You’ve registered your company. You’ve got your idea validated. Now what?
Most founders dive straight into product development or customer acquisition, then hit a wall three months later when tax documents are missing, invoices are lost, and nobody knows where the receipts are.
Here’s the truth: Your back office doesn’t need to be perfect, but it needs to exist from day one.
This checklist covers the absolute essentials you need to set up in your first week. Not month. Not quarter. Week one. These are the systems that prevent expensive mistakes and keep you compliant while you focus on growth.
Day 1-2: Financial Foundation
Open Your Business Bank Account
This isn’t optional. Mixing personal and business finances is a compliance nightmare and makes accounting exponentially harder.
Action items:
- Research business accounts with low fees (most high-street banks offer startup packages)
- Gather required documents: incorporation papers, proof of address, ID
- Apply online or book an appointment
- Order a business debit card
Pro tip: Choose a bank with decent API integrations if you plan to use accounting software. It’ll save hours of manual data entry.
Set Up Accounting Software
Spreadsheets work until they don’t. Start with proper accounting software from day one, even if it’s a basic plan.
Action items:
- Choose software that fits your needs (Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent are popular UK options)
- Connect your business bank account
- Set up your chart of accounts (most software provides templates)
- Create invoice templates with your branding
- Configure tax settings for your jurisdiction
Why this matters: Having proper startup operations support from week one means clean books when you need them for investors, tax filings, or due diligence.
Day 2-3: Digital Infrastructure
Secure Your Domain and Email
Using Gmail with your personal name looks unprofessional and makes it harder to scale.
Action items:
- Purchase your company domain (if not already done)
- Set up professional email addresses (hello@, info@, your name@)
- Create email accounts for key functions: finance@, operations@, support@
- Configure email forwarding and signatures
Essential Software Stack
You don’t need 47 tools. You need the right five.
Week 1 essentials:
- Email and calendar (Google Workspace or Microsoft 365)
- File storage and sharing (Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive)
- Project management (Trello, Asana, or Notion for basic tracking)
- Communication (Slack for team chat, even if it’s just you for now)
- Password management (1Password or Bitwarden)
Action items:
- Sign up for these core tools
- Create shared folders structure: Finance, Operations, Legal, Marketing
- Invite any co-founders or early team members
- Set up two-factor authentication on everything
Day 3-4: Administrative Structure
Create Your Core Document Library
You’ll reference these constantly. Set them up properly now.
Action items:
- Create a “Company Admin” folder with subfolders:
- Legal (incorporation docs, shareholder agreements)
- Finance (bank statements, receipts, invoices)
- Contracts (customer agreements, vendor contracts)
- HR (if you have employees)
- Scan and upload your incorporation documents
- Create a simple spreadsheet tracking important dates (tax deadlines, filing dates)
- Document your login credentials in your password manager
Establish Basic Workflows
Even if you’re solo, document how things work.
Action items:
- Create a simple process doc for:
- How you’ll track expenses (photo receipts, upload weekly)
- Invoice payment terms (Net 30? Payment on receipt?)
- Contract signing process
- Set up recurring calendar reminders for monthly admin tasks (bank reconciliation, expense review)
Why workflows matter: Proper startup back office support means you’re not reinventing the wheel every month. Document once, repeat forever.
Day 4-5: Compliance and Legal Basics
Register for Required Taxes
Every jurisdiction is different, but most startups need:
Action items:
- Register for VAT if required
- Set up PAYE if you have employees
- Register with your local tax authority
- Create a tax calendar with key deadlines
- Research if you need any industry-specific licenses
Insurance Check
Don’t skip this. One lawsuit can sink an early-stage company.
Action items:
- Get professional indemnity insurance (if applicable to your industry)
- Consider public liability insurance
- Check if you need cyber insurance (increasingly common)
- Add policies to your admin folder
- Set renewal reminders
Day 5-7: Operations and Scalability
Set Up Your Invoicing System
Cash flow kills more startups than bad products.
Action items:
- Create invoice templates in your accounting software
- Set up payment terms (we recommend Net 15 for startups)
- Configure payment methods (bank transfer, Stripe, PayPal)
- Create a simple AR tracking system
- Set up automatic payment reminders
Build Your Vendor and Contact Database
You’ll need this sooner than you think.
Action items:
- Create a simple CRM or contact database (even a spreadsheet works)
- Log key contacts: accountant, lawyer, suppliers, partners
- Include contract details and renewal dates
- Set up a system for tracking NDAs and agreements
Establish Communication Protocols
Clear communication prevents disasters.
Action items:
- Define how you’ll communicate with clients (email, portal, Slack?)
- Set response time expectations
- Create email templates for common scenarios
- Document escalation procedures for urgent issues
Week 1 Reality Check
Here’s what you should have by Friday:
Business bank account (applied for, even if not approved yet) Accounting software configured Professional email addresses Core software stack set up Document library structure created Tax registrations submitted Basic insurance coverage Invoice template ready Workflows documented
What About Everything Else?
You might be thinking: “What about HR systems? Marketing automation? Advanced CRM?”
Not yet.
The goal of Week 1 isn’t perfection: it’s foundation. You need startup admin support systems that prevent legal problems and cash flow disasters. Everything else can wait.
When to Get Help
If setting up these systems feels overwhelming, or if you’d rather spend Week 1 talking to customers, consider fractional operations support. Many startups benefit from having an experienced operator set up these systems properly from the start.
The difference between startups that scale smoothly and those that implode at £500k revenue often comes down to whether they built proper back office systems early.
Your Week 2 Priority
Once these foundations are in place, your Week 2 focus should be:
- Running your first full accounting cycle (expenses, invoices, bank reconciliation)
- Testing your workflows to see what breaks
- Adjusting and documenting improvements
Remember: systems that work for one person often break at three people. But systems that don’t exist at all? Those break immediately.
The bottom line: Spend 5-7 days getting your startup operations support right. It feels like a distraction from building your product. It’s actually the foundation that lets you build faster.
Want help setting this up properly? That’s exactly what we do at My Element 5 (professional startup back office support that scales with you.)
