Module 00 · free
Set up properly before you have to fix it later.
A practical starter module for getting the business basics into one calm, workable place. No card. No sales call. Just the next useful job.
- Time
- About 90 minutes
- You leave with
- A completed checklist
- Also included
- Privacy notice guide
What's inside
The complete starting sequence.
Six short lessons that help you understand what needs a decision, what needs a record, and what needs professional advice.
- 01
Choose the legal shape that fits
Sole trader or limited company: the practical differences to take to an accountant.
- 02
Make your registration list
The places to register, the records to keep, and the questions not to leave until later.
- 03
Put basic protection in place
Insurance, written terms and boundaries: what to scope before you start taking work.
- 04
Map the data you handle
A plain-English route through the customer information your business collects.
- 05
Draft a clear privacy notice
The sections your website notice needs, and how to write them without pretending to be a lawyer.
- 06
Set up your running file
A simple home for invoices, contracts, expenses and the next review date.
Use this today
Your set-up checklist.
Start at the top, make a note beside each item, and turn unanswered questions into a short list for your accountant, insurer or legal professional.
- Write down what you sell, who you sell it to, and whether you work from home, online or on customers’ premises.
- List the customer and prospect information you collect, where it comes from and where you store it.
- Choose a bookkeeping routine and make a monthly date to keep records up to date.
- Identify the contracts, insurance and professional rules that apply to the work you actually do.
- Put a clear privacy notice on your website before sending people to an enquiry form or email sign-up.
- Book a review point for your setup when your services, turnover, team or data handling changes.
Privacy notice guide
What your website notice needs to explain.
This module gives you a plain-English planning structure, not a substitute for advice that accounts for your particular business.
- Who you are: the business name and a reliable contact route.
- What you collect: such as enquiry details, client records and website data.
- Why you use it: the practical purpose for each type of information.
- Who else receives it: only the suppliers and services involved in delivering your work.
- How long you keep it: a simple retention approach that matches the work you do.
- People's choices: how someone can ask about, correct or delete their information.
Important: Compounding provides business education, not legal, tax, financial or insurance advice. Before launch, confirm the VAT position and the legal documents your business needs with appropriately qualified professionals.
What happens after this module?
Nothing you have to buy. If a particular part of your business is creating drag, the paid modules are designed to help you build one practical asset at a time. Membership details will be published when the Engine Room is ready to open.