Business plan and financial forecast: business model and its translation into figures

Situations suited to the business plan and financial forecast package

• A project promoter is preparing an application to a bank without documented quantified assumptions.
• A young company is approaching an investor, while its commercial and financial projections diverge.
• An SME is launching a new activity and must translate its business model into forecasts.
• A project promoter is preparing a grant application and must present consistent assumptions.
• A management team wishes to compare several scenarios before setting its launch schedule.

Process

1. Purchase and onboarding. The client first acquires the Business plan intake form (CV-02). ASKonsult then opens the secure exchange space, which centralises the documents and questions.
2. Synchronous scoping. Session 1, a 60-minute videoconference, specifies the use of the business plan: bank, investor or grant. It also sets the level of detail and the schedule.
3. Asynchronous collection. The client then completes the intake form and transmits the quotes as well as the available studies. Written questions circulate in both directions, on each assumption.
4. Analysis and correction. The firm’s in-house engineering then carries out consistency tests and builds the forecasts. Session 2, a 60-minute videoconference, allows the assumptions to be reviewed.
5. Synchronous presentation. Finally, session 3, a 90-minute videoconference, presents the final document and the sensitivity scenarios. It ends with the delivery of the validated deliverable.

Deliverable

The business plan and financial forecast deliverable consists of two sets. The written business plan first runs to 20 to 30 pages, accompanied by a two-page summary. The financial forecast workbook then covers a horizon of 3 to 5 years. It brings together the income statement, the financing plan, cash flow and the sensitivity scenarios. ASKonsult finally delivers the whole set at session 3, after final review.

Prerequisites

The package first requires the completed Business plan intake form (CV-02). The quotes and available market data complete this base. When the company already exists, the financial statements are also among the expected documents. Timeframes run from receipt of a complete file.

Frequently asked questions

How is the quote for the package drawn up?

The quote is based on a qualification discussion prior to subscription. This discussion covers in particular the chosen horizon, 3 or 5 years, and the number of activities modelled. The specific terms and conditions then set the scope, schedule, number of sessions, expected documents and deliverable. ASKonsult then creates the order on the basis of the accepted quote.

How are the sessions and the asynchronous work distributed?

The package comprises three videoconference sessions, 3 hours 30 minutes in total. Scoping and the review of assumptions each last 60 minutes; the presentation of results, 90 minutes. Between these sessions, collection takes place asynchronously, via the secure exchange space. Written questions there concern each assumption. The firm also schedules the sessions in advance, in set time slots.

What role does the Business plan intake form play?

The Business plan intake form (CV-02) first gathers the project’s assumptions in a standardised form. It thus qualifies the need and prepares the collection of documents. The scoping session then specifies how it is to be completed. During the analysis, the firm’s in-house engineering corrects the intake form and guides the work. The forecasts are therefore based on assumptions verified with the client.

Does the package guarantee that funding will be obtained?

No. The business plan and financial forecast package is a obligation of means. The decision indeed lies with the bank, the investor or the body approached. Nor does the package include searching for investors or lenders. Finally, the client remains the sole decision-maker and is responsible for the accuracy of the information transmitted.

Does the information transmitted remain confidential?

The firm treats the quotes, studies and financial statements transmitted as confidential. These documents circulate only via the secure exchange space and serve solely the purposes of the service. This obligation also survives the end of the relationship. Reciprocally, the client undertakes the same discretion with regard to the firm’s non-public tools and deliverables.

What comes after the business plan?

When the business plan supports a fundraising round, the Investor pitch coaching package (K-03) takes over. The Business management kit (O-09), for its part, equips the day-to-day monitoring of the business after launch. Finally, a need for regular support falls under the Reference subscription (A-01), intended for small organisations. The choice thus depends on the use determined during scoping.

Out of scope

The business plan and financial forecast package does not include field market research. It also excludes searching for investors or lenders. The attestation or certification of forecast accounts falls, for its part, to an authorised professional. Finally, the package carries no guarantee that funding will be obtained, the decision remaining with the body approached.