Profile Your Business on a Page
The starting point for all documentation. One page that captures what your business does, who it serves, and how value flows.
🎯 Why Start Here
This is the document you hand someone before anything else. "This is what we do. This is why we exist."
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Make a copy and fill in your own business details.
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📄 The Profile Template
Header
| Field | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name | [Your Business Name] | |
| Last Updated | [Date] | |
| Next Review | [Date] |
Business Identity
| Field | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| One-Sentence Model | "I help [who] achieve [outcome] through [method]" | Be specific - this filters everything |
| Value Proposition | [Why people pay you] | The expensive problem you solve |
| Target Market | [Who actually pays you] | Check your last 10 invoices |
Value Flow
| Field | Value | Process Link |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs | [What comes in - client provides, dependencies] | All Processes |
| Process 1 | [Name your first core process] | |
| Process 2 | [Name your second core process] | |
| Process 3 | [Name your third core process] | |
| Process 4 | [Name your fourth core process] | |
| Process 5 | [Name your fifth core process] | |
| Outputs | [What client receives/transformation] | All Processes |
| Critical Dependencies | [Max 5 suppliers/tools that would stop business] |
Operations
| Field | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core Services | [Service 1 ($X), Service 2 ($Y)] | Map each to a process |
| Tech Stack | [Critical tools and plan levels] | Group by process |
| Info Architecture | [Where files, templates, passwords live] |
Financial
| Field | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Streams | [How money comes in] | Connect to processes |
| Cost Structure | [Fixed costs, Variable costs] | Map costs to processes |
| Banking/Tools | [Accounts, processors, accounting] | |
| Real Hourly Rate | [$ after all costs] |
Continuity
| Field | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| If Nothing Else | [3 things: 1. X, 2. Y, 3. Z] | Absolute minimum to know |
| Key Relationships | [Critical contacts and context] | |
| Access Protocols | [Emergency access information] | |
| Work in Progress | [Current status template] |
📝 Worked Example: Sarah's WordPress Care
Real Example: A solo WordPress maintenance business. See how each field gets filled in with actual business details.
Header
| Business Name | Sarah's WordPress Care |
| Last Updated | 2025-01-15 |
| Next Review | 2025-04-15 |
Business Identity
One-Sentence Model
I help small business owners keep their WordPress sites secure and running smoothly through proactive monthly maintenance so they can focus on their business, not tech headaches
This filters all decisions
Value Proposition
I prevent the $5K-15K disaster of a hacked or broken site. Clients choose me because I fix issues before they notice them, communicate in plain English, and never require meetings
The expensive problem = disasters + lost time
Target Market
Small business owners with 1-10 employees, WordPress sites generating $50K-500K annually, been burned by cheap hosting or DIY, value reliability over price
8/10 last clients fit this exactly
Value Flow
| Field | Value | Process Link |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs | Client: WP admin access, hosting credentials, pain points. I need: ManageWP, staging environment, backup access | All Processes |
| Process 1 | Client Acquisition & Qualification | LinkedIn outreach + referrals |
| Process 2 | Onboarding & Site Audit | 48-hour turnaround |
| Process 3 | Monthly Maintenance Cycle | Core value delivery |
| Process 4 | Issue Resolution & Support | Reactive but systematic |
| Process 5 | Client Reporting & Retention | Monthly touchpoint |
| Outputs | Secure updated site, monthly report, peace of mind, 2-hour response guarantee | Transformation: anxious → confident |
| Critical Dependencies | ManageWP (bulk mgmt), Cloudflare (security), Updraft Plus (backups), Slack (comms), Stripe (payments) | Any of these die = business stops |
Operations
| Field | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core Services | Monthly Maintenance ($297/mo), Emergency Fix ($497), Site Audit ($197), Speed Optimization ($797) | 82% revenue from monthly recurring |
| Tech Stack | ManageWP Business, Cloudflare Pro, Updraft Premium, WP Rocket Agency, Wordfence Premium, FreshBooks Plus | $340/month in tools total |
| Info Architecture | Clients: Drive/Clients, Templates: /Templates, Passwords: 1Password, Backups: Drive + S3, Docs: Notion | Everything has 2 locations |
Financial
| Field | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Streams | Monthly: 28 clients @ $297 = $8316, Emergency: ~3 @ $497 = $1491, Audits: ~2 @ $197 = $394 | $10201 avg monthly revenue |
| Cost Structure | Fixed: Tools $340 + Insurance $125 + Bookkeeping $200 = $665. Variable: Contractor $750 + Staging $180 | Total costs ~$1595/month |
| Banking/Tools | Chase Business checking, PayPal backup, Stripe payments (2.9% + 30c), FreshBooks invoicing, Ally tax savings | Auto-transfer 30% to tax account |
| Real Hourly Rate | $118/hour after all costs (65 billable hours/month) | Target: 15-20 hrs/week billable |
Continuity
| Field | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| If Nothing Else | 1. Check ManageWP for alerts, 2. Check Slack #emergency, 3. Run all backups | These three = no disasters |
| Key Relationships | Top clients: JennyFlowers.com (nervous), BobPlumbing.net (wants it to work), CityCafe.com (technical). Backup: Mike (contractor) | These 3 = 35% of revenue |
| Access Protocols | 1Password Emergency Kit in safe (spouse knows), ManageWP master in 1Password, All comms in Slack, 2FA on phone | Spouse has power of attorney |
| Work in Progress | Check Notion Active Projects, Monthly maintenance 1st-3rd of month, Support tickets in FreshDesk, Upcoming: CityCafe migration Feb 15 | Monthly cycle is everything |
💡 Key Insights from Sarah's Profile
Everything Links to Processes
Services map to processes. Revenue maps to processes. Tools group by process. This is intentional.
Specificity Beats Generality
"Small business owners with 1-10 employees" beats "small businesses." Check your last 10 invoices.
The "If Nothing Else" Test
If someone had to run your business tomorrow with only 3 actions, what are they? This forces clarity.
Continuity = Bus Insurance
The Continuity section exists because bad things happen. Spouse knows where the emergency kit is.
🎯 The Bottom Line
Your Profile is the foundation everything else builds on. Processes link here. Procedures link to processes. Performance measures processes.
The Ultimate Test: Could someone read this one page and understand what your business actually does?
If yes, you've got a Profile. If no, keep refining.
Remember: This isn't a document you create and forget. Review quarterly. Update when things change. It's a living document that reflects reality.
🚀 Next Steps
"If you can't explain your business in one page, you don't understand it well enough yet."