How-to · 9 min read

The small-business app launch checklist.

Most small-business apps fail in the gap between "we should build an app" and "we shipped one." Here's the exact week-by-week checklist we walk every client through — and you can use it whether we're building for you or not.

By · · Eight weeks, idea to live

Before week 1 — the pre-flight check

  1. One sentence to describe the app. If you can't, you don't have an app yet — you have an area of interest.
  2. One core action. Customers do what, exactly?
  3. Who logs in. Customers? Staff? Admins? Each one is a screen-set you'll need.
  4. What it must integrate with. Stripe, Xero, your POS, your existing website — write the list now.
  5. A rough launch deadline. Without one, your build will silently expand.

Week 1 — discovery (1–2 days, max)

Not a 6-week phase. A 2-day conversation that produces three artefacts: a one-page scope, a feature list with anything 'maybe' explicitly removed, and a definition of "done". Anything more is theatre.

Week 1–2 — design

Wireframes for every screen. Then a clean design language — not Picasso, just legible, branded, consistent. Sign-off happens at the end of week 2 so engineering can start. If design drags past week 3, the whole timeline drifts.

Week 2–7 — engineering

Weekly demo on a fixed day. You see the actual app running, on your phone, every week. Tasks for each stage are visible. Surprises happen now (when they're cheap), not at launch (when they're catastrophic).

Week 6 — App Store / Play submission prep

Most builds underestimate this. You need: privacy policy, terms of service, screenshots (5–10), app icon, store listing copy, age rating, support URL, support email. Start collecting these in week 4, not week 8.

Week 7 — beta testing

3–10 friendly users for 3–4 days on TestFlight + Google Play internal track. Not for finding bugs (your developer should have done that) — for finding the awkward moments. Tap-points that don't feel right. Wording that confuses. Fix the obvious ones.

Week 8 — launch

Submit to App Store and Play. Plan for 24–72 hours review (sometimes longer for Apple). Web app: deploy. Send the launch email/post the same day you go live. Don't "soft-launch" silently — your first 48 hours are when you get the most goodwill.

After launch — week 9 onwards

  • Day 1–7: watch crashes, fix anything critical the same day
  • Week 2–4: first small update with the polish items from beta
  • Month 2+: measure actual usage, not assumptions
  • Always: reply to every review

Thinking about your own app?

Send Charlotte a one-sentence postcard about what you're building. She reads every one personally — usually replies within a day.

Send a postcard →

FAQs

Can a small-business app really launch in 8 weeks?
Yes — for a focused, single-purpose app. Most builds that take 6+ months took that long because scope wasn't pinned down at week 1. Tight scope is the single biggest accelerator.
What if I want to add features mid-build?
Note them down, finish the current scope, then plan a v1.1 update post-launch. Adding features mid-build is the single most common cause of timeline slip and budget blow-out.
Do I really need a privacy policy and terms?
Yes — both Apple and Google require them, and they're easier to generate than people think. Free generators exist; we usually help clients produce one in 30 minutes.
What if the App Store rejects my app?
Apple's average is 1.5 review cycles. Most rejections are minor (a missing privacy field, a forbidden phrase in store copy). Plan for one resubmission and you'll usually be fine.