Test your business idea, fix what’s broken, and get it running before you quit your job

Businesses that run in the hours around a job, for readers with a paycheck, an idea and a few free evenings a week.

1. 1-1How to find time for a side hustle with a day jobWes Dunleavy · 7 min read

Testing whether a business idea will run before the money goes in, for anyone with an idea they haven’t paid to build yet.

Not launched yet? Start with Validation.

1. 2-1Customer interview questions to test a business ideaWes Dunleavy · 8 min read
2. 2-2How to pre-sell a product before you make itWes Dunleavy · 10 min read
3. 2-3How to validate a business idea before you spend moneyWes Dunleavy · 9 min read

The setup that turns an idea into a business, from the LLC to the bank account, for readers about to make it official.

1. 3-1LLC vs sole proprietorship: which a new business needsAnita Sorensen · 10 min read

Finding the first customers and the next hundred on a small budget, for owners who do their own marketing.

1. 4-1How to get your first customers for a new businessWes Dunleavy · 8 min read

Turning interest into sales through stores, marketplaces, sales calls and the checkout, for readers with something to sell.

1. 5-1Etsy vs Shopify: fees, buyers and where to start sellingWes Dunleavy · 9 min read

Pricing, costs, cash flow, bookkeeping, taxes and funding: the numbers that decide whether an idea runs, for owners who aren’t accountants.

Launched and stalled? Start with Money.

1. 6-1How to calculate your break-even point, with examplesAnita Sorensen · 9 min read
2. 6-2How to price a product: cost, margin and what buyers payAnita Sorensen · 9 min read
3. 6-3Why is my business not making money? What to check firstAnita Sorensen · 10 min read

The tools that run a small business, judged by what they cost and the hours they give back, for owners choosing their stack.

What comes once the business runs, from first hires to new markets to staying small, for owners whose business works and wants more of them.