FREELANCE BUSINESS SETUP CHECKLIST ================================== Disclaimer — not legal advice. This template is provided free of charge, as is and with no warranty of any kind, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. It is jurisdiction-neutral: you are responsible for adapting it, for your own legal and tax compliance, and for having a qualified professional in your jurisdiction review it before you rely on it. Full terms: https://trycolo.co/terms-of-use Name: [YOUR NAME] | Business name: [TRADING NAME] | Country / region: [COUNTRY, REGION] Start date: [DATE] | Target: set up within [30] days | Accountant / adviser: [NAME, CONTACT] Rules on registration, tax and insurance depend on where you live. Where this checklist says "check," use your national or local government's official guidance or a qualified adviser. Week plan at a glance --------------------- Week | Focus | Done when ------ | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 1 | Legal and tax | You can legally invoice and know your tax obligations Week 2 | Money and protection | Business account open, tax savings set, insurance quoted Week 3 | Pricing and documents | Rates set; proposal, contract and invoice templates ready Week 4 | Systems and marketing | Bookkeeping running, backups on, portfolio live, first outreach sent ------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Legal and registration — Week 1 ---------------------------------- - [ ] Business structure chosen: [ ] sole trader / self-employed [ ] company [ ] other: [TYPE] - [ ] Reason for choice noted (cost, liability, tax): [NOTES] - [ ] Registered with [AUTHORITY] on [DATE], reference [NUMBER] - [ ] Business or trading name checked for conflicts and registered if required - [ ] Local permits or licenses checked for your type of work: [ ] none needed [ ] obtained: [LIST] - [ ] Rules on working from home checked (lease, building or local rules): [NOTES] - [ ] If on a visa or residence permit: confirmed that self-employment is allowed under it 2. Tax — Week 1 --------------- - [ ] Registered for income tax as self-employed (or equivalent) with [AUTHORITY] - [ ] Tax ID obtained: [NUMBER] - [ ] Advance or estimated tax payment rules checked: due dates [DATES] - [ ] Sales tax / VAT / GST registration threshold for your situation written down: [THRESHOLD, SOURCE URL] - [ ] Rules for charging tax to overseas clients checked with an adviser - [ ] Record-keeping period required in your country noted: [N] years - [ ] Accountant or tax adviser engaged, or decided to self-file: [NAME / DECISION] - [ ] First tax deadlines in your calendar: [DATES] 3. Banking and payments — Week 2 -------------------------------- - [ ] Separate business bank account opened: [BANK] - [ ] Tax savings account opened; rule set: move [X]% of every payment on the day it arrives - [ ] Payment methods chosen: [ ] bank transfer [ ] card [ ] PayPal [ ] local method: [NAME] - [ ] Online payment account set up and tested with a small payment - [ ] International payment option set up if you will have overseas clients: [METHOD] - [ ] Emergency buffer target set: [N] months of expenses = [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] 4. Insurance and protection — Week 2 ------------------------------------ - [ ] Professional liability / indemnity cover: [ ] quoted [ ] bought — insurer [NAME], renewal [DATE] - [ ] General / public liability (if you meet clients or work on site): [STATUS] - [ ] Equipment cover for laptop, camera or tools: [STATUS] - [ ] Health, income protection or sick-pay options reviewed: [NOTES] - [ ] Retirement savings plan for self-employed people reviewed: [NOTES] 5. Pricing — Week 3 ------------------- - [ ] Annual income target: [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] - [ ] Business costs per year (software, insurance, equipment, accountant): [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] - [ ] Realistic billable hours per year: [N] (allow for admin, sales, holidays, sick days) - [ ] Minimum hourly or day rate = (income + costs) / billable hours = [CURRENCY] [RATE] - [ ] Pricing model chosen for main services: [ ] hourly [ ] day rate [ ] fixed fee [ ] retainer - [ ] Minimum project size: [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] - [ ] Deposit policy: [X]% upfront on projects over [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] - [ ] Payment terms: Net [N] days 6. Documents — Week 3 --------------------- - [ ] Proposal template ready - [ ] Service contract template ready and reviewed by [ADVISER / SELF] - [ ] Invoice template with your legal details, tax ID and payment instructions - [ ] Invoice numbering format chosen: [e.g. 2026-001] - [ ] Deposit invoice and payment receipt templates ready - [ ] Client onboarding checklist ready - [ ] NDA template ready (if your clients often ask) - [ ] Email signature with business name and contact details 7. Bookkeeping — Week 4 ----------------------- - [ ] Tool chosen for invoices and expenses: [TOOL] - [ ] Expense categories set up: [SOFTWARE / EQUIPMENT / TRAVEL / OFFICE / PROFESSIONAL FEES / OTHER] - [ ] Receipt capture habit: photo or upload within [7] days - [ ] Monthly money review booked in the calendar: [DAY OF MONTH] - [ ] Mileage or home-office records started if relevant where you live 8. Workspace and security — Week 4 ---------------------------------- - [ ] Password manager set up - [ ] Two-factor authentication on email, bank, payment and cloud accounts - [ ] Automatic backups for work files: [TOOL], tested restore on [DATE] - [ ] Separate business email address on your own domain: [EMAIL] - [ ] Client data storage rules decided (where files live, how long you keep them) 9. Marketing basics — Week 4 ---------------------------- - [ ] Portfolio or website live: [URL], with [3–6] best pieces - [ ] Short positioning line: "I help [WHO] with [WHAT] so they can [RESULT]." - [ ] Profiles updated: [PLATFORMS] - [ ] List of [20] target clients or referral partners - [ ] First [5] outreach messages sent on [DATE] - [ ] Simple pipeline tracker: lead, contacted, proposal sent, won, lost Setup complete — date: [DATE] ------------------------------------------------------------ Open items ---------- # | Item | Waiting on | Due - | ---------------------------------- | ---------- | ------ 1 | [e.g. Insurance quote from broker] | [NAME] | [DATE] 2 | [ITEM] | [NAME] | [DATE] ------------------------------------------------------------ How to use this template 1. Fill in your country first and look up each "check" item on official government sources. 2. Write down every threshold and deadline with the source link, so you can recheck it each year. 3. Do the banking and tax savings steps before your first client payment arrives. 4. Have an accountant review your structure and tax setup once; it is cheaper than fixing mistakes later. 5. Revisit the checklist each year alongside your year-end review. Template provided by Colo (trycolo.co). Not legal advice — review with a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.