Startup and Small Business Prompts

Ready-made prompts for small business owners and founders, from testing an idea to setting a price.

Ready-made prompt templates

• Business model summary: Prepare a business model summary for [business idea]: customer, problem solved, revenue source, main costs and top 3 risks under separate headings.
  Sample case: Idea: An online order tracking app for neighbourhood shops.
  Customer: Small neighbourhood shops (grocers, patisseries, nut sellers).
  Problem solved: Orders coming by phone get mixed up and forgotten.
  Revenue source: Monthly subscription.
  Main costs: Software development, hosting, customer support.
  
  Top 3 risks:
  1. Shopkeepers may not adopt a new app.
  2. Free alternatives exist (messaging apps).
  3. Customer acquisition cost may stay higher than revenue.
  This sample output was produced with Claude; your result may differ.
• Target customer profile: Define my target customer for [product/service]. Give age range, needs, objections and where they spend time, then suggest 5 channels to reach them.
  Sample case: Product/service: online language course.
  Customer definition: aged 25-40, working, wanting to learn English for work or abroad. Needs: flexible hours, short lessons, concrete progress. Objections: 'I have no time', 'I tried before and quit', 'Is online effective?'. Where they spend time: Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, podcasts.
  
  5 channels: 1) Short Instagram videos 2) Free mini lessons on YouTube 3) Content for professionals on LinkedIn 4) Email newsletter 5) Podcast sponsorships.
  
  Note: validate by talking to real customers.
  This sample output was produced with Claude; your result may differ.
• Pricing strategy: Outline a pricing strategy for [product/service]. My cost: [cost], competitor prices: [prices]. Compare three price options with pros and cons.
  Sample case: Product: single-serve coffee subscription. My cost: 150 per box. Competitor prices: 220-300.
  Option 1: Low price (200 per box). Pro: attracts customers quickly. Con: low margin (50).
  Option 2: Mid price (250 per box). Pro: fits the competitor range, margin 100. Con: you need to explain value to stand out.
  Option 3: Premium (300 per box). Pro: high margin (150), quality perception. Con: demand may fall.
  
  Direction: test first at 250 and adjust to customer reaction. The numbers are an example; update with your real costs and market research.
  This sample output was produced with Claude; your result may differ.
• 60-second investor pitch: Write a 60-second pitch for an investor. Company: [company], problem: [problem], solution: [solution], target market: [market]. Avoid exaggerated claims.
  Sample case: Company: small workshop. Problem: homemade soaps are not packaged sustainably. Solution: recyclable packaging. Market: conscious consumers.
  “Hello. Many natural soap makers sell their products in plastic packaging, which hurts conscious consumers' trust. We offer homemade soap in fully recyclable packaging. Our target market is consumers willing to pay for eco-friendly products. We currently produce in a small workshop and are testing demand. What we ask of you today is funding for a pilot production run and feedback. Thank you.”
  
  Note: I used no figures; add your real sales and market data.
  This sample output was produced with Claude; your result may differ.
• Low-cost validation test: Design a low-cost validation experiment I can run this week for [business idea]. State what I am testing, the success criterion and the time needed.
  Sample case: Business idea: Homemade food delivery for the neighbourhood.
  Experiment: Prepare a single 10-portion menu for this weekend; announce 'pre-order for Saturday' in neighbourhood groups and on social media, payment on delivery.
  What to test: Will people pre-order this menu at this price?
  Success measure: at least 6 of the 10 portions pre-ordered.
  Time: 2 days announcement, 1 day preparation and delivery, 3 days in total.
  Cost: ingredients only.
  
  Afterwards record the number of pre-orders, feedback and the cost/profit difference.
  This sample output was produced with Claude; your result may differ.
• Cash-flow template: Prepare a simple monthly cash-flow template for my small business. Income: [income], fixed costs: [costs]. Which items should I track?
  Sample case: Revenues: product sales. Fixed expenses: rent, salaries, subscriptions.
  Monthly cash flow table
  Rows:
  A) Opening cash balance
  B) Cash inflows: product sales (by collection date), other
  C) Cash outflows: rent, salaries, subscriptions, materials/stock, taxes, other
  D) Net cash flow = B − C
  E) Closing balance = A + D
  
  Things to track: collection delays, tax payment dates, stock purchases, unexpected expenses, a 3-month forecast.
  
  Warning: revenue (invoiced) and cash inflow (collected) can differ; fill the table by amounts actually collected.
  This sample output was produced with Claude; your result may differ.
• Competitor analysis table: Build a framework to analyse my competitors. Competitors: [competitors]. Put price, product, strengths, weaknesses and one point where I can stand apart into a table.
  Sample case: Competitors: A, B, C (three local cafés).
  Competitor | Price | Product | Strength | Weakness
  A | [price] | [product range] | [e.g. location] | [e.g. limited menu]
  B | [price] | [product range] | [e.g. price] | [e.g. slow service]
  C | [price] | [product range] | [e.g. atmosphere] | [e.g. high price]
  
  Examples of differentiation: fast service, a wider vegetarian menu, a loyalty programme.
  
  Note: fill the table with real information from competitors' own sites and on-site observation; do not write guesses.
  This sample output was produced with Claude; your result may differ.