8. Timeline
Quarter 1: Foundation and setup (January - March 2026)
January 2026: Planning and preparation
- Finalize business plan and operational documents
- Secure domain (everybodyspetcare.com) and social media handles
- Research and identify 3-5 potential fiscal sponsors
- Create client intake forms, service agreements, and liability waivers
- Week 4 status check: All documents drafted, sponsor list finalized
February 2026: Legal formation
- File LLC formation with state (Everybody's Pet Care, LLC)
- Obtain EIN from IRS
- Secure comprehensive liability insurance and surety bond ($500-$800)
- Open business bank account
- Week 4 status check: Legal entity established, insured, and banked
March 2026: Licensing and initial outreach
- Obtain city/county business licenses and home occupation permit
- Begin outreach to potential fiscal sponsors (initial meetings)
- Set up basic bookkeeping system
- Create marketing materials (simple brochure, website landing page)
- Q1 milestone (March 31): Fully legal, insured, and ready for clients
Quarter 2: Partnership and funding launch (April - June 2026)
April 2026: Sponsor finalization
- Finalize fiscal sponsorship agreement
- Set up "Care for all" fund with sponsor
- Submit first grant applications (local community foundations)
- Begin outreach to 2-3 key referral partners (senior center, disability org)
- Week 4 status check: Sponsor secured, first grants submitted
May 2026: Systems and readiness
- Implement client management system (simple CRM or spreadsheet)
- Finalize pricing tiers for sliding scale ($5-$25/visit)
- Create emergency protocols and safety checklists
- Conduct practice runs with friend/family pets
- Week 4 status check: All systems operational, ready for first clients
June 2026: Pilot launch
- Onboard first 3 pilot clients (1 standard fee, 2 subsidized)
- Deliver first 40 hours of paid service
- Gather initial testimonials and feedback
- Secure first $5,000 in grant funding
- Q2 milestone (June 30): First clients served, initial funding secured
Quarter 3: Service ramp-up (July - September 2026)
July 2026: Process refinement
- Expand to 8-10 total clients
- Refine scheduling and service delivery based on early experience
- Formalize partnership with first human service agency
- Begin tracking key metrics (hours delivered, client satisfaction)
- Week 4 status check: Processes smoothed, early metrics positive
August 2026: Community integration
- Reach 15 active clients
- Add second referral partnership (veterinary clinic or shelter)
- Submit second round of grant applications
- Begin minor marketing (community Facebook groups, local bulletins)
- Week 4 status check: Community connections growing, client base stable
September 2026: Impact measurement
- Deliver 200+ cumulative service hours
- Complete first impact assessment with pilot clients
- Reach 20 total clients served
- Achieve 50/50 revenue mix (client fees/philanthropy)
- Q3 milestone (September 30): Model proven, moving toward sustainability
Quarter 4: Stabilization and planning (October - December 2026)
October 2026: Systems optimization
- Implement feedback improvements to client experience
- Formalize third community partnership
- Reach 25 active clients
- Begin waitlist management as capacity approaches limits
- Week 4 status check: Systems efficient, client satisfaction high
November 2026: Financial assessment
- Complete detailed financial review of first 10 months
- Adjust pricing tiers if needed based on real data
- Secure additional $10,000 in funding for 2027
- Prepare year 1 impact report draft
- Week 4 status check: Financial picture clear, 2027 funding in progress
December 2026: Year-end review and planning
- Reach 30+ clients served (cumulative)
- Deliver 500+ total service hours
- Finalize year 1 impact report with testimonials
- Plan Q1 2027 objectives
- Q4 milestone (December 31): Break-even operational status achieved
Year 1 key performance indicators
| Metric | Q1 target | Q2 target | Q3 target | Q4 target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active clients | 0 | 5-10 | 15-20 | 25-30 |
| Service hours | 0 | 40-80 | 150-200 | 450-500 |
| Revenue mix | N/A | 40/60 | 50/50 | 60/40 |
| Funding secured | $0 | $5,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| Community partners | 0 | 1-2 | 2-3 | 3-4 |
Critical capacity limits (year 1)
- Maximum weekly hours: 30 (to prevent burnout, ensure quality)
- Ideal client load: 20-25 active clients
- Service cap: 500-600 hours/year as sole provider
- Growth speed: 2-3 new clients/month sustainable pace
Success criteria for year 1
- Legal and safe: Fully licensed, insured, and compliant (month 3)
- Financially viable: 60%+ of operational costs covered by client fees (month 12)
- Impactful: 500+ service hours delivered, primarily to target populations
- Sustainable founder model: 25-30 hour work week maintained
- Community integrated: 3+ formal referral partnerships established
- Funding pipeline: $20,000+ secured for 2027 operations
Quarterly review points
- End of Q1 (March 2026): Are we legal, insured, and ready? If yes, proceed.
- End of Q2 (June 2026): Do we have clients and funding? Is the model working?
- End of Q3 (September 2026): Are clients satisfied? Are we financially on track?
- End of Q4 (December 2026): Should we continue, pivot, or expand in year 2?
Resource requirements (year 1)
| Resource | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founder time | 10-15 hrs/week | 20-25 hrs/week | 25-30 hrs/week | 25-30 hrs/week |
| Cash investment | $1,500 (setup) | $500 (ops) | $500 (ops) | $500 (ops) |
| Grant funding need | $0 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
This one-year plan is intentionally conservative, prioritizing sustainability and proof of concept over rapid growth. The goal is not to maximize scale but to prove a replicable model that balances social impact with financial viability.