Sales Pipeline Setup for Solopreneurs and Startups

Because you don’t need a 10-stage sales process—you need a clear one.

If you're running a one-person sales team—or you're a founder doing sales yourself—you don't have time for complicated pipelines, manual tracking, or guessing where deals stand.

You need a clear, visual system that tells you:

• What stage each deal is in
• What to follow up on
• What’s likely to close this week or month

Good news: HubSpot makes it easy to set this up, even for those with no sales ops experience.

Here’s how to create a lean, effective sales pipeline inside HubSpot that’s built for speed, not complexity.

Step 1: Set Up a Simple 5-Stage Pipeline

Start with a clear and focused pipeline like this:

1. New Lead – Someone just reached out or filled a form
2. Contacted – You’ve replied or spoken with them once
3. Demo/Call Scheduled – A sales call or intro meeting is set
4. Proposal Sent – You’ve shared pricing or scope
5. Closed Won / Lost – Deal is either closed or didn’t convert

Why it works:
No fluff. Every stage signals a real step in your process.

Step 2: Add Basic Properties That Help You Prioritise

Add or use default fields like:

• Deal amount
• Close date
• Contact source
• Notes from the last call or meeting

These will help you quickly spot which deals are high-value and time-sensitive.

Step 3: Use Tasks or Task Queues to Stay on Top of Follow-Ups

For each deal, create a next action:

• Follow up on the proposal
• Send a case study
• Schedule a demo recap

Use Task Queues to work through follow-ups daily without bouncing between tabs.

Step 4: Automate Small Actions to Save Time

You don’t need advanced workflows—just a few smart automations:

• Auto-create a deal when a form is submitted
• Send a reminder if an agreement hasn’t been updated in 7 days
• Send yourself a Slack or email when a deal reaches “Proposal Sent”

Bonus: Use HubSpot’s Gmail or Outlook plugin to log emails automatically.

Step 5: Review Pipeline Weekly

Every Monday or Friday, check:

• New leads added
• Deals in “Demo Scheduled” or “Proposal Sent”
• Follow-ups due this week
• Win/loss trends over the last 30 days

This quick routine will keep you focused and confident, without needing a sales manager.

Final Thought

Your first sales pipeline doesn’t need to be fancy.
It simply needs to be transparent, manageable, and aligned with your sales approach.

With just a few steps, you can turn HubSpot into your virtual sales assistant, keeping you on track, even when you’re wearing 10 other hats.