Sunburst™ Workbook -

Sunburst™ Student Workbook

Your Complete Guide to Starting a Business in Florida

Welcome to Sunburst™

Congratulations on taking the first step toward building your business!

This workbook is your companion throughout the Sunburst™ Small Business Start-Up Workshop and beyond. It’s designed to help you organize your thoughts, make informed decisions, and take action on your entrepreneurial journey.

How to Use This Workbook

Work through each tab in order – The content builds progressively
Fill in all worksheets honestly – This is for you, not for show
Save your progress regularly – Click the “Save Progress” button
Return as needed – Your work is saved in your browser
Print when complete – Use the print button for a hard copy

What’s Included

The Sunburst™ Oath – Your personal commitment to success
Business Structure Guide – Choose the right legal structure
Shine Light on My Customer – Define your ideal client
Pitch Ray Worksheet – Craft your compelling pitch
Eclipse Moments – Overcome obstacles and challenges
Resources & Next Steps – Your roadmap forward

Additional Tools (Linked)

This workbook connects to several standalone interactive tools:

Organizing Worksheet – Track your registration details
Budget Worksheet – Plan your finances
90-Day Action Plan – Your week-by-week roadmap
Visual Roadmap – See the big picture

Important: Your progress is saved in your browser’s local storage. If you clear your browser data or use a different device, you’ll need to re-enter your information. For permanent records, print or save as PDF when complete.

The Sunburst™ Oath

Before we dive into the details, let’s set your intention. This oath is your personal commitment to yourself and your business journey.

The Sunburst™ Oath

I commit to showing up for my business, even when it’s hard.
I will ask for help when I need it.
I will celebrate small wins along the way.
I will learn from setbacks without giving up.
I will shine my light and radiate my brilliance.
I am building something meaningful, and I will see it through.

Why are you starting this business? (Your “why” will sustain you through challenges)

What does success look like for you in one year?

Today’s Date (Mark this moment!)

Your Name (Your commitment signature)

Choosing Your Business Structure

One of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing your business structure. This affects your liability, taxes, paperwork, and fundraising ability.

Important: This is NOT legal or financial advice. You should consult with an attorney AND a CPA before making this decision. They can help you understand the specific implications for YOUR situation.

Your Structure Decision

Which structure are you considering? (Check all that apply)

Sole Proprietorship

General Partnership

LLC (Limited Liability Company)

Corporation (C-Corp or S-Corp)

Why LLC is Popular for New Businesses

Personal asset protection – Your personal assets are separate from business debts
Tax flexibility – Choose how you want to be taxed
Simple to maintain – Less paperwork than a corporation
Professional credibility – Looks more established than sole proprietorship
Easy to set up – File Articles of Organization with the state
Flexible ownership – Can have one or multiple members
Pass-through taxation – Profits pass through to your personal tax return
Affordable – $125 filing fee in Florida

My preliminary structure choice:

Questions to ask my attorney/CPA:

Professional consultations scheduled:

Attorney consultation scheduled

CPA consultation scheduled

For detailed comparison of all structures, see the Business Structure Decision Guide (separate tool).

Shine Light on My Customer

Before you can market effectively, you need to know EXACTLY who you’re serving. This worksheet helps you create a detailed profile of your ideal customer.

1. Demographics (Who are they?)

Age range:

Gender:

Location:

Income level:

Education level:

Occupation/Industry:

2. Psychographics (What do they care about?)

Values and beliefs:

Interests and hobbies:

Lifestyle:

3. Problems & Pain Points

What problems do they have that my business solves?

What frustrates them about current solutions?

4. Goals & Dreams

What are they trying to achieve?

5. Buying Behavior

What’s their budget for my solution?

How do they make buying decisions?

What objections might they have?

6. Where to Find Them

Online (social media, websites, forums):

Offline (locations, events, organizations):

7. Customer Story (Bring them to life!)

Write a 3-sentence story about your ideal customer:

Pitch Ray Worksheet

Your pitch is how you introduce your business to the world. Whether you have 10 seconds or 10 minutes, you need to communicate clearly and compellingly.

The 5 Essential Rays

Ray 1: WHO do you serve?

Ray 2: WHAT do you offer?

Ray 3: WHY does it matter? (What problem do you solve?)

Ray 4: HOW are you different? (What makes you unique?)

Ray 5: CALL to action (What should they do next?)

Your 30-Second Pitch

Formula: “I help [WHO] [WHAT] so they can [WHY]. Unlike [competitors], we [HOW]. [CALL TO ACTION].”

Write your 30-second pitch:

Your 60-Second Pitch

Add: A brief story, a statistic, or a customer testimonial to make it memorable.

Write your 60-second pitch:

Practice & Refine

Pitch practice checklist:

Practiced pitch out loud 5 times

Tested pitch on 3 people and got feedback

Refined pitch based on feedback

Can deliver pitch naturally without reading

Sunburst™ Budget Worksheet

Understanding your finances is critical to business success. This worksheet helps you estimate startup costs, monthly expenses, and break-even point.

For the complete interactive budget tool with automatic calculations, use the standalone Sunburst™ Budget Worksheet.

This section helps you think through the key financial questions.

Startup Costs Estimate

Legal & Registration Fees:

Equipment & Supplies:

Initial Marketing:

Other Startup Costs:

Total Estimated Startup Costs:

Monthly Operating Expenses

Rent/Space:

Utilities & Internet:

Insurance:

Marketing & Advertising:

Supplies & Inventory:

Other Monthly Expenses:

Total Monthly Operating Expenses:

Revenue Projections

Average Price Per Sale:

Average Cost Per Sale:

Profit Per Sale:

How many sales do you need per month to break even?

Reality Check

Is your break-even number realistic? Can you actually make that many sales per month?

If not, you need to either:

Increase your prices
Decrease your costs
Reduce your monthly expenses
Rethink your business model

How will you fund your startup costs?

How many months can you operate before you MUST be profitable?

Your 90-Day Action Plan

Success doesn’t happen by accident. It happens through consistent action. This 90-day plan breaks down your journey into manageable weekly steps.

For the complete interactive 90-Day Action Plan with progress tracking and email check-in prompts, use the standalone tool.

This section helps you identify your key milestones and priorities.

Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-4)

Week 1-2 Priorities:

Choose business structure and consult professionals

Finalize business name and check availability

File business registration with Florida

Week 3-4 Priorities:

Apply for EIN with IRS

Apply for local business tax receipt

Open business bank account

Phase 2: Launch Preparation (Weeks 5-8)

Week 5-6 Priorities:

Create logo and brand identity

Build basic website

Set up Google Business Profile

Week 7-8 Priorities:

Create social media profiles

Design business cards

Set up business systems (email, scheduling, invoicing)

Phase 3: Growth & Momentum (Weeks 9-12)

Week 9-10 Priorities:

Official launch announcement

Acquire first 10 customers

Execute marketing plan

Week 11-12 Priorities:

Refine offerings based on customer feedback

Optimize business systems and processes

Plan next quarter goals

Your Custom Milestones

What’s your 30-day milestone? (What will you accomplish by Day 30?)

What’s your 60-day milestone? (What will you accomplish by Day 60?)

What’s your 90-day milestone? (What will you accomplish by Day 90?)

Accountability

Who will hold you accountable? (Beam Team partner, mentor, friend)

How often will you check in with them?

Remember: You’ll receive email check-ins from Sunburst™ at key milestones (Weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) to keep you on track!

Eclipse Moments: Overcoming Obstacles

Every entrepreneur faces challenges. The difference between those who succeed and those who quit is how they respond to obstacles. Let’s prepare you for the inevitable “eclipse moments” when things get hard.

Common Entrepreneur Challenges

Challenge 1: Fear of Failure

What if I invest all this time and money and it doesn’t work?

Challenge 2: Imposter Syndrome

Who am I to start a business? I’m not an expert. People will think I’m a fraud.

Challenge 3: Time Management

I’m already so busy. How will I find time to build a business?

Challenge 4: Money Stress

I don’t have enough capital. What if I run out of money before I’m profitable?

Challenge 5: Lack of Support

My family/friends don’t understand. I feel alone in this.

Your Personal Obstacle Strategy

What’s your biggest fear or obstacle right now?

What’s your plan to overcome it?

Who can you call when you’re struggling?

Affirmations for Hard Days

I am capable of figuring this out.
Every successful entrepreneur has faced setbacks.
This is temporary. I will get through it.
Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
I am building something meaningful.

Resources & Next Steps

Your Sunburst™ Toolkit

You have access to these additional interactive tools:

Florida Business Organizing Worksheet – Track registration details and local tax office info
Business Structure Decision Guide – Detailed comparison of all structures
Sunburst™ Budget Worksheet – Financial planning and break-even analysis
90-Day Action Plan – Week-by-week roadmap with email check-ins
Visual Roadmap – One-page timeline overview

Official Florida Resources

Florida Division of Corporations: dos.fl.gov/sunbiz
Florida Department of Revenue: floridarevenue.com
IRS (EIN Application): irs.gov/ein

Sunburst™ Support

You’re not alone! As a Sunburst™ participant, you have:

90-day email check-ins
Beam Team accountability partner
Access to online course materials
Alumni community

Your Beam Team Partner

Partner Name:

Contact Info:

Check-in Schedule:

Next Steps Checklist

Consult attorney/CPA about business structure

Check business name availability

File business registration with Florida

Apply for EIN with IRS

Apply for local business tax receipt

Open business bank account

Complete budget worksheet

Review 90-day action plan

Additional Workshops Available

Sunburst™ Alumni Discount: Use code SUNBURST50 for $50 off any 3 workshops!

Brand Identity Workshop – $150
Website Building Workshop – $150
Social Media Launch Workshop – $150
Google Business Profile Setup – $100

Take 3 workshops and get Sunburst™ essentially FREE!

Empowering Florida Entrepreneurs to Shine