Starting a new business: your first-year roadmap

Eight friendly steps through your first year.

A simple, step-by-step path through your first year, using our free guides and tools. Take the steps in any order that suits you. Every guide links to its official sources.

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1. Set your goals and look after yourself

   Before the admin, decide what a good first year looks like for you, and how you’ll keep going when it gets hard.

   • Goal setting for your first year
   • Founder mindset and confidence

2. Work out your prices and break-even

   Know what each sale has to cover before you commit to costs.

   • Pricing for profit and break-even
   • Card fee break-even calculator

3. Keep business and personal money apart

   Set up your money so your records, tax and cash flow are easier from day one.

   • Separating business and personal money
   • Business bank accounts compared
   • Money confidence for founders

4. Put your tax and filing deadlines in the diary

   Self Assessment, VAT, Corporation Tax and Companies House: what applies to you and when.

   • HMRC and Companies House deadlines
   • Legal setup: sole trader or limited company
   • Accounting software and Making Tax Digital
   • Data protection and licences
   • Business insurance explained
   • Taking on your first employee

5. Decide how you’ll take payments

   If you take payments in person, compare card readers on fees, contracts and payout speed. This is one step, not the whole job.

   • Compare UK card readers
   • Find my card reader quiz
   • Card fee break-even calculator
   • How payout speed affects cash flow
   • All payment options

6. Tell people you’re open

   Get your first customers without a big budget.

   • Marketing on a small budget
   • Websites and domains
   • Marketing overview and playbooks
   • Printing: cards, leaflets and signs

7. Protect your time and energy through the year

   Habits, focus and wellbeing so the business doesn’t run you.

   • Time management and focus
   • Building good habits
   • Avoiding burnout
   • Dealing with setbacks

8. Tell us what’s missing

   Is there a step you’re stuck on that we don’t cover yet? Simon reads every suggestion personally.

   • Suggest a guide or improvement

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Not financial advice: this is general information to point you to our free guides and tools. It is not financial, tax or legal advice. Check the official pages our guides link to, and speak to an accountant or adviser about your situation.