23 Best ChatGPT Prompts to Start a Business in 2025

Starting a business is a monumental task. You’re expected to be a strategist, a marketer, and a financial planner all at once. ChatGPT can be your ultimate assistant on this journey, but its true power isn’t unlocked with simple questions. Vague requests lead to generic answers, leaving you with more work, not less.

This guide is your playbook of strategic commands. Each prompt gives ChatGPT a specific role, context, and a clear goal, transforming it into a powerful strategic partner. Just replace the [in brackets] with your details to get actionable outputs, from a deep competitive analysis to a ready-to-send email, that you can use immediately.

I. Ideation & Validation

Before you build anything, you need a solid idea and proof that people want it. Use these prompts to brainstorm, refine, and validate your core business concept.

1. Generating Niche Business Ideas:
   Act as a startup incubator consultant. I have skills in [your primary skill, e.g., software development], experience in [your industry experience, e.g., the fitness industry], and a passion for [your interest, e.g., sustainable living]. Generate 5 innovative business ideas at the intersection of these areas. For each idea, provide a one-sentence pitch, the target audience, and a potential monetization strategy.
2. Refining a Business Idea:
   My business idea is [briefly describe your business idea, e.g., a subscription box for artisanal coffee from developing countries]. Act as a seasoned entrepreneur and critique this idea. Identify 3 potential strengths, 3 potential weaknesses, and 3 critical challenges I might face in the first year.
3. Problem-Solution Statement:
   Help me clearly define the problem my business solves. My target customer is [describe your ideal customer, e.g., a busy young professional who works from home]. My product is [describe your product/service]. Draft a compelling ‘Problem-Solution’ statement that I can use in a pitch deck. It should clearly articulate the pain point and how my offering is the perfect remedy.
4. Validating Your Idea with a Survey:
   Act as a market research analyst. I need to validate my business idea: [your business idea]. Create a 10-question validation survey designed to gauge interest, identify key features, and understand the price sensitivity of my target audience, which is [your target audience]. The questions should be a mix of multiple-choice, scale ratings, and open-ended.

II. Market & Competitor Research

Understand the landscape you’re about to enter. These prompts will help you define your ideal customer, analyze your competition, and carve out your unique space in the market.

1. Creating a User Persona:
   Create a detailed user persona for my ideal customer. My business is [your business description]. The persona should be named, given a job title, and include sections for Demographics, Goals, Frustrations/Pain Points, and Motivations. This will help me focus my marketing and product development efforts.
2. Competitive Analysis Matrix:
   Act as a market intelligence expert. I’m launching [your product/service]. My main competitors are [Competitor 1], [Competitor 2], and [Competitor 3]. Create a competitive analysis matrix in a markdown table. Columns should include: Competitor, Key Product Features, Pricing Model, Target Audience, and Perceived Weakness/Market Gap.
3. Identifying Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP):
   Based on the following information, help me craft a powerful Unique Selling Proposition (USP). My business is [your business description]. My target audience is [your target audience]. My key competitors are [list competitors and their main offerings]. My unique strengths are [list 2-3 key differentiators, e.g., eco-friendly materials, personalized service, faster delivery]. Generate 3 distinct USP options.

III. Business Planning & Strategy

Build the blueprint for your venture. Use these prompts to create your business model, define your long-term vision, and map out your strategic position.

1. Lean Business Model Canvas:
   Fill out a Lean Business Model Canvas for my startup. My business, [Business Name], is [one-sentence description of your business]. Use the following sections: Problem, Solution, Key Metrics, Unique Value Proposition, Unfair Advantage, Channels, Customer Segments, Cost Structure, and Revenue Streams. Provide 2-3 bullet points for each section.
2. Mission and Vision Statement:
   Help me draft a compelling Mission Statement and a Vision Statement for my company, [Company Name]. Our business is [business description], and our core values are [value 1, e.g., sustainability], [value 2, e.g., community], and [value 3, e.g., innovation]. The Mission Statement should define what we do and who we serve now. The Vision Statement should describe the future impact we want to create.
3. SWOT Analysis:
   Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis for my business: [your business idea and industry].
   • Strengths: [List internal strengths like unique skills, proprietary tech, etc.]
   • Weaknesses: [List internal weaknesses like lack of funding, small team, etc.]
   • Opportunities: Consider market trends like [mention a relevant trend, e.g., the rise of remote work]
   • Threats: Consider market factors like [mention a relevant threat, e.g., increasing raw material costs or new regulations]

   Present the analysis in four distinct quadrants.

IV. Branding & Identity

Create a brand that resonates with your audience. These prompts help you craft your company’s name, tagline, and unique voice to stand out from the crowd.

1. Brainstorming a Business Name:
   Act as a branding expert. I need a name for my new company that sells [your product/service] to [your target audience]. The brand’s personality should be [e.g., professional and trustworthy, or fun and quirky]. Suggest 10 names, categorized into three types: Descriptive (clearly says what it does), Evocative (suggests a feeling), and Invented (unique and memorable). For each name, provide a brief rationale.
2. Crafting a Brand Tagline:
   Based on my business name, [Business Name], and my Unique Selling Proposition, [your USP], generate 5 memorable taglines. They should be short, easy to remember, and clearly communicate the core benefit to the customer.
3. Developing a Brand Voice:
   Create a brand voice and tone guide for [Company Name]. Our target audience is [target audience] and our brand personality is [brand personality adjectives, e.g., empowering, witty, and supportive]. Provide a short description of our voice, and then show examples of how this voice would be applied in a website welcome message, a friendly customer support email, and an engaging Instagram caption.

V. Marketing & Sales

Get the word out and start generating revenue. Use these prompts to build your marketing strategy, from content creation and social media to effective sales funnels.

1. Content Marketing Strategy:
   Act as a content strategist. Develop a content marketing plan for the first 3 months for my business, [your business name], which targets [your target audience]. The goal is to build brand awareness and generate leads. Suggest 3 main content pillars (themes) and for each pillar, provide ideas for a blog post, a social media post (LinkedIn/Instagram), and a short video.
2. Crafting a “Cold” Outreach Email Template:
   Write a persuasive and non-spammy cold email template. The goal is to secure a 15-minute introductory call with a potential B2B client. My company is [Company Name] and we offer [product/service]. The target recipient is a [Job Title, e.g., Head of Marketing] at a [Type of Company, e.g., mid-sized tech company]. The email should be personalized, focus on their potential pain points, and have a clear, low-friction call-to-action.
3. Developing a Social Media Launch Campaign:
   Outline a 1-week social media launch campaign for my new [product/service] on [chosen platform, e.g., Instagram]. The audience is [target audience]. The campaign should have a daily theme, from a teaser post on Day 1 to the official launch announcement on Day 4, followed by user-generated content prompts. Include ideas for visuals and specific calls-to-action for each day.
4. Structuring a Sales Funnel:
   Describe a simple 3-stage marketing and sales funnel for my [e-commerce store / SaaS product / consulting service]. For each stage (Top of Funnel: Awareness, Middle of Funnel: Consideration, Bottom of Funnel: Conversion), suggest one key marketing tactic, the primary message for the customer at that stage, and the main metric I should use to measure success.

VI. Operations & Launch

Set up the systems to run your business smoothly. These prompts will help you choose the right tools, prepare a flawless launch, and establish excellent customer service from day one.

1. Identifying Essential Tech Tools:
   Act as a small business technology consultant. I am starting a [type of business, e.g., an online coaching business]. Recommend a lean ‘tech stack’ for my operations. I need suggestions for the following categories: CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Project Management, Email Marketing, and Accounting. For each category, suggest one free option and one popular paid option, briefly explaining the pros of each.
2. Creating a Pre-Launch Checklist:
   Generate a comprehensive pre-launch checklist for my [type of business, e.g., e-commerce website]. The list should be broken down into categories: Legal (e.g., register business), Finance (e.g., open bank account), Website & Tech (e.g., test payment gateway), and Marketing (e.g., schedule launch emails). Make it a step-by-step list.
3. Drafting a Customer Service Policy:
   Help me draft a customer-centric service policy for [Company Name]. I need clear guidelines on how to handle common inquiries like [e.g., shipping questions, refund requests, and technical support]. The tone should be [e.g., empathetic and helpful]. Structure the response with sections for each type of inquiry and provide template phrases our team can use.

VII. The Entrepreneur’s Daily Assistant

Use ChatGPT for day-to-day productivity and problem-solving. These prompts turn your AI into a personal assistant for meetings, research, and creative challenges.

1. Preparing for a Meeting:
   I have a meeting tomorrow with [person's name/company], who is a [their role, e.g., potential investor, or a potential marketing partner]. My goal for the meeting is to [your objective, e.g., secure seed funding or finalize a collaboration]. Generate a list of 5 key talking points I must cover and 3 insightful questions I should ask them to show I’ve done my research.
2. Summarizing Content:
   Summarize the key takeaways from the following article/text into 5 concise bullet points. The audience for this summary is my [co-founder/team], so focus on the most actionable insights. [Paste article text here].
3. Overcoming Creative Blocks:
   I’m feeling stuck. I need to write a blog post about [topic]. Act as a creative brainstorming partner and give me 5 different angles or hooks I could use to start the article. Make one funny, one controversial, and one based on a personal story.

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