We want to share with you our thoughts on business projections, cash management, small business, entrepreneurship, finance, startups, and business planning.



In 2018 CB Insights published the top 20 reasons why startups fail. They said there is rarely just one reason for startup failure, but they found the 20 most common reasons that startups don't make it. At ProjectionSmart we reviewed that list to determine how many of these reasons are addressed when the entrepreneur uses the Startup financial model and the Proof Plan. What we found was that the top nine most common reasons why startups fail are all addressed in the the Startup financial model and the ... [continue reading]

After beta testing ProjectionSmart Startup (for startup business) with 300 entrepreneurs, Bob and I recently held workshops with SCORE (the Service Corp of Retired Executives) and with 60 chiropractic students at Northwestern Health Sciences University who are about to graduate and start their own chiropractic businesses. We showed both of these groups the benefits of Startup and the Proof Plan, and it was very satisfying to see how quickly they grasped these key concepts, understood the numbers of their... [continue reading]

During my career I’ve turned around a bunch of companies, some of which were only a few weeks away from shutting down. As I look back at those companies, and at other companies that I straightened out and put back on track, I see that they all made some of the same mistakes. Being in a turnaround situation is very stressful, involving pressure from all sides: banks, vendors, customers, employees, and owners. So keep these common mistakes in mind with your business and avoid getting yourself into that dre... [continue reading]

It’s August in Minnesota, and snow could start falling at any minute! The last week in August means we are starting up another semester at the technical college where I teach. One of the classes I teach is called Introduction to Small Business, a required course for a certificate in entrepreneurship The class gives the students an overview of what it is like to start and own a small business. We spend a great deal of time in this class exploring why some businesses fail while other succeed. As a starting... [continue reading]

If you look up the word “bootstrapping” in the dictionary, you will find definitions that include “a means of advancing oneself”, “a means of accomplishing something”, “relying entirely on one’s efforts and resources”, and “to help (oneself) without the aid of others”. Most people who help start small businesses use the word “bootstrapping” only in relation to money. Their definition would be launching a business with as little outside money as possible. Another way of putting this is, getting your busin... [continue reading]


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Five stars

"Simple and effective product for creating your financial projections!"
~ Elijah, Entrepreneur

Five stars

"Great tool to have for starting a business! Easy layout and step-by-step direction on how to get finances organized."
~ Kevin, Startup entrepreneur

Five stars

"ProjectionSmart is my digital Controller."
~ Rob, Small business owner

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