Starting a business: how to make a financial forecast?

Setting up a business is a project involving a long process and some impending decisions. It is therefore essential to go step by step, even though it is not easy to know how to go about it and where to start. 

How do you put your business idea into action?

The starting point is to look for a business idea as there are plenty out there. They can either be businesses that others have already created or  completely innovative concepts. When you want to go a little further than you might imagine, and decide to start a business, you have to predefine your business model precisely. Market research sometimes starts at this stage. It helps to refine the project, and to find out about the potential objectives and competition, and to acquire other information. A project owner's purpose is important, and the scale of the business founder's investment in the project is a key parameter for success. You do not start a business creation project on a strong head. A minimum of reflection on the project in question is required.

Accounting for project's situation

If you have a clear idea of how to set up a business and have been dreaming of starting one, it is best to assess your situation first. Is it compatible with your business creation project? To do this, you need to ask yourself the following questions at several stages: What is your current professional situation? Do you have any particular skills? What does your personality look like? What is your financial forecast for your business? Which type of company do you want to create? What is your family situation? What is your asset situation? Think about your change of status, i.e. if you are a simple employee, how would you go about leaving that position? Are you besieged by contractual clauses? Would you be able to combine two activities, including your current position and the project you are developing? Be aware that you will now be a business owner and that this is not a glamorous task for anyone. All these little questions and cprresponding answers are essential and will help you make a measured decision.

What about funding?

A business plan must include a financial study of the development or takeover project. This part is called the financial forecast for a business. The purpose of this forecast is to translate a project or business plan into financial language. It is the numerical part of the business plan. And it allows you to measure the productivity or profit of your project and to analyse its financial balance.