The One-Person Back Office
A guide to the back-office jobs of a one-person service business. Each job has a $0 setup, a checklist to tick and copy-and-paste prompts for AI assistants.
Launch price $49.99 for the first 50 copies. Then $99.99.
A PDF, Letter size. 18 chapters, plus a 30-day setup plan, templates and checklists. Sales are final, so read the free sample first.
What it is
The jobs that sit behind every booking: answering inquiries, quoting, following up, scheduling, getting paid and keeping records. For each one, the guide gives you a $0 setup built from things you already have, such as your phone, a free calendar and a free spreadsheet. Then a checklist, and prompts you can paste into an AI assistant such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
Every chapter has the same parts: what the job is, the $0 setup, when to pay for a tool, a checklist and the prompts. Tool prices sit on one page at the back, each with the date it was checked.
Who it's for
People who work alone and do the job themselves: house cleaners, detailers, one-person lawn crews, handymen, pressure washers. You're good at the work. The paperwork is what piles up.
It isn't legal, tax or financial advice. Where a chapter touches those areas, it explains the common options and the questions to ask, then sends you to a professional for your situation. It has no trade price lists and no promises about income.
What's inside
18 chapters in two groups.
The core setup
Ten jobs that keep a one-person service business running, in the order to set them up.
- 1 Catch every inquiry One list for calls, texts and DMs, so nothing slips past you.
- 2 Price and quote Know your costs and your hourly floor, then send a quote people can say yes to.
- 3 Follow up A five-minute daily check that finds the quotes and leads going quiet.
- 4 Book and schedule One calendar, clear confirmations and reminders, and rules for cancellations.
- 5 Do the job right A checklist per job, before and after photos, and a written change order when the scope shifts.
- 6 Get paid Invoices, payment methods and what they cost, and what to do when a payment is late.
- 7 Money basics A separate account, saved receipts, simple books, and money set aside for taxes.
- 8 Paperwork and protection Business structure, licenses, insurance and a plain service agreement.
- 9 Reviews, repeat work and referrals Asking at the right moment, and reminding customers to rebook.
- 10 The weekly back-office hour One routine that keeps jobs 1 to 9 current.
For later
Come back once the core runs, or when a problem shows up.
- 11 Working with AI assistants What they do well, what to keep out of them, and how to check their work.
- 12 Your business brain One page of facts about your business that an assistant starts from.
- 13 AI routines and agents Weekly drafting routines, research modes, and the rule that you send, book and pay yourself.
- 14 Know your numbers A monthly look at what your jobs earn and what's left in the bank.
- 15 Get found Your Google profile and the other places customers look, showing your correct details.
- 16 Write it down How-tos for your jobs, and the terms for customers who want the same visit on repeat.
- 17 Your first helper Whether to bring in help, what the law may call that help, and the first day.
- 18 When things go wrong A plan for unhappy customers, disputed payments, scams and account break-ins.
At the back
- The 30-day setup plan One task a day, about 30 minutes each, that walks you through the setup.
- Templates Quotes, messages and agreements you can copy and fill in.
- Tool costs (checked October 2026) Example tools for each job, with the price and the date it was checked.
- Checklists The setup checklist and the weekly-hour checklist on one page.
About the AI prompts
Assistants get facts wrong, especially prices, laws and fees, so check every answer before you use it.
Questions
What format is it?
A PDF, Letter size. It has 18 chapters, plus a 30-day setup plan, templates and checklists. You buy and download it through Gumroad.
Can I get a refund?
No. Sales are final, so read the free sample first to see if the guide is for you.
Can I read it on my phone?
A PDF opens on any phone. This one is laid out for a Letter-size page, and we haven't yet checked how it reads on a small screen. The free sample uses the same layout, so open it on your phone before you buy.
Does it cover my trade?
It is written for one-person service businesses such as house cleaning, auto detailing, lawn care, handyman and pressure washing work. It has no price lists for any trade, because your prices depend on your costs and your area. Chapter 2 shows you how to work yours out.
Get the free sample
Free: the cover, how to use the guide, the back-office map and the first pages of chapter 3. Leave your email and the next page links to the PDF.
Paid: the full guide. Launch price $49.99 for the first 50 copies. Then $99.99. Sales are final, so the sample is there to help you decide.
The two questions are optional. They tell us which trades and quoting habits to cover first.