A little help for the part nobody taught you.

Each guide takes one decision at a time. The start-a-business series runs in nine steps, from the weeks before you quit your job to your first 90 days of running the business. The startup checklist covers the same ground on one page, with a box to check for each step. The recurring tasks guide handles the jobs that come around every month or every year. Two guides help before you buy software. One follows a single repair job through field service tools, and one explains what scheduling software means, from booking links to shift plans. The weekly planner runs in your browser and prints next week on one page. Deadline guides, software comparisons and notes for business owners each have a section of their own.

Still testing an idea? Start with the business-planning series. Already taking jobs? Look at the startup checklist and recurring responsibilities. Need to see next week on paper? Open the printable planner.

The guides combine worked examples with research and official sources where they help. A made-up example is labeled as one, so you can borrow the idea without mistaking it for somebody's results.