Starting a company after 40 means you bring experience, a network and often a family and a mortgage. This checklist turns your first 90 days into small, safe steps, so you test the idea before you bet the house on it.
Days 1–30: test before you jump#
- Write your runway: how many months could your household live without your salary?
- Have the partner conversation (see our guide in this series).
- Keep your job for now. Run the idea as a side project in the evenings and at weekends.
- Talk to 10 potential customers. Ask about their problem, not your solution.
Days 31–60: from side project to first customers#
- Put the business on one page with the Business Model Canvas.
- Get a first paying customer or a signed letter of intent.
- List your network: former colleagues, clients and suppliers. That network is your unfair advantage.
Days 61–90: decide#
- Is there a clear signal: paying customers, a waiting list, repeat requests?
- Agree a stop-loss date at home.
- If you go ahead, look at the funding routes in The Money Map.
Experience is your head start. Use it to test faster, not to skip the test.