AI prompt guide

From Idea to Business Plan with AI

10 guided steps and 10 copy-ready prompts that turn a rough idea into a plan you can act on, pitch or take to a bank.

10 steps · 2 prompts · ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini

Step 1 · Free preview

Sharpen the idea

A business idea is ready to plan when you can say, in one sentence, who it is for, what problem it solves and why someone would pay you instead of doing nothing. Most ideas start much fuzzier than that ("a food business", "an app for students"). This step forces the detail out before you spend time on research.

Concept sharpenerWorks withChatGPT Claude Gemini

Fill in the blanks

Your idea

Location

Your skills or experience

Act as an experienced small-business adviser. I have a business idea and I want to turn it into a clear, testable concept.

My idea: {{idea}}
Where I plan to operate: {{location}}
My relevant skills or experience: {{skills}}

Do the following:
1. Ask me up to 5 sharp questions that would most improve the idea, then STOP and wait for my answers.
2. After I answer, write 3 different one-sentence concepts in this format: "[Business] helps [specific customer] to [result] by [how], unlike [current alternative]."
3. For each concept, list the single biggest assumption that must be true for it to work.
4. Recommend one concept and explain why in 3 sentences.

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude3 blanks still empty

Step 2 · Free preview

Find your real customer

"Everyone" is not a customer. A useful customer profile names one type of person or business, the moment they feel the problem and what they currently do about it. That current workaround is your true competitor, and it tells you how much the problem is worth to them.

Customer profile builderWorks withChatGPT Claude Gemini

Fill in the blanks

Your one-sentence concept

What you already know

You are a customer researcher. Using the business concept below, build a detailed profile of the single most promising customer group.

Business concept: {{concept}}
What I already know about my customers: Nothing yet

Write:
1. Who they are: age range, job or business type, income or budget level, where they live or operate.
2. The trigger: the exact moment they feel the problem most.
3. Today's workaround: what they do now and what it costs them in money, time or frustration.
4. Buying factors: the top 3 things they will judge me on, in order.
5. Where to reach them: 5 specific places, online and offline.
6. Ten interview questions I can ask 5 real people this week to test this profile. Avoid leading questions.
Mark anything you are guessing with (assumption).

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude1 blank still empty

Keep reading

8 more steps

Size the market
Estimate how many customers you can realistically reach and what they could spend.
Study the competition
Compare direct competitors and workarounds, then choose how you will be different.
Set your price and margin
Work out your cost per sale, then choose a price that covers it and fits the market.
Plan how you'll get customers
Choose 2 or 3 marketing channels and build a 30-day launch plan with clear targets.
Map your operations
Lay out how the work gets done, who does it, what tools you need and where it can break.
Build a simple financial forecast
Create a 12-month forecast of revenue, costs, profit and cash, with a best and worst case.
List the risks and your plan B
Find what could sink the business, how likely it is and what you'll do about it.
Assemble your business plan
Combine everything into a complete business plan, a one-page summary and a 90-day action list.

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Act as an experienced small-business adviser. I have a business idea and I want to turn it into a clear, testable concept. My idea: {{idea}} Where I plan to operate: {{location}} My relevant skills or experience: {{skills}} Do the following: 1. Ask me up to 5 sharp questions that would most improve the idea, then STOP and wait for my answers. 2. After I answer, write 3 different one-sentence concepts in this format: "[Business] helps [specific customer] to [result] by [how], unlike [current alternative]." 3. For each concept, list the single biggest assumption that must be true for it to work. 4. Recommend one concept and explain why in 3 sentences.

You are a customer researcher. Using the business concept below, build a detailed profile of the single most promising customer group. Business concept: {{concept}} What I already know about my customers: Nothing yet Write: 1. Who they are: age range, job or business type, income or budget level, where they live or operate. 2. The trigger: the exact moment they feel the problem most. 3. Today's workaround: what they do now and what it costs them in money, time or frustration. 4. Buying factors: the top 3 things they will judge me on, in order. 5. Where to reach them: 5 specific places, online and offline. 6. Ten interview questions I can ask 5 real people this week to test this profile. Avoid leading questions. Mark anything you are guessing with (assumption).