7

Financials and forecasts

“In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.”

Warren Buffett

In this chapter

  • Historic financials
  • Market-driven sales forecasts
  • Competition-driven margin forecasts
  • Funding the plan
  • Full financial forecasts
    • Profit and loss account
    • Cash flow
    • Balance sheet
  • Forecasts in a start-up
  • Financial risks and opportunities

In Chapter 6 of your plan you set out how you would deploy your firm’s scarce resources to achieve the goals of Chapter 2, following the strategy of Chapter 5. In this chapter, you will show how that strategy will translate into results – in terms of both key measurable parameters and money.

And you are going to do it in a way that will convince your backer. A way ...

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