Financial Projections for Your Business Plan

Written by Dave Lavinsky
financial projections business plan

As a business owner, you will need to create financial projections as part of your business plan. Financial projections are an estimate of your company’s future financial performance. They are used to track actual results against your forecast and to make decisions about how to grow your business.

Creating financial projections can be a complex task, but it is important to get them right. In this article, we will discuss what financial projections are, why you need them, and how to create them.

 

What Are Business Plan Financial Projections?

Financial projections are an estimate of your company’s future financial performance. They can be used to track actual results against your forecast and to make decisions about how to grow your business.

Financial projections are typically made for a period of one to three years into the future. However, they can be created for longer time periods as well.

When drafting financial projections for your business plan, it is important to remember that they are just that – projections. They are not guaranteed to be accurate, and you should use them as a guide rather than gospel.

There are a few key components that you will need to include in your financial yearly projections:

  • Sales Forecast
  • Recurring Expenses Budget
  • Cash Flow Statement
  • Marketing Costs
  • Income Statement Projection
  • Projected Balance Sheet
  • Projected Income Statement
  • Projected Profit and Loss Statement
  • Financial Model and Financial Forecast
  • Break Even Analysis
  • Company’s assets 

Let’s take a closer look at some of these components.

 

Sales Forecast

The sales forecast is simply an estimate of how much revenue your business will generate over a given period of time. This can be based on past sales data, market trends, or other factors. Be realistic in your estimates, and make sure to account for seasonal fluctuations.

Expense Budget

The expense budget is a list of all the expenses your company will incur over the forecast period. This includes things like rent, marketing expenses, salaries, and so on. It is important to be accurate in your estimates, as it will help you stay financially solvent over the course of the year.

Cash Flow Statements

The cash flow statement shows the movement of money in and out of your business over the forecast period. This includes both cash inflows (sales revenue, investments, etc.) and outflows (operating expenses, loan payments, etc.). Keeping track of your cash flow is essential for making sound financial decisions for your business.

Projected Operating Income

The income projection and cash flow projection is an estimate of how much profit your business will earn over the forecast period. This can be based on past performance or other factors. It is important to remember that profits are not always equal to sales revenue – you may have some costs that are not covered by revenue (e.g., depreciation on equipment). Operating profit equals net income minus interest expense and income tax expense.

Projected Balance Sheet

The projected balance sheet shows how your business’ assets and liabilities will change over the forecast period. This can be helpful in predicting when you will reach profitability or become insolvent.

Break-Even Analysis

The break-even analysis shows how many units or dollars of sales your business must generate in order to break even – that is, to cover all costs associated with running the business. This can be helpful in determining how much growth you need in order to become profitable.

 

What is the purpose of the Financial Section of a Business Plan?

The purpose of the financial section of a business plan is to provide a snapshot of your company’s current financial situation and future prospects. This information can help you make decisions about how to grow your business.

The financial section of a business plan typically includes four key components: the sales forecast, the expense budget, the cash flow statement, and the income projection. These projections can help you track actual results against your forecast and make informed decisions about the future of your business.

When drawing up financial projections for your business plan, it is important to remember that they are just that – projections. While not an exact science, it is important to prepare financial projections that accurately reflect business operations and capital expenditures as a way of appealing to potential investors. 

 

Example of a Business Plan’s Financial Section

The following is an example of a business plan’s financial section:

 

Company Name

Financial Projections

 

Short Term Projections

1/1/2015-12/31/2015 1/1/2016-12/31/2016 1/1/2017-12/31/2017
Sales Revenue $100,000 $120,000 $140,000
Operating Expenses $60,000 $72,000 $84,000
Net Income $40,000 $48,000 $56,000

 

Long Term Projections

2018 2019 2020
Sales Revenue $150.000 $180,000 $210,000
Operating Expenses $75,000 $90,000 $105,000
Net Income $75,000 $90,000 $105,000

 

As you can see, this financial section provides a snapshot of the company’s sales, expenses, and profits for the next three years. It also includes a long-term projection for the following year.

Long-term financial projections are an estimate of a company’s future sales, expenses, and profits. This information can help business owners make informed decisions about the future of their business.

Short-term financial projections are a snapshot of your company’s finances for a specific period of time. They can help you track actual results against your forecast and make informed decisions about the future of your business.

This example can help you create your own financial projections for your business plan. Remember to be realistic in your estimates and to account for seasonal fluctuations.

 

Steps to Making Financial Projections for Your Business

Now that you know what financial projections are and why they are important, let’s take a look at how to create them.

  1. Know your historical financial data. This includes things like sales data, expenses, cash flow, and so on. This will help you create more accurate projections.
  2. Make assumptions about the future. This includes things like expected sales growth, new markets, changes in expenses, etc. Be realistic in your assumptions, and make sure to document them, so you can refer back to them later.
  3. Create your projections. There are a number of software programs that can help you with this, or you can do it manually.
  4. Review your projections. Make sure they make sense and that you are comfortable with them. Remember, these are just estimates – they are not guaranteed to be accurate.
  5. Update your projections regularly. As your business changes, so too will your financial projections. Be sure to update them on a regular basis to ensure they remain accurate.

 

Why Do You Need Financial Projections?

There are several reasons why you might need financial projections. They can be used:

  • To track actual results against your cash flow projection
  • To make decisions about how to grow your existing business or startup
  • To get a loan or investment from a lender or investor
  • To track your company’s financial performance and balance sheet over time

 

How to Create Financial Projections

Creating financial projections can be a complex task. However, there are some steps you can take to make the process easier.

  1. Know your business model. Before you can create accurate financial projections, you need to understand how your business makes money. What are your key revenue streams? How do your costs vary with sales? What are your fixed and variable costs?
  2. Make assumptions about the future. Once you understand your business model, you can make assumptions about the future. What do you think will happen with your sales? How will your costs change?
  3. Use historical data to inform your projections. If you have been in business for a while, you can use historical data to inform your projections. Look at your past financial statements to see how your business has performed in the past.
  4. Create different scenarios. It is often helpful to create different scenarios when making financial projections. For example, you might create a best-case scenario, a worst-case scenario, and a most-likely scenario. This will help you to be prepared for different outcomes.
  5. Use software to help with the calculations. There are many software programs that can help you with the financial projection process. These programs can make the calculations for you and help you to create more accurate projections.

 

Tips for Writing Financial Projections

When creating financial projections, you should keep a few things in mind. Here are some tips.

  • Be realistic. It is important to be realistic when making assumptions about the future. Do not try to make your projections too optimistic or too pessimistic.
  • Use conservative estimates. When in doubt, use conservative estimates. This will help to ensure that your projections are accurate.
  • Make sure your projections are clear and easy to understand. Your financial projections should be presented in a way that is easy to follow.
  • Update your projections regularly. Your projections should be updated regularly as your business grows and changes. This will help you to track your company’s progress and make necessary adjustments.

Making financial projections is an important part of any business plan. By taking the time to create accurate projections, you can make better decisions about how to grow your business. Use the tips above to help create clear and easy-to-understand financial projections.

 

Financial Projections FAQs

What are cash flow projections? 

Cash flow projections are a financial tool that businesses use to predict how much cash they will generate and need over a specific period of time. This information can be helpful in making decisions about things like whether to invest in new equipment or hire more employees.

How do I create an income statement? 

An income statement is created by taking your company’s revenue and subtracting the costs associated with that revenue. This will give you your company’s income for the period.

What is a financial forecast for a business? 

A financial forecast for a business is an estimate of the company’s financial performance for a future period of time. This forecast can be used to make decisions about things like whether to invest in the company, how much money to borrow, and what prices to set for products and services.

What are annual income statements for a business, and why is it important? 

An annual income statement is a financial statement that shows a company’s revenue, expenses, and net income for a specific fiscal year. This statement is important because it shows how successful a company was in generating revenue and whether it was able to keep its costs under control.

Do existing businesses need financial projections?

Yes, all businesses should have a set of financial projections, whether they are new or existing businesses. Financial projections can help business owners understand how well their business is doing and make decisions about where to allocate their resources. Additionally, financial projections can be used as a tool to secure funding from investors or banks.