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Business Operations Roadmap

Strategic business formation, legal, and operational milestones to support reptidex platform development and market entry.

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Business Foundation (Pre-Launch)

Timeline: Week 1-2 | Priority: Critical Establish legal business entity and foundational corporate structure.
Delaware LLC Registration
  • File Articles of Organization with Delaware Secretary of State
  • Obtain Federal EIN from IRS
  • Create Operating Agreement defining ownership and governance
  • Register for Delaware state taxes
Banking & Financial Setup
  • Open business checking account
  • Establish business credit profile
  • Set up accounting system (QuickBooks/Xero)
  • Create expense tracking and reimbursement policies
  • Trademark search and filing for “reptidex” brand
  • Domain registration (.com, .app, relevant extensions)
  • Copyright establishment for platform content
  • Trade secret policies for proprietary algorithms
  • LLC certificate and EIN obtained
  • Business bank account operational
  • Trademark application filed
  • Core domains secured

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Milestone B2: Regulatory & Compliance Setup

Timeline: Week 3-4 | Priority: Critical Establish necessary regulatory compliance for marketplace operations.
General Business Registration
  • State business license registration
  • Local business permits (if applicable)
  • Sales tax registration in target states
  • Reseller permits for marketplace operations
Industry-Specific Compliance
  • Research exotic animal commerce regulations
  • CITES permit requirements for endangered species
  • State-by-state reptile sales law compliance
  • Interstate commerce considerations
  • Privacy policy and terms of service creation
  • GDPR compliance framework (EU users)
  • CCPA compliance setup (California users)
  • Data security and breach notification procedures
  • All required business licenses obtained
  • Legal documents drafted and reviewed
  • Privacy compliance framework established
  • Regulatory research documented

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Milestone B3: Financial & Insurance Framework

Timeline: Week 4-6 | Priority: High Establish financial management and risk protection systems.
Business Protection
  • General liability insurance
  • Professional liability (E&O) insurance
  • Cyber liability and data breach coverage
  • Directors and officers (D&O) insurance
Platform-Specific Coverage
  • Marketplace transaction protection
  • User data and privacy liability
  • Content and intellectual property coverage
  • Establish chart of accounts
  • Set up invoice and payment processing
  • Create financial reporting cadence
  • Implement expense approval workflows
  • Plan initial funding and cash flow management
  • Insurance policies active and documented
  • Financial systems operational
  • Monthly reporting process established
  • Initial budget and forecasts created

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Team Building & Operations (Launch Preparation)

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Milestone B4: Core Team Onboarding

Timeline: Week 6-10 | Priority: High Establish team structure, policies, and onboarding processes.
Initial Core Team
  • Founder/CEO responsibilities and equity
  • Technical co-founder or senior developer
  • Part-time designer/UX specialist
  • Advisory board formation (industry experts)
Contractor Network
  • Identify specialized development contractors
  • Marketing and content creation freelancers
  • Legal and accounting professional relationships
  • Industry consultant and advisor network
  • Employee handbook and code of conduct
  • Compensation and equity policies
  • Remote work and collaboration guidelines
  • Performance review and feedback processes
  • Professional development and training budgets
  • Core team defined with clear roles
  • HR policies documented and implemented
  • Contractor agreements and SOWs in place
  • Team communication tools operational

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Milestone B5: Vendor & Partnership Setup

Timeline: Week 8-12 | Priority: Medium Establish key vendor relationships and strategic partnerships.
Infrastructure & Tools
  • AWS/GCP account setup and billing
  • Development tool subscriptions (GitHub, etc.)
  • Monitoring and analytics services
  • Email and communication platforms
Business Services
  • Payment processing (Stripe, PayPal) accounts
  • Customer support platform setup
  • Marketing automation tools
  • Security and compliance services
  • Reptile breeder association relationships
  • Industry publication and media connections
  • Veterinarian and expert advisor network
  • Pet store and retailer partnership exploration
  • All critical vendor accounts operational
  • Partnership agreements signed
  • Vendor relationship management process
  • Cost management and approval workflows

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Market Entry Operations (Post-Launch)

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Milestone B6: Customer Success & Support

Timeline: Week 12-16 | Priority: High Establish customer success, support, and community management operations.
Support Channels
  • Help desk system implementation
  • Knowledge base and FAQ creation
  • Live chat and email support setup
  • Community forum moderation
Support Processes
  • Ticket routing and escalation procedures
  • Response time SLAs and monitoring
  • Customer feedback collection systems
  • Bug reporting and feature request tracking
  • Social media presence and management
  • User onboarding and success programs
  • Community guidelines and moderation
  • User-generated content policies
  • Influencer and advocate programs
  • < 24 hour initial response time
  • 90% customer satisfaction rating
  • Active community engagement
  • Documented support processes

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Milestone B7: Sales & Marketing Operations

Timeline: Week 16-20 | Priority: Medium Develop sales processes and marketing operational capabilities.
Digital Marketing
  • Website analytics and conversion tracking
  • Email marketing automation setup
  • Social media management tools
  • Content creation and publishing workflows
Performance Marketing
  • Paid advertising account setup (Google, Facebook)
  • SEO and content marketing strategy
  • Referral and affiliate program development
  • Event and trade show participation planning
  • Lead generation and qualification processes
  • CRM system implementation and workflows
  • Sales collateral and presentation materials
  • Pricing strategy and discount policies
  • Customer onboarding and success tracking
  • Marketing automation functional
  • Lead generation processes active
  • Sales pipeline management operational
  • Performance metrics tracking established

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Growth & Scaling (Expansion Phase)

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Milestone B8: Strategic Partnerships & Expansion

Timeline: Month 6-12 | Priority: Medium Develop strategic partnerships and prepare for market expansion.
Strategic Partnerships
  • Major breeder organization partnerships
  • Veterinary clinic network integration
  • Pet insurance company collaborations
  • Educational institution relationships
Channel Partnerships
  • Reptile expo and show partnerships
  • Pet store chain integration discussions
  • Online retailer marketplace presence
  • International market exploration
  • Partnership agreement templates and processes
  • Revenue sharing and commission structures
  • Co-marketing and cross-promotion programs
  • Integration and API partnership frameworks
  • 5+ strategic partnerships active
  • Channel partnership revenue >10% of total
  • International expansion plan developed
  • Scalable partnership processes established

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Milestone B9: Funding & Investment Preparation

Timeline: Month 9-15 | Priority: Low Prepare for potential investment rounds and scaling capital.
Financial Preparation
  • Audited financial statements
  • Financial projections and business model documentation
  • Unit economics and growth metrics analysis
  • Intellectual property valuation
Legal & Corporate Structure
  • Cap table management and equity structure
  • Board composition and governance policies
  • Investment agreements and term sheet preparation
  • Due diligence documentation organization
  • Investor presentation and pitch deck creation
  • Financial reporting and metrics dashboards
  • Investor communication and update processes
  • Advisory board and mentor relationships
  • Investment-ready documentation complete
  • Financial and legal due diligence prepared
  • Investor pipeline and relationships developed
  • Growth funding strategy established

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Operational Excellence (Ongoing)

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Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Financial Health

  • Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
  • Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
  • Lifetime Value (LTV) / CAC Ratio
  • Cash Burn Rate and Runway

Operational Efficiency

  • Customer Support Response Times
  • Employee Satisfaction and Retention
  • Vendor Performance and Costs
  • Process Automation and Efficiency

Legal & Compliance

  • Regulatory Compliance Status
  • Data Privacy and Security Metrics
  • Contract and Agreement Management
  • Intellectual Property Protection

Growth & Partnerships

  • Partnership Revenue Contribution
  • Market Expansion Metrics
  • Strategic Initiative Success Rates
  • Competitive Positioning Analysis

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Risk Management Framework

Business Risks:
  • Regulatory changes in exotic animal commerce
  • Economic downturns affecting discretionary spending
  • Competitive threats from established players
  • Key person dependency and succession planning
Operational Risks:
  • Data security and privacy breaches
  • Platform downtime and technical failures
  • Vendor dependency and service disruptions
  • Quality control and user safety issues
Financial Risks:
  • Cash flow management and funding gaps
  • Payment processing and fraud prevention
  • Foreign exchange and international expansion
  • Insurance coverage adequacy and claims
This business operations roadmap runs parallel to technical development, ensuring reptidex has proper business foundation, legal compliance, and operational excellence to support platform growth and market success.