Ethics Information

Financial Projections in Business Plans


One of the most difficult sections to write in a business plan is the proforma and financial sections. After all it is most difficult to what exact costs you will incur or what level of sales volumes are actually achievable. So often businesses are faced with excess government controls at all levels which take thousands of dollars in fees, additionally legal fees, delays and lawsuits often ensue and slow the project. You cannot know in advance what roadblocks or brick walls city planners, country agencies or Federal Regulators will come up with, as they often change their minds and add new laws in the middle of your already delayed project. These are only a few of the problems facing entrepreneurs when writing financial projections. Other issues occur from an over enthusiastic entrepreneurial positive attitude and business plan writers should double the money needed and triple the time to complete the project to be on a reality based plain. Thus if you beat your projections everyone is happy. Including bankers, investors and yourself. If folks are not happy you may find yourself in court defending yourself and making excuses, many of which many not be your fault, but in the end you are hung out to dry as the buck stops with you.

To assist you in writing your financial projections section of your business plan, I have prepared a sample. This sample is from a most simple business model; a mobile car wash, which is part of a franchise system. Please feel free to print this article out and make notes in the margins and then take a legal pad and sketch out your own financial projections and start-up capital needed. I sincerely hope this sample helps you.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Financial Projections

We will follow our business plan to keep us in a profitable situation at all times. We will try to keep our car wash truck busy at all times. We will stay on top of collections and make sure all invoices go out on time and are directed to the person who authorizes payment. We will treat cash flow as a primary objective in order to reach our financial projections. We will be sure to have the right mix of services.

Gross Revenue Percentage Breakdown

Personal Car Washing 60%
Graffiti, Industrial, Concrete 20%
Fleet Washing 15%
Other 5%

Gross Revenue:

Insert Graph or Pie Chart Here.

* Note: Car washing of personal vehicles will be 60% of our business. Over 80% of these monies will be collected at the point of sale by either:

· Cash
· Check
· Credit Card

Some will actually be paid in advance on credit cards thus keeping us on the proper course to achieve positive cash flow at all times. Very few customers will be allowed to be billed monthly.

** Note: Fleet washing and industrial (graffiti, concrete, etc.) will only account for 35% of gross receipts. Twenty-five percent of this will be collected at the time the work is done, leaving only 26.25% of gross receipts to be billed at month's end.

Billing

On fleet accounts, all invoices will be net due in fifteen days. After fifteen days they will be considered late and 2% will be charged. If, in the future, our mix of percentages of services performed changes, we may offer a 2% discount for payment in ten days and a 1% discount for payment between ten and fifteen days. We don't anticipate changing our mix. However, if our city awards us a graffiti contract for $75,000 a year we will definitely accept it.

Anticipated Gross Sales From Services

In the appendix there is a first year pro forma of projected sales. We believe these figures are attainable. For various reasons we will take a 70% scenario for budgeting purposes in case everything doesn't go as planned. Just to be on the safe side. We project a conservative gross sales dollar amount to be:

$124,630 Projected Gross Revenue X .70 70% Of Projected Dollars = $ 87,241 A Conservative Safe Number To Project As First Year Gross Receipts

Anticipated Business Expenses

We project costs of $56,112 for our first year of expenses. Please see spreadsheet in the appendix. We will add in a 20% fudge factor just in case we have any unanticipated expenses in year one. We project a conservative business expense dollar amount to be:

$56,112 Anticipated Expenses X .20 20% Fudge Factor = $11,222 Possible Additional And Unanticipated Expenses During Year One

$56,111 Anticipated Expenses +11,111 Unanticipated Expenses = $67,334 Total Anticipated And Unanticipated Business Expenses For Year One.

Profit Per Truck

Please see the graph on the following page of the "Net Profit One Truck". This graph is based on the spreadsheets "Anticipated Gross Sales From Services" minus "Anticipated Business Expenses".

We realize that if a conservative approach is taken, we must use the 70% scenario for Gross Sales and add 20% to Business Expenses. We project a conservative net profit for the first truck in year one to be:

$ 87,241 Gross Receipts - 67,334 Expenses = $ 19,907 First Year Profit. $ 19,907 First Year Profit divided by 12 Number Of Months = $ 1,659 Per Month Profit, A Good Conservative Number.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs


MORE RESOURCES:

USA TODAY

Dems keeping a close eye on GOP ethics cases
USA TODAY
Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., is the subject of an inquiry by the Office of Congressional Ethics. Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., is the subject of an inquiry by the Office of Congressional Ethics. The latest came Thursday when it was reported that the Office ...
Lawmaker's stock trades draw ethics investigationBoston.com
Speaker Boehner faces ethics dilemma with Bachus investigationThe Hill
Ethics panel looking at lawmaker's stock tradesCBS News
BusinessWeek
all 378 news articles »


Kansas City Star

Britain's media ethics inquiry: the story so far
Boston.com
The first phase of Britain's media ethics inquiry ended this week after 40 days of dramatic hearings that heard from 184 witnesses — celebrities, journalists, editors, academics and lawyers — and revealed wildly differing perspectives on the murky ...
Staff at The Sun tabloid arrested in bribe inquirySeattle Post Intelligencer

all 219 news articles »


9NEWS.com

Ethics case dropped against Rep. Laura Bradford; she says she'll stick with GOP
Denver Post
By Lynn Bartels A 15-day uproar over a lawmaker's traffic stop ended Friday after her peers dismissed a drinking-related ethics complaint against the Mesa County Republican. Rep. Laura Bradford confirmed she wasn't switching parties, and House Speaker ...
Ethics Investigation Dropped In State Rep's Traffic StopKMGH Denver
Bradford ethics probe should go onCanon City Daily Record
Ethics panel to decide whether to continue review of Colo. lawmaker's traffic stopThe Republic
Fox 31 KDVR.com -Grand Junction Sentinel -KKCO-TV
all 28 news articles »


Jindal suggests ethics changes
The Daily Advertiser
Bobby Jindal has agreed with the Board of Ethics that some changes are needed to strengthen enforcement and clarify authority to enforce the Code of Ethics. But the governor's plans for change to be filed in the legislative session that starts March 12 ...
Jindal to put forth ethics law packageThe Advocate

all 5 news articles »


NewsNet5.com

Consultants suggest OSU hire ethics czar: College Notebook
Plain Dealer
By Plain Dealer wire services A report given to an Ohio State Board of Trustees' committee Thursday recommends that the university hire a vice president to oversee a new office and new committee responsible for monitoring ethics and rules compliance ...
Report says Ohio State needs ethics officeFox News
Report: Ohio State needs ethics officeESPN
Report: OSU needs VP for complianceIronton Tribune

all 406 news articles »


Lying to Patients: No Huge Ethical Failure, Says Bioethicist
Medscape
I am Art Caplan, and I am at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy. Today I would like to talk to you about a pretty thorny subject and one that is fascinating because it is so ethically rich: Should ...

and more »


CBS Local

Maryland Ethics Panel Suggests Reducing Local Disclosure
NBC4 Washington (blog)
By Brian Witte, AP A panel of state senators reviewing Maryland ethics rules decided Friday to recommend local government officials should not be required to release as much information in financial disclosure forms as officials in state government.
Md. panel reviewing changes to ethics rules for lawmakers to meetWashington Post
Bill would require online disclosureBaltimore Sun (blog)
Ethics panel suggests reducing local disclosureDaily Record (subscription)

all 21 news articles »


WABE

Watchdog groups demand more money for ethics board
Atlanta Journal Constitution
By Chris Joyner A coalition of watchdog groups said Friday cuts to the state ethics commission's budget have hobbled the agency and resulted in a backlog of unresolved complaints. Jason Getz, jgetz@ajc.com With the State Capitol in the background, ...
Advocates push for ethics fundingWABE

all 2 news articles »


Sen. Beavers and judges at odds over ethics panel
The Tennessean
AP A plan backed by Tennessee judges that would change the ethics panel that disciplines jurists is at odds with arguably the judiciary's biggest critic in the legislature — Sen. Mae Beavers. The differences in opinion came out this week at a debate ...
Beavers, judges still at oddsWDEF News 12

all 16 news articles »


MLive.com

Ficano revamps ethics policy
Detroit Free Press
Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announces an ethics policy only for his appointees. / KATHLEEN GALLIGAN/Detroit Free Press By John Wisely Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced a new ethics policy Thursday, prohibiting actions such as ...
Wayne County Statement on ethics policyWDIV Detroit
Ficano to issue ethics reformsThe Detroit News
Ficano announces ethics reforms in wake of FBI probeMichigan Radio
The Republic
all 32 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006