Guide · Operations
Startup operations.
The operational infrastructure that makes an early-stage company function — and the parts founders can safely defer versus the parts they cannot.
01 · Bookkeeping
A general ledger from day one.
Install a bookkeeping tool — QuickBooks, Xero, or a similar general ledger — from the first transaction. Reconstruction after twelve months of untracked activity is materially more expensive than monthly close from the beginning.
Close the books monthly. Diligence-time reconstruction is a well-known operational tax that reduces the company's negotiating position on every subsequent event.
02 · Contracts
Templates and archive.
Standardise a Master Services Agreement, a mutual NDA, and a contractor agreement. Route every counterparty engagement through one of these. Archive every executed contract in the commercial section of the data room.
03 · Vendors
Onboarding hygiene.
Collect a W-9 (U.S. vendors) or W-8BEN/W-8BEN-E (non-U.S. vendors) before first payment. Log tax-form status per vendor. This makes 1099 season a filing exercise rather than a research exercise.
04 · Documentation
The living data room.
Every consequential document — signed contract, filed return, board consent, banking confirmation — lands in the data room within a week of execution. The alternative is diligence-time chaos.
05 · What to defer
The parts you can leave until later.
HR systems before hiring. Complex ERP before revenue justifies it. Formal ISO compliance before an enterprise customer requires it. Deferral is not neglect — it is prioritisation.
Frequently asked
Common questions.
Do I need a CFO?
Not at pre-seed. A part-time bookkeeper and a founder with basic financial literacy is usually sufficient until Series A.
When should I hire a lawyer?
On demand — contracts of consequence, employment questions, IP assignment, term sheet review. A retained relationship is not required at pre-seed.
What accounting software should I use?
QuickBooks Online for U.S. operations. Xero is competitive. Pick one and stay with it; migration between systems introduces its own tax.
Operational coordination, engaged.
Brightincorp coordinates the operational sequence covered in this guide as part of every engagement — so the work is done, not merely described.