What each download can do
Copy	Useful for	Keep in view
Editable / reusable JSON (.json)	Reopening and continuing work in its Brass Charter tool.	Can contain the complete book, private notes, history, and related records. Keep a copy for yourself.
PDF (.pdf)	A fixed reading or sharing document.	Check the selected report and every page. It does not restore editable tool fields.
Text (.txt)	Reading, copying, or adapting words elsewhere.	Formatting is simple. It is not a full backup.
CSV (.csv)	A selected table for spreadsheet work; supported mapping imports in specific tools.	Relationships and history are not fully preserved. Import rules depend on the destination tool.
Calendar (.ics)	Selected dated items from Deadlines & Renewals.	A one-time copy, not live reminders or a restorable register. Reimporting can duplicate events.

File connections and their boundaries
Connection	What to review
Quote & Scope → Invoices	Selected quote details become an invoice draft to review. Check dates, reference, amounts, payment details, and issue status.
Quote & Scope → Delivery	Selected scope descriptions become a job draft. Prices, private notes, and customer acceptance do not transfer.
Checklist → Delivery / Renewals / Routines	Fresh job steps, preparation steps, or a draft procedure. Earlier ticks, people, and dates do not establish new completion.
Follow-ups / Conversation / contact CSV → Opportunities	Selected information goes through the destination’s review and matching steps. Inspect duplicates and customer links before accepting.
Opportunities → Quote / Delivery	A selected quote or delivery draft is downloaded. Delivery preparation requires the opportunity’s agreement step; review the destination draft.
Purchasing → Spending	Reviewed bill costs become spending drafts. Payments are not assumed, and a prepayment should not be counted as a second cost.
Purchasing → Delivery	Review selected supply requirements against an existing delivery book and job. Readiness is only confirmed through the review.
Purchasing → Records / Renewals	Selected record references or new obligations. Document files do not transfer; obligation dates remain to be confirmed.
Purchasing → Checklist / Routines	A fresh checklist or draft receiving procedure. Original completion is not carried over.
Supported business files → Owner Overview	Reviewed source copies used for findings and your action plan. Updating overview actions does not update the originals.

The Library / Starting a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Have a useful first customer conversation.

Ask about an experience someone has actually had, then leave yourself a better question to investigate.

Start with something you want to understand

Choose one situation your idea is meant to help with. Instead of trying to explain your whole business, write the question that made you curious: what happens, who is involved, and where does it become difficult?

Digital.gov’s interview model uses open questions and asks about a recent experience. For this exercise, ask about a real occasion before asking someone to react to your proposed solution.

Background: Digital.gov: How to conduct an interview

Let the person walk you through it

Introduce yourself, explain what you are trying to learn, and ask whether the person is comfortable talking. Agree before recording. A few notes may be enough.

What happened the last time you dealt with this?
What did you do first? What happened after that?
What was difficult, inconvenient, or uncertain?
What did you use or do instead?
Is there anything I have misunderstood?

Keep the conversation and your interpretation separate

Afterward, make two short notes: what the person described, and what you think it might mean. A friendly reaction to an idea is not the same as someone choosing to use or buy it.

Notice disagreements and surprises as well as repeated themes. A small set of conversations gives you leads to investigate; it does not tell you how common an experience is across an entire market.

Try it in your own situation

Prepare your next conversation

Write the one situation you want to hear about.
Choose three neutral questions from above and adapt them.
Ask someone with relevant experience whether they would be willing to talk.
After the conversation, record one observation, one interpretation, and one unanswered question.

Keep exploring.

Explore Starting a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

Digital.gov: How to conduct an interview
An interview model from US federal digital-service research.

← Back to Starting a business

The Library / Starting a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Choose a small test before a big commitment.

Choose something you need to learn, then try a small way to find out before making a larger commitment.

Name what would change your next decision

Complete this sentence: for my next step to make sense, I am assuming that ____. You may have several answers. Choose one that affects what you would do next and that you can reasonably investigate.

Build only what you need to investigate that question. For example, a rough booking page can help you observe whether someone understands the proposed steps. Record what the exercise can and cannot tell you before spending more on it.

Background: Digital.gov: How to conduct a usability test

Match the activity to the question

If you are unsure how someone deals with a problem, a conversation or observation may help. If the question is whether your instructions are understandable, ask someone to try a rough version. If you are unsure how long a task takes, rehearse the task and record what happens.

Write what this activity cannot answer. A readable booking page does not establish demand, and an enthusiastic conversation does not establish repeat purchasing.

Decide what you will notice before you begin

Choose a practical limit: the time you will spend, the number of sessions you can arrange, or the effort you can afford to use. Then decide when you will stop and review.

At review, keep observations, interpretations, and unanswered questions separate. Your next move can be to continue, change the approach, ask a different question, or put the idea aside. No score is needed to make that note useful.

Try it in your own situation

Write a test in five lines

I am assuming…
I will investigate it by…
I will notice or record…
My limit and review point are…
This test will not tell me…

Keep exploring.

Explore Starting a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

Digital.gov: How to conduct a usability test
Background on observing people using a prototype to complete a task.

← Back to Buying a business

The Library / Buying a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Understand the owner's working week.

Use a conversation about ordinary work to understand what you might actually be taking on.

Look beyond the opening hours

The work that interests you may be only part of the owner's role. Use the questions below to explore an ordinary week, a busy week, and a week when someone is absent.

The U.S. Small Business Administration includes skills, lifestyle, and the business's existing arrangements among the things to consider when exploring a purchase. This guide develops the everyday-work part of that conversation.

Background: U.S. SBA: Buying an existing business

Ask for a walk-through

Invite the owner to describe a recent week rather than only an ideal schedule. Ask what happened and who handled it.

What happens before opening and after closing?
Which jobs can only the owner currently do?
Who handles customer problems, scheduling, ordering, and administration?
What interrupts the planned work most often?
What changes during the busiest period?
How is work covered when the owner is away?

Compare the work with your own brief

Next to each responsibility, note whether you have relevant experience, need to learn, or would depend on someone else. Keep uncertain hours and arrangements marked as questions.

Use that comparison to prepare the next conversation or a suitable observation of the work. An owner's description is a starting point; it does not settle staffing, training, transfer arrangements, or the wider investigation of a purchase.

Try it in your own situation

Make a small responsibility map

List the recurring tasks the owner describes.
Write who does each task now and when it happens.
Mark what you could do, what you would need to learn, and what depends on someone else.
Take the unresolved questions back to your buyer brief.

Keep exploring.

Explore Buying a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

U.S. SBA: Buying an existing business
Background on personal fit and investigating an existing business. The work-map exercise is an original Brass Charter example.

← Back to Buying a business

The Library / Buying a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Keep claims, evidence, and questions separate.

Make a useful record of what you have heard, what you have seen, and what still needs checking.

Give each important claim its own note

Start with one statement you might rely on: a description of repeat customers, working hours, a process, or a supplier arrangement. Record what was said and where it came from.

The SBA recommends a thorough investigation of a business and identifies roles for attorneys and accountants. The note structure here helps organize questions for that work; it is not a completed due-diligence review.

Background: U.S. SBA: Investigating an existing business

Use four simple columns

A document can answer one question while leaving another open. Name the part that it supports rather than marking the whole subject as verified. Avoid collecting customer or employee details you do not need; agree appropriate access with the seller.

Claim: what have I been told?
Material reviewed: what did I actually see, when, and for which period?
Open question: what is missing, unclear, or inconsistent?
Next check: who could help clarify it, and what should I ask for?

Carry unresolved items forward

Give unresolved items a place in the next conversation. If someone cannot answer a question, record that as unresolved rather than filling the gap with your preferred explanation.

Questions about contracts, financial statements, tax, or the terms of a purchase need the relevant professional review. This guide organizes the discussion; it does not judge a price, recommend a deal, or certify the evidence.

Try it in your own situation

Prepare one evidence note

Pick one claim that matters to your next decision.
Write its source and the exact question it raises for you.
List what you have reviewed without overstating what it proves.
Name the next person, document, or explanation needed.

Keep exploring.

Explore Buying a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

U.S. SBA: Investigating an existing business
Background on investigating a purchase and obtaining legal and accounting help. The four-column note is a Brass Charter working method.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Turn a loose end into a clear next action.

Make an unfinished task specific enough that someone can act on it and know what happened next.

Find the thing hidden inside the reminder

A note such as ‘quotes’ or ‘supplier’ can remind you of a problem without telling you what to do. Pick one loose end and write the next observable action.

For example: ‘check the two parts prices and send the revised quote’ gives you a starting point. ‘Fix sales’ is still a larger question that needs to be broken down.

Make four decisions

If you work alone, you are still the owner, and your available time still matters. If someone else is involved, agree the handoff rather than treating a name on a list as an accepted commitment.

Owner: who is taking the next step?
Action: what will they actually do?
Done: what will show that this step happened?
Review: when will you check the outcome or follow up?

Give waiting work a next check

‘Waiting for the supplier’ can stay vague for days. Record what you asked for, when you asked, and when you will check again. Do not mark the whole job complete simply because you sent a message.

During your weekly review, choose what fits alongside existing commitments. Keep work you cannot fit visible as deferred, delegated by agreement, or awaiting a specific response.

Try it in your own situation

Rewrite one item from your list

Choose a reminder that has appeared more than once.
Write one action that moves it forward.
Name the owner and what would count as that step being done.
Put the action or follow-up into your weekly review.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

EPA: Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures
Procedure-writing background from an environmental quality context; not a requirement for every business.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Write a simple checklist for repeatable work.

Capture one recurring task clearly enough that the next person can follow it and improve it.

Choose a task with a clear beginning and end

Start with a small task that recurs: preparing a routine quote, checking an order before collection, or setting up a meeting. Leave the whole department manual for another day.

Begin with one task that someone can walk through and comment on. Keep the instructions available where the work happens, then revise the unclear steps after trying them. The EPA’s procedure guidance offers background on documenting repeatable work.

Background: EPA: Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures

Write what the person needs at the moment of doing

Use the names people already use for the work. Put a decision next to the step it affects. If a step only says ‘check everything,’ replace it with what is being checked.

Trigger: when does this task begin?
Inputs: what information or materials are needed?
Steps: what happens, in what order?
Check: what shows that the task is complete?
Exception: where should someone stop and ask for help?

Try the checklist against the actual work

Walk through a normal example with the person who does the task. Notice missing information, unclear language, and exceptions. Ask what should change before asking anyone to rely on it.

Give the checklist a name, a person responsible for keeping it current, and a review point. This simple exercise is for ordinary administrative work; specialist or safety-critical procedures need the relevant expertise and controls.

Try it in your own situation

Draft a checklist you can try this week

Choose one recurring administrative task.
Write its trigger and the information needed to begin.
List the steps in order, including where to stop and ask.
Walk through an example, revise the list, and choose when to review it again.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

EPA: Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures
Procedure-writing background from an environmental quality context; not a requirement for every business.

← Back to Going into business together

The Library / Going into business together

Practical guide / Free to read

Talk through working together.

Explore the business and working life each person has in mind, then leave with a useful next conversation to have.

Begin with the person behind the work

Before you start dividing tasks, give each person a chance to describe what they want from the business. A flexible week, a full-time job, a small experiment, and a business to grow are different starting points.

Try asking: what would a good ordinary week look like for you? What would you want to protect? What would you need to learn before making a bigger commitment? You can prepare your own answers first, then leave the other person's perspective open until you speak.

Give different questions their own space

Discuss contributions, ownership expectations, roles, decisions, disagreements, and what should happen if someone wants to leave. These are discussion prompts. In the US, the appropriate structure and arrangements depend on the business and the state; use the notes to prepare for advice specific to your situation.

In your notes, separate what someone could contribute from what they would do each week and what they expect in return. A proposed contribution does not, by itself, settle pay, ownership, or decision-making.

Background: SBA: Launch your business

Keep different views visible

Write down whose view you are recording. ‘We want to grow’ can hide a difference between someone who wants to try one weekend a month and someone hoping to leave their job.

Use a status that reflects the conversation: not discussed, still discussing, a working view, different views, or a need for specialist input. A working view is something to check with everyone. A completed worksheet is not evidence that everyone agrees.

Talk about the ordinary week and the unusual one

Describe recurring tasks with concrete examples: answering inquiries, preparing quotes, ordering supplies, delivering work, and keeping records. Ask what would happen if the usual person were unavailable.

Leave a place for questions about changes in time, responsibilities, or who is involved. The government's guidance also includes what happens when someone joins or leaves. Your first conversation can identify the questions without choosing a legal mechanism.

Background: SBA: Launch your business

Give the next conversation a purpose

Choose a few actions that could reduce uncertainty: walk through a working week, list existing commitments, prepare a document list, or ask an appropriate specialist a defined question. Name who you will ask to take each action and when you will return to it.

Check the notes with each person before treating a task as theirs. Keep the earlier uncertainty visible when a question is still unresolved. You can revise this record as the conversation develops.

Know what these notes are for

The planner is preparation for discussion. It does not create a contract, allocate ownership, calculate a buyout, or choose a business structure. Take legal, tax, ownership, and other specialist questions to someone appropriately qualified for your situation.

Keep the discussion notes as context for an attorney and any accounting advice you need before finalizing an agreement. Ask how each person’s interests should be represented and which decisions remain unresolved.

Background: SBA: Launch your business

Try it in your own situation

Try a short first conversation

Each person describes what they hope to get from working together.
Choose one topic that could affect the next decision, such as available time or everyday responsibilities.
Record what each person said, what remains different, and what is still unknown.
Choose one useful follow-up action and ask who can take it on.
Set a point to review the notes together.

Keep exploring.

Explore Going into business together

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

SBA: Launch your business
US business structures, registrations, and licensing background.

← Back to Moving on

The Library / Moving on

Practical guide / Free to read

Prepare a useful handover.

Make the everyday work easier for someone else to pick up, one responsibility and one conversation at a time.

Name the change before listing the tasks

A colleague covering a week away needs a different handover from someone taking on a permanent role. Describe the piece of work, the period involved, and who needs to discuss the arrangements. Include what will stay with the current person.

Begin with one question: what would someone need to understand to pick this up tomorrow? You can prepare a first draft yourself, then check it with the people involved. Naming someone in a plan is a proposal until their responsibility and authority are agreed.

Make the ordinary work visible

Write down the practical knowledge the next person needs: how the work starts, the steps that matter, useful records, and how to recognize a problem. For an ownership transfer, keep this operational handover alongside the separate sale or succession arrangements.

Choose a recent, ordinary example of the task. Write when it begins, where the information comes from, what needs doing, and how someone knows it is finished. Include the moment when the usual routine no longer fits: a late delivery, missing information, or a request that needs approval.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Give unfinished work its own place

A description of the routine will not tell the next person about a customer waiting for an answer. Keep a separate list of commitments already made: what is underway, what has happened, the next step, who needs to follow it through, and the relevant deadline or check-in.

Write uncertain details as questions. ‘Delivery expected Tuesday; needs confirmation’ gives someone a better starting point than a date that looks settled. Ask who needs to hear about the change and who will explain it.

Make information findable and usable

List the contacts, records, and tools needed for the work. Add what each contact can help with and where the current record lives. Use an approved contact directory or a document location where that is enough.

Then try finding the information with the next person. Can they locate the right version and get the permission they need? Keep passwords and access codes in the appropriate protected system; record who can arrange access in the handover. Share only the details needed for the work.

Leave time to try the task together

Walk through the task with the person taking it over. Let them try it, notice where the written instructions are unclear, and record questions that still need an answer. A completed document alone does not establish that the handover has worked.

For an everyday task, show an example, let the next person try it, and ask them to explain what they would do if something changed. Record the questions and adjust the instructions. In the planner, a walkthrough status is your record of what happened. Filling in fields does not automatically mark a responsibility as handed over.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Agree what happens after the handover

Discuss where questions should go, when help will be available, and when you will review the arrangement. Be specific about the end of temporary cover or any follow-up support. Put the first review point somewhere both people can find.

Revisit your notes when the work or the people change. If ownership, employment, contracts, or other formal arrangements are involved, use the practical notes to prepare questions for relevant professional advice; this worksheet does not settle those arrangements.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Try it in your own situation

Make a small handover useful today

Choose one responsibility someone else may need to pick up.
Describe when it happens, where to begin, and when to ask for help.
Find one useful record and one person who can answer a question.
List anything already promised that the next person needs to know.
Arrange a short practice run and record what still needs attention.
Choose a review point together and keep a copy of the notes.

Keep exploring.

Explore Moving on

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

SBA: Manage your business
US business management background.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Understand what your price needs to cover.

Give the work, costs, and customer decision their own place before choosing a price.

Start with the thing someone is buying

Describe one sale in ordinary words: one visit, a packaged item, a monthly service, or a defined project. Write what is included and what would need a separate discussion. Use that same unit for the price, time, costs, and sales count.

A batch is different from an item, and an order can contain several items. If a fee applies once per order, you need a sensible per-item allowance or an order-sized unit. A calculation with mismatched units can look precise while answering the wrong question.

Bring the less visible work into the picture

List what a sale uses: materials, packaging, delivery, and other direct costs. Then consider preparation, travel, messages, delivery, and follow-up. Keep evidence beside the estimate: a recent invoice, time from an actual job, or a question still to check.

List the materials, paid work, your own time, fees, and monthly costs that this offering needs to support. Counting those entries gives you a calculation to review alongside the customer’s decision and the value you intend to deliver.

Background: SBA: Plan your business

Give your own time an explicit allowance

In this explorer, paid labor and your own time have separate labels. An allowance for your own time helps you see whether the offering leaves room for the work you put in, even if you do not pay yourself a wage for each job.

Once that allowance is included, it has already been deducted from the amount left. Do not read the remainder as all the money available to pay you. Equally, including an allowance does not mean the cash has actually been paid. This worksheet explores cost coverage; it does not maintain your books or forecast payment dates.

If wages are entered per sale, avoid also including the same wages in monthly overhead. For employees, consider the full hourly employment cost relevant to your situation rather than treating the headline wage as the whole cost.

Notice what changes when the price changes

Some fees are a percentage of the price. Raising the price changes those fees too. The explorer calculates the percentage fee on the price entered, rounds it to the nearest cent, and adds the fixed fee per sale.

Actual providers may use a different fee basis, such as an order total including tax. Check the rule that applies to you. Use prices before taxes collected from the customer, and include purchase costs you actually bear. The explorer does not calculate tax; get help with the treatment if you are unsure.

A markup and a margin describe different ratios. If the relevant cost is 80 and the price is 100, the difference is 20: a 25% markup on cost, or 20% of the selling price. The explorer labels its remainder directly and keeps monthly costs separate, so it is not presenting that remainder as an accounting profit margin.

Give monthly costs a realistic share of the work

Rent, insurance, and other recurring costs may need covering across several offerings. Enter only the monthly costs you want this offering to cover, alongside an expected sales count. Record how you chose that allocation.

The SBA's break-even method divides fixed costs by the amount each sale contributes after variable costs. This explorer applies that relationship to the costs and time allowances you enter. A positive contribution is needed to recover positive monthly costs. When each sale has a shortfall, selling more under the same assumptions makes that shortfall larger.

Background: SBA: Plan your business

Check whether the work fits

Twenty sales at three person-hours each need sixty person-hours of the work you have listed. The optional availability field compares that total with the hours available for this offering. Leave room for the other work and commitments that also use people's time.

This is a simple total-hours check. It cannot establish whether the right person, equipment, or appointment slot is available. Use it to identify a question for your schedule, especially when the sales needed to cover costs exceed what the available hours could deliver.

Compare one uncertainty before making a bigger decision

Keep your starting figures and create a separate change. Try an extra hour, a higher material cost, a different price, or lower monthly sales. Begin with one change so you can understand its effect, then explore a combined case if it is useful.

A cost-covering price only covers the entries under the stated assumptions. It does not establish what customers value or will pay. Use a customer conversation or a small test to investigate the offer, while keeping cost assumptions and demand assumptions distinct.

Background: SBA: Plan your business

Keep the next question with the numbers

Choose the assumption that most needs checking. You might time a real job, confirm a supplier's fee, clarify how many revisions an offer includes, or ask customers about how they currently solve the problem.

Download the reusable file so you can return to both versions and revise them when you learn more. The text and PDF copies include the entered figures, calculation results, assumptions, and notes. None of those outputs turns a planning estimate into a verified business result.

Try it in your own situation

Try one price question in your own work

Describe one sale and what it includes.
List the direct costs and the full time involved; keep estimates visible.
Enter a price and check what remains before monthly costs.
Optionally add the monthly costs assigned to this offering and realistic sales and hours.
Copy your starting figures and change one uncertain assumption.
Choose one real-world check, record when you will return, and keep the exploration.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

SBA: Plan your business
US business planning background.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Understand when the money needs to move.

Put dates beside receipts and payments so you can see the gaps that totals alone can miss.

Begin with the cash you are following

Choose the business accounts and cash you want to track together. Find the balance immediately before the first day of the plan. Record what is included and the date you checked it. If a payment is already reflected in that starting figure, do not also enter it as a future movement.

For each day, the planner adds expected receipts to the opening balance and subtracts expected payments. That closing balance becomes the next day’s opening balance. Your chosen start date defines eight consecutive seven-day weeks.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Give the payment a date, not just an amount

A completed job, an invoice, and a payment can happen on different dates. Enter the date cash is expected to arrive or leave. If that date is uncertain, label the entry as an estimate and write down what would help confirm it.

A sales total and a cash balance answer different questions. In this planner, put a customer receipt on the day you expect the money to arrive, even if the invoice was issued earlier. Put each payment on its expected date too.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Use the amount that actually moves

The planner asks for the full cash receipt or payment. Include tax contained in that amount when it is part of the money moving. Also record tax payments to an authority on the expected payment dates when relevant. The tool does not calculate what tax is owed.

Include other cash commitments that may not look like everyday operating expenses: debt repayments, equipment purchases, and owner withdrawals. Borrowing or an owner contribution is money in only when funds are expected to arrive; it is not customer revenue. Do not count unused credit as starting cash.

Transfers between accounts already combined in your starting cash do not change that combined total. A transfer across the boundary you chose does. Keep the boundary consistent so the same money is not counted twice.

Make repeating amounts easy to inspect

Use a repeat for a regular amount, such as weekly rent or a monthly subscription. Enter the first expected date and, if relevant, the last date that should repeat. The planner includes only occurrences inside the eight-week period.

Monthly repeats keep their original day. A payment anchored to the 31st uses the last day of a shorter month and returns to the 31st in a later month that has one. Weekend and holiday adjustments are not applied. If real payment dates differ, use separate dated entries instead.

If an amount changes, end that repeat and add a new entry. Do not add a separate copy of a payment that is already covered by a repeat. Check the dated movement list to see exactly what has been counted.

Read the lowest point as well as the final balance

A receipt late in the week can restore a balance after an earlier payment creates a gap. The planner therefore shows each day's closing balance and each week's lowest starting or day-end balance, as well as the week-end total.

You can enter a cash level you want to watch. The result shows the first crossing below it and the largest gap to it. That level is your own planning choice; the tool does not select a reserve or assess what is sufficient for your business.

Movements on the same day are combined. A positive day-end balance does not establish that a morning payment can clear before an afternoon receipt. Check the order of any tight same-day commitments separately.

Keep the starting plan while you try a change

Copy your starting plan into the comparison, then change one assumption. Move a customer receipt later, enter a different amount, or test a payment schedule you want to discuss. Each version keeps its own entries and starting balance.

The two-week delay button moves the selected receipt in the comparison only. For repeating receipts it moves the first date and any last repeat date too. Inspect monthly dates after a move because the new first date becomes the monthly anchor.

If an entry has no occurrence inside the window, it stays visible as an excluded entry. A receipt moved past the end has not disappeared from the business; it simply contributes no cash inside these eight weeks. An unchanged final balance can also conceal a very different low point.

Treat a checked entry as evidence, not certainty

Use a bill, payment agreement, recent pattern, or customer confirmation as the basis for an entry. Mark what you have checked and keep the source in a note. Checked and estimated entries are both included at their full amounts; the planner does not assign probabilities.

Keep estimates identifiable. Use the comparison to explore an uncertain date or amount, and update the plan as you learn more. The result is a forecast based on your entries, not a verified bank balance.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Leave with one useful action

Choose the date or assumption that matters most. You might confirm a receipt, check the terms of a supplier bill, identify a missing commitment, or prepare a cash question for someone who helps with your finances. Record who to speak with and when to return.

Download the reusable file to keep both versions. Text and PDF copies provide a readable record of the weekly balances, entries, assumptions, and next steps. When moving the start date forward later, check the opening cash again; this tool does not reconcile actual bank activity automatically.

Try it in your own situation

Build a first view of the coming weeks

Choose the cash you are following and check its starting balance.
Choose the first day, then add dated receipts and payments.
Mark estimates and note the basis for the amounts and dates.
Review the lowest balance, its date, and the movements behind it.
Copy the plan and change one uncertain receipt or payment.
Choose a practical check, record a review point, and download the plan.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

SBA: Manage your business
US business management background.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Follow through with customers.

Give each request a clear next action, keep the promise in view, and record what happens.

Start with a request you recognize

A follow-up begins when a conversation leaves something to do, confirm, or return to. Keep the customer, the request, and your next action together so you can pick up the thread without reconstructing the conversation.

Use a name or reference that lets you find the right context. Keep only the details needed to do the work. Record the useful parts of the interaction and any feedback you need to follow through on.

Background: Digital.gov: How to conduct an interview

Separate the promise from the next action

What the customer expects and what you need to do next are often different. A customer may expect a repair price by Friday; your next action may be to check a part price with a supplier on Thursday. Record both so the internal task does not hide the promise.

Write an action you can recognize as done: check the supplier response, answer the outstanding question, or confirm the agreed delivery window. A broad intention such as ‘look after this customer’ gives less help when you return to the list.

Waiting still has a next step

Name the response, information, or person you are waiting for. Then decide what you will do next and when you will check again. You may need to update the customer even when the answer has not arrived.

The Waiting view keeps these dependencies visible. A waiting item can also be overdue or due today. The views overlap because they answer different questions: where the work stands and when you planned to return to it.

Use the date as a review aid

Today and Overdue use the ‘Reviewing as of’ date shown above the list. This week means Monday through Sunday around that date, so it can include an earlier overdue action. Needs a date keeps undated actions visible.

When you reopen an older file, check its review date. Use ‘Use today’ to bring the views forward. Dates organize the list; the planner does not send notifications or contact customers. Decide when you will actually return to review it.

Record the outcome, then decide what follows

After a conversation, a response, or a useful change, record the date and what happened. Distinguish an attempt from an outcome: leaving a message is different from receiving an answer. Choose another action, wait with a next check, or finish the request.

Connect what the customer said with what you have agreed to do. Keep their experience separate from your interpretation when the reason behind it is still unclear. Record the response and the next commitment together.

Background: Digital.gov: How to conduct an interview

Keep enough history to pick the work up again

Each recorded update keeps your note with the action and status before and after it. You can correct the note or its date without rewriting those recorded actions. Direct edits to the working fields are not added to this history; use ‘Record an update’ when you want to keep what happened.

Finishing a follow-up means that this request needs no further action. It does not mean a sale was made. Completed items retain their updates, and you can reopen one by recording an update with a new next action.

One plan holds up to fifty follow-ups, with twenty recorded updates per follow-up. Keep a downloaded copy before starting another plan or continuing a longer history in a new record.

Make the next review small enough to do

Begin with overdue actions and today's commitments. Check waiting responses, then look for items that still need a date or more detail. Choose a realistic action and owner for the work you can move forward.

Keep agreed communication preferences in mind when deciding how and when to contact someone. A useful follow-up serves the request; repeated contact without a reason does not improve the record.

Download the reusable file before closing the page. It keeps unfinished records and history so you can continue later. Text and PDF copies include the whole plan, including items hidden by the current view or search. Use the Weekly Review to choose which commitments fit alongside your other work.

Try it in your own situation

Give one request a useful place to return to

Name a customer or reference and the request that needs attention.
Record what the customer is expecting, including any agreed date.
Choose the next action and when you will take it or check again.
If waiting, name the response or information you need.
After something happens, record the outcome and choose what follows.
Download the plan and choose when you will review it again.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

Digital.gov: How to conduct an interview
An interview model from US federal digital-service research.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Prepare a clear quote.

Explain the work, the price, and the expectations so your customer can understand the offer.

Begin with the request, not the total

Write down the result the customer wants. Then describe what you are offering to supply or do. A short description of the request gives the priced items a purpose: someone reading the document can see how the proposed work responds to their need.

Use the draft to connect the customer’s goal with the work offered, itemized prices, dates, and payment arrangements. Before sending it, check the business and document details appropriate to your work and location in the United States.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Give the scope a beginning and an end

Name the deliverables, quantities, visits, revision rounds, or other limits that define this job. Explain likely expectations that fall outside it. For a flyer, that might mean one layout and one revision round, with printing and additional formats excluded.

Record dependencies separately: information from the customer, access to the site, approvals, or materials you need to confirm. If something changes the work or the price, give it a place in the conversation before it becomes a surprise.

Check that you understand the requested work and have the resources and availability to deliver it. Make likely extras visible as exclusions or optional items so the customer can see the boundary of the offered scope.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Build the price from recognizable items

Use the customer's selling price for each item. Keep your internal cost calculation in the Pricing Explorer or your own records. A customer line might be one installation, three visits, or a quantity of goods; choose a unit that makes the quantity understandable.

The builder multiplies each quantity by its unit price and rounds that line to two decimal places. It then adds the included lines. Quantities can have up to three decimal places, while unit prices have up to two. An empty quantity or price stays unfinished; a zero price is a deliberate no-charge item.

Use one currency for the draft. Changing the currency label does not convert the amounts. Check the actual prices if you change the currency, and keep delivery or other charges visible as their own described lines where appropriate.

Keep optional work outside the offered total

An optional line gives the customer something extra to discuss. The builder lists it separately and leaves it out of the draft total. If that work becomes part of the offer, change the line to Included and review the scope and total again.

Optional items are not an alternatives engine. If the customer is choosing between two complete approaches, prepare separate drafts with clear references so that quantities and totals cannot be mistaken for one combined offer.

Make tax handling a deliberate choice

Choose the treatment you have confirmed for the job. The builder can leave entered prices unchanged with no added tax, treat the prices as already containing tax, or add one named rate to the included subtotal. It does not decide which treatment applies.

For an added rate, the tax amount is rounded once on the subtotal and then added to it. Optional amounts remain outside that calculation. The tax-included choice does not extract or display a separate tax component. If your document needs that breakdown, mixed rates, exemptions by item, or other treatment, resolve the calculation and document requirements separately.

Explain timing and the next conversation

State a workable schedule or explain what must happen before timing can be confirmed. Put customer responsibilities beside the assumptions. Add the payment arrangements you intend to discuss, and use terms you have reviewed for your work and location.

Make the next step specific: confirm a delivery address, review the proposed scope, supply the final artwork, or agree a booking date. The Customer Follow-up Planner can help you return to that commitment; opening it does not send or copy this quote automatically.

Review the draft before using it

Preview the document as the customer will see it. Check names, scope, quantities, prices, dates, and the total. The review page points out common missing details, but filled fields are not proof that the information is correct.

This builder labels its output as a draft for review and discussion. It does not issue the document or record customer acceptance. Review the scope, tax choices, and terms against the actual arrangement and applicable US state and local requirements before using the draft commercially.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Keep the right copy for the right purpose

The customer text and PDF contain the entered offer, including any terms you supplied. Working notes for yourself are excluded from both. The reusable file contains all fields, including those notes and unfinished entries, so keep it for your own use.

Download a reusable copy before closing. If you change an offer you have already shared, keep the earlier file separately and give the new draft a clear revision label. The builder edits one draft at a time and does not maintain an issued-version archive.

Try it in your own situation

Prepare one clear offer

Name the business, the customer, and the work.
Describe the result, included work, exclusions, and dependencies.
Add quantities and selling prices for the included items.
Separate optional work and choose a confirmed tax treatment.
Explain timing, payment arrangements, and what to confirm next.
Review the customer preview and keep a reusable copy before sharing or revising.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

SBA: Manage your business
US business management background.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Keep track of invoices and payments.

Give every invoice a clear identity, record what arrives, and know which balance needs attention.

Give the customer a payable document

An invoice explains what is being charged, who should pay, and how to do so. Check the recipient, the work supplied, the reference, the dates, and the payment instructions before using it. A purchase-order reference or supply period may help the customer match it to their records.

Review the business and customer details, the work supplied, amounts, payment arrangements, and the record you will keep. The tracker supplies fields and calculations for your review; it does not determine US federal, state, or local tax treatment or guarantee a legally sufficient invoice.

Background: IRS: What kind of records should I keep?

Keep the reference and the dates distinct

Give each issued invoice its own reference. This book prevents reuse of an issued reference, even after cancellation; it cannot check other books or outside systems. Choose a sequence you can manage across all your records.

The invoice date identifies the document. The supply date or period describes when the goods or work were provided. The due date tells the customer when payment is expected. Check the details needed for your business, customer agreement, and applicable tax requirements before sending it.

Recording as issued fixes the customer-facing details in this book. It does not send the document or prove that the customer received it. Use the original-invoice preview to download the copy you intend to deliver.

Background: IRS: What kind of records should I keep?

Bring a quote forward with a deliberate review

Open a reusable Quote & Scope file and choose the lines that actually belong on the invoice. Included quote items begin selected; optional ones do not. Check that the customer agreed to the work being billed and that the quantities and prices still apply.

The new invoice reference and dates start empty. Private quote notes are not imported. The quoted payment wording is a starting point: replace proposal-stage wording with the actual instructions for this invoice. If quoted prices contain tax, confirm the tax name and rate again because the quote file does not supply a verified tax breakdown.

Make the amount understandable

Each quantity is multiplied by its unit price and rounded to two decimal places. The tool adds these rounded lines. For an added tax, it rounds the tax once on that subtotal. For tax-inclusive prices, it extracts the tax component from the inclusive total and subtracts it to show the amount before tax.

One rate applies to all lines. Use the confirmed treatment appropriate to the transaction. Mixed rates, item exemptions, multiple taxes, credits, and jurisdiction-specific rounding rules need separate handling. Choosing no added tax does not establish that a transaction is exempt.

Each invoice uses one currency. The book groups balances by currency and does not convert or combine them. The invoice limit is 1 billion currency units, with up to 20 item lines; empty numeric fields remain unfinished rather than silently becoming zero.

Record actual receipts without changing the invoice

When money arrives, record the amount applied to this invoice, its actual date, and a useful method or reference. Check it against your payment records. A promised payment is still expected cash, not a receipt. A deposit already received can be entered with its original receipt date.

A 600 invoice with a 200 payment is still a 600 invoice. The separate payment summary shows 200 recorded and 400 remaining. A second 400 receipt completes the balance. If receipts exceed the invoice, the extra amount remains visible as an overpayment to resolve; the tool does not quietly turn it into income or a refund.

For a transfer covering several invoices, allocate the correct portion to each invoice and reuse the transfer reference so you can reconcile it. Do not enter the entire transfer against every invoice. This working book does not connect to your bank or reconcile transactions automatically.

Review the balance at a useful date

The review date controls which receipts count toward the displayed balance. An invoice dated after that date is excluded. The due date itself is shown as due today; an unpaid balance becomes overdue on the following day. Drafts and canceled invoices do not contribute to outstanding totals.

The overdue view helps you find a next action. First check whether payment arrived, whether the customer received the correct invoice, and whether a query needs answering. Keep the conversation in the Customer Follow-up Planner and expected timing in the Cash Timing Planner. Opening either tool leaves this book intact but does not copy entries.

A past review date uses the current corrected entries, not a snapshot of what you knew at that time. A corrected receipt therefore changes past-date calculations. The status history uses dates; multiple changes on one date resolve to the final status for that date.

Correct an entry without losing its context

If you typed the wrong payment amount or date, use Correct this entry. The old entry stays visible as excluded, alongside your reason, and the replacement is counted once. If a receipt was duplicated or never happened, exclude the erroneous entry with an explanation.

These actions correct records; they do not represent money leaving the business. Keep real refunds, credits, write-offs, disputed amounts, and their supporting documents in the appropriate accounting records. Do not remove a genuine receipt to make an invoice look unpaid.

An unpaid invoice entered in error can be marked canceled with a reason. Its original details remain and its reference cannot be reused. An invoice with current payment entries cannot be canceled here. If the cancellation itself was a mistake, restore the same invoice with a reason.

Make the next visit easier

Keep business defaults in the book to fill new blank invoices. Existing drafts and issued invoices do not change when defaults change. Copy an invoice for repeat work: it retains the customer and items, while clearing the reference, dates, supply period, order reference, private notes, and payment history. Review any copied description or terms for the new work.

Download the reusable book after changes. It contains unfinished drafts, issued records, receipts, corrections, status history, and private notes. Reopen it here to continue. Customer invoice and payment-summary PDFs exclude private notes; a PDF alone cannot restore the working book.

The book holds up to 50 invoices and 50 payment entries per invoice, including excluded entries. It is a manually kept working record, not an account-backed or tamper-proof ledger. Keep the latest reusable file somewhere you can find and back it up. Avoid editing multiple copies at once, because reopening a file replaces this tab's book rather than merging changes.

Try it in your own situation

Set up one invoice you can follow

Identify the business, customer, work, invoice reference, and dates.
Check each priced line, confirmed tax treatment, and payment instructions.
Read the customer preview and record the invoice as issued when ready.
Record actual receipts against their dates; check a partial payment leaves the right balance.
Review outstanding and overdue views, then choose the next customer action.
Download the reusable book to keep the complete record for your next visit.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

IRS: What kind of records should I keep?
Federal tax recordkeeping background; supporting documents and organized records.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Make business spending easier to act on.

Give each cost a purpose, keep money movements clear, and see which commitment or conversation needs attention next.

Begin with the situation you are in

You may be paying for a first order before its customer pays you. You may have covered materials from your own account, inherited a collection of monthly charges, or have several supplier bills and limited cash. Begin with the situation that needs a decision; you do not need a complete financial system before recording one useful piece of it.

The tool connects five views: the coming week, bills and proposed spending, personally covered costs, recurring commitments, and customer-job timing. Add what you know, leave unknown amounts blank, and give unresolved questions a next action.

Separate the cost from the payment

Record the full business amount once, including charges and taxes that belong to that bill. For a mixed personal and business receipt, enter only the business portion you have identified. Keep the original document separately and put a useful reference here; the tool does not store receipt images.

A proposed purchase is something you are considering. A confirmed cost is a real supplier bill or purchase. Confirming it does not pay it. Record actual payments separately, including a purchase that was paid immediately. A 600 bill paid in two parts is one 600 cost, not two expenses and an extra bill.

Amounts use one currency per record and remain grouped by currency. The tool follows full payable amounts and cash timing; it does not decide deductible expenses, tax treatment, depreciation, or profit.

Keep personally covered costs visible

Record who actually paid the supplier. A purchase paid personally by the owner is different from money that has left the business account. Keep the expense and any later reimbursement separately identifiable in the book.

If you personally pay 200 toward a 600 bill, the supplier has 400 remaining. If reimbursement is intended and the business later returns 50 to you, the intended owner balance is 150. The original cost remains 600; the 50 return is a separate business cash movement.

Name the person for each personal payment. Record reimbursement intended, contribution intended, or undecided. These labels express a working intention, not a verified accounting classification. Confirm the appropriate treatment for your business. Link each reimbursement to its original owner payment so multiple owners or part payments remain understandable.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Find the funding gap before accepting its consequences

Bring together the dates for this particular job: customer deposits or balances, supplier payments, remaining bills, and intended owner reimbursements. Review the timing before assuming the customer’s eventual payment will cover an earlier cash need.

Enter business cash set aside immediately before the first day of the plan. Earlier actual movements belong in that opening amount and are not counted again. Still-unpaid expectations dated before the start appear on the first day with a warning to confirm their timing.

The lowest projected day-end balance shows when this entered plan needs more funding. It is not a promise that the job is affordable: missing costs, uncertain receipts, other business demands, and payment order within a day can change the result. Personally covered supplier payments do not leave business cash; reimbursements do. Proposed purchases stay outside the baseline, with a separate comparison available.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Update a customer expectation when reality changes

Use expected receipts for planned customer payments and actually received for money that has arrived. When a full expected receipt arrives, replace that entry with its real date and amount. The previous expectation remains in the history and is excluded from the calculation.

If 300 of an expected 900 arrives, replace the expectation with the actual 300 receipt and add a separate expectation for the remaining 600 on its revised date. Leaving the original 900 expectation in place as well would count money twice.

Customer invoices and job timing are separate working tools. A link lets you move between them while keeping this open book, but entries are not copied or synchronized. Check the source invoice and payment records when entering a receipt.

Review a recurring charge before it repeats

Put each ongoing charge alongside the result it should support and the use you are actually getting. An inexpensive service can still be wasted money; a larger charge may support work that matters. Record what to keep, change, discuss, or cancel after reviewing the arrangement.

Enter a first charge date and frequency. Monthly dates follow the original day, clamped to the last day of shorter months; a January 31 anchor therefore returns to March 31 after February. Annualized comparisons use 52 weekly, 12 monthly, 4 quarterly, or 1 annual charge at the current rate. They are not the exact charges for every calendar year.

Keep the renewal date, notice deadline, and your own review date distinct. An intention to stop does not cancel a contract. Enter a confirmed stop date only after checking when charges cease. A scheduled occurrence creates a proposed cost draft; check its actual amount and document before confirming it. Changing the schedule never rewrites existing bills.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Turn a bill or query into a next action

The weekly view flags overdue or soon-due supplier balances, owner funding questions, reimbursement plans, review dates, and renewal deadlines. It does not choose who deserves payment first. Check the terms, consequences, service needs, and arrangements for your situation.

A query or dispute remains attached to the bill without erasing its balance. Write what needs checking, who will act, and when to return. A concrete step such as checking the delivery record or asking about an incorrect charge is more useful than a general note to sort it out.

Give discretionary spending an intended result and a review date. Later, record what happened: did the tool save time, did the materials support the order, did the experiment answer the question? Update or clear completed review dates so the coming-week view stays useful.

Correct a record without hiding the original

Confirmed bill details are protected from casual edits. Correct recorded details keeps the old values and an explanation. Correcting a transaction retains the old entry as excluded and counts its replacement once. Exclude entry mistake is for duplicates or incorrect entries, not genuine refunds.

A reimbursed owner payment cannot be casually removed or replaced while current reimbursements depend on it. Resolve recording mistakes in the linked entries first. Genuine refunds, credits, write-offs, loans, and accounting adjustments need the appropriate accounting records; this tool does not fabricate those movements.

The review date controls which transaction dates count. Past reviews use the current corrected history, not a snapshot of what you knew then. Status changes on the same day resolve to that day's final recorded status. Job timing uses the current payments and expectations across its chosen window.

Keep the working book and the reading copy distinct

Download editable book (.json) keeps the entries, links, notes, corrections, and unfinished recurring edits. Reopen that JSON file here to continue. Download after changes and before closing: this working draft does not automatically save to an account. Opening another book replaces the current book after confirmation; books are not merged.

Preview private summary PDF, cost record PDF, or job timing PDF opens a reading preview with a Download PDF action. Text downloads are explicitly labeled .txt. These reading copies do not restore an editable book. All outputs may include private owner and business details; review them before sharing.

A book holds up to 75 costs, 25 jobs, and 40 recurring commitments. Each cost supports 40 supplier-payment entries and 40 reimbursements, including corrections; each job supports 40 receipt entries. Cost and commitment changes have 20-entry history limits. Individual amounts support up to 1 billion currency units with two decimal places. A job timeline can span up to 366 days.

A fictional worked example

The first order has two different balances

A fictional maker is preparing a customer order. All amounts below are USD.

The supplier bill: Materials cost 600.00. The maker personally paid 200.00, leaving 400.00 due to the supplier.
The owner balance: The business returned 50.00 of the 200.00 personal payment. Intended reimbursement remaining: 150.00. The materials still cost 600.00.
The business cash window: 100.00 is set aside after those earlier transactions. The 400.00 supplier balance is due September 28; the customer's 900.00 is expected October 8; the remaining 150.00 reimbursement is planned for October 10.
The gap: The entered day-end balance reaches −300.00 on September 28, before the customer balance arrives. The ending balance is 450.00 if every entered movement happens.
The next conversation: Confirm the dates and discuss the funding or payment arrangements before relying on the plan. Expected customer money is not money already available.

Try it in your own situation

Start with one decision that matters this week

Choose a real bill, a personally covered purchase, a recurring charge, or a customer job with costs arriving first.
Record the full business cost and purpose; leave proposed spending separate from confirmed obligations.
Record actual supplier payments and who paid. Link any owner reimbursement to the original payment.
If a customer job needs funding, enter its cash set aside, receipt dates, and linked costs; review the first gap and missing inputs.
Choose a practical next action or value review, with a person and date where useful.
Download the editable JSON book, and use a clearly labeled PDF or text copy when you want a reading summary.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

SBA: Manage your business
US business management background.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Keep the promise through to delivery.

Plan the work you agreed, make dependencies visible, and keep changes and completion understandable.

Start with what completion means

A job can be a first paid service, a repair, a small production order, a creative project, or work for a repeat customer. Start with what the customer expects to receive, the boundaries of that promise, and a specific delivery date agreed for this job.

Agree what completion means for this particular job. What will be supplied, checked, handed over, or confirmed before you call the job delivered? Record that understanding in the planner so it can be checked during the work.

Importing a quote creates a draft to review. It does not establish agreement. Record the actual agreement date, the person who confirmed it, and an evidence reference only after checking the arrangement. Prices and private quote notes are not imported. The original agreement stays in the delivery book.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Break the work into steps you can actually move

Use concrete steps such as confirm the finish, prepare the materials, make the order, check the result, and arrange delivery. Choose a person or working role, the day the remaining effort is planned, and an estimate of hours still needed. Hours already spent are not remaining workload.

A person’s name here is a planning label. It does not create an account, notify a colleague, reserve their calendar, or establish a shared workspace. Confirm their availability before relying on the plan.

A Checklist Builder file can add fresh steps. Earlier checkmarks do not carry over; a completed checklist for a previous job is not evidence that this job is done. Review the imported wording, then assign people, dates, effort, and dependencies. Long descriptions are shortened to the planner’s field limits, so check the original file where details matter.

Separate a blocker from the whole job

Add materials, customer approval, files, site access, or other requirements. Record who can resolve each one, when it is expected, and when you will follow up. Link each requirement only to the work steps that actually need it.

A missing approval might block production while preparation can continue. A later delivery step can depend on production being completed. The planner rejects circular dependencies and prevents a dependent step being marked done while its linked requirements or preceding work remain unresolved.

Mark a requirement ready with evidence, or no longer required with an explanation. If you discover that a completed dependency was recorded incorrectly, reopen the affected completed steps before changing their prerequisite. The earlier records remain in the history.

Check the time you can genuinely offer

Choose a workload window of up to 31 calendar days. For each person, enter total work hours available during those exact dates, then the hours reserved for administration, another job, personal responsibilities, or other commitments not represented by work steps in this book. Avoid subtracting the same job twice.

Available hours minus other commitments minus scheduled remaining work gives unallocated capacity. Twelve available hours, four reserved, and nine hours of remaining customer work produces a one-hour shortfall. Leave unknown hours blank; a blank input is not zero.

Unfinished steps planned before the window carry into it. Steps after the window are listed separately. Missing people, dates, or effort are flagged rather than treated as free time. Blocked and paused jobs still reserve their entered effort because a delay does not make their promise disappear.

Changing the window makes the old availability unconfirmed until you review each person again. Draft jobs can be included in a separate comparison. Approved changes without work steps are flagged as missing work. This is a capacity comparison, not an automatic calendar: it does not check day-by-day working hours, holidays, travel, equipment capacity, or the order of work within a day.

Discuss an extra before it becomes a promise

Record a requested addition or change separately from the original scope. Describe it, estimate the additional effort, check the increase or reduction in price, and consider whether the delivery date needs to change. A request remains outside agreed work until its decision is recorded.

Record who confirmed the decision, when, and where the evidence is kept. Approval needs reviewed effort and price treatment; zero hours and no price change are valid when they reflect the arrangement. An approved change stays recorded. Use a further change if the customer later agrees something different.

After approval, create the linked work step, then assign its person and date. One change can create one linked summary step; divide its remaining hours among additional steps deliberately if the work needs more detail, avoiding double counting. To reduce or remove previously planned work, update those steps with an explanation. The tool does not subtract hours automatically or rewrite an external quote or invoice.

Keep the customer informed in useful terms

Give the customer an update they can act on: what has moved, what needs a decision, and what they can expect next. Keep internal workload notes separate from the message you intend to share.

The customer progress PDF includes the job scope, step names and status, approved changes, and the dedicated customer-update field. It leaves out private capacity, internal next actions, original evidence references, and change history. Review the preview carefully because scope descriptions and work-step names can still contain details you do not want to share.

The tool prepares a draft reading copy. It does not send messages. Keep any customer communication, response, and revised arrangement in the appropriate records and update the planner deliberately.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Deliver, confirm, and close as separate steps

Before recording delivery, complete or explicitly set aside every work step, resolve requirements, and decide pending scope requests. Each approved change needs its linked work step completed or explained as no longer required. A list of ticked steps alone is not a delivery record.

Keep the actual delivery date and what was handed over, then record delivery. Afterward, capture customer confirmation, unresolved issues, and the invoicing next step. Delivery does not mean the customer has accepted the result, an invoice has been issued, or money has arrived.

To close the job, resolve issues and record either customer confirmation or why acknowledgment is not required. Review whether billing is ready, already recorded elsewhere, or not due under the arrangement. Use the invoice tracker for invoice and payment records. Preserve a practical lesson for the next job.

Reopening retains the previous state and delivery details in history and starts a fresh completion review. Pausing or canceling requires an explanation. These actions describe the working record; they do not notify the customer or cancel a contract.

Keep a book you can return to

Download editable book (.json) preserves jobs, people, dependencies, recorded decisions, histories, and unfinished close-out edits. Reopen it here to continue. Download after changes and before closing: account saving is not connected in this working draft. Opening another delivery book replaces the open book after confirmation; it does not merge them.

PDF and text downloads are reading copies. The PDF preview has a clearly labeled Download PDF action. Private job reports include history and internal notes; the customer progress copy contains a smaller, reviewed set of fields. Files are not password protected.

A book holds up to 30 jobs and 20 people or roles. Each job supports 50 work steps, 30 requirements, 20 requested changes, and 160 history entries. Hours support up to two decimal places. Workload results use current corrected records, not a reconstruction of what you knew on a past date.

A fictional worked example

One order, one missing approval, one busy owner

A fictional workshop has agreed a counter-display order.

The promise: Supply the agreed holders in the selected finish by Friday, with a check and delivery handover.
The dependency: The customer has not confirmed the finish. Production waits on that approval; delivery depends on production.
The workload: The owner has 12 available work hours and 4 reserved for other commitments. Production needs 6 hours and checking/delivery needs 3: 9 hours of work against 8 available.
The requested extra: Engraved labels would add 2 hours and an illustrative USD 45.00. The request is kept outside the agreed scope while its effect is discussed.
The action: Confirm the finish, discuss who can cover the one-hour shortfall or which date can change, and get a clear decision on the labels before promising them.

Try it in your own situation

Plan one real job through to the handover

Record the customer, scope, exclusions, completion criteria, and the actual agreement evidence.
List the materials, information, access, and approvals the work needs.
Create the work steps, linking only their real dependencies.
Assign remaining effort and work dates; compare those hours with availability for the same window.
Record requested extras separately and turn approved changes into planned work.
Record delivery, review customer confirmation and billing, and keep the next action clear.
Download the editable book so you can return to the work tomorrow.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

SBA: Manage your business
US business management background.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

See what matters. Choose what happens next.

Bring the moving parts of your business into view without losing the promises, evidence and people behind them.

Start with the business in front of you

You may have one customer conversation to follow up, or a week full of invoices, jobs and supplier questions. Begin with the work you actually have. A manual action is enough to start; you do not need to fill every tool before using this overview.

Name the business or part of the business you are reviewing. Choose a review date. This date determines which commitments appear due; it does not reconstruct a complete historical business position from today’s source files.

Know what is in your picture

Add editable JSON files from Job Cost & Profit Review, Invoices & Payments, Business Spending, Cash Timing, Customer Follow-ups, Quote & Scope, Customer Opportunities, Job & Delivery, Deadlines & Renewals, Business Records, Business Routines, Suppliers & Purchasing, Business Continuity & Owner Backup, Stock & Supplies, and Equipment & Maintenance. Read the preview before adding a file. The overview stores a selected copy and does not change the original.

Sources & coverage shows the tool areas you included and those still unknown. No findings from a file does not prove that the underlying business has no problems. Missing records, unrecorded payments, and work tracked elsewhere remain outside this view.

The source file’s review date, the import date and the date you actually checked the information are different. Record a checked date only after comparing the copy with current events. Choose a sensible interval for checking it again. Loading the same file again does not make old information fresh.

Read the reason behind the finding

The overview uses the existing tools’ attention rules and selected additional checks for open invoices, bills, customer commitments and quotes. Each entry explains why it appears, its relevant dates, information basis, source and a suggested next step. An owner still decides its importance.

Use the area, source, date and search filters. The main view includes dates that have passed, today, the next seven days and undated work. Later dates are available separately. Some source tools flag only matters inside their review window, so this is an attention review rather than a complete calendar.

Counts represent source entries, not unique business problems. Several reasons concerning one record are grouped together. The same real-world issue can still appear in different tools. There is no invented business health score.

Keep financial meaning intact

An unpaid invoice, a supplier bill, a possible sale and an estimated receipt mean different things. The overview keeps their descriptions, currencies and source context. It does not add them into one misleading money figure. Cash Timing findings describe the entered base forecast; they are not a current bank balance.

Read the overview alongside your financial records and the original source tools. This overview is an action aid built from selected working files. It does not replace bookkeeping, a profit-and-loss statement, a balance sheet, or a cash-flow forecast, and it cannot establish that the books are complete.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Connect the work before choosing the action

A late supplier delivery may block a customer job. A missing document may delay a renewal. Select related findings when creating an action, then explain the dependency in your own words. The overview never assumes two customers, documents or orders are the same because their names look similar.

Choose the decision or result, why it matters, a concrete next step, the responsible person and a date. Link as many relevant findings as the task needs within the working file limits. A linked action does not hide its source findings.

Make room for a realistic plan

Choose a manageable set of actions for this review. Give each one a practical next step, an owner, and a point to check progress. Decide what belongs in this review, what comes next, and what can wait.

Enter the hours you realistically have and estimate your own effort where you can. The overview compares available hours with actions marked This review and To do. Unknown effort remains visibly unknown. Waiting, delegated and deferred work is retained but excluded from your own planned hours.

Waiting and deferred actions need a reason and a return date. Delegated work also needs a named person. Done and set-aside actions need a dated outcome. These choices describe the overview action; they do not record a payment, finish a customer job or discharge an obligation in another tool.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Refresh without losing your decisions

Choose Refresh on the source you want to update. Check the preview of new, changed and no-longer-flagged entries before accepting. Stable book identities and overlapping record identities help prevent a second copy being counted again. Files with no book identity require particular care when you choose their replacement.

A refreshed source retains your action plan and highlights changed or missing linked findings. A finding disappearing can mean completion, a changed date, a deleted record or a different scope. Check the outcome instead of assuming the work is done. Excluding a source retains its copy and linked actions while removing its findings from the current review.

Refreshing changed contents clears the previous freshness check. An older numbered revision cannot replace a newer one. Different contents with the same revision produce a warning for your review. Separate files and tools do not synchronize automatically.

Keep something useful for your next visit

Record what moved forward, what you learned and the next review date. Download the editable overview after changes. It includes selected source snapshots, your actions and review history. Reopen it to continue. The working draft holds the open work in this page; account saving remains separate.

Preview and download a PDF or text reading copy of the overview or the action plan. Keep the action plan beside the weekly review worksheet. Review private details before sharing a reading copy or the complete backup.

To change underlying work, download the source copy from Sources & coverage and reopen it in its own tool. Bring the newer file back through Refresh. Each overview supports up to 200 source files and 10,000 actions, subject to a 96 MB backup limit and the source tools’ own limits.

Try it in your own situation

Build a review you can use today

Name the work you want to review and choose the date.
Add a relevant tool file or one manual action.
Check the source’s age and what is missing from your coverage.
Read a finding’s reason and identify any related customer work or obligation.
Choose an action, owner and date; explain what depends on it.
Compare the work you chose with the time you actually have.
Keep an editable backup, then return to record what changed.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

SBA: Manage your business
US business management background.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Get what you need and keep work moving.

Make supplier choices, orders, deliveries and unfinished promises easier to follow—from a first purchase to repeat business.

Begin where the purchase actually stands

You might need packaging for your first sale, materials for a customer job, a contractor’s help, replacement equipment, or a better record of an order already placed. Start with that work. A purchase already made does not need an invented quote-request history.

Write what is needed, why, where it will be used, and how you will recognize an acceptable result. Separate what you know from an estimate or unanswered question. The planner lets unknown quantities and dates remain blank.

Choose a supplier for the whole job

Price is one part of a supplier decision. NIST’s supplier-selection guidance also considers capabilities, capacity, quality and communication. Use evidence relevant to your particular purchase: a sample, a confirmed specification, a checked reference, or the supplier’s response to a practical question.

Keep usual lead time separate from the date promised for this order. Record minimum quantities and pack sizes explicitly. A supplier can have several contacts or locations, each serving a different purpose.

Background: NIST: Eight ways to improve supplier selection

Compare offers on an understandable basis

Retain the supplier’s reference and revision, included work, quantity and unit, price, charges, available date, payment terms, exclusions and open questions. A lower unit price may cover a different pack, specification or service result.

The planner keeps currencies separate and makes no automatic pack conversion. Unknown freight, tax or quantities leave a total incomplete. Enter zero only when the charge is known to be zero. Offer comparisons can include as many entries as the work requires within the stated file limits.

When selecting an offer line for an order, the planner retains its original contents. A later offer revision cannot silently change that selection. You may divide a requirement among suppliers and select partial quantities.

Make the agreement clear before relying on it

Record the buyer, supplier, reference, goods or services, specifications, quantities, location, required and promised dates, payment terms, and acceptance criteria. For outside services, explain the result or milestone and how it will be reviewed. Keep a reference to the actual agreement rather than treating a draft order as proof of acceptance.

Draft, internal review, actually placed and supplier acknowledged are different positions. A downloaded purchase order is a document; it does not send itself or establish acceptance. Record the actual event date and evidence. A changed arrangement needs its own explanation, while a record correction should be identified as a correction.

Background: SBA: Manage your business

Record arrival and acceptance separately

A delivery may be short, damaged, substituted or awaiting inspection. Record the physical quantity that arrived first. Then record what was accepted, rejected or still awaiting a check. ERPNext’s purchasing documentation distinguishes accepted and rejected quantities and supports receipts for part of an order.

Use separate entries for each delivery and separate lines where timing or acceptance criteria differ. For services, the unit might be a milestone, hour or completed result. Submission is not the same as acceptance. Name the reviewer and retain the actual result or evidence.

Excess or substituted goods need an explicit acceptance decision. For hired equipment, keep collection and return condition, the due-back date, actual return and any security deposit issue visible.

Background: ERPNext: Purchase Receipt

Follow the problem through to its actual resolution

An issue needs an affected line, evidence, consequence, requested resolution, supplier response, next action, owner and check date. A defect discovered after acceptance may make previously accepted units unusable; check any customer-job allocations before correcting that supply.

A return request, authorization, dispatch and acknowledgment are separate events. Replacement receipts link back to the original issue and do not increase the original order quantity. ERPNext also treats purchase returns as linked transactions rather than simply deleting the receipt.

Keep a promised credit or refund open until the actual document or receipt is recorded. A credit document and a cash refund are different outcomes. Record any accounting follow-through still needed; this planner does not create accounting adjustments.

Background: ERPNext: Purchase Return

Review bills against the agreement and the work

Compare the supplier’s bill with the agreed order and the received or accepted work. Check references, quantities, unit prices, charges and agreed billing milestones. One bill can cover several orders, and an order can have several bills; allocate the amounts explicitly.

Billing before receipt is not automatically a mistake. An agreement can include advance or milestone payments. Odoo’s purchasing documentation distinguishes ordered-quantity and received-quantity billing controls. The appropriate check depends on the actual terms.

Keep the full purchase cost separate from prepayments already made. Applying a prepayment reduces the remaining amount to pay; it does not create another purchase cost. The Spending handoff prepares an unconfirmed full-bill cost draft, and deliberately does not export a prepayment as an extra cost. Review existing entries and record actual payments in Spending.

Background: Odoo: Vendor billing controls (official documentation source)

Connect supply to the customer work it supports

Allocate accepted quantities to identifiable jobs. The same accepted units cannot be allocated twice. If an acceptance record must be reduced, resolve affected allocations first so the customer plan remains honest.

Review a copy into the existing Job & Delivery book. The receiving requirement stays waiting unless you explicitly review it as ready. A purchase’s arrival alone does not complete the customer job.

Selected receiving instructions can become a fresh checklist or a draft routine. Selected document pointers can become a Records collection, and hire, warranty or notice dates can become unconfirmed Deadlines entries. Each transfer preserves its source reference and needs a review; these files do not synchronize automatically.

Return to the unresolved work

Use the attention view for missing next actions, expired offers, missing acknowledgments, overdue or undated supply, pending inspection, supplier issues, bills to review and hire or notice dates. Search by the words, supplier, order, job or owner in the records.

Archiving keeps history and does not erase unfinished promises. Before closing an order, resolve outstanding quantities, inspection and open issues. Use the dated attention reading copy in your weekly review.

Download the complete JSON purchasing book after changes and reopen it to continue. PDF and CSV copies help with reading or sharing; they do not contain the complete editable relationships and history. Review the supplier-facing preview before sharing, including any information you entered into ordinary agreement fields.

Try it in your own situation

Take one purchase through the next useful step

Describe the goods or result you need and what acceptable means.
Record the supplier and the offer or agreement you actually have.
Add order lines with explicit units and known or unknown prices.
Record placement and acknowledgment only when they happen.
Record each receipt, inspection and service result separately.
Give each shortfall or issue an owner, next action and check date.
Review bills, prepayments and job allocations without counting the same amount or units twice.
Preview any shared document and download the editable book before closing.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

NIST: Eight ways to improve supplier selection
Supplier evaluation factors; the planner’s workflow is Brass Charter’s implementation.
SBA: Manage your business
US business management background.
ERPNext: Purchase Receipt
Reference workflow for partial receipts, accepted and rejected quantities, and inspection.
ERPNext: Purchase Return
Reference workflow for linking returned goods to purchasing records.
Odoo: Vendor billing controls (official documentation source)
Ordered-quantity and received-quantity billing policies are distinct. Product documentation is a workflow benchmark, not a rule for every contract.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Give every customer conversation a useful next step.

Keep the relationship, the possible work, and the next commitment clear—from a first inquiry to a repeat order.

Begin with the inquiry you have

An inquiry may be your first prospective customer, a requested estimate, a sample discussion, or a possible repeat order. Record what the person asked about and one useful next step. You can leave price and decision timing unknown while you find out more.

A useful first result is a recognizable customer, a clearly named request, and a commitment you can return to. Additional detail can develop with the conversation.

Separate the relationship from the possible work

One customer can have several potential jobs at the same time. Give each distinct buying decision its own opportunity. Keep later messages about the same request with that opportunity.

A company may involve a buyer, project contact, and adviser. Link the relevant people and roles without making one contact stand in for everyone. HubSpot documents similar relationships among customers, contacts, and deals.

Background: HubSpot: Associate records

Understand the request before filling in the blanks

Record the desired result, requested timing, location, and questions still unanswered. Preserve what the customer actually said separately from your interpretation.

Use the Customer Conversation Planner to prepare a discussion. You can bring selected findings into an opportunity through a reviewed file import. An imported next-step suggestion remains a note until you create its commitment.

Keep progress and outcomes distinct

Stages describe where active work stands: understanding requirements, preparing an offer, or waiting for a decision. Adapt their names to your business. A straightforward order can be agreed without visiting every stage.

Record the actual outcome separately. Paused work needs a review position. A customer declining an offer is different from your business withdrawing or finding an inquiry unsuitable. Archiving preserves that distinction and the history.

Make the next commitment visible

Describe the action, the person taking it, and when to act or check again. Waiting for somebody still benefits from a next check. More than one promise can be open for an opportunity.

Record an actual outcome when work happens. Completing a contact attempt does not mean a conversation took place. Pipedrive's activity documentation distinguishes planned dates and completion records; Brass Charter asks you to record the actual date and outcome.

Background: Pipedrive: Activities

Return to a useful attention view

Review overdue commitments, today's work, waiting responses, inquiries without a next step, passed expected-decision dates, and paused work ready to revisit. Upcoming commitments remain available too.

Closed or archived opportunities can still have unfinished promises. These remain visible until you record their outcome. OnePageCRM's action-centered workspace is a useful benchmark for bringing next actions into daily view.

Background: OnePageCRM: Action Stream

Preserve the offer the customer actually considered

Prepare a quote draft from selected customer and request details, then open the downloaded draft in Quote & Scope Builder. Review and complete its scope, prices, and customer document there.

Bring each shared quote revision back into the opportunity with its actual shared date. Reference and revision identify the retained copy. A later revision does not overwrite an earlier one. Before attaching a quote, check that its named customer belongs to this inquiry.

Record exactly what was agreed

When recording agreement, describe the agreed scope, actual decision date, and where the agreement can be checked. You can select the agreed items from an earlier retained quote. The amount follows those items and that quote's tax treatment.

For partial quantities or different terms, prepare a revised quote or record a separate agreement with a clear value basis. An agreement entry does not issue an invoice or record payment. Prepare and review a separate delivery draft before beginning the work.

Keep values and summaries understandable

Unknown values stay unknown. Describe what each amount covers: one job, one order, or a specified recurring period. Different currencies and outcomes remain separate in summaries.

A potential-work total is an estimate based on your entries. An agreed-work total describes recorded agreements. Neither is cash received. Expected decision dates are not payment dates. Review the underlying work when amounts cover different periods.

Bring existing information across deliberately

Map contact CSV columns, review each row, and decide whether to create a contact, use a possible existing match, or skip it. Reusing a contact preserves its details and adds the reviewed customer relationship. Original files stay unchanged.

Existing Brass Charter follow-up files can also be reviewed and assigned to opportunities. Their original context and history remain available. Exact repeated files are rejected to avoid duplicate imports; changed files still need review. Completing an imported follow-up does not turn its opportunity into a sale.

Keep a copy that supports your next visit

Download the editable JSON customer book after changes and before closing. Reopening replaces the current book with that complete file rather than appending its records. PDF, text, and spreadsheet exports are separate reading copies.

Select whether notes, contact details, and history belong in a shared summary. A handover PDF can explain the relationship, agreed scope, and open commitments. Transfers to other tools create independent copies and do not synchronize changes.

Learn from the work without rewriting it

Record customer feedback and why work proceeded, stopped, or was postponed. For a genuinely new purchase, create a linked repeat opportunity with fresh commitments and an unknown value.

Meaningful corrections retain an earlier entry. Recovery restores it only when the record has not changed again and related work remains consistent. The practical aim is a record someone can understand when they return.

Try it in your own situation

Take one inquiry through a useful next step

Record the customer and their request.
Identify the people involved and what remains uncertain.
Choose the next commitment and an appropriate date.
Record the conversation outcome and actual progress.
Retain the quote revision shared with the customer.
Record the decision and prepare a reviewed handover if work is agreed.
Download the editable book and reopen it to check that your work is there.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

HubSpot: Associate records
Benchmark for linking people, organizations, and distinct opportunities; product documentation does not establish customer outcomes.
Pipedrive: Activities
Scheduled and completed activity are separate facts.
OnePageCRM: Action Stream
Benchmark for finding dated actions, waiting responses, and relevant customer context.
Digital.gov: How to conduct an interview
An interview model from US federal digital-service research.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Make the work easier to follow, every time.

Turn practical business knowledge into instructions someone can use. Try them, keep each run separate, and learn from the work.

Begin with a job you already understand

Choose something that happens again: bringing a customer into the business, preparing a delivery, reviewing paperwork, or covering a responsibility while someone is away. Start with the work in front of you. A short routine can be useful long before you have a complete business manual.

A procedure explains the reusable way of working. A run records one occasion when that work happens. A follow-up action records something that needs attention. Keep these three things distinct so improving the instructions does not erase yesterday’s work.

Find out how the work actually happens

Ask the person who knows the task to explain it while walking through a real or representative situation. Notice the information they look for, decisions they make, things they check, and moments when they ask for help. Write down the useful knowledge that someone else would otherwise have to guess.

Ask someone who performs the task to help write and try the instructions. Make the detail appropriate to the person using them and the consequences of a missed step. Instructions support preparation and experience; they do not establish competence by themselves.

Background: EPA: Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures

Make the starting point and result clear

Name what starts the routine, who maintains the instructions, and the result that should be observable at the end. Add the business, location, and situations where the procedure applies. If another situation needs different instructions, say so.

Preparation can include an agreed proposal, access to the right records, ordinary materials, or experience needed for the work. Identify who can provide cover and when to stop and ask for help. Describe where information is available without putting passwords or unnecessary personal details in the playbook.

Give each step an action and a check

Use a clear action such as “confirm the appointment” and an observable check such as “the customer’s agreed time and contact person are recorded.” Add explanation where it helps the person doing the task. Group related steps when that makes the work easier to follow.

A conditional step needs a condition that can be checked: “Arrange site access when this service includes a visit.” During the run, record whether that condition applies. A dependency identifies a step that must be resolved first. Required checks should be clearly marked; their purpose is to make the work’s requirements visible.

Try the draft before choosing it for use

Run through the instructions and record who tried them, when, the outcome, and where help was needed. A self-test is useful; another person’s walkthrough can reveal knowledge the writer took for granted. The tool records which kind of test occurred.

The EPA’s 2007 procedure guidance recommends review and testing of draft instructions, including testing by people other than the writer. Here, a successful walkthrough belongs to the exact draft tried. Changing the draft requires another walkthrough before that revision can be chosen for use.

Background: EPA: Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures

Keep each occasion separate

Name a run so you can recognize it later: the customer reference, delivery, day, or responsibility being covered. Identify the person doing it and any planned or due date. Starting the run records the actual start; recording a step records what actually happened.

A new run begins unchecked. A completed step needs a result, and a blocked or skipped step needs an explanation. Not applicable is a decision about a conditional step, not a substitute for unfinished work. The summary shows these positions separately.

Give problems somewhere to go

If a customer has not supplied necessary information, record what is missing, how it affects the work, who will follow it through, and the next action. Pause work where appropriate. A run can close with explicitly recorded exceptions, while its unresolved follow-ups stay visible.

An improvement may be useful even when the run finishes successfully. Record the idea, what you decide, how you try it, and the result. A readiness issue is different: it needs resolution before a draft is selected for use. Names entered here describe your arrangements; the tool does not contact or assign work to those people.

Change the instructions without rewriting the past

A revision starts as a draft copied from the selected version. Review it, test it, and deliberately choose it for use. New runs use that version. Earlier runs retain their original instructions, results, and change history.

When instructions change during a run, compare the versions and record whether to continue or pause. Replacing an open run preserves it and creates a separate replacement. Review each prior result before recording work in the replacement; completed checks are not carried forward automatically. Process Street’s documentation also treats applying new instructions to active runs as an explicit update operation.

Background: Process Street: What Updates When I Publish My Workflow?

Return to the work that still needs attention

Use the attention view to find blocked work, paused runs, dated follow-ups, and instructions due for review. Search routines and runs by a recognizable name, person, or context. Open actions remain visible even after a related run is closed or replaced.

Timing can be recurring, such as a weekly administrative routine, or triggered by an event, such as an accepted quote. Next-use dates are planning entries. Starting a run does not automatically change them, and this working tool does not send reminders. Review the next date deliberately.

Keep a useful copy and prepare a handover

Download the editable JSON playbook after changes and before closing. Reopen that file here to restore routines, versions, runs, and actions. Procedure and run PDFs are readable copies; the editable file is the copy that lets you continue working.

The PDF selection screen lets you choose steps and optional notes, references, and history. Review the preview before sharing. A selected-step document is labeled as a partial copy. A handover summary gathers the purpose, preparation, support, open runs, and unresolved actions for a conversation with the next person.

Connect the work you already have

Import a reusable Brass Charter checklist to create a new draft procedure. Read the preview before importing. Groups, instructions, and completion checks come across; previously checked boxes do not become completed runs. Add the context the routine needs and test the draft.

Records, Deadlines, Delivery, and Handover links help you reach the relevant neighboring tools. Enter related references deliberately. These navigation links do not synchronize entries or grant access to referenced documents.

A fictional worked example

Two customers, one routine, a change in the middle

A fictional service business is organizing its customer onboarding.

The draft: The owner describes how to confirm the scope, arrange the first appointment, handle site access when needed, and check the information to bring.
The walkthrough: A colleague tries the instructions. An unclear access step is revised, then tried again before the version is chosen for use.
The two runs: Customer A and Customer B receive separate run references and unchecked steps. Each keeps the same initial procedure version.
The obstacle: Customer B has not confirmed access. That run records the block and a follow-up with an owner and date. Customer A can continue independently.
The revision: The owner improves the access instructions. Customer B’s run retains its earlier version until the owner compares the change and records what should happen.
The replacement: If a replacement is appropriate, the earlier run remains available. Prior results are reviewed before being entered into the replacement. The original access follow-up remains visible.
The return visit: The downloaded playbook restores both customers’ runs, the procedure versions, and the outstanding action.

Try it in your own situation

Take one routine from memory to a useful first run

Choose one recurring task and name its trigger and successful result.
Write the actions and a completion check for each.
Add preparation, conditional steps, and help where needed.
Try the instructions and record the actual walkthrough.
Revise unclear details, try the changed draft, and choose a version for use.
Create a named run and record what happens without overwriting the instructions.
Give problems an owner, next action, and follow-up date.
Review the outcome and prepare any improvement as a separate revision.
Download the editable playbook and review a PDF of the details you want to share.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

EPA: Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures
Procedure-writing background from an environmental quality context; not a requirement for every business.
Process Street: What Updates When I Publish My Workflow?
Product documentation on deliberately applying workflow changes to active runs. Referenced as a workflow benchmark; Brass Charter uses its own retained-version behavior.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Find the record. Understand what it answers.

Make important records findable, distinguish versions, resolve missing information, and prepare the right details for a particular job.

Begin with the question the record needs to answer

A first receipt is a useful start. So is a customer asking for proof of insurance, an accountant asking about a purchase, or a colleague taking over a responsibility. Name the record and the purpose it serves. Add the business, period, issuer, reference, related work, and responsible person as you learn them.

Categories are suggestions, not a universal checklist. Add your own. A register can focus on one business or working context; individual records can identify a different business explicitly. Keep sensitive identifiers and unnecessary personal details out of titles.

Keep several pieces of evidence together when the task needs them

A purchase can involve an invoice, a payment confirmation, a delivery record, and a warranty. Give each record its own identity, then collect the relevant versions around the job. The same record can support more than one collection.

The IRS explains, in its US tax-recordkeeping guidance, that a combination of supporting documents may establish the details of a purchase or expense. This is a useful example of why a single file may not answer every question. The organizer does not determine tax treatment or whether a record meets a legal requirement.

Background: IRS: What kind of records should I keep?

Separate having a copy from checking it

Availability describes whether a copy is missing, requested, located, received, or unavailable. Review describes whether someone has checked it for a stated purpose or still has questions. Version status describes a draft, issued copy, recorded signature, superseded copy, or withdrawn copy. These are separate facts.

For a review, record the actual person or role, date, purpose, and findings. “Signature recorded” describes what you recorded about a copy; it does not authenticate a signature or establish its legal effect. Review the source and actual document for the decision you need to make.

Make the original findable and test access

A location can be an existing web link, folder, paper original, provider portal, or another person’s custody. Record who can arrange access. You may keep multiple locations for one version.

A written location starts as access not checked. After actually opening or locating the copy, record who checked it and when. If a location changes, save it as unchecked before recording the new check. A successful check is a dated observation, not a promise of permanent access.

The organizer stores references and your notes. It does not upload original documents, scan folders, request permissions, or verify links automatically. Entering another person’s name does not give them access.

Choose which version applies, deliberately

Give each distinct copy a recognizable label. Add replacements as new versions. Use corrections for mistakes in an existing version’s details. Changes to its label, source, status, or document dates reset its review, while preserving the earlier entry.

Designate a checked, accessible issued copy for a specific purpose and period. A new draft does not take over. Different periods or purposes can point to different versions. A superseded copy can remain part of the history of the time it applied.

Give related records meaningful names and keep their version relationships visible. Select the version you intend to use and retain the relevant history. Possible duplicates are highlighted from matching names or references; compare their context yourself before deciding how to handle them.

Background: IRS: What kind of records should I keep?

Follow the missing information through to a useful response

Record what is needed, why, who may have it, who is following through, the request date, a next follow-up date, and what would satisfy the request. You can link a request to a record, a collection, or both.

Partial, unsuitable, and unavailable responses remain open. Add response versions as they arrive. To record a requirement as satisfied, select the relevant checked copies and explain how they meet the requirement, with the reviewer and actual date. Record a reason when information is no longer required.

If a selected response later needs review or loses checked access, the request comes back into attention for rechecking. The earlier outcome remains in history. This tool records your follow-through; it does not send a request or contact anyone.

Prepare collections for the person and purpose

Name a collection for the job: a customer’s requirements, equipment warranty evidence, a bookkeeper’s questions, or a handover. Add each requirement even while its record or version is missing.

Pin each requirement to the specific version you reviewed. Record what it answers and any remaining gap. A replacement elsewhere in the register does not change the collection’s selection. If the selected version’s review or access later becomes uncertain, the collection shows that it needs attention.

Choose entries and optional fields before exporting a selected records list. Titles, purposes, periods, selected version labels, availability, and review position are included. Locations, review findings, and private working notes are separate choices and start unchecked. Preview the complete result before downloading the PDF. Original files are not attached or delivered with the list.

Share only the details appropriate to the task

The FTC’s business guidance recommends knowing where information is kept, who can access it, and limiting information to what the business needs. In this organizer, that means recording useful references and deliberately reviewing the details in an export.

A private record PDF includes internal notes and history. A selected records list is built from your selections and has different defaults. Inspect the preview, intended recipient, and any included locations before sharing through your usual method. Access labels here are planning records; actual permissions belong to the system or person holding the original.

Background: FTC: Protecting Personal Information — A Guide for Business

Review, archive, and return to the work

Use Needs attention for missing copies, access checks, review questions, possible duplicates, requests, and collections still being prepared. Record reviews, follow-ups, and retention reviews use the selected review window. Use the record review date to recheck its copies and access; keep retention review separate. Undated gaps and open requests remain visible, including requests connected to archived records.

Keep a retention source and review date if you have an applicable policy, requirement, or advice. The date prompts a review. It does not calculate a legal retention period or delete any original document. Archiving moves a record out of the active view; restoration brings it back with versions and history intact.

Download the editable JSON register after changes and before closing. It restores records, copies, requests, collections, and history. Opening another file replaces the current register after confirmation; it does not merge them. PDF and text are reading copies. Account saving remains deferred in this working draft.

The working file supports 500 records, 100 versions per record, 20 locations per version, 100 purpose designations per record, 1,000 requests, 200 collections, 500 requirements per collection, and 300 entries in each history, within a 20 MB file budget. These are file-handling limits rather than suggested quantities for a business. A rejected change keeps the earlier register unchanged.

A fictional worked example

A signed agreement and a newer draft

A fictional workshop is preparing a customer information request.

The record: The owner identifies the agreement, customer, purpose, and relevant period.
The two copies: The signed copy and a proposed replacement draft have separate labels, sources, and locations.
The check: The owner opens the signed copy and records what was checked against the customer request.
The designation: The checked signed version is designated for the current purpose. The newer draft does not replace it.
The collection: The customer’s requirement points to the signed version. Another missing attachment stays open as a separate requirement and request.
The output: The owner chooses the relevant entries and previews a list with internal working notes excluded. The actual originals are provided separately through the appropriate route.

Try it in your own situation

Make one record easier to use next time

Name a record and the business question it should answer.
Identify the copy or versions you have, including any draft or missing replacement.
Record where each copy is kept and actually check access where possible.
Record what you checked, when, who checked it, and any unanswered questions.
Designate an applicable version for a particular purpose if the checks support that decision.
Turn missing information into a request with a person, next date, and clear completion criteria.
Prepare a collection if several records need to answer one job.
Choose the fields in the selected list, inspect the preview, and keep an editable copy of your register.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

IRS: What kind of records should I keep?
US tax-recordkeeping background explaining supporting documents and combinations of evidence. The organizer does not assess tax compliance.
FTC: Protecting Personal Information — A Guide for Business
US business guidance on information inventories, necessary information, and access. Actual access protection remains with the original storage system.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Act before the important date passes.

Give each business obligation an owner, meaningful dates, practical preparation, and evidence of what actually happened.

Begin with the obligations your business actually has

You might be preparing your first registration, looking after a shop, delivering client services, or handing responsibility to someone else. Start with one obligation you can identify: a policy, lease, service contract, domain, subscription, inspection, maintenance task, certification, training requirement, filing, supplier condition, or seasonal commitment.

The category list is a starting vocabulary, not a checklist of requirements every business must meet. In the United States, licensing and permit requirements depend on the activity and location. Check the relevant federal, state, and local authorities, and record the actual source for each obligation.

Name the responsible person and an optional backup. Record why the obligation matters, the relevant provider or authority, a reference, and where its actual conditions are recorded. People named here are planning labels; entering a name does not assign a shared account or notify anyone.

Background: SBA: Launch your business

Separate the dates and their meanings

A renewal date may be much later than the last day to give notice. A submission deadline may need documents, a payment, or an appointment well beforehand. Add every relevant date: preparation, decision, notice, submission, payment, expiry, renewal, follow-up, the obligation due date, or a custom date.

Choose whether each date requires action or is a reference milestone. A reference milestone can still need attention—for example, an expiry approaching while confirmation is missing—but it is not automatically treated as an unfinished task or exported as an action.

Keep unknown dates blank. Keep proposed dates marked unconfirmed. A confirmed date requires its source and the date you actually checked it. Record time cutoffs, time zones, delivery methods, and other conditions in the action or source notes where they matter. This planner compares calendar dates; it does not calculate contractual notice rules, holidays, business-day adjustments, or legal entitlements.

Check the actual agreement for notice periods, renewal conditions, payment terms, and the required way to give notice. Keep a traceable reference in the register rather than borrowing a notice period from an example.

Background: SBA: Launch your business

Prepare the work, not just the reminder

A useful entry says what someone can do next. List documents to gather, information to confirm, people to ask, appointments to arrange, approvals to obtain, and the action that completes the requirement. Assign a person or role and a planned date where you know them.

Link preceding steps only when the work really depends on them. The planner rejects dependency loops and prevents a dependent step being marked done while its prerequisites are unfinished. Completion dates also need to make sense in that order.

A Checklist Builder file can add a repeatable preparation process. Earlier checkmarks do not carry over. Review the imported wording and set dates, people, and dependencies for this occurrence. Long combined instructions are shortened to the field limit, so check the original checklist for details that matter.

Use the attention view as a working review

Choose a review date and a look-ahead period from 1 to 366 days. The attention view includes earlier unresolved dates, upcoming actions and milestones, waiting responses, missing owners or sources, and dates that still need verification. Filter the list to the question you are dealing with.

A passed date is a prompt to review the record; it is not an automatic finding that a contract ended or a legal requirement was breached. Unconfirmed dates remain explicitly labeled. Current records drive the review, even when you choose a past review date.

Several attention items can belong to one occurrence. An unverified deadline may appear both as approaching and as needing verification. All obligations remains available for searching people, categories, providers, references, open occurrences, and completed records.

Keep a request separate from a confirmed outcome

Record what was actually done, the date, and its evidence. Submitted, awaiting confirmation, and cancellation requested remain open states. Keep who you are waiting for and the next action together; a missing follow-up date is flagged for review.

Before recording completion or renewal, resolve the action dates and preparation steps. Each can be completed with evidence or explicitly marked no longer required with a reason. Reference milestones do not block completion merely because their date has not arrived.

A confirmed cancellation or no-longer-applicable outcome requires its actual date and evidence. It closes that occurrence without changing unfinished steps into completed ones. Closing stops that occurrence’s attention and calendar entries, so review any remaining responsibilities first. A recorded status describes your records; it does not submit an application, cancel a service, make a payment, or establish a legal outcome.

If a record was wrong, reopen the occurrence and explain why. Earlier outcome details remain in history. Date and preparation edits also preserve the previous entry and the reason for the change.

Choose the right kind of repetition

Use one-off for work that does not repeat. Use a fixed schedule when occurrences stay tied to an original anchor date. Use an interval after actual completion when the next period begins from the work’s actual completion or renewal. Use individually reviewed dates for irregular or separately confirmed occasions.

Fixed schedules always propose the next period after the latest recorded cycle reference. They do not jump over missed periods to reach today. You can prepare the next occurrence while earlier work remains unfinished; both stay visible. Completion-based schedules wait for the latest occurrence to be completed or renewed.

For month and year intervals, choose the rule explicitly. Keeping the anchor day uses the last day only when a month is too short, then returns to the original anchor day. The month-end option uses the final day of each target month. These are planning rules to check against the actual requirement. A changed schedule applies to later proposals and leaves earlier occurrences in place.

Preparing another occurrence is deliberate. It creates a proposed due date, copies the date descriptions and preparation, and clears the other dates, confirmations, evidence, and checkmarks. Verify each new deadline. A confirmed cancellation or no-longer-applicable latest occurrence must be reviewed or reopened before continuing the series.

Keep evidence that another person can follow

Useful evidence might be a certificate reference, a provider confirmation, a submitted application receipt, an inspection record, or the location of the checked contract. The register stores references and notes, not uploaded documents. Keep the original evidence in the appropriate place.

An occurrence label can identify the period, equipment check, or renewal. Previous occurrences remain selectable. History records include the earlier entry and your explanation, so a corrected deadline does not silently replace the old one.

For a handover, review the attention list with the next responsible person, confirm they can locate the sources, and agree which actions they are taking. Use Spending for the related cost and payment records. Opening another tool does not automatically transfer obligations or financial entries.

Choose what goes into your calendar

The calendar review offers confirmed, unresolved action dates plus planned preparation and follow-up dates through your review window. Earlier unresolved dates are included. Reference milestones and unverified obligation dates are excluded. Select the entries you actually want before downloading the .ics file.

Entries are all-day markers, labeled by their purpose. They include the obligation, occurrence, action, and responsible person shown in the review. Internal source references, private notes, and provider contact details are excluded. Check any time cutoff separately and choose a suitable calendar before importing business information.

The export follows the iCalendar file format. It creates a copy, not a live connection. Register edits, rescheduling, closure, and later exports do not reliably update or remove entries already imported into your calendar. Review those entries yourself; repeated imports may create duplicates. Notifications are controlled by your calendar application and its settings, not by this planner.

Background: IETF RFC 5545: iCalendar

Keep the register you can reopen

Download editable register (.json) keeps the obligations, occurrences, dates, preparation, repeat patterns, and history. Reopen it here to continue. Download after changes and before closing; account saving is not connected in this working draft. Opening a register replaces the open one after confirmation rather than merging records.

The PDF preview includes a clearly labeled Download PDF action. PDF and text are reading copies; calendar files contain the selected events. These outputs do not replace the editable register. Private reports may include contacts, notes, and evidence references, so review the intended audience before sharing.

A working register supports 100 obligations, 120 occurrences per obligation, 30 dates and 50 preparation steps per occurrence, and 150 changes in each history. Size checks preserve the earlier register when a record would exceed the working limit. Keep a copy before continuing in another register. These are file-handling limits, not a list of what your business ought to track.

A fictional worked example

The October decision behind a December renewal

A fictional owner is reviewing a workshop service agreement.

The dates: The agreement renews in December, but its checked notice deadline is in October. Both dates are recorded with their different meanings.
The preparation: The owner reviews usage, checks the current terms, and discusses the service before deciding. The notice step depends on that decision.
The request: Notice is submitted and its reference kept. The occurrence remains Cancellation requested while provider confirmation is missing.
The follow-up: A planned follow-up date brings the pending confirmation back into view. Submission alone is not recorded as cancellation confirmed.
The result: When the outcome is confirmed, the owner records the evidence and resolves any remaining responsibilities before closing the occurrence.

Try it in your own situation

Build a register around one real obligation

Identify the requirement, its source, the responsible person, and why it matters.
Find every relevant date, especially any action required before expiry or renewal.
Verify known dates and keep unknown ones visibly unresolved.
List the documents, decisions, and preparation needed; link real dependencies.
Review the earliest action, waiting responses, and dates that need checking.
Record what actually happened and keep a confirmation reference.
If it repeats, review the pattern and prepare the next occurrence without losing unfinished work.
Download the editable register and any action list or calendar entries you need.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

SBA: Launch your business
US business structures, registrations, and licensing background.
IETF RFC 5545: iCalendar
Primary specification for the calendar file format used by the export. Import behavior and notifications depend on the receiving calendar application.

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The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Give the business a way forward.

Prepare for an absence or interruption with arrangements people can find, understand, and try.

Begin with a situation you can picture

Imagine you cannot work tomorrow. Think about the first person who would need an answer, the next promise due, and the information someone would need to find. You can start with a single activity. A business with one owner can still make useful arrangements for communication, rescheduling, and a responsible pause.

Write down the business or part of the business your plan covers. Include the locations, people, working hours, and seasonal commitments that could change your priorities. An initial plan can contain open questions; give them a next action as you learn more.

Decide what needs to continue

List the products, services, and responsibilities you would need to continue, pause, or restore. For each one, identify the people, information, and practical arrangements it depends on. Ready.gov provides US preparedness resources for developing a broader business continuity plan.

For each activity, describe a minimum workable service. An owner may be unable to complete a specialist job while a trusted person can still explain a delay to the customer. Record how long the activity can wait and your desired recovery time. Those times are your planning assumptions, not guarantees.

Background: Ready.gov: Ready Business

Agree the help and its limits

A name in a plan is a starting point. Speak with the person about availability, what they know, and what they are willing and authorized to do. Record the limits. A colleague who can arrange appointments may still need someone else to approve refunds or changed contract terms.

Keep proposed, confirmed, and tested arrangements distinct. A confirmation should explain what was agreed, who checked it, and when. A practical test should say what was tried and what it established. Changing the responsibility means checking whether the earlier arrangement still applies.

If nobody can cover the work yet, leave that visible. Consider whether the next step is an introduction, training, narrower cover, or a pause arrangement.

Check what the alternatives depend on

Map the resources each activity needs: people, equipment, software, information, premises, suppliers, utilities, and specialist services. Then describe an alternative and what must be arranged to use it.

Try a concrete question: if the usual computer is unavailable, can the alternative instructions and customer list still be reached? If the alternate supplier uses the same unavailable delivery route, is it a useful alternative for this scenario? The planner can highlight shared resources you have explicitly linked; it cannot discover unrecorded dependencies.

Compare the time needed to arrange an alternative with the time the activity needs to resume. Leave unknown estimates blank. Zero hours describes an immediate arrangement and should only be used deliberately.

Make the right information findable

Record where current instructions and business records live, which version matters, who maintains them, and how authorized access is arranged. Keep passwords and recovery secrets in the appropriate secure storage, with a reference to the agreed access process where useful.

NIST’s small-business recovery guidance includes checking the integrity of backed-up information before using it for restoration and identifying who is responsible for recovery. A recorded backup location alone does not establish that the information can be restored and used.

Record an actual access or restoration test, who performed it, and the result. Keep the plan itself somewhere accessible if the usual device or account is unavailable. A printed quick-action copy can help, provided the people involved know where to find it.

Background: NIST: Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 Small Business Quick-Start Guide

Prepare useful updates and continuing commitments

Choose who needs an update, who gives it, which facts must be checked, and when another update is due. Prepare a draft in your own voice. Explain the practical effect on the recipient and the next step you can reasonably commit to.

Identify obligations that continue during disruption: customer work, staff pay, rent, supplier commitments, and other relevant dates. Reference the supporting records. Use Cash Timing and Business Spending for detailed financial planning; the continuity plan keeps the interruption-related responsibility and next action clear.

Keep insurance contacts and relevant policy references nearby. Note the questions that need confirmation with the provider. The presence of a policy in this plan does not establish coverage for a particular event.

Try the plan with someone

Choose a realistic scenario and walk through the response. Ask the person helping to find the instructions, identify the first action, and explain when they would need help. Record what they could actually do and which information was missing.

Try the arrangements before relying on them, and revisit them when people, premises, equipment, or responsibilities change. In this tool, a practice session keeps the plan revision it used. Later plan edits do not rewrite what happened during the exercise.

If a check fails or a step is skipped, explain why and create a preparation follow-up. Record the outcome of the follow-up after trying the relevant check again. A completed checklist alone does not confirm the whole business is prepared.

Background: Ready.gov: Ready Business

Use the plan and review the recovery

During an actual disruption, follow relevant existing emergency procedures first where people may be at risk. Use the plan to coordinate business actions, record changed assumptions, and keep affected people informed. The tool is a working record; it does not monitor incidents or contact anyone.

Define observable checks for restoring service. Include the work needed to reconcile temporary notes, confirm the backlog, and prevent missed or duplicated tasks. NIST’s recovery guidance also calls for documenting the incident, response, recovery, and lessons learned.

You can close a session with improvements needed while retaining unfinished work. Keep the resulting preparation actions visible and give them an owner and a review date.

Background: NIST: Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 Small Business Quick-Start Guide

Keep the right copy for the next person

Download the editable JSON plan to reopen the complete working record. Choose a PDF reading copy for the full plan, one scenario, outstanding arrangements, or a selected person. Review the output before sharing it.

The selected-person briefing starts with no fields selected. Choose the individual pieces they need; the preview shows exactly what the briefing contains. The plan name, business, revision, and review date identify the copy. Private notes and other entries are not automatically appended.

Business Handover and Business Records imports create reviewed copies with source references. Changed imported entries are identified for review instead of silently replacing your work. A checklist export creates fresh steps; Owner Overview can review the saved continuity plan as a dated source. These files do not synchronize.

Come back when a person, supplier, system, location, or activity changes, or when a practice reveals something new. The value is in keeping the arrangements usable.

Try it in your own situation

Make one arrangement usable

Choose one activity that would need attention during an absence.
Describe the minimum service and how long it can wait.
Identify the person, instructions, and resources required.
Check the proposed alternative and its dependencies.
Practice finding the information and taking the first step.
Keep a dated copy and assign the gaps you found.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

Ready.gov: Ready Business
US business preparedness, continuity planning, training, and exercises.
NIST: Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 Small Business Quick-Start Guide
Background for information recovery responsibilities, restoration checks, and lessons after a cyber incident. The Brass Charter tool does not establish compliance or perform technical recovery.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Know what you have. Know what the work needs.

Keep usable stock, customer commitments, and expected deliveries clear enough to act on.

Begin with what matters to your work

You might keep products for sale, parts for customer jobs, packaging, cleaning supplies, or materials measured by length or volume. Start with the items whose absence, condition, or delay would interrupt the work. A small, checked record is useful immediately.

Give each distinct item or variant a recognizable name and code. Choose the unit you actually count: each, foot, liter, or another clear measure. Record its location, including a van or market stall when relevant. Different sizes or specifications belong in separate item records.

Start with reliable information about what you have, what can be used, what is promised to jobs, and what is still expected. Compare that record with actual demand before deciding what to replenish or investigate as slow-moving stock.

Background: IRS: What kind of records should I keep?

Count the opening position

Count what is physically present and separate usable goods from items awaiting inspection, held for review, or damaged. An empty field means that condition has not been counted. Enter zero when you have checked and found none.

Record the actual count date, person, and explanation. Reconcile any movement while counting before applying the result. The planner stops an old count from overwriting movements entered since that count began. A skipped location stays uncounted.

A count establishes the physical position. If fewer usable items exist than jobs require, preserve the jobs and investigate the shortage. Changing the count should not erase a customer commitment.

Background: ERPNext: Stock Reconciliation

Keep quantities with different meanings separate

Physical stock includes all recorded conditions. Usable stock excludes goods awaiting inspection, held, or damaged. Available stock also excludes usable quantities already covering reservations, entered expired stock, and goods in a transit location.

Incoming supply is a separate expectation. An order confirmation is useful information, but it does not mean the goods have arrived or passed inspection. Record each partial receipt and its actual condition. Link it to the expected supply so the remaining quantity is visible.

The planner requires a checked opening quantity before it allows an issue or transfer. Receipts entered before that count remain recorded movements with an unknown opening balance. This prevents an incomplete starting record from appearing complete.

Record the movement when the work happens

Record a receipt, sale or use, move between locations, condition change, return, loss, or disposal with its date and reason. For a transfer that takes time, use a transit location. Record arrival of the quantity that actually arrived; the remainder stays in transit.

If an entry was wrong, reverse it with a dated explanation and enter the corrected movement. The original remains in history. Use another checked count to correct a count. This working history helps explain changes; it is not an authenticated audit record.

A customer return needs its own condition assessment. Returning goods does not automatically make them usable or recreate a customer reservation. Review the remaining requirement separately.

Background: ERPNext: Stock Entry

Check packs, batches, and dates

Keep one counting unit for each item. If a supplier sells a carton of twelve, record the conversion explicitly and check it against the supplier’s specification. The movement keeps the conversion used at the time. Later pack changes do not rewrite old quantities.

Use a batch or individual serial reference when the work needs it. Enter expiry or review dates from the relevant source. The planner excludes batches that have reached their entered use-by date from availability; it does not determine product safety or validate the supplier’s date.

Keep handling and checking instructions alongside the item. A location or batch label only helps if the person doing the work can identify it.

Background: ERPNext: Selling in Different UOM

Reserve stock for a real requirement

Name the customer job or purpose, item, quantity, location, and needed date. A reservation records demand. It does not change the physical stock count. Issuing part of it reduces the remaining requirement while retaining what was issued.

If a count reveals a shortage, the uncovered commitment stays visible. Review alternatives, expected deliveries, and the customer promise. A completed issue cannot be erased by reducing the reservation below the quantity already issued.

When taking a reservation into Job & Delivery, select the existing material requirement if it already represents this work. Check actual readiness deliberately. The reviewed file transfer does not complete the job or automatically update either original file.

Background: ERPNext: Stock Reservation

Replenish around the timing of the work

Choose a review threshold, target quantity, and supplier lead time. Add a minimum order or order multiple when applicable. Record the basis and any seasonal assumptions. Blank assumptions remain unknown.

The planner compares usable stock, all outstanding entered reservations, and supply expected between the review date and the lead-time date. It rounds an indicated replenishment quantity to the entered order multiple. Overdue, undated, and later deliveries are listed separately. Commitments due before a new order could arrive remain visible.

These are planning suggestions based on your entries. They do not forecast unrecorded demand or guarantee a supplier date. Before ordering, review existing purchase commitments, quantity, lead time, affordability, and what the work actually needs. A replenishment export creates a purchasing requirement for review; it places no order.

Background: IRS: What kind of records should I keep?

Review what is sitting unused

A slow-use review can prompt a decision about stock that has not been issued recently. New or incomplete records may simply lack usage history. Distinguish that uncertainty from evidence of poor demand.

Check condition, remaining shelf life, changing specifications, and whether upcoming work still needs the item. Record the decision and next action. Keep optional unit costs dated and supported by their source and exclusions; these references do not produce an accounting stock valuation.

Bring existing records across carefully

A Purchasing file may already include receipts, returns, pending inspection, and job allocations. Preview the line, choose the stock item and location, and explicitly convert the supplier unit. Decide whether its goods are already represented by your counts or earlier movements before adding anything.

Check whether the goods have since been used, whether a job reservation already exists, and which supply is still outstanding. Repeated imported source lines are blocked. A changed source needs reconciliation against the existing record rather than adding the whole delivery again.

CSV imports create draft physical counts from the provided template. They do not immediately change available stock. Review quantities, dates, and the actual count before applying them. Reviewed files are snapshots; they do not synchronize.

Make the record useful next time

Save the editable stock book as JSON to reopen items, counts, movements, reservations, and history. Use actual PDF reading copies for stock position, replenishment, attention items, movement history, or blank count sheets. The movement CSV is a separate table copy.

Choose handling instructions to create fresh Checklist Builder steps or a draft Business Routine. Include the stock JSON in Owner Overview to review shortages, uncertain quantities, outstanding counts, and supply follow-ups alongside other business work.

Come back when stock moves and when a count, promise, or supplier date changes. The record earns its place by helping someone make the next decision.

Try it in your own situation

Check one stock position

Choose one item and its counting unit.
Identify the location and any batch or serial reference.
Count each condition; keep unknown quantities blank.
Record the date, person, and explanation, then apply the checked count.
Add any real job reservation and expected supply.
Review availability and the next action; save the editable stock book.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

IRS: What kind of records should I keep?
Federal tax recordkeeping background; supporting documents and organized records.
ERPNext: Stock Reconciliation
Primary product documentation for reconciling physical quantities. Brass Charter uses its own explicit count-review workflow.
ERPNext: Stock Entry
Reference for receipts, issues, transfers, and transit handling; the Brass Charter planner implements a narrower small-business workflow.
ERPNext: Selling in Different UOM
Reference for explicit conversions between transaction and stock units.
ERPNext: Stock Reservation
Reference for keeping reserved demand distinct from physical stock.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Keep equipment ready for the work.

Bring the item, its care and the job depending on it into the same picture.

Start with what the work depends on

This planner is for owners and small teams whose work depends on physical equipment: cleaning machines, trade tools, shop equipment, cameras, event kits and other essential items. Start with one item. Add the detail that helps your actual work.

Give equipment a recognizable name and reference. Record its usual place, responsible person and the work it supports. Owned, leased, hired and borrowed equipment can carry different care and return responsibilities. Keep the relevant terms beside the record.

Available is a question with several parts

Location, custody, condition and reservations describe different things. Equipment can be in the workshop but waiting for repair. A complete kit may still be promised to another job.

Reservations use the working time zone set in Book details. Check collection, preparation and return time as part of the reserved window. Competing tentative reservations stay visible. Confirmation is based on recorded information; recheck the actual item before use.

Record actual handovers and each item’s return. Partial kit returns leave the remaining items outstanding. Record missing contents and damaged equipment, then make a separate readiness decision when the problem has been resolved.

Use a care requirement with a source

Use manufacturer instructions, relevant professional advice, and verified federal, state, and local requirements to establish care and inspection needs. Record the source, person responsible, and work required. OSHA’s recommended practices include checking controls and carrying out preventive maintenance; the planner does not establish an equipment-specific safety schedule.

A care plan can have a first calendar date, a usage threshold, an event trigger or a combination. Record usage in the equipment’s chosen unit. Blank readings remain unknown. After a meter replacement or reset, cumulative usage retains earlier usage and adds the new display reading.

Choose whether future intervals follow original milestones or actual completion. Fixed month intervals clamp to the last valid day while retaining the original anchor. Deferred service does not count as completed service. An event trigger is a prompt to record the event and arrange the appropriate check; the planner cannot detect physical events.

Follow a fault through to a real outcome

Record the problem, affected work, responsible person and next action. New faults hold the equipment for review. Arrange appropriate service, parts and an alternative for affected jobs.

Keep expected dates separate from actual start and completion. Record the work carried out and its evidence. A completed repair stays held until the appropriate return-to-use check is recorded. This planner records decisions; it does not diagnose equipment or certify safety.

Make repair and replacement decisions with context

Compare the actual repair history with the next options: repair, replace, hire temporarily, or change how the work is delivered. Check warranty responsibilities, availability of parts and repairers, lead times and the work at risk.

Actual costs and estimates remain separate, as do currencies. Reference the relevant bill or quote line to prevent duplicate cost entries. Recorded service time covers only entered start and completion dates; it does not estimate lost revenue or calculate tax depreciation.

Retire equipment through a recorded outcome. Its history remains, and outstanding reservations still need another arrangement.

Keep your work and connect the next action

Download the editable equipment JSON to reopen the complete book. PDF files are reading copies; CSV files are tables. Preview selected information before sharing, especially with a repairer.

Bring in selected references from saved Delivery, Stock, Purchasing, Spending, Records and Continuity files. Record when you actually checked the information. Repeated imports update their existing reference; they do not add another machine or another cost.

Equipment remains responsible for its maintenance schedule. A dated action in Renewals is a copied occurrence. Routine exports start as drafts. Purchasing and continuity exports are proposals for review. Delivery requirements remain waiting until checked. Owner Overview reads a selected equipment file with its source dates. Other open files do not change automatically.

Try it in your own situation

Choose one item you would miss tomorrow

Name the equipment and the work that depends on it.
Check where it is, who has it, and its actual condition.
Record the next care requirement and its source.
Choose one practical action to protect the next job.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

OSHA: Hazard Prevention and Control
US recommended practices for checking controls and preventive maintenance; equipment needs individual assessment.
MaintainX: Maintenance plans
Primary product documentation informing the distinction between fixed and completion-based time and usage schedules.
Sortly: Equipment movements
Primary product documentation for equipment movements and return workflows.

← Back to Running a business

The Library / Running a business

Practical guide / Free to read

Understand what the work really took.

Review one customer job with clear costs, honest gaps and a better next decision.

Start with one recognizable job

Choose a customer project, repair, installation, creative commission or small order. For recurring work, set a specific review period so the price and work cover the same dates. Start with what you know; missing information stays visible.

Xero describes comparing estimates with actual project costs and assigning expenses to the work they belong to. Here that becomes a practical record: the original expectation, current agreement, costs recorded and the next action.

Background: Xero: Job costing

Keep the original plan available

Record the original offer and assumptions before revising them. Create a revised plan when work or costs change; approved price additions and reductions stay separate. A quotation is an offer until its agreement has been checked.

A plan row and an actual row are two different views of the work, not two costs to add together. For work in progress, forecast costs include recorded costs, still-outstanding commitments and additional costs to finish. When a commitment becomes a real cost, change or split it so only the remaining part stays outstanding.

Count the whole effort

Preparation, buying supplies, travel, messages, delivery, revisions and follow-up may all belong to a job. Record hours per person and the number of people; two people working three hours represent six person-hours.

Internal cost rates differ from selling rates. QuickBooks distinguishes estimated hourly labor costs from payroll expenses. Choose a rate-based estimate or mark time as already covered by a recorded cost; counting both would overstate the job cost.

An owner time allowance shows whether the job leaves room for your effort. It is not automatically a wage, a payment or a tax deduction. Historical rates stay with their entries.

Background: Intuit: Hourly labor costs and project profitability

Allocate the cost once

Keep the full cost record and allocate the share used by each job. The unallocated balance stays visible. Payments of a bill and owner reimbursements do not add another cost. A stock purchase covering several jobs should not all be charged to the first one.

Record supplier credits and returns against the relevant cost where possible. Cost figures imported from Spending may include recoverable tax; stock prices may be estimates. Review their basis before relying on the result. Equipment purchases require a considered allocation rather than automatically charging a whole asset to a single job.

Jobber explicitly warns that recording the same amount in item costs and expenses can double count it. Use distinct line references and review existing costs when importing another source.

Background: Jobber: Job costing

Read the result in layers

Start with the stated job value, then subtract entered direct costs, owner time allowances and shared running cost allowances in separate steps. The tool explains each remainder. It does not present a whole-business profit-and-loss statement.

Current agreed value, net invoices and customer cash are different measures. A deposit is not an extra sale; a refund following a customer credit is not a second reduction in price. Invoice balances include the entered customer tax, while the job review uses its stated net value basis.

Different currencies stay separate. Amounts that are blank remain unknown. Relevant missing rates, unchecked cost bases, outstanding commitments and disagreements between value and billed totals appear as review items.

Use running cost allowances consistently

Choose a fixed amount, a rate per person-hour or a percentage of direct job costs. State what the allowance includes and check it against labor rates and direct entries. The percentage basis and the chosen method are visible in the working record.

A calculation based on incomplete hours or costs is incomplete too. Entering a zero is a deliberate choice; leaving an amount blank is not evidence of no cost.

Give the next job a better starting point

Compare time, materials, rates, waste, rework and scope changes with the plan. Record the cause only when you have evidence; uncertainty is a useful finding. Choose a specific next action and a person or date when useful.

The next decision may concern scope, preparation, supplier arrangements, process, or price. Carry a specific lesson into the next estimate or quote, while keeping what the customer values separate from what the previous job cost. A job-cost review supports that decision without choosing the price for you.

A Pricing draft groups reviewed costs into fresh assumptions. Owner rates may be rounded for the new estimate and the original allowance stays described. Recheck scope, volume and possible overlap with monthly overhead.

Background: SBA: Plan your business

Keep reviewed copies and earlier conclusions

Choose a saved source file, select an entry and record when you actually checked it. Carry figures only after reviewing their meaning and currency. Repeated source identities are matched; a changed source that already supplied figures creates a reconciliation action. Original financial entries stay available.

A finished review keeps a snapshot. Later changes reopen the job for review while earlier snapshots stay in history. History is a working record, not tamper-proof evidence.

Save editable job book (.json) to reopen the complete record. PDFs are internal reading copies containing costs and rates; private notes are optional. CSV contains the selected table including private fields and retained entries. Review any file before sharing.

Try it in your own situation

Review one recent job

Choose the job and its original scope and price.
Enter the relevant time, cost and source evidence.
Allocate shared costs and check for duplicate labor or overhead.
Reconcile approved changes, invoices, credits and actual payments.
Resolve the review items and record the practical lesson.
Keep the editable file and a reading copy when useful.

Keep exploring.

Explore Running a business

Sources and further reading

Original Brass Charter examples and exercises, with background reading from the sources below.

Xero: Job costing
Benchmark for estimates, actual costs and project review.
Intuit: Hourly labor costs and project profitability
Distinction between hourly cost estimates and payroll expenses.
Jobber: Job costing
Benchmark for labor, expenses, incomplete jobs and duplicate costs.
SBA: Plan your business
US business planning background.

← Back to Buying a business

Tools / Buying a business

A guided path through buying a business / Downloadable software

Main Street Buyer’s
Operating System.

Understand the next decision, keep the questions that need answers, and build a record of the business you are considering.

Buy Buyer OS — $9 ↗

One-time purchase · Offline browser application + opening guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

Follow one decision through the journal

Fictional buyer journal, arranged to explain the nine-stage workflow.

When this helps.

You want more structure than a collection of articles: a place to work through the purchase, record what you have learned, and decide what still needs attention. Start while preparing your search or use it to organize a business you are already examining.

What you work through.

Prepare yourself to buy.
Find and source a suitable business.
Screen an opportunity.
Understand value and earnings.
Set your walk-away number.
Explore structure and financing.
Prepare for an offer or letter of intent.
Organize due diligence.
Prepare for closing and the first 100 days.

What you receive.

The Buyer OS application, with nine decision stages and a dashboard for your buyer mission.
A review of how much the business depends on its current owner.
A deal journal and decision log for your questions, findings, and reasoning.
Conversation scripts, red-flag prompts, worked deal examples, and document walkthroughs.
A copyable deal summary and printable reports to keep or discuss with your advisers.
A quick-start guide explaining how to open the file and keep your work.

Open it. Work through it. Keep a record.

Extract the downloaded ZIP and open product-15-buyer-operating-system.html in your desktop browser. The application works offline without installing software or signing into a product account.

Enter your buyer mission, work through the stages that apply, and keep your deal journal up to date. Copy your summary or print to PDF when you want a record to share.

Entries are saved in that browser where local storage is available. Moving the file, switching browsers, or clearing browser data can make saved entries unavailable. The printable or copied summary is a readable record, not a backup that restores the application.

Guidance for the decisions.

This is an educational planning tool. Its prompts and scores help organize your review; they do not establish a business’s value, approve a loan, or replace professional due diligence. Check current lending requirements and transaction-specific questions with your lender and advisers.

← Back to Buying a business

Tools / Buying a business

Screening a particular business / Downloadable software

Small Business
Deal Sizer.

Put the asking price, borrowing, cash needed, and your income target into one picture. See where the numbers hold up—and where they need another look.

Buy Deal Sizer — $5 ↗

One-time purchase · Offline browser application + opening guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

Compare the base case with the downside

Harbor Pet Supply: fictional figures checked against the Deal Sizer calculation.

When this helps.

You have a particular business in mind and some numbers to examine. Before spending more time on an offer, explore whether the proposed borrowing, cash contribution, and earnings leave room for your income and a working cushion.

Use your best available figures and keep unverified seller claims marked as assumptions. Revisit the scenario when better information arrives.

Bring the numbers you want to test.

Asking price and annual owner cash flow, often called seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE).
Cash available, down payment, closing costs, and a working capital reserve.
Bank loan and seller note amounts, interest rates, and repayment terms.
Your annual income target, monthly cushion, and debt coverage target.
Weaker and stronger earnings assumptions to compare with the base case.

What you receive.

The Small Business Deal Sizer HTML application and a plain-English quick-start guide.
Debt-payment calculations and cash-to-close totals, with funding gaps and cash shortfalls called out.
Downside, base, and upside scenarios showing cash flow after debt, your income target, and a cushion.
Debt coverage and buyer-margin screens, with explanations of the pressures in your scenario.
Suggested changes to explore and a copyable deal memo containing your inputs and results.

Open it and keep your memo.

Extract the ZIP and open Small-Business-Deal-Sizer.html in your desktop browser. It works offline without Excel, installation, or a product account. Use Load example to see how it works, then replace the example with your own figures.

This calculator does not save your entries between sessions. Before closing or reloading, use Copy deal memo and paste it into a document you keep. If copying is unavailable, choose Show memo text and select the text yourself. The memo records the inputs and results; it is not an importable application backup.

A screen for your next questions.

Results depend on the assumptions you enter. The scores are the tool’s screening rules, not a lender’s decision or a verified valuation. Review the underlying figures and transaction terms with your advisers before relying on them.

← Back to Buying a business

Tools / Buying a business

Working out an offer range / Downloadable software

Business Valuation
& Offer Builder.

Work through the earnings behind an asking price. Choose your assumptions, compare a value range, and see how an opening offer could be calculated.

Buy Valuation & Offer Builder — $5 ↗

One-time purchase · Offline browser application + opening guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

Follow the earnings into the offer calculation

Bramble Bakery: fictional earnings, chosen multiples and separately priced assets.

When this helps.

You have earnings figures and seller adjustments to examine, and you want to understand what supports an offer range. Try different assumptions before a seller conversation, an adviser review, or preparation of an offer.

You supply the earnings adjustments and valuation multiples. The tool shows their effect; it does not determine which assumptions are justified.

Bring the assumptions you want to examine.

Reported annual net profit, the owner’s salary and benefits, and claimed one-time or discretionary adjustments.
The percentage of claimed adjustments you want to credit in this scenario.
Your low and high earnings multiples, plus any inventory or assets priced separately.
The seller’s asking price, if available, and the percentage of low-end operating value to use for an opening-offer scenario.

What you receive.

The Business Valuation & Offer Builder HTML application and a plain-English quick-start guide.
A calculation of seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE) using the adjustments you enter.
Low and high values, a midpoint, and an opening-offer calculation based on your assumptions.
A comparison of the asking price with your range and its implied earnings multiple.
A valuation summary you can copy into your own notes or share for review.

Open it and keep the summary.

Extract the ZIP and open business-valuation-offer-builder.html in your desktop browser. It works offline without Excel, installation, or a product account. Load example provides fictional figures to try before entering your own.

Entries are not saved between sessions. Use Copy valuation and paste the summary into a document you keep before closing or reloading. Show valuation text gives you a selectable version if automatic copying is unavailable. The summary is a record to read; it cannot be imported to restore the calculator.

Make the assumptions visible.

A confidence percentage is a scenario input, not evidence that an adjustment is valid. This tool does not supply market comparables, perform an appraisal, or prepare a legal offer document. Have the earnings, multiples, and transaction terms reviewed before relying on the result.

← Back to Buying a business

Tools / Buying a business

Setting a purchase ceiling / Downloadable software

Max Purchase
Price Calculator.

Work backward from cash flow, the income you need, and your financing assumptions. See the purchase ceiling those numbers support before you negotiate.

Buy Max Purchase Price — $3 ↗

One-time purchase · Offline browser application + opening guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

See how the lower limit becomes a price ceiling

Juniper Cycle Repair: a fictional ceiling calculated from six stated assumptions.

When this helps.

You are preparing to negotiate a particular business and want to set a price limit from your own requirements. Explore how the cash flow, income you need, debt coverage, and borrowing terms affect the ceiling before discussing an offer.

Change the assumptions to see what moves the result and what you need to confirm with the seller or your advisers.

Bring six assumptions.

Annual owner cash flow, often called seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE).
The annual income you want to retain for yourself.
Your minimum debt service coverage ratio (DSCR).
A down payment percentage.
A blended annual interest rate.
The financing repayment term in years.

What you receive.

The Max Purchase Price Calculator HTML application and a plain-English quick-start guide.
A calculated purchase-price ceiling and the loan amount it implies.
The down payment cash required, monthly debt payment, and coverage at that ceiling.
An explanation of whether your income target or debt-coverage target sets the limit.
A summary you can copy into your own notes and keep for review.

Understand what the ceiling includes.

The calculator takes the lower of two debt limits: the amount supported by your DSCR target and the cash flow left after your income target. It then uses your financing rate, term, and down payment percentage to estimate a purchase ceiling.

This simplified scenario does not check your available cash, add closing costs or working capital reserves, or model separate loans and balloon payments. Allow for those alongside this calculation. It models a financed purchase, with a down payment below 100%.

Open it and keep the summary.

Extract the ZIP and open max-purchase-price-calculator.html in your desktop browser. It works offline without Excel, installation, or a product account. Use Load example to try fictional numbers before entering your own.

Entries are not saved between sessions. Use Copy summary and paste the result into a document you keep before closing or reloading. Show summary text provides a selectable version if automatic copying is unavailable. The summary is a readable record; it cannot be imported to restore the calculator.

A planning limit to review.

The result depends on the figures and terms you enter. It is not a market valuation, lender approval, or confirmation that a purchase is affordable. Review the cash flow, financing, costs, and purchase terms before relying on it.

← Back to Buying a business

Tools / Buying a business

Working out financing terms / Downloadable software

Seller Note +
Bank Loan Payment Lab.

Bring both loans into the same calculation. See the monthly payments, what remains after your income, and the balances that could come due later.

Buy Payment Lab — $5 ↗

One-time purchase · Offline browser application + opening guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

Trace the payments and each balloon date

Cedar Laundry: fictional bank and seller loans with different balloon years.

When this helps.

You have a particular business and are discussing how the purchase would be financed. The bank and seller may offer different rates, repayment schedules, and dates when the remaining balance becomes due.

Try the proposed terms together. Change one assumption to see its effect before taking questions back to the seller, lender, or your advisers.

Bring the proposed terms.

The purchase price, your down payment toward that price, and annual owner cash flow (SDE).
The bank-loan amount, fixed interest rate, and amortization period.
The seller-note amount, fixed interest rate, and amortization period.
An optional early balloon year for each loan.
Your target annual income and the monthly cushion you want left after debt and that income.

What you receive.

The Payment Lab HTML application and a plain-English quick-start guide.
Individual loan payments and combined monthly and annual debt service.
Cash flow after debt, after your income, and against your selected cushion.
Debt coverage, cash-on-cash calculation, and checks that the purchase funding adds up.
Each balloon balance with its own due year.
A financing summary with the assumptions and results, ready to copy and keep.

Read payments and balloons together.

Amortization determines the scheduled monthly payment. An earlier balloon date leaves a balance to pay or refinance in that year. A low monthly payment does not remove that obligation.

The tool shows each balloon separately. Their combined balance may span different years; it is not one payment due on a single date. The monthly figures do not include balloon payments or model what replacement financing would cost.

Keep the scope clear.

This is a fixed-rate, monthly-amortization scenario for one bank loan and one seller note. Purchase funding excludes closing costs, fees, taxes, and working capital. It does not model interest-only periods, payment holidays, changing rates, or changing earnings over time.

The screening labels use the tool’s stated rules. They are not lender approval or a recommendation to buy. Confirm the figures, omitted costs, and actual financing terms before relying on the results.

Open it and keep the summary.

Extract the ZIP and open seller-note-bank-loan-payment-lab.html in your desktop browser. It works offline without Excel, installation, or a product account. Load example supplies fictional figures to try first.

Entries are not saved between sessions. Use Copy financing summary and paste it into a document you keep before closing or reloading. Show summary text lets you select and copy manually. The summary cannot be imported to restore the calculator.

← Back to Buying a business

Tools / Buying a business

Putting your offer in writing / Downloadable software

LOI &
Offer Builder.

Bring the terms into one clear draft. Work through the price, conditions, deadlines, and handover before the next conversation with your advisers and the seller.

Buy LOI & Offer Builder — $7 ↗

One-time purchase · Application + quick-start guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

One offer. Two documents.

01 / LOI letter

September 27, 2026

Dana Whitfield Clearview HVAC Services LLC (example) Columbus, Ohio

Re: Letter of intent to acquire Clearview HVAC Services LLC (example)

Dear Dana Whitfield,

I’ve watched Clearview earn its reputation for a decade — the reviews, the trucks I see across town, the people who stay. I intend to build on what you’ve made, not strip it. This letter sets out the terms on which Jordan Avery, through Avery Holdings LLC, proposes to acquire Clearview HVAC Services LLC (example) of Columbus, Ohio (the “Business”).

1. Purchase price and structure

Buyer proposes a total purchase price of $850,000 for the Business as a going concern including inventory at a normal stock level. The transaction is proposed as an asset purchase: Buyer acquires the assets of the Business — including equipment, vehicles, customer lists and records, goodwill, trade names, phone numbers, and digital properties — free and clear of liens, with the selling entity and its liabilities remaining with Seller except as expressly assumed in the definitive agreement.

2. Payment and deposit

Of the purchase price, $758,000 is payable in cash at closing, before crediting the deposit, funded by SBA 7(a) or comparable bank financing. Of the total, $92,000 is payable by a promissory note from Buyer to Seller bearing interest at 6% per year over 10 years. Within three business days of mutual acceptance of this letter, Buyer will place an earnest deposit of $15,000 in the broker’s escrow account, to be applied to the purchase price at closing and refunded to Buyer if the transaction does not close due to any condition described in this letter not being satisfied.

3. Excluded assets and working capital

Seller retains the following excluded assets: Seller’s personal pickup truck; cash and bank accounts; the fishing-trip photos in the front office. The Business will be delivered with working capital (including receivables, payables, and customary prepaid items) at a normalized level, defined as the trailing twelve-month average, with a post-closing true-up in the definitive agreement.

4. Due diligence

Buyer will have 45 days from mutual acceptance to complete due diligence. Seller will provide reasonable access to financial records, tax returns, bank statements, contracts, premises, and advisors. All materials remain subject to the confidentiality agreement previously executed by the parties. If Buyer is not satisfied in its reasonable discretion, Buyer may terminate during this period with a full refund of the deposit.

5. Financing

Buyer’s obligation to close is conditioned on obtaining a written commitment for SBA 7(a) or comparable bank financing within 45 days of mutual acceptance, on terms reasonably satisfactory to Buyer. Buyer will apply promptly and pursue the commitment diligently, and will keep Seller informed of material milestones.

6. Additional conditions

Closing is further conditioned on: assignment of the existing premises lease to Buyer, or a new lease on terms reasonably acceptable to Buyer and consistent with Buyer’s financing requirements; transfer or reissuance of the licenses and permits required to operate the Business.

7. Transition and non-compete

Seller will support the transition for 12 weeks following closing, up to 20 hours per week, with such support included in the purchase price, and will remain reasonably available thereafter for questions. The definitive agreement will include a non-competition and non-solicitation covenant from Seller (and the Business’s principals) for 5 years within 25 miles of the Business’s locations, with consideration allocated to it.

8. Exclusivity

For 60 days from mutual acceptance, Seller will not directly or indirectly market the Business, solicit or entertain other offers, or negotiate with any other party, and will instruct any broker or advisor accordingly. This exclusivity is the basis on which Buyer is committing time and diligence expense.

9. Definitive agreement and closing

The parties will negotiate a definitive purchase agreement in good faith promptly after acceptance, targeting a closing on or before October 31, 2026, subject to the conditions above. Each party bears its own costs and advisors’ fees.

10. Non-binding effect

Except for Section 8 (Exclusivity), the confidentiality obligations referenced in Section 4, the deposit provisions of Section 2, and this Section, this letter is a non-binding expression of intent, does not obligate either party to complete the transaction, and creates binding obligations only through a definitive purchase agreement executed by both parties.

11. Expiration

This letter is open for acceptance until 5:00 p.m. on October 4, 2026, after which it is withdrawn if not accepted.

I’ve spent twelve years running field operations and P&L for a regional services company, and I’m acquiring to operate full-time. I appreciate the care it took to build this business, and I look forward to working with you toward a smooth transition.

Jordan Avery
Avery Holdings LLC
Date

Accepted and agreed:

Dana Whitfield
Date

cc: R. Chen, Main Street Advisors

02 / Term sheet

Term sheet

Clearview HVAC Services LLC (example)

Proposed acquisition terms · Jordan Avery · September 27, 2026 · Confidential — for discussion only

Term	Proposal
Purchase price	$850,000 (2.74× stated SDE)
Structure	Asset purchase
Inventory	Included at a normal stock level
Working capital	Normalized level — 12-month average peg
Financing	SBA 7(a) or comparable bank financing — commitment within 45 days
Seller note	$92,000 at 6%, 10 years
Earnest deposit	$15,000, held in the broker’s escrow account, credited at closing; refund conditions in LOI
Due diligence	45 days from acceptance
Other conditions	lease assignment or new lease; license/permit transfer
Transition	12 weeks, up to 20 hrs/week (included in price)
Non-compete	5 years within 25 miles
Exclusivity	60 days from acceptance
Target closing	on or before October 31, 2026
Offer expires	October 4, 2026

Non-binding summary for discussion; the letter of intent and definitive agreement govern. Prepared by the buyer.

Clearview HVAC Services LLC (example) — proposed termsConfidential · September 27, 2026

View sample documents

Fictional deal. Actual output from the builder.

When this helps.

You have a particular business, a proposed price, and terms to discuss. Now the details need to be clear enough for your advisers to review and for both sides to understand what you are proposing.

Work through the offer before spending further time and money on the transaction. The draft gives the next conversation a concrete starting point.

Bring the decisions behind the offer.

The buyer, seller, business, and proposed purchase structure.
Price, inventory, working capital, and assets the seller would keep.
Financing conditions, any seller note, and the deposit.
Diligence, lease and license conditions, exclusivity, and closing timing.
Transition support, proposed restrictions, and why you want this business.

What you receive.

The LOI & Offer Builder HTML application and quick-start guide.
Six guided sections and an offer-at-a-glance summary.
Checks for missing details, inconsistent terms, and reference ranges to discuss.
An LOI draft with numbered sections, optional clauses, and signature blocks.
A term sheet generated from the same entries.
Print / Save PDF, browser saving, and editable JSON export and import.

Review the draft before sending.

The template describes the proposed acquisition as non-binding with intended binding exceptions, including confidentiality, deposit provisions, and exclusivity when selected. Have your attorney review the complete draft before sending or signing.

The checks flag discussion points. They do not establish a fair price, lender approval, seller acceptance, or enforceability. Confirm financing and standby requirements with your lender and the legal terms with counsel.

Open it, save it, and return.

Extract the ZIP and open loi-offer-builder.html in a desktop browser. It works offline without Excel, installation, or a product account. Load sample deal shows a fictional offer first.

Browser saving keeps the current offer where storage is available. Use Export (.json) to keep each offer or revision as a separate file; Import restores it. If a download is blocked, Export also reveals selectable backup text that you can save as a .json file. Browser storage is not a permanent backup and does not sync between devices.

Choose LOI letter or Term sheet, then Print / Save PDF for a reading copy. Printed page count depends on your entries and settings. The saved offer date controls the letter and expiration dates; update it when preparing a new offer.

A fictional acquisition, generated by the builder. Explore the letter and the term sheet made from the same entries.

September 27, 2026

Dana Whitfield Clearview HVAC Services LLC (example) Columbus, Ohio

Re: Letter of intent to acquire Clearview HVAC Services LLC (example)

Dear Dana Whitfield,

I’ve watched Clearview earn its reputation for a decade — the reviews, the trucks I see across town, the people who stay. I intend to build on what you’ve made, not strip it. This letter sets out the terms on which Jordan Avery, through Avery Holdings LLC, proposes to acquire Clearview HVAC Services LLC (example) of Columbus, Ohio (the “Business”).

1. Purchase price and structure

Buyer proposes a total purchase price of $850,000 for the Business as a going concern including inventory at a normal stock level. The transaction is proposed as an asset purchase: Buyer acquires the assets of the Business — including equipment, vehicles, customer lists and records, goodwill, trade names, phone numbers, and digital properties — free and clear of liens, with the selling entity and its liabilities remaining with Seller except as expressly assumed in the definitive agreement.

2. Payment and deposit

Of the purchase price, $758,000 is payable in cash at closing, before crediting the deposit, funded by SBA 7(a) or comparable bank financing. Of the total, $92,000 is payable by a promissory note from Buyer to Seller bearing interest at 6% per year over 10 years. Within three business days of mutual acceptance of this letter, Buyer will place an earnest deposit of $15,000 in the broker’s escrow account, to be applied to the purchase price at closing and refunded to Buyer if the transaction does not close due to any condition described in this letter not being satisfied.

3. Excluded assets and working capital

Seller retains the following excluded assets: Seller’s personal pickup truck; cash and bank accounts; the fishing-trip photos in the front office. The Business will be delivered with working capital (including receivables, payables, and customary prepaid items) at a normalized level, defined as the trailing twelve-month average, with a post-closing true-up in the definitive agreement.

4. Due diligence

Buyer will have 45 days from mutual acceptance to complete due diligence. Seller will provide reasonable access to financial records, tax returns, bank statements, contracts, premises, and advisors. All materials remain subject to the confidentiality agreement previously executed by the parties. If Buyer is not satisfied in its reasonable discretion, Buyer may terminate during this period with a full refund of the deposit.

5. Financing

Buyer’s obligation to close is conditioned on obtaining a written commitment for SBA 7(a) or comparable bank financing within 45 days of mutual acceptance, on terms reasonably satisfactory to Buyer. Buyer will apply promptly and pursue the commitment diligently, and will keep Seller informed of material milestones.

6. Additional conditions

Closing is further conditioned on: assignment of the existing premises lease to Buyer, or a new lease on terms reasonably acceptable to Buyer and consistent with Buyer’s financing requirements; transfer or reissuance of the licenses and permits required to operate the Business.

7. Transition and non-compete

Seller will support the transition for 12 weeks following closing, up to 20 hours per week, with such support included in the purchase price, and will remain reasonably available thereafter for questions. The definitive agreement will include a non-competition and non-solicitation covenant from Seller (and the Business’s principals) for 5 years within 25 miles of the Business’s locations, with consideration allocated to it.

8. Exclusivity

For 60 days from mutual acceptance, Seller will not directly or indirectly market the Business, solicit or entertain other offers, or negotiate with any other party, and will instruct any broker or advisor accordingly. This exclusivity is the basis on which Buyer is committing time and diligence expense.

9. Definitive agreement and closing

The parties will negotiate a definitive purchase agreement in good faith promptly after acceptance, targeting a closing on or before October 31, 2026, subject to the conditions above. Each party bears its own costs and advisors’ fees.

10. Non-binding effect

Except for Section 8 (Exclusivity), the confidentiality obligations referenced in Section 4, the deposit provisions of Section 2, and this Section, this letter is a non-binding expression of intent, does not obligate either party to complete the transaction, and creates binding obligations only through a definitive purchase agreement executed by both parties.

11. Expiration

This letter is open for acceptance until 5:00 p.m. on October 4, 2026, after which it is withdrawn if not accepted.

I’ve spent twelve years running field operations and P&L for a regional services company, and I’m acquiring to operate full-time. I appreciate the care it took to build this business, and I look forward to working with you toward a smooth transition.

Jordan Avery
Avery Holdings LLC
Date

Accepted and agreed:

Dana Whitfield
Date

cc: R. Chen, Main Street Advisors

Term sheet

Clearview HVAC Services LLC (example)

Proposed acquisition terms · Jordan Avery · September 27, 2026 · Confidential — for discussion only

Term	Proposal
Purchase price	$850,000 (2.74× stated SDE)
Structure	Asset purchase
Inventory	Included at a normal stock level
Working capital	Normalized level — 12-month average peg
Financing	SBA 7(a) or comparable bank financing — commitment within 45 days
Seller note	$92,000 at 6%, 10 years
Earnest deposit	$15,000, held in the broker’s escrow account, credited at closing; refund conditions in LOI
Due diligence	45 days from acceptance
Other conditions	lease assignment or new lease; license/permit transfer
Transition	12 weeks, up to 20 hrs/week (included in price)
Non-compete	5 years within 25 miles
Exclusivity	60 days from acceptance
Target closing	on or before October 31, 2026
Offer expires	October 4, 2026

Non-binding summary for discussion; the letter of intent and definitive agreement govern. Prepared by the buyer.

Clearview HVAC Services LLC (example) — proposed termsConfidential · September 27, 2026

Sample for illustration. Have your attorney review your own draft before sending or signing.

← Back to Buying a business

Tools / Buying a business

From LOI to closing / Downloadable software

Due-Diligence
Deal Room.

Know what you have, what is missing, and what needs an answer. Turn the investigation into clear requests, recorded findings, and decisions to work through before closing.

Buy Due-Diligence Deal Room — $9 ↗

One-time purchase · Application + quick-start guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

THE INVESTIGATIONFictional case / 01

Maple Street Commercial Cleaning

25 / 89Applicable checks cleared

4Findings to resolve

13 requested · 7 received, awaiting review

Accounts receivable agingFlagged

Customer contracts and change-of-controlFlagged

Equipment condition and replacement costFlagged

Key-person risk and retention planFlagged

NEXT STEPResolve or price the open flags

See how the Deal Room works

A fictional cleaning business. Progress and findings from the tool.

When this helps.

You are under LOI, or preparing to investigate a specific business. The seller is sharing records, advisers have questions, and your exclusivity window is running. You need to see which requests are outstanding and which findings still need a response.

Use the deal room to coordinate the work and prepare the next conversation with the seller, broker, lender, attorney, or CPA.

Give every finding a place.

Enter the business, buyer, price, and key dates.
Work through financials and tax, customers, operations, employees, legal matters, premises, deal terms, financing, digital assets, and market durability.
For each check, see what to request, why it matters, and what a possible red flag looks like.
Mark it Not started, Requested, Received, Cleared, Flagged, or N/A. Add your findings and document references in the notes.
Filter by category or status, search checks and notes, and follow progress and deadline countdowns.

Three views of the same investigation.

Document request list: applicable requests, numbered and grouped, with received or cleared items checked.
Red-flag report: open findings with your notes, ready to discuss with your advisers.
Status report: category progress, open flags, and requests still waiting on the seller.

These reports reflect the statuses and evidence you record. A cleared checklist is not independent verification or a decision that a deal is safe to close.

What you receive.

The complete Due-Diligence Deal Room HTML application and a quick-start guide in one ZIP. It works offline in a desktop browser without Excel, installation, a subscription, or a product account.

The application organizes requests and findings. Keep the seller’s source documents separately and reference them in your notes; this is not a shared document-storage service.

Keep the work as the deal develops.

Extract the ZIP and open due-diligence-deal-room.html. Load sample deal shows a fictional investigation. Export your own work before loading the sample.

Browser saving keeps the current deal where storage is available. Use Export (.json) to keep a separate backup for each deal or revision; Import restores it. Export also provides a download link and selectable JSON text if automatic downloading is blocked. Browser storage does not sync across devices and is not a permanent backup.

Choose a report, then Print / Save PDF for a reading copy. Tailor the requests, interpret findings, and decide how to resolve them with your attorney and CPA.

← Back to Buying a business

Tools / Buying a business

Preparing for financing / Downloadable software

Acquisition Loan
Package Builder.

Give the financing conversation a clear starting point. Connect the purchase, the funding, and the repayment plan in one loan request package.

Buy Loan Package Builder — $7 ↗

One-time purchase · Application + quick-start guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

Follow the financing plan

An illustrated walkthrough using results from the tool.

When this helps.

You have a specific acquisition and are preparing to discuss financing. You need to explain the full project cost, where the money will come from, and how the business would service its debt.

Use your proposed terms and the financial information gathered during diligence. As the lender responds, revise the same deal and regenerate the package.

Build the funding plan.

Enter the purchase price, working capital, additional assets, and transaction costs.
Add bank debt, seller financing, buyer cash, and any investor cash. Solve for the loan or cash needed to balance sources and uses.
Model amortizing debt, interest-only periods, full standby with optional interest accrual, and seller-note balloons.
Bring in historical earnings and revenue, then account for additional owner pay, capital reserves, and other annual adjustments.

See what changes under pressure.

Review three years of modeled cash flow and debt coverage, alongside first-year earnings declines of 10% and 20%. See scheduled debt, balloon warnings, and how much room sits above the 1.25× planning reference.

Planning checks help surface questions. They do not establish loan eligibility, verify earnings, or replace the lender’s underwriting. Confirm the applicable program, eligible contribution, rates, fees, and required documents with your lender.

Prepare the lender discussion.

The package brings six sections together: a cover, executive summary, transaction overview, financial summary, debt structure and repayment, and assumptions with an attachments checklist.

Preview the documents and use Print / Save PDF for a reading copy. Long entries may extend the printed page count. Gather the actual records separately; the checklist does not attach or submit documents.

What you receive.

The complete acquisition-loan-package-builder.html application and a quick-start guide in one ZIP. Extract the ZIP and open the HTML in a desktop browser. It works offline without Excel, installation, a subscription, or a product account.

Load sample deal opens the fictional print-and-sign acquisition shown here. Export your own work before loading the example.

Keep each version of the deal.

Browser saving keeps the current entries where storage is available. Export deal (.json) prepares a separate editable backup; Import restores it. Export includes a download link and selectable JSON text if automatic downloading is blocked.

Browser storage does not sync across devices and is not a permanent backup. Keep exported JSON files for different deals or revisions; PDF is the reading copy.

← Back to Moving on

Tools / Moving on

Considering a sale / Downloadable software

Exit Value &
Proceeds Planner.

A sale price is the start of the conversation. Work through the deductions, the money available now, and the amounts you may receive later.

Buy Exit Planner — $7 ↗

One-time purchase · Application + quick-start guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

See the value, deductions, and timing

A worked example using the planner’s results. Tax reserve is an example assumption.

When this helps.

You own a business and are considering a sale, preparing to speak with advisers, or reviewing an offer. You want to understand how earnings and deal terms connect to the proceeds you could have available.

Begin with what you know. Keep assumptions visible and revise them as your records, adviser estimates, and proposed terms become clearer.

Build a value scenario.

Enter earnings, owner pay already deducted from profit, and up to five add-backs. Choose credit assumptions and assess eight drivers, including owner dependence, customer concentration, the team, and the lease.

Review the earnings-based range and explore individual driver changes. Industry presets and driver effects are planning assumptions; replace them with evidence relevant to your business. The tool does not produce a formal appraisal or decide whether you should sell.

Follow the deductions.

Use the range midpoint or enter an actual proposed price. Add broker or direct-sale costs, legal and preparation expenses, debt payoff, and a tax reserve.

Enter your adviser’s total tax reserve or explore the built-in simplified asset-sale illustration with editable allocation, basis, and rates. Actual tax treatment needs professional review; corporate and stock-sale taxes, recapture limits, and installment timing are outside the simplified calculation.

Separate available cash from later receipts.

Escrow and seller financing can leave a large gap between total modeled proceeds and cash available after reserving for tax. See those amounts separately before comparing the offer with your plans.

The planner sets aside the full tax reserve now for planning; it does not claim that amount is due at closing. Escrow release and seller-note collection remain conditional. Note interest and payment schedules are not modeled.

Take a clear snapshot to the discussion.

The Exit Snapshot brings together three sections: value assumptions, proceeds and timing, and driver sensitivities with adviser questions. Use Print / Save PDF for a reading copy. Page count depends on your entries and print settings.

Export JSON to keep an editable version for each offer or revision, then import it when you want to continue. A download link and selectable backup text are available if automatic downloading is blocked.

What you receive.

The complete exit-value-planner.html application and quick-start guide in one ZIP. Extract it and open the HTML in a desktop browser. It works offline without Excel, installation, a subscription, or a product account.

Load sample business opens the fictional Juniper Pet Grooming scenario shown here. Browser saving keeps current entries where storage is available; export JSON for a separate backup. Browser storage does not sync between devices.

← Back to Moving on

Tools / Preparing your people

Before an absence or loss / Downloadable software

Emergency &
Legacy Binder.

Help your people find the right person, the right record, and the practical details you usually carry in your head.

Buy the Binder — $7 ↗

One-time purchase · Application + quick-start guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

Follow Morgan’s handover map

An illustrated walkthrough of the binder’s fictional example.

When this helps.

You want to prepare before an illness, absence, or loss leaves someone else trying to piece things together. Who should they call? Where are the documents? What needs care tomorrow?

Use the binder to record real arrangements and open questions. Review it with the people involved so they know where to find their copy and what they have agreed to do.

Start with the essentials.

Fifteen marked prompts help you begin with contacts, record locations, and key practical details. Progress indicators show which fields you have answered; they do not certify that arrangements are complete or legally effective.

Keep credentials separate. Record the authorized contact or secure access arrangement, rather than passwords, PINs, full account numbers, or recovery codes.

Give the whole picture a place.

Twelve guided sections cover initial instructions; urgent contacts; people and professionals; money; bills; insurance; legal documents; home and pets; digital arrangements; business responsibilities; wishes and three letters; and prompts for your people’s first steps.

The business section gives a coordinator somewhere to begin: who handles the work, where procedures live, and what arrangements need confirmation. For a detailed work handover, use the free Business Handover tool alongside it.

Leave a copy someone can use.

The printed binder includes your entries, ruled lines for unfinished fields, and first-step prompts that reference the contacts and locations you recorded. Use Print / Save PDF, then choose who should hold a secured copy. Printed length depends on your entries and settings.

Your wishes and notes complement formal documents. The binder does not create a will, appoint an executor, grant access, or give someone decision-making authority.

Keep an editable backup.

Save encrypted creates a passphrase-protected file you can reopen in the application. Keep the file and passphrase separately; there is no recovery service. A download link and complete copyable backup text are available if your browser blocks the download.

Encryption protects that exported file. Optional browser saving stores unencrypted entries on the device; plain exports, PDFs, and printouts are also unencrypted. Turn browser saving off when you want to work without retaining that browser copy.

What you receive.

The complete emergency-legacy-binder.html application and quick-start guide in one ZIP. Extract the ZIP and open the HTML in a current desktop browser. It works offline without Excel, a subscription, or a product account.

See an example loads Morgan Lee’s fictional household and Willow Lane Flowers notes. Use them to understand the fields, then replace them with your own information. Export before loading an example over existing entries.

← Back to Moving on

Tools / Administering an estate

After a loss / Downloadable software

The Executor’s
Deal Room.

Keep the records, decisions, and unfinished conversations together while you work through an estate.

Buy the Deal Room — $9 ↗

One-time purchase · Application + quick-start guide

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

Follow this claim through the room

Illustrated walkthrough of the application’s fictional estate.

When this helps.

You are helping administer someone’s estate after a death. You need to organize records and questions between calls, institution requests, and adviser meetings—whether or not the estate includes a business.

Begin with the person, court, people involved, and evidence of your authority. Then build the record as information arrives. The organizer supports the work; it does not appoint you or authorize estate actions.

Give the records a working structure.

Track 26 document prompts, key dates and custom reminders, and 42 task prompts across six phases. Record where documents are held and what is still requested. The actual sequence and requirements depend on the estate.

Source documents stay in your secured files. The room keeps their locations and references, so you can find what you need.

Separate the assets, claims, and cash.

The inventory records assets, values, liens, and working probate classifications. The claims register separates amounts claimed, approved, and paid. The ledger records cash movements, receipts, and reconciliation.

Related records can be linked, but you reconcile the figures yourself. An inventory value is not cash, and a balance less recorded approved claims is not permission to distribute funds. Export each register as CSV when you need to work with an adviser.

Keep a conversation’s history.

Use nine letter drafting prompts or a custom letter. Record what you sent, how you sent it, the delivery reference, the response, and the next follow-up. Review each draft’s facts and any legal requirements before using it.

The application does not send letters or email. A sent date records an action; it does not establish effective legal service or rejection.

Arrive with a useful packet.

Select from nine attorney-packet sections plus a cover memo. Add your questions alongside the questions drawn from flagged entries, then review the printable packet or status snapshot before sharing.

Ohio is the only included state reference. Twelve dated statutory references offer links and limited illustrations; counsel confirms actual dates, exceptions, and local requirements. The app does not update legal content automatically or create court filings.

Keep an editable backup.

Save encrypted prepares a passphrase-protected estate file you can reopen. Keep the passphrase separately; there is no recovery service. A prepared-file link and complete copyable text are available if the browser blocks downloading.

Optional browser saving is unencrypted. Plain JSON/CSV, PDF, and printed copies are also unencrypted. Turn browser saving off to remove that stored copy while keeping the open draft, and export before closing.

What you receive.

The complete executor-deal-room.html application and quick-start guide in one ZIP. Extract it and open the HTML in a current desktop browser. It works offline without Excel, a subscription, or a product account.

The filled Miriam Brooks example shows a medical claim under review, a business ownership question, and a reconciled cash record. It is fictional and can be replaced with your own entries.

← Back to Running a business

Tools / Offering automation services

For automation builders / Downloadable toolkit

AI Automation
Proposal Kit.

Turn a promising client conversation into a defined project—with a scope, a price, and a clear agreement about the work.

Buy the Proposal Kit — $19 ↗

One-time purchase · Editable templates + pricing workbook + examples

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

Follow the request into a proposal

Illustrated walkthrough of the kit’s agency onboarding example.

Start with one useful workflow.

Use the Opportunity Audit to map what happens today: the trigger, repetitive work, decisions, systems, and stopping point. Score the opportunity and record the risks before deciding whether to propose a build, narrow the scope, or investigate further.

The Discovery Call Script helps you confirm the owner, volume, access, constraints, and decisions that need human review.

Give the price an explanation.

The six-sheet pricing workbook estimates effort from the workflow and integrations, testing, documentation, and support. Enter your rate and assumptions to explore a project price, payment split, and gross-value comparison.

Package bands and project prices are illustrations. Gross revenue plus valued time is not net profit or cash payback; review the actual client economics separately.

Define the work and its boundaries.

Build the proposal from your discovery notes and estimates. Name deliverables, exclusions, client responsibilities, human approval points, and observable acceptance tests.

Use the Statement of Work after a package is chosen to document the agreed scope, payment schedule, revisions, support, and change requests.

Keep the conversation moving.

Adapt ten outreach and follow-up scripts, from a first workflow question through discovery recap and proposal follow-up. The objection-handling reference keeps the conversation focused on the work, evidence, and next step.

Two filled proposals show how the pieces fit: Northstar’s service-request workflow and Brightline’s agency onboarding and weekly-status workflow.

What you receive.

Start Here PDF and opening instructions.
Four editable DOCX files: Opportunity Audit, Discovery Call Script, Proposal Template, and Statement of Work.
One XLSX pricing workbook with six sheets.
Ten outreach and follow-up scripts in a TXT file.
Objection Handling Sheet PDF.
Two filled example proposals as PDFs; the local-service example also includes editable Markdown.

One ZIP with ten numbered resources and a README—twelve files in total. Use Word and Excel, or compatible editors, plus a PDF reader. Copy approved facts between the files; they do not synchronize.

Put your judgment into the finished offer.

The kit supplies the documents and estimating structure. You adapt them to the project and build the automation using your chosen tools. Confirm integration support, permissions, and ongoing software costs before promising a scope.

The Statement of Work is a business template; review its terms for the actual agreement. The kit does not send outreach, deploy workflows, or guarantee sales.

← Back to Running a business

Tools / Managing freelance money

For freelancers / Downloadable workbook

Freelancer
Money Tracker.

See what came in, what went out, and what you plan to set aside—all in one spreadsheet you own.

Get the Money Tracker — $3 ↗

One-time purchase · One XLSX workbook · Five connected tabs

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

Follow two months of freelance money

Illustrative entries calculated using the workbook’s formulas. Your download starts blank.

Start with the money that actually moved.

Record payments received in Income and costs paid in Expenses. Add a date, client or vendor, description, category, and amount. Each log has room for 500 entries.

Editable category lists keep entries consistent. Use a negative amount in the same log for a refund, and keep your source invoices and receipts separately.

See the year, one month at a time.

Choose a reporting year in Settings. The Dashboard shows recorded income, expenses, their difference, and a twelve-month breakdown for that year.

Entries from other years stay out of those totals. A used row needs a real date and numeric amount; the dashboard flags incomplete entries before showing totals.

Give the surplus a reserve rule.

Choose your own set-aside percentage. The workbook applies it to each positive monthly cash surplus and adds the results. A loss month contributes zero; it does not undo earlier reserves.

This is a planning rule, not an estimate of tax owed. The separate deductible total reflects expenses you marked Y; it does not determine whether those costs qualify. Confirm your rate and deductions with a qualified professional.

What you receive.

Start Here: opening instructions and the monthly routine.
Dashboard: selected-year totals and the monthly breakdown.
Settings: year, reserve rate, and editable category lists.
Income: 500 payment entries.
Expenses: 500 cost entries with a deductible flag.

One editable XLSX file. Open in Excel, or import into Google Sheets using the included instructions. No macros or subscription. The workbook uses USD and does not convert currencies.

Keep the routine straightforward.

Add your payments and costs, check the dashboard, and make any reserve transfer yourself. The file does not connect to your bank, reconcile an account, issue invoices, move money, or file taxes.

Keep a backup. For a fresh year, save a clean workbook copy and set the year. Each log includes rows 2–501; entries beyond that range are not counted.

← Back to Running a business

Tools / Working in a spreadsheet

Find it. Understand it. Use it.

Formula Lab
+ Cheat Sheet.

Find the formula for the job in front of you—and keep a clear reference beside your spreadsheet.

Get the Lab + Cheat Sheet — $3 ↗

One-time purchase · Offline formula finder + one-page PDF

Personal or one-organization use. Team and paid client work included; share completed work. Reusable product distribution requires separate permission. Read the product license

See how the formula fits the cells

The same worked SUMIF example appears in the Lab and opening guide.

Search by the task or the function.

Open the Formula Lab in your browser. Search its 40 formula cards by name or purpose, or narrow the results using eight categories: math, logical, lookup, text, dates, statistics, financial, and dynamic arrays.

Each card gives a purpose and a formula pattern to adapt. Some cards also explain related functions or show a worked result.

Copy the right pattern for your app.

Choose Excel or Google Sheets before copying. Where the examples differ, the Lab shows the appropriate syntax. If your browser blocks automatic copying, select the formula and copy it manually.

Replace the sample cell ranges and assumptions with your own. The Lab helps you find and understand a formula; your spreadsheet performs the calculation.

Keep the Cheat Sheet within reach.

The one-page landscape PDF groups the core functions and reminders into a compact reference. Print it or keep it on a second screen while you work.

Use the Lab when you need to search and copy. Use the Cheat Sheet when you want to scan related functions and syntax. Both are included in this one offer.

What you receive.

Formula Lab: a standalone HTML file with 40 searchable cards, eight category filters, an app selector, and copy controls.
Formula Cheat Sheet: one printable US Letter landscape PDF.
Opening guide: a README with setup, the invoice example, compatibility notes, and official documentation links.

One ZIP with three files. Extract it, keep the files together, and open the HTML in a modern browser. No installation, account, or subscription is needed for the Lab.

Check the result before relying on it.

The examples target Excel 2021, Excel 2024, Microsoft 365, and current Google Sheets. Older Excel versions may lack newer functions. English function names and comma separators may need adapting to your locale.

Test the formula on a few known rows. Check dates, data types, matching range sizes, and—for financial formulas—the signs and periods. A reference cannot check those details in your own file.

Practical tools forlife in business.

What are you working on?

Starting a business

Buying a business

Running a business

Working with a partner

Moving on or handing over

A plan you can use.A file you can keep.

Plan eight weeks of cash.

Before you buy,know the work.

The Verified Acquisition System

Your work.Something to build on.

Make the rightconversation count.

A place for the people behind a business

About this notice

Information and why it is used

Reasons for processing personal information

Your work and downloaded files

Cookies and browser storage

Services involved

How long information is kept

Your choices and privacy rights

International visitors

Contact and notice updates

About these terms

Using the resources

Your work and product license

Who can use the files

Copies, templates and completed work

Distribution and rebranding

Existing purchases and product promises

Two practical examples

Purchases and delivery

Refunds and product updates

Outputs and business decisions

Responsible use

Availability and changes

Your legal rights

Help and questions

The current website

Cookies, storage and files

Website storage, in context

Downloaded products save differently

Gumroad and other websites

Manage your browser data

Choices, questions and changes

Before you buy

Get your download

Missing receipt or files

Open and keep your files

The refund promise for your product

Request help or a refund

After a refund, and product updates

Your rights and further help

Our approach

Moving around the site

Tools and downloaded files

What has been checked, and what remains

Help with an access barrier

Keeping this page current

Help with a purchase

Using a tool or keeping your work

What helps when you report a problem

Privacy questions & access barriers

Business details

A clearer starting point for decisions

Before you use a result

The same receipt, a different week

Different tools, different limits

Examples, dates & source information

Questions, unexpected results & corrections

A home for yourlife in business.

Stay a little. Learn something.

Find something useful.

Pull up a chair.

Partnership Prenup Builder

A shared understanding to work from.

Let’s try another way.

The things you do across tools

Help for your tool

Practical tools for
life in business.

A plan you can use.
A file you can keep.

Before you buy,
know the work.

Your work.
Something to build on.

Make the right
conversation count.

A home for your
life in business.