product: Package is shipped, tracking sent. Service/App: Welcome email with login/onboarding steps is sent.	Within 2 business days	Founder/Email System
5. Post-Delivery/Onboarding Check	System: Automatic email is sent two days after delivery/signup, asking for a review or offering help.	Automated	Email Marketing Software

Chapter 6: The Whisper (Focused Marketing)

Identify your one primary marketing channel and build a test plan for it.

1. The Client Channel Audit

Look back at your "First Customer Persona". Where does that person spend 80% of their online time?

Platform	Does My Ideal Client Live Here?	Why This Platform is My Best Option
Instagram/TikTok
Facebook Groups
Pinterest
YouTube

My Primary Marketing Channel for the next 90 days will be:

2. The Content Test Plan

We're testing messaging, not budget.

Test Variable	Messaging A (Bold Statement/Hook)	Messaging B (Practical Benefit/Solution)	Result (After 7 Days)
Headline/Title
Call-to-Action (CTA)
Visual/Image

3. The Daily Marketing Win

What is the one small marketing task you will complete every single day, no matter what?

Final Checklist for Launch Readiness:

My Primary Marketing Channel is selected and justified.

I have three pieces of test content ready to deploy (Messaging A/B).

I have identified my Daily Marketing Win and scheduled it for 15 minutes a day.

Part IV: The Final Launch Sequence

Focus: The timeline, the review, and the continued learning.

The Micro-Task Checklist

Turn the big milestones into small, non-negotiable actions.

The Physical/Digital Reality (Sourcing & Infrastructure)

The Supplier/Technology Hook: Who/what makes your service possible? (e.g., Manufacturer, key software/API, core platform).

Quality Check: What is the single non-negotiable quality standard you demand? (e.g., material grade for products, uptime for apps).

Capacity Risk: What is the Minimum Order Quantity or user load before costs scale?

Cost of Initial Order/Setup

Contingency Plan: If a supplier fails or a key service goes down, what is your guaranteed resolution?

The Customer Experience (Packaging/Onboarding)

Element	Your Decision / Cost per unit/user	Why It Matters
Primary Packaging / Welcome Email		Protects the product / Sets the first impression for a service.
Internal Branding / Onboarding UI		Creates a memorable moment and drives engagement.
Shipping Protection / Support Docs		Prevents damage claims / Reduces support tickets.
Shipping Carrier / Key Communication Channel		Impacts customer satisfaction (speed/reliability).

Milestones

Milestone 1: MVP Ready & Systems Created

Goal: The product/service can be sold, and the business can process an order/signup.

Micro-Task	Status	Target Date
Website/App Setup: Complete the minimum viable product (MVP) landing page.
Payment Gateway: Integrate and test the payment processing system.
Fulfillment System: Practice one mock order/onboarding.
Inventory/Capacity: Place minimal first inventory order or confirm server capacity.
Ad Creative: Finalize and save the image/video files for your first three test ads.

Milestone 2: Financials & Legal Readiness

Goal: The business is legally registered and financially protected.

Micro-Task	Status	Target Date
Legal Structure: Finalize the decision on the business entity.
Bank Account: Open the dedicated business bank account.
Tax ID: Apply for and receive the necessary local tax identification or business number.
Software Setup: Subscribe to and link your accounting software.
IP Protection: Conduct a preliminary online search for your business name and domain.

Milestone 3: Ads LIVE & First Revenue

Goal: The business is public, generating data, and earning money.

Micro-Task	Status	Target Date
Tracking Setup: Install and test Google Analytics or similar tracking on your website.
Platform Launch: Launch your primary social media channel with 15 pieces of introductory content.
Ad Launch: Set the daily budget and launch your A/B test marketing content.
First Sale Audit: Process the first order entirely, confirming payment, delivery, and accounting work.
90-Day Review: Schedule a firm date on your calendar (Day 91) to review your Runway and North Star Metric.

Chapter 8: The Final Audit & Professional Portfolio

This final chapter turns your workbook into a Bank-Ready Business Plan Portfolio.

The Rigorous Reader's Library: Action & Documentation

Research Prompt & Action	Documentation to Attach / Reference	Status (Date Attached)
Legal & Tax Compliance: Research [Business Entity Structure] and [Sales Tax/VAT Registration] in your jurisdiction.	1. Business Registration Certificate 2. Tax ID/VAT Registration Number
Financial Rigor: Research local accounting standards and calculation of [Owner Salary] and [Breakeven Volume].	3. Projected 12-Month Cash Flow Statement 4. Bank Account Details
Operational Security: Define my [Supplier Contract] and [Website Terms & Conditions].	5. Key Supplier/Technology Quote or Contract 6. Draft of Website Terms of Service / Refund Policy

The Commitment Portfolio

Attach or digitally reference the following final documents.

Founder's CV / Resume

Initial Marketing Asset

Proof of Funds

Readiness Review

SECTION I: The Strategic Core

The Value Proposition:

The North Star Metric:

The First Customer:

SECTION II: The Financial Firewall

The "First Dollar Out" Audit:

Inventory/Capacity Risk Assessment:

Create a dedicated business bank account.

Set a daily budget cap for your first 7 days of ads.

Calculate your 3-Month Runway budget.

Confirm NO major capital expense until validated.

SECTION VI: The Resilience Audit (If Things Fail)

The Kill Switch Metric: What is the single, non-negotiable metric that, if consistently missed for three straight months, signals failure?

The Pivot Strategy: If the current product/marketing fails, what is the single most viable alternative?

The Graceful Exit: If the business must close, what is the clear, legal plan for settling debts?

Congratulations. Your plan is complete. You have defined your strategy, systems, and risks. You are now ready to discuss funding with the investor.