Your First 7 Days

Pre-flight checklist — From "I just got this" to "this runs my business" in one week.

Launch Progress

0/7 complete

Day 1: Add your first client

Go to the Client Board. Click any client card to see how it's structured. Then add one real client with their name, email, and status.

Navigate to Client Board → Study the example → Add your client

Tip: Start with your most active client. You can always add more later.

Day 2: Create your first project

Go to the Project Pipeline. See how projects are organized by status. Create a project for the client you added yesterday.

Navigate to Project Pipeline → Create a project → Link it to your client

Tip: Set the fee and deadline. These two fields drive most of the dashboard metrics.

Day 3: Log your first invoice

Go to the Money Dashboard. See how invoices are tracked. Add an invoice for your project — even if it's already been paid.

Navigate to Money Dashboard → Add an invoice → Link to client and project

Tip: Logging past invoices helps you see your real income history from day one.

Day 4: Add today's tasks

Go to the Daily Helm. This is your home base. Add 3 tasks for today and set their priority to 'Today'.

Navigate to Daily Helm → Add 3 tasks → Set priority to 'Today'

Tip: Three tasks is the sweet spot. More than that and you'll feel overwhelmed.

Day 5: Do your first Weekly Pulse

Go to the Weekly Pulse page. Review each section — income, pipeline, overdue tasks, client health. Fill in the reflection prompts.

Navigate to Weekly Pulse → Review metrics → Fill in reflections

Tip: Make this a Friday ritual. 5 minutes every Friday keeps your business healthy.

Day 6: Delete the example data

You've seen how the system works with Alex Chen's fictional business. Now it's time to make it yours. Delete the example clients, projects, and invoices.

Remove example data → Keep only your real data

Tip: Don't worry about breaking anything. The structure stays — only the example entries go.

Day 7: Make it yours

Customize the system. Add your remaining clients, ongoing projects, and any outstanding invoices. Your helm is now fully operational.

Add all clients → Add all projects → Log all invoices → You're live

Tip: After today, your daily routine is: Open the Daily Helm. Update tasks. Log income. 5 minutes.

After Day 7

Your daily routine is simple: Open the Daily Helm. Update your tasks. Log any new income. That's it. 5 minutes a day.

Every Friday, check the Weekly Pulse for a 5-minute business health review. Every quarter, use the Quarterly Review template to plan your next 90 days.