We created ProjectionSmart to help entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses under $10 million in sales. Those are the specific people we set out to help. We want to help them see their financial future and understand the numbers of their business. We know that most of them don’t have a finance background and also don’t have a controller or CFO to help them, so we made ProjectionSmart easy to use and simple to understand. So far we’ve helped lots of entrepreneurs and small business owners see where... [continue reading]

Most companies are facing trying times right now. Revenues have dropped suddenly and dramatically, and they certainly will stay at reduced levels for at least a short time, but maybe for longer. Companies are having to make decisions about cutting staff, reducing inventory, and reducing expenses. For most companies, these decisions are difficult to make because it’s not often we suddenly find ourselves in these very difficult situations – think 9/11 or the Great Recession. Most of us just aren’t prepared... [continue reading]

Assets equal Liabilities plus Owners Equity. Debits equal credits. Sales minus cost of goods sold equals gross margin. Have I lost you yet? One of the reasons people dread the idea of doing financial projections is that they don’t like accounting. No, wait. They REALLLY don’t like accounting. They think that accounting is so esoteric and so complicated that they couldn’t possibly understand it -- like nuclear physics or the theory of relativity. When I was a CFO, I tried to explain financial statem... [continue reading]

A business projection is not an accounting tool. It's a management tool. Whether you're starting a business or your business has been around for a while, understanding the numbers of your business is critical to your success. I've asked many entrepreneurs how they know it's the right time to expand their business or whether they can afford to hire a new employee. Their answer worries me because it's usually a shoulder shrug followed by, "I just go with my gut." You've got too much riding on your busin... [continue reading]

So, how do you do a business projection? Business projections are an attempt to predict the future based on history and your insights. So you start with what happened in the past. You can get this information out of your accounting system. Assemble one year of monthly financial statements. This will be the basis for predicting the next 12 months. Next you need a budget. Figure out your planned sales, expenses, and profit for the next year. But a complete business projection also inc... [continue reading]


Tag Cloud

[ ProjectionSmart ] [ startup ] [ numbers ] [ succeed ] [ fail ] [ Planning ] [ Plans ] [ Budget ] [ Projection ] [ Number ] [ Plan ] [ Balance Sheet ] [ Cash Flow ] [ control ] [ failure ] [ crystal ball ] [ financial picture ] [ future ] [ options ] [ risk ] [ model ] [ income statement ] [ P&L ] [ equity ] [ bizowner ] [ micro-business ] [ entrepreneur ] [ Proof Plan ] [ banker ] [ investor ] [ mistakes ] [ profit ] [ cash ] [ mistake ] [ sales ] [ margin ] [ markup ] [ margin percentage ] [ business plan ] [ business planning ] [ bootstrap ] [ bootstrapping ] [ debt ] [ bank ] [ investors ] [ success ] [ turnaround ] [ Growth ] [ financial statements ] [ fear of finance ] [ see the future ] [ confront your concerns ] [ proof ] [ forecast ] [ look ahead ] [ financial model ] [ financial projection ] [ failure rate ] [ first year ] [ decision making ] [ sales forecast ] [ expenses ] [ insights ] [ SCORE ] [ The Blueprint ] [ projections ] [ templates ] [ spreadsheets ] [ loan ] [ accounting ] [ Gross margin ] [ gross profit ] [ net income ] [ better business decisions ] [ financial projections ] [ overhead ] [ accounts receivable ] [ accounts payable ] [ revenue per employee ] [ business plans ] [ Finances First ] [ crisis ] [ scenario ] [ Predict ] [ CPA ] [ accountant ] [ spreadsheet ] [ Cuban ] [ manage ] [ companies ] [ subscriptions ] [ start ] [ business ] [ entrepreneurs ] [ create ] [ confidence ] [ Startups ] [ small business ] [ cash flow statement ] [ entrepreneurship ] [ cash basis ] [ accrual basis ] [ podcast ] [ see ] [ pandemic ] [ banking ] [ regulatory ] [ decisions ] [ finances ] [ accrual ] [ taxes ] [ RAAP ] [ cash management ] [ financial impact ] [ troubled ] [ strategy ] [ peace ] [ struggling ] [ reasons ] [ banks ] [ FranNet ] [ franchise ] [ information ] [ intuition ] [ proactive ] [ reacting ] [ tactics ] [ survey ] [ tool ] [ statement of cash flows ] [ vision ] [ goals ] [ subscription ] [ Excel ] [ QuickBooks ] [ understand numbers ] [ costs ] [ scale ] [ advisor ] [ prediction ] [ trusted advisor ] [ client ] [ benefits ] [ Process ] [ monthly ] [ forward-looking ] [ forward ] [ backward ] [ staff ] [ modeling ] [ predictions ] [ pricing ] [ reports ] [ Linked User ]

Five stars

"ProjectionSmart made it very easy to come up with two years' worth of projections without needing an accounting background. It saves a lot of time and headaches."
~ Jeni, startup entrepreneur

Five stars

"As someone new to starting up a business, the tools provided via ProjectionSmart were a great asset. Easy simple way to develop the financial picture for your new enterprise that help clarify what it was going to take to get started and to insure you didn't miss something. All of that at an affordable price. "
~ Bruce, Entrepreneur

Five stars

"ProjectionSmart makes it easy to create your business plan and find out if you have any shortcomings or need to reevaluate your plan."
~ Parker, startup entrepreneur