Creating a financial model for your business plan is about demonstrating realistic potential through numbers and narrative, not just creating a perfect Excel file.
A business plan communicates your story through financial representations and serves key purposes for VCs, such as revealing how your company operates and providing depth for evaluation.
Financial models are crucial for scenario planning, where VCs test assumptions and project revenue lines for different scenarios to estimate potential ROI.
Assumptions in your financial model should be grounded in logic, supported by data, and strike a balance between ambition and realism.
VCs focus on key areas like revenues, costs, and cash flow when reviewing your financial model to assess your business's health, scalability, and resilience.
VCs expect your financial model to be organized and include key elements like revenue sources, expenses, and funding requirements for immediate insight into your business.
Assumptions in revenue projections should be both optimistic and realistic, grounded in data and industry benchmarks to build credibility.
Costs in a financial model expose risks and constraints, and VCs scrutinize them to ensure all expenses are considered and scalability is addressed.
Cash flow analysis is essential to demonstrate financial stability, with VCs examining runway, burn rate, and projections across different scenarios.
Founders should be prepared to justify and explain every assumption in their financial model, understanding how VCs analyze revenues, costs, and cash flow.