Brass Charter / Start here

A useful place to begin

What’s in front
of you today?

Find a next step for the question, responsibility, or possibility on your mind.

Use your own words. You don’t need to know a tool’s name.

Or narrow by business chapter
I’m not sure where to begin

What is taking most of your attention? Choose an area to see its situations. You can change direction at any time.

30 situations to explore

Ideas & decisions

I have an idea. Where do I begin?

You may have a rough possibility, a side project, or a new offer for an existing business. Give it enough shape to decide what to learn next.

Work towards: A clear description of the idea, one important unknown, and a small next action.

Would anyone actually want this?

Use this when you want to understand a customer problem, improve an offer, or learn why people choose another option.

Work towards: A conversation plan, observations kept separate from assumptions, and a useful question or test to pursue.

I need to choose between options.

Compare a purchase, opportunity, service, location, or change using the considerations that matter to you.

Work towards: A comparison of known details, trade-offs, assumptions, and the questions to resolve before choosing.

I want to grow or change how the business works.

Consider a new offer, another market, a different way of working, or more demand than your current capacity can handle.

Work towards: A defined change, its important assumptions, and a practical test or comparison before committing further.

Customers & agreed work

Someone is interested in buying from me.

A new inquiry, referral, repeat request, or possible piece of work needs a clear next conversation.

Work towards: A record of the request, what is known, what needs checking, and the next commitment.

I need to send a quote.

Put a proposed job or supply of work into a clear offer, including what is included and what still needs agreement.

Work towards: A customer-facing quote draft and an editable record of its scope, prices, and expectations.

I need to deliver what I promised.

Organize an accepted job, a product-related service, or ongoing customer work, including changes and dependencies.

Work towards: A practical delivery plan with responsibilities, remaining work, blockers, and acceptance checks.

I’m losing track of customer conversations.

Keep a promise, unanswered question, expected response, or useful follow-up from slipping through the cracks.

Work towards: A working follow-up list with context, a next action, and a place to record what happened.

Money & commitments

What should I charge?

Explore the price of a product or service, review a current offer, or consider a change in costs, time, or fees.

Work towards: A price scenario with visible assumptions, cost coverage, and questions to check.

I need to invoice or follow up on payment.

Prepare a new invoice, record a partial payment, or find the next action on an outstanding amount.

Work towards: A clear invoice or updated payment record showing what remains due and what to follow up.

Will I have enough money when bills arrive?

Look at the timing of expected money in and out, including delayed customer payments and upcoming commitments.

Work towards: An eight-week cash timeline, visible assumptions, and a scenario to review.

My business spending is hard to follow.

Bring supplier bills, recurring services, job-related costs, and costs you covered personally into a clearer working record.

Work towards: A spending book showing commitments, due amounts, and decisions that need review.

Did this job work out as expected?

Review the time, costs and agreed value, then decide what changes in the next quote.

Work towards: An understandable job review and a useful next decision.

Everyday work

I need to choose a supplier or manage a purchase.

Work through requirements, supplier offers, an order in progress, or a problem with a delivery, return, or bill.

Work towards: A purchasing record with the current position, outstanding questions, and the next action.

Everything feels urgent.

Take stock when your attention is split between customer work, money, promises, and the rest of life. Begin with the information you actually have.

Work towards: A manageable set of next actions with reasons, responsibilities, and room for the work.

We keep repeating work or missing steps.

Make a recurring task easier to follow, explain to someone else, and improve after use.

Work towards: A reusable checklist or procedure with clear instructions, checks, and a way to handle exceptions.

I can’t find the records I need.

Find and organize the information behind a decision, obligation, customer job, or handover.

Work towards: A records index showing locations, versions, missing evidence, and next checks.

Something important is coming due.

Prepare for a renewal, notice period, filing, inspection, or other dated commitment before the final day arrives.

Work towards: A register of confirmed or unconfirmed dates, preparation work, responsibilities, and follow-up.

Do I have the stock and supplies this work needs?

Count what is present, separate what is usable, and keep customer commitments and expected deliveries in view.

Work towards: A checked stock position and practical next actions for shortages, counts, and replenishment.

I need a formula for my spreadsheet.

Find a function, understand its arguments, and adapt an example to your own cells.

Work towards: A formula pattern to try, with a printable reference beside your work.

People & working together

We’re considering going into business together.

Discuss a new partnership or revisit how existing business partners want to work together.

Work towards: A discussion record covering expectations, contributions, responsibilities, unresolved issues, and next actions.

I need help beyond what I can handle myself.

Work out whether you need practical assistance, a sounding board, specialist advice, or help with a specific decision.

Work towards: A clearer description of the help needed, the result you want, and questions to ask before working together.

Buying, handovers & moving on

I’m considering buying a business.

Begin with the work and business that could fit your life, or move directly to organizing questions about a particular opportunity.

Work towards: A buyer brief with preferences, boundaries, and questions, or a clearer evidence review for a specific business.

Someone needs to take over my responsibilities.

Prepare for time away, delegation, a role change, or a transition so another person can understand the work they are taking on.

Work towards: A practical handover covering responsibilities, records, contacts, commitments, and matters to check together.

I’m considering stepping back or moving on.

You may need temporary cover, a gradual succession, a sale, a partnership change, or a closure. These call for different preparation.

Work towards: A clearer transition intention, a practical preparation step, and questions for the people who need to help.

Keep your open draft?

Continuing will discard your unsaved changes. You can return to the draft and save or download it first.