Guides
Practical guides to building and checking financial projections.
- AI financial model generators vs a verified modelWhat AI spreadsheet assistants do well when building financial models, what independent tests found, and how a verified, template-built model differs.
- DCF valuation for a small business, explainedHow a discounted cash flow valuation works for a small business: free cash flow, WACC, terminal value two ways, and a sensitivity table. With an Excel model built on your numbers.
- Financial projections for a bank loan: what lenders checkHow to prepare financial projections for a bank or SBA loan: which statements, how many years, monthly vs annual, and the checks a lender runs on your numbers.
- How to check a financial model: a 20-point review checklistA practical checklist to review any Excel financial model before it goes to a lender or investor: structure, formulas, the three statements, scenarios and assumptions.
- Restaurant break-even analysis: formula and worked exampleHow to calculate break-even for a restaurant or coffee shop: fixed costs, contribution margin, customers per day needed, and the cash break-even lenders care about.
- Restaurant pro forma: how to build one line by lineWhat a restaurant pro forma includes, how to build each line from customers, ticket and costs, a worked example, and the checks to run before you share it.
- Startup costs, funding need and break-even analysisHow much money does a startup need before it breaks even? How to calculate the funding need to the lowest cash point, break-even revenue and payback, with an Excel model built on your numbers.