The First 90 Days of Starting a Business: What to Set Up and When
The first days of starting a business set the tone for everything that follows. Get the foundations right, and you create a platform for growth. Rush through them or skip critical steps, and you spend the next six months fixing problems that should have been solved in week two.
This guide gives you a practical, week-by-week timeline for your first 90 days. It covers the essential tasks in the order they should actually happen — not the order marketing blogs think sounds impressive — so you can focus on building a real business rather than wondering what you've forgotten. And yes, this is going to feel like a lot. It is. But these 90 days are the difference between "running a business" and "hoping nobody notices you're making this up as you go."
Week 1–2: Registration, bank account, and insurance
Before you do anything else — before the website, before the business card, before you tell your mum — you need three things in place.
Register your business. In the UK, a limited company is incorporated with Companies House, typically online within 24 hours. Sole traders register for Self Assessment with HMRC. Either way, this step is non-negotiable. Don't overthink your company name at this stage. It should be available, professional, and reasonably descriptive of what you do. You can always trade under a different name later (and yes, you will regret your first choice — everyone does).
Open a business bank account. This is not optional, even if you're a solo founder. Mixing personal and business finances creates accounting headaches, makes your tax return impossible to reconcile, and looks unprofessional if a client ever asks. Most digital banks open a business account within a day or two, while traditional banks may take longer. Start this process early. You cannot send an invoice without it.
Get essential insurance. At minimum, public liability insurance if anyone visits your premises or you work at client sites. Professional indemnity insurance if you're service-based. And employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have any employees — £5 million minimum cover. Operating without appropriate insurance is the kind of risk that ends your business before it starts. It's not something to scrimp on.
Week 2–4: Financial systems and accounting
The single most important system you'll establish is accounting. Every pound that flows through your business needs to be tracked from day one.
Choose accounting software that fits your current needs but scales with you. Many platforms charge next to nothing for a basic plan (invoicing, expense tracking) then jump to significantly more expensive tiers for bank reconciliation, multi-currency support, or payroll. You'll outgrow it by month six and face a painful migration. An all-in-one platform includes all of these features on every plan, meaning you won't need to upgrade or switch as your business grows. This saves both money and the disruption of moving data around later.
Once your accounting platform is set up, create your invoice template. It should include your business name, address, registration number, payment terms, bank details, and VAT number if applicable. Most accounting software generates these for you, but take the time to check that everything required is there and that it looks professional.
Now understand your tax obligations. Know what taxes you owe and when. This typically includes income tax or corporation tax, VAT (if registered), and payroll taxes if you have employees. Set aside a percentage of every payment you receive for tax — 25 to 30 percent is a reasonable rule of thumb, though your accountant can give you a precise figure. Keeping tax money in a separate account prevents the unpleasant surprise of a bill with nothing set aside to pay it.
Week 4–6: Operations, workspace, and marketing foundations
Your workspace matters. Whether you work from home, rent an office, or use a co-working space, make sure it's functional. If you take video calls with clients, your background matters — they will notice. If you need to store files or equipment, create a system for keeping things organised now, while it's small and manageable.
Document how you do things — even if you're a one-person team. Write down your process for onboarding clients, delivering your service, invoicing, and following up on payments. These don't need to be elaborate. A simple checklist for each is enough to start. You can refine them as you learn what works, and when you hire your first employee, these documents become invaluable.
Set up a CRM or client tracking system from the start. A spreadsheet works in the very short term, but a proper system is worth implementing early. Track who you've spoken to, what you discussed, when to follow up, and the status of each opportunity. This feels unnecessary when you have three prospects. When you have thirty, it becomes impossible without a system.
Build your online presence. You need, at minimum, a professional website and a Google Business profile. Your website doesn't need to be elaborate — a clear description of what you do, who you help, and how to contact you is sufficient. Make sure it loads quickly, works on mobile devices, and includes the basic trust signals potential clients look for: your business registration details, insurance information, testimonials if you have them, and clear contact information.
Use a professional email address that matches your domain name (not Gmail, not Outlook). A business email at your own domain costs very little and makes a significant difference to how you're perceived.
Week 6–8: Pricing, feedback, and revenue
After a few client conversations or completed projects, you'll have a much better sense of whether your pricing is right. How to price your services is not a one-time decision — many successful businesses review and adjust their rates quarterly during year one. If every prospect says yes immediately, you're probably too cheap. If nobody's willing to pay your rates, you may need to adjust. Both are valuable signals.
Ask early clients for honest feedback. What worked well? What could be improved? Would they recommend you? This feedback is invaluable for refining your service and building a testimonial bank. A few genuine testimonials can make a significant difference to your conversion rate.
Start thinking about recurring revenue. One-off projects are fine, but recurring revenue is what builds a sustainable business. Think about how you can turn one-time work into ongoing relationships — retainer agreements, maintenance contracts, subscription services, or regular review cycles. This is the difference between a business that needs constant new clients and a business that's built to grow.
Week 8–10: Automation, financials, and professional support
By now, you've identified repetitive, time-consuming tasks. Look for opportunities to automate:
- Recurring invoices for regular clients
- Bank reconciliation via feed integration
- Payment reminders for overdue invoices
- Scheduling tools to let clients book their own meetings
Every hour saved on admin is an hour you can spend on billable work or business development. This is not about being lazy — it's about choosing business software strategically so you're not wasting time on tasks a computer can do better.
Review your financial position. You should have enough data to understand your cash flow patterns. Are clients paying on time? Are your expenses in line with expectations? Is your revenue growing? Look at your profit and loss statement (your accounting software should generate this automatically). Compare actual figures against your projections. If there are significant gaps, understand why and adjust your plan.
Consider engaging an accountant if you haven't already. An accountant can review your setup, confirm your tax registrations are correct, and advise on the most tax-efficient way to structure your remuneration. The cost is almost always recovered through tax savings and avoided penalties.
Week 10–12: Documentation and planning ahead
By the end of 90 days, you know which marketing channels generate enquiries, which services are most popular, and which clients are the most profitable. Document these findings. They form the basis of your strategy for the next quarter.
If your first three months have gone well, start thinking about what growth looks like. Do you need to hire your first employee? Should you invest in marketing? Are there new services you could offer? Growth doesn't have to mean expansion. It can mean improving margins, raising prices, or focusing on higher-value clients. The best growth strategy depends on your goals and your capacity.
Review your tech stack. The tools you chose in week one may not be the tools you need going forward. The most common regret at this stage is choosing software that seemed affordable at the start but becomes expensive as you grow — platforms that charge per user, per feature, or per transaction. The small business tech stack that works is one where you're not constantly switching between tools, rebuilding integrations, or watching your monthly SaaS bill climb because each platform charges for separate features.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need to register a limited company, or can I start as a sole trader?
Start as a sole trader if you're testing the waters, want simplicity, or don't have significant liability risk. It's faster and cheaper to set up. A limited company offers liability protection (in most cases, your personal assets are separate from the business) and can be more tax-efficient at higher earnings. But the flexibility of sole trader status — and the ability to pivot without formal paperwork — is valuable when you're still figuring out if this business idea works.
How much should I set aside for tax?
A reasonable rule of thumb is 25 to 30 percent of your income, but this depends on your tax bracket, whether you're Limited or Sole Trader, and your business expenses. Speak to an accountant early — the fee for a quick consultation is almost always less than the cost of underpaying tax.
What if I can't afford all of this in week one?
Priorities: business registration (non-negotiable), business bank account (essential before you invoice), and insurance (legally required if you have employees, and essential risk cover regardless). Everything else can be phased in. You can work from a home office. You can use accounting software with a free tier initially. You can manage clients in a spreadsheet for a few weeks. But you cannot operate without registration, a separate bank account, and insurance.
Should I hire an accountant right away?
No. Get your accounting system in place first, run the numbers yourself for a month or two, then bring in an accountant to review your setup and advise on tax efficiency. Most accountants will do an initial review for a fixed fee. This timing gives them something concrete to work with rather than having them set up your books from scratch, which costs more.
How do I know if my pricing is right?
After three to five client conversations, you'll have signals. If prospects accept your quote immediately with no negotiation, you're probably too cheap. If all your conversations end with "that's too expensive," you may need to adjust. Pricing is also about the market you're targeting — a boutique service can command higher rates than commodity work, even if it takes the same time to deliver. Test, gather feedback, and adjust quarterly for the first year.
What's the most common mistake founders make in the first 90 days?
Spending too much time building perfect systems before serving a single client. Your accounting doesn't need to be pristine on day one — it needs to be accurate and in place. Your website doesn't need to be beautiful — it needs to communicate who you are and how to contact you. Your CRM doesn't need to track every possible field — it needs to track the leads you have. Done and imperfect beats perfect and never launched.
When should I think about hiring?
Not yet. Focus on validating your offering, getting clients, and documenting what you do. Hiring comes after you have repeatable work and cash flow. That's usually month four to six at the earliest. Signs your business is ready for your first employee are clearer once you've lived through your first 90 days and understand your capacity limits.
Should I invest in fancy tools and software?
No. Use affordable platforms that include the features you actually need (not features you might need someday). An all-in-one platform for accounting, invoicing, CRM, and invoicing is cheaper than stitching together five best-of-breed tools and building integrations between them. You'll switch tools as you grow — that's normal — but avoid platforms that force you to upgrade or change because you've hit a per-user, per-feature, or per-transaction limit. That's expensive and it's disruptive.
The first 90 days are not about perfection. They're about getting the basics in place so you can build on a solid foundation rather than scrambling to catch up. Your systems, processes, and pricing will all evolve over your first year. What matters is that they exist — even in rough form — from day one.
Everything else builds from there.