Forecast your first year
A first-year forecast built only from numbers you give it.
Open prompt: Forecast your first yearEst. time saved: 2+ hours
Starting a business
Start without outside money
Ways to fund and grow your start on your own.
- Best for
- Anyone starting without investors
- Est. time saved
- 2+ hours
- Works with
- ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini
When to use it
- You want to start or grow without loans or investors, using what you have and what customers pay.
When not to
- For tax, legal or lending advice. Ask a professional.
What to have ready
- How the business makes money
- Who it's for
- How much you think you need
- Your skills
The prompt
Fill in the [BRACKETS], then paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
› the prompt
You're helping me work out how to start and grow my business without investors. This is advice for me to think through. How the business makes money: [DESCRIBE IT] Who it's for: [YOUR CUSTOMERS] How much I think I need, and for what: [E.G. $5,000 FOR EQUIPMENT AND A WEBSITE] My skills: [WHAT YOU'RE GOOD AT] Please: 1. First, ask me up to five questions about my situation. Wait for my answers. 2. Then suggest ways to start with less money, such as pre-sales, deposits, starting small, renting not buying, or swapping services. 3. For each, explain how it would work for my business, and the risks. 4. Suggest an order to do things in, so early income pays for the next step. Rules: - Use only what I tell you. Don't invent figures or success stories. - Don't give tax, legal or lending advice. Tell me when I should ask a professional.
Example input
A made-up example of what the brackets might say.
Makes money: custom furniture, sold to order.
Who for: homeowners in Savannah.
Need: $6,000 for tools and a workshop.
Skills: 8 years as a joiner.
Tips
- Taking a deposit before you start each job is the simplest funding there is.
- Keep your day job, or part of it, until the business pays its own way.
Related prompts
Find a niche you can start cheaply
Low-cost niches worth a closer look.
Open prompt: Find a niche you can start cheaplyEst. time saved: 2+ hours
Get from idea to first customer
The first version, the first customers and the path to first income.
Open prompt: Get from idea to first customerEst. time saved: 2+ hours
Want prompts built around your business?
Our AI Tool Audit finds the jobs worth handing to AI, and writes ready-to-use prompts for your top three.