How To Build A Startup Financial Model

by | Mar 2, 2022 | Financial Management, Startup Tips

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How to Build A Startup Financial Model 

If you are wondering how to build a startup financial model, then you are in the right place. We are going to discuss the top considerations when you are wanting to build a model. If you are interested in building a startup financial model, stay tuned!

What Is A Financial Model?

You’re wondering how to build a startup financial model. But what is a financial model, anyways? Financial modeling is the process of mathematically creating a model of a real life situation.  This is done in order to determine a valuation for a business or to compare businesses to competitors. It’s an important process that has many benefits.

Simple Startup 

This is going to be a model that is created and generally provided for free. This is essentially a template that will allow those who know how to use excel, to do it on their own. Keep in mind that there are a lot of companies that offer this, and some are not the best. 

Also keep in mind that not all small businesses or businesses can hire someone like a company to build a model for them. It does not make sense because they do not have the money, or they are just starting out. 

The model that is available for many people is going to be one that is simplified. It will be one that will be simpler than ones that a company would use for their clients. 

There will be three tabs to this document that are going to be especially important for your business or company. The first tab is going to be a summary tab. This is where you will find your output. You will find that you have your income statements as well. Many people, such as CEO’s, will use this for knowing how much they have spent on a business startup

The next tab is a model tab. This is where you will have all the magic occur. This is where you can put expenses, head counts, projections, or other marketing items. This will allow you to balance your cash as well. 

There is a tab that is an instruction model. This tab will allow you to be able to navigate through the model to ensure that all the numbers you are getting are accurate so that you do not have to worry.

PRO TIP: Read this article and learn if you should quit your job and start a business.  We know you’re going to love it!what type of business should I start?

what type of business to start

Budget

One of the most important things to do is build a budget. Keep in mind that you need to determine how much you can spend. The headcount or your employees is going to be where the most expenses go to. You should always make sure to hire the hardest-working employees.

Determine how much cash that you think you will be spending in the years to come. Do not ask people how you should spend the money, instead, make sure that you know what you want to do and budget accordingly. Be strict with your budget and stick to it. 

Always be aware of things that could go wrong. Have money put aside for this reason. Make sure that you are investing in your company and determining how much money you will need. Building a company does not have to cost a million dollars. Let us look at how to start your model and where to start it.

Starting Your Model 

You have come up with an idea and you have hired a few people to help you. At this point you may even have a few clients. Now it is time to make a model for your financial figures. You want to determine if you can make more money or how long you can keep your business going as it stands right now. We are going to take a look at the few things that you should keep into consideration. 

  1. You are going to want to determine if the market is big or small. You will determine at this time if you are making enough money to have a good business or not. Essentially you are determining if your business is worth taking off. You will determine here if you continue or not. 
  2. If your business is booming, you need to determine how many people you will need to keep up with business. This is where you determine pay, headcount, and what you need. You need to work with your budget carefully. 
  3. Lastly, you need to determine and be fully knowledgeable about the economics of your unit. You need to know how much you are making off a sale after all the expenses put into it. 

Pro Tip: A lot of businesses and companies will lose out on business on their first few sales. This is common and you should not worry.  Instead, be sure to partner with a great company like Startup Tandem to ensure your optimizing sales and cash flow.  Startup Tandem offers different service packages for you to choose from and are very well known in the startup community.


Optimizing Your Startup

There are a few things that you can do to ensure that your start-up is successful. Many people decide to spend more money at first and end up finding challenges in the beginning. The key it to envision everything long-term. This will help you decide what you need and how you can achieve what you want to achieve. 

You need to be making money and have money coming in. This means that you need to be selling items and keeping track of your expenses. There are a few things that people will spend a lot on during the first stages of their business and that includes 

  • Rent 
  • Utilities
  • Payroll
  • Contractors 

These are all expenses that need to be taken into consideration. If you do not keep all these items into consideration, your business will likely fail. Taking the time to determine what you want to pay, how much help you need, and getting all bills figured out will help you keep your business up and running.

CONCLUSION: How To Build A Startup Financial Model

Taking the time to determine how you can build a financial setup for your business is important. We have gone over a few tips and how you can access a spreadsheet in Excel to help you understand your financials. Keep in mind that everything you have read in the article is informational. This information will help you determine what you need to cut costs on and what you can keep. Taking the time to know what to cut and what to keep is important.

Partnering with the right company to manage financials is key to having a thriving business.  Startup Tandem is a great company that can help you navigate the tricky financial waters of being an early stage startup. Startup Tandem has two locations and services businesses all over the continental United States. Contact them today and start building upon your startup with the right financial foundation.

We hope that it has helped you better understand how to build a startup financial model.

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