ChatGPT prompts for running a one-person business
Copy-ready prompts for weekly planning, offers, client onboarding, invoice follow-ups and content batching. Not financial or legal advice: you check each figure before it goes out.
In short: This page contains 30 copy-paste ready prompts, organized into 6 categories with a description and pro tip for each. The first 5 prompts are free instantly, no signup needed. Drafted with AI writing assistance and checked against our editorial policy.
Weekly Planning
5 promptsMonday Priority Triage
1/30✨ What it does
Sorts a messy task list into a Monday to Friday plan with three money tasks and time blocks. Check each [VERIFY] cell against your calendar before you commit to the week.
Here is my task list for the week: [PASTE TASK LIST]. I have [HOURS AVAILABLE] working hours and these fixed commitments: [FIXED COMMITMENTS]. Work through these steps in order. 1. Sort each task into client work, sales, admin or content. 2. Mark the three tasks that bring in money this week and give one line of reason for each. 3. Move anything with no deadline, except the three money tasks, to a later list. 4. Build a Monday to Friday plan as a table with columns Day, Task, Time block and Done when, with at most four tasks a day. If a time estimate is missing, write [VERIFY] in the Time block cell. Skip any hours I did not supply; inventing a duration would throw the week off.
Pro tip: Estimate hours from your last similar week, not from hope.
Friday Week Review
2/30✨ What it does
Asks five questions about your week, then writes a short review with wins, slips and one change. Correct any figure marked [VERIFY] before you use the review to plan next week.
Ask me exactly 5 questions about my week of [WEEK DATES], numbered 1 to 5, one question per line: what got done, what slipped, where my hours went, which client moved forward and what I want to change. Then stop and wait for my answers. After I answer, write a 150 word review with three wins, two slips and one change for next week. If an answer lacks a number such as hours or cash received, write [VERIFY] in its place and do not invent a figure.
Pro tip: Answer in rough notes. The review gets sharper with real numbers.
Weekly Time Block Template
3/30✨ What it does
Turns your own time slots into seven labelled day blocks with morning, afternoon, admin and call lines. Use the blocks as a draft and move any [VERIFY] slot to a task that suits your real week.
Fill in this weekly template for my business and return it complete. Mornings: [MORNING TASK]. Afternoons: [AFTERNOON TASK]. Work days: [WORK DAYS]. Mark every other day Rest. Admin day: [ADMIN DAY AND TIME]. Call days: [CALL DAYS]. Turn it into seven labelled day blocks, Monday to Sunday, each with four lines: Morning, Afternoon, Admin and Calls. Put Admin only on [ADMIN DAY AND TIME] and Calls only on [CALL DAYS]; write none on other days. Add no tasks I did not list. If I left a slot blank, mark it [VERIFY] and do not invent a task for it.
Pro tip: Leave a slot blank on purpose if the day is unpredictable.
Twelve Week Plan
4/30✨ What it does
Lays out twelve weeks of goals, client hours, marketing hours and your rest day. Check the hours against your calendar and place each key date in the right week.
Build a 12 week plan for my [BUSINESS TYPE] business, one row per week, with columns Week, Main goal, Client hours, Marketing hours and Rest day. My goal for these 12 weeks is [TWELVE WEEK GOAL]. I can work [HOURS PER WEEK] hours a week. Rest day I keep: [REST DAY]. Key dates I already know: [KEY DATES]. Week 1 starts on [START DATE]. Keep the table to exactly 12 rows and make client hours plus marketing hours fit my weekly total. Put [REST DAY] in the Rest day column each week. Place each item from [KEY DATES] in the Main goal cell of the week its date falls in. If a date falls outside the 12 weeks, say so under the table and do not invent a week. If I left [START DATE] blank, write [VERIFY] in the Week column rather than guessing.
Pro tip: Start with the hours you can count on, not the ones you hope for.
Three Ways To Hit a Deadline
5/30✨ What it does
Gives three ways to meet a deadline, each with its cost and what the client sees, then picks one. Test the chosen option against your real hours before you tell the client.
I have [NUMBER OF HOURS] hours of work left on [DELIVERABLE] and [DAYS LEFT] days before [DEADLINE]. I can work [HOURS I CAN WORK EACH DAY] hours a day. Give me three ways to fit it in: cut scope, add a working day, or hand off one part. For each option, write two lines on what it costs me and what the client sees. Then pick the best option and give the reason in three sentences. Work from the hours and days I wrote. If I left [HOURS I CAN WORK EACH DAY] blank, write [VERIFY] there rather than inventing a daily total.
Pro tip: Ask for the cut you are most afraid of. It is often the right one.
Offers and Positioning
5 promptsOffer Name Options
6/30✨ What it does
Produces three short names for one service, then picks the one that is clearest to your client type at a glance. Check that the chosen name matches what you actually deliver.
My service is [SERVICE] for [CLIENT TYPE] who want [OUTCOME]. Give me three offer names of two to four words each, with one line explaining each name. Then pick the name that is clearest to a [CLIENT TYPE] at a glance and give the reason in 40 words. Do not claim results or years in business that I did not give you. If the outcome is vague, tag it [VERIFY]. A stronger claim I did not write is off limits; inventing one would mislead buyers.
Pro tip: Say the outcome in your client's words, not yours.
Two Offer Comparison Table
7/30✨ What it does
Sets two of your offers side by side on scope, hours, fit, risk and next step. Read the table as a first draft and confirm each cell against your own records.
Compare my two offers in a table with a row for each of Scope, Hours I spend, Who it suits, Main risk and Next step, and one column per offer. Offer A: [OFFER A DETAILS]. Offer B: [OFFER B DETAILS]. End with one sentence on which offer to lead with and why. Stay inside Offer A and Offer B as I wrote them. If I did not give hours I spend for an offer, write [VERIFY] in that cell rather than inventing a number. If the details do not support Who it suits or Main risk, write [VERIFY] in that cell.
Pro tip: Write the hours as a number. Vague hours make the comparison useless.
Offer Page Checklist
8/30✨ What it does
Turns your offer page into ten questions marked Answered, Partly or Missing, then flags the two biggest gaps. Fix the gaps in your own words and run the check again.
Make a checklist of ten questions a buyer should be able to answer from my offer page text: [PASTE OFFER PAGE TEXT]. Mark each question Answered, Partly or Missing, then list the two gaps that matter most. Do not rewrite the page. If you would have to guess a detail I did not write, mark it Missing and write [VERIFY] beside it. Never invent a spec or a result.
Pro tip: Paste the page as it is now, including the weak parts.
Niche Statement Interview
9/30✨ What it does
Asks five questions about your best client, then writes a 40 to 60 word niche statement from your answers. Read the statement to a real client before you put it on your site.
Ask me exactly five numbered questions about the [CLIENT TYPE] I serve best: who they are, what they are trying to change, what they already tried, what makes them hire, and what they cannot afford to get wrong. Wait for my answers. Then write a niche statement of 40 to 60 words in plain English. Stay inside my answers. If my answers skip their exact words for what they cannot afford to get wrong, write [VERIFY] there; do not invent a phrase they did not use.
Pro tip: Answer with a real client in mind, one you have worked with.
Offer Summary for a Different Reader
10/30✨ What it does
Rewrites your offer summary for a reader you name, keeping the same facts. Compare the three bullets with your original and reject any change that adds a claim you cannot back up.
Rewrite my offer summary for [READER TYPE, for example a bakery owner or a finance manager]. Keep the same facts. Output a 120 word version, then three bullets on what I changed and why. Do not add results, clients, awards or years in business. If the rewrite needs a fact I did not give, write [VERIFY] at that point. Drop any unsourced claim rather than inventing it. My summary: [PASTE SUMMARY].
Pro tip: Name a real type of reader. A bakery owner reads differently from a finance manager.
Client Onboarding
5 promptsWelcome Email After Signing
11/30✨ What it does
Drafts a warm 120 word welcome email with the start date, the inputs you need and your reply day. Check each date against your calendar before you send it.
Write a welcome email of about 120 words to [CLIENT FIRST NAME], who just signed for [SERVICE]. Include the start date [START DATE], what I need from them [INPUTS NEEDED] and the day I will reply [REPLY DAY]. Keep the tone warm and direct, with no exclamation marks, and end with one question. If a date is missing, write [VERIFY] in its place. Omit any deliverable I did not list rather than inventing one.
Pro tip: Send the welcome email the same day the contract is signed, while they are keen.
Intake Questionnaire
12/30✨ What it does
Builds an eight question intake form in four groups, with a reason for each group. Review the questions against the tools you actually use before you send them.
Write an intake questionnaire of eight numbered questions for a [CLIENT TYPE] starting [SERVICE]. Group them under the headings Goals, Current setup, Access and Deadlines. Under each heading, add one line saying why I ask. Keep the whole text under 250 words. Do not ask for passwords or bank details. If a question depends on a tool I did not name, write [VERIFY] beside it and keep it as a general question about access, not a login step. Do not invent a tool name.
Pro tip: Ask about access early. Missing logins are the usual cause of delay.
Forty Five Minute Kickoff Agenda
13/30✨ What it does
Splits a 45 minute kickoff call into five timed blocks with one question per block. Run the agenda once with a friend to check the timing before the real call.
Fill in this 45 minute kickoff agenda for a call with [CLIENT NAME] about [PROJECT]. Split the 45 minutes across five blocks: Welcome, Goals, Access and tools, Timeline, and Questions. Output a table with columns Block, Minutes, Goal of the block and Question to ask. The minutes must add up to 45. Draw the agenda from these notes: [NOTES]. If the notes lack a date or a deliverable, write [VERIFY] in that cell and do not invent one.
Pro tip: Keep the timeline block short and leave room for questions.
Onboarding Checklist Critique
14/30✨ What it does
Scores your onboarding checklist on clarity, order and gaps, then rewrites it as a list of no more than 12 steps. Test the rewritten list on your next new client and note where they get stuck.
Score my onboarding checklist out of 10 on clarity, order and missing steps. Then rewrite it as a numbered list of no more than 12 steps. My checklist: [PASTE CHECKLIST]. Output a score line, three strengths, three gaps and the rewritten list. Add no tools I did not mention. If a step needs a fact about my process that I did not give, tag it [VERIFY]. Leave that step empty instead of inventing a tool or a login.
Pro tip: Paste the checklist exactly as your clients see it.
Client Login Problem Triage
15/30✨ What it does
Lists the four most likely reasons a new client cannot get in, with a check and a reply for each. Run the checks in order and confirm the cause before you change any settings.
My new client says [SYMPTOM, for example the invite link has expired] while I onboard them to [TOOL]. List the four most likely causes, in order, starting with the ones on my side. For each one give a check I can run in under ten minutes and a reply of under 40 words to send the client. Output a table with columns Likely cause, Check and Reply. I cannot see their screen, so mark any cause I cannot confirm with [VERIFY] and do not invent a fix for [TOOL].
Pro tip: Copy the exact error text the client sends. It narrows the cause fast.
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Invoices and Follow-Ups
5 promptsFriendly Payment Reminder
16/30✨ What it does
Drafts a friendly 90 word reminder built only from the invoice number, amount and due date you enter. Check the figures against your invoicing tool before you send it.
Draft a payment reminder email of about 90 words to [CLIENT NAME] for invoice [INVOICE NUMBER], amount [AMOUNT], due on [DUE DATE]. Keep it friendly and plain, with no threats. Ask them to confirm the date they will pay. Take the invoice number, amount and due date from the brackets. If the invoice number or amount is missing, write [VERIFY] in its place and do not invent one. Do not mention late fees, interest or legal steps.
Pro tip: Send it on the due date or the morning after, not a week later.
Second Follow-Up Email
17/30✨ What it does
Writes a firmer 110 word follow-up that refers to the first email and asks for a payment date. Read the dates twice, because a wrong date weakens a firm message.
Write a second follow-up email of about 110 words for invoice [INVOICE NUMBER], amount [AMOUNT], first sent on [FIRST SENT DATE] and due on [DUE DATE]. Mention the first email once. Ask for a payment date by [REPLY BY DATE]. Keep it firm and polite. Do not invent dates, amounts or payment history. If I did not give [REPLY BY DATE], write [VERIFY] there rather than inventing a date. Do not mention late fees, interest or legal steps.
Pro tip: Give a reply date two working days ahead, not a vague 'soon'.
Three Payment Schedules
18/30✨ What it does
Offers three ways to split an amount a client cannot pay on time into dated parts that add up, each with its trade-off, then picks one. Check every amount and date against your invoice, and let the client choose.
A client, [CLIENT NAME], cannot pay [AMOUNT] by [DUE DATE]. First part date I can accept: [FIRST PART DATE]. Last date I can accept: [LAST DATE I CAN ACCEPT]. Give three payment schedules that split the amount into two or three parts. Output a table with columns Option, Dates, Amounts and Trade-off. Make the parts add up exactly to [AMOUNT] and show the sum under each option. Space the dates between [FIRST PART DATE] and [LAST DATE I CAN ACCEPT]; if either date is blank, write [VERIFY] in that cell and ask me for it. Then pick one option and say why in 40 words. Do not add interest, late fees or legal steps. Do not invent a payment history or the client's reasons. The client decides which option to accept.
Pro tip: Keep the number of parts small. Two or three is easier to keep to.
Invoice Check Before Sending
19/30✨ What it does
Turns the invoice and the agreed price you paste into a ten item checklist, with the computed sum shown. Compare the flagged lines and the sum with your accounting record before you send anything.
Check this invoice before I send it. Details I pasted: [PASTE INVOICE DETAILS]. Agreed price from the quote: [PASTE QUOTE OR AGREED PRICE]. Make a checklist of ten items, each marked Ok, Fix or [VERIFY]. Check that the client name, invoice number, dates, line items and total match what I pasted, then compare the total with [PASTE QUOTE OR AGREED PRICE]. Add the line amounts and show the sum you computed; say so if it does not match the pasted total. Do not invent a missing field; mark it [VERIFY] instead. Do not comment on tax rates or payment terms.
Pro tip: Paste the line items as plain text, one per line, so the total is easy to test.
Thirty Second Payment Call Script
20/30✨ What it does
Produces a 65 word phone script in three beats that opens with your name, asks about one invoice and states the next step you named. Read it aloud with a timer and cut any line that runs past 30 seconds.
Build a 30 second phone script in three numbered beats for a call to [CLIENT NAME] about invoice [INVOICE NUMBER] for [AMOUNT], due [DUE DATE]. Next step I will offer: [NEXT STEP]. Speech runs at about 130 words a minute, so keep the whole script to about 65 words. 1. Open with my name, [YOUR NAME], in one sentence. 2. Ask one question about this invoice. 3. State [NEXT STEP] in one line. Speak plainly. Do not mention late fees, interest or legal steps. If I left [NEXT STEP] blank, write [VERIFY] there rather than inventing a next step. Do not guess why the payment is late.
Pro tip: Ask one question on the call, not three.
Content Batching
5 promptsOne Afternoon Batch Run Sheet
21/30✨ What it does
Groups your planned posts by format and builds a 180 minute run sheet that uses each setup once. Time the first block yourself, because the minutes are a starting estimate.
Plan one afternoon of content batching for my [NICHE] business. Steps: 1. List the [NUMBER OF POSTS] posts I want, based on these topics: [TOPICS]. 2. Group them by format: photo, short video or text. 3. Order them so that each setup is used once. 4. Give a timed run sheet of 180 minutes as a table with columns Block, Minutes and Task. The minutes must add up to 180. Where a topic is unclear, write [VERIFY] beside it. Stay inside [TOPICS] and skip results or client names I did not list, rather than inventing them.
Pro tip: Batch the filming before the writing, while the energy is fresh.
Split a Case Study Into Five Posts
22/30✨ What it does
Breaks one case study into five posts, each with a hook, a short body and a call to action. Check each number in each post against the original notes before you publish.
Read my case study notes below and split them into five posts. For each post give a hook under 12 words, a body of 60 to 80 words and one call to action. Output a numbered list. Use only facts in my notes. If a result, date or client name is missing, write [VERIFY] in its place and do not invent one. Notes: [PASTE CASE STUDY NOTES].
Pro tip: Use real numbers from your notes, with the date beside them.
Sixty Second Talking Head Script
23/30✨ What it does
Writes a 60 second talking head script for your service and client type, in four parts with word counts, about 130 words in total. Read it aloud with a timer and trim any part that runs over its word count.
Write a 60 second talking head script for my [SERVICE] business, speaking to [CLIENT TYPE], about [TOPIC] for a [PLATFORM] video. The problem is one my clients raise in [NOTES]. The call to action is [CALL TO ACTION, for example book a call]. Speech runs at about 130 words a minute. Use four labelled parts: hook, about 11 words; problem, about 33 words; one tip, about 54 words; call to action, about 33 words. The parts add up to about 130 words. If [NOTES] do not name a result or a client quote, write [VERIFY] there; do not invent one.
Pro tip: Film a practice take first and time it on your phone.
Newsletter Month Table
24/30✨ What it does
Lays out four newsletter issues for a month as a table with themes, links and reader actions. Check each link and theme against your notes before you schedule the issues.
Plan the four newsletter issues I send in [MONTH] as a table with columns Issue, Theme, Piece of my work to link, Reader action and Target words. Target 400 to 500 words per issue. Build the themes only from these notes: [PASTE NOTES]. Do not invent events, numbers or links. Where my notes lack an event, number or link, write [VERIFY] in that cell and do not invent a replacement.
Pro tip: Give each issue one reader action, not three.
Turn a Client Email Into a Post
25/30✨ What it does
Turns a private client email into a short public post for other small business owners, asking the model to remove the client's identity. Replace the client's name with the word CLIENT before you paste, then check that no figure or detail is left that the client has not agreed to share.
Rewrite this email I sent a client as a LinkedIn post under 150 words for other small business owners. In the post, call the client 'a client' and leave out the name, company and any figure or detail that points to them. Remove any remaining detail they would not want public. Keep the lesson. Output the post, then one line listing the types of detail removed (for example name, company, figure), without repeating them. If the lesson is unclear, write [VERIFY] at the top and ask me one question. Do not invent a result. Email (client name already replaced with CLIENT): [PASTE EMAIL].
Pro tip: Get the client's yes before you post, even for an anonymous story.
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Client Check-Ins
5 promptsMonthly Client Check-In Email
26/30✨ What it does
Drafts a 100 word month end email that lists delivered work and asks one question about the next priority. Replace each [VERIFY] line with a real outcome, or delete the line.
Draft a check-in email of about 100 words to [CLIENT NAME] at the end of [MONTH]. Name the work I delivered: [DELIVERED ITEMS AND OUTCOMES]. Ask one question about their next priority. Keep it warm and short. Do not invent metrics, outcomes or quotes. If I gave no outcome for an item, write [VERIFY] where the result would go.
Pro tip: Name the delivered items in the client's words, not your internal labels.
Scope Creep Reply
27/30✨ What it does
Writes a 90 word reply that turns an unplanned request into two options, one costed in extra hours, with no price stated. Read the hours against your week before you send, so you can keep the promise.
A client asked for [NEW REQUEST], which sits outside our agreement for [AGREED SCOPE]. Draft a reply of about 90 words that offers two ways forward: include it for [EXTRA HOURS] extra hours, or move it to next month. Do not state a price or rate; if the extra hours change the invoice, write [VERIFY]. Do not interpret the agreement. Do not invent extra work I did not describe. Keep the tone friendly and firm.
Pro tip: Give the client the choice. A flat yes or no invites an argument.
Client Feedback Summary Table
28/30✨ What it does
Sorts client feedback into at most eight rows of points, exact quotes, short replies and actions. Check the quotes against the original message before you act on any point.
Summarise the client feedback below in a table with columns Point, Exact quote, My reply and Action. One row per point, at most 8 rows, My reply under 25 words, Action under 12 words. Keep quotes word for word. Stay inside the pasted feedback. If a point is unclear, tag it [VERIFY]. Guessing what the client meant is inventing, so leave the meaning open. Feedback: [PASTE FEEDBACK].
Pro tip: Paste the whole message thread, not a single line, so the context stays.
Critique My Recovery Message
29/30✨ What it does
Scores your draft message to an unhappy client on warmth, clarity, honesty and next step, then rewrites it. Send the rewrite only after you have confirmed the facts it states.
Score my draft message to a client who is unhappy with [ISSUE] from 1 to 10 for warmth, clarity, honesty and next step. Then rewrite it in no more than 100 words. My draft: [PASTE DRAFT]. Output the score, one line per criterion, then the rewrite. Do not invent a cause for [ISSUE] or a fix I did not describe. If my draft names a date, check it against [AGREED DATE] and tag any mismatch [VERIFY].
Pro tip: Paste the draft before you edit it, so the critique can show the first wording.
Client Period Review Checklist
30/30✨ What it does
Builds an eight item quarterly or project-end review you can walk through with one client from the notes you supply, each marked Covered, Not covered or [VERIFY]. Mark an item as checked only after you confirm it against what the client actually said.
Make a checklist of eight items to discuss I can walk through with [CLIENT NAME] at a quarterly or project-end review. Fill [PERIOD] with quarter or project. Cover delivery of [WORK DONE], communication, next work and what they would change. Mark each item Covered, Not covered or [VERIFY] from these notes: [CLIENT NOTES]. Do not add quotes or results I did not supply, and do not invent a trend. End with one question I should ask them, in one sentence.
Pro tip: Paste what the client wrote, not your memory of the call.
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