Business Plans and Financial Projections
Written plans and modelled projections built to survive scrutiny — the kind a lender, an investor or a business partner will actually read line by line.
A business plan written to impress reads very differently from one written to be examined. Lenders and investors are not persuaded by ambition; they test whether the assumptions behind the numbers hold together, whether the projected cash position ever goes negative, and whether the applicant understands their own cost base well enough to defend it.
The work here is a defined deliverable with a defined audience. That means a written plan describing the business, its market and its operating model, supported by a financial model — profit and loss, cash flow and balance sheet projections — where every assumption is stated and can be traced. If a projection depends on winning four new clients a quarter, that assumption appears explicitly rather than being buried inside a revenue line.
What a planning engagement produces
- Written business planA structured document covering the business, its market, its operating model and its financial strategy, in a form external readers expect.
- Profit and loss projectionForecast trading results by period, built up from stated revenue and cost assumptions rather than a growth percentage applied to last year.
- Cash flow projectionMonth-by-month cash movement, which is what actually determines whether a plan is fundable, including the timing of tax and loan obligations.
- Projected balance sheetThe forecast financial position, so a lender can see what the business looks like at the end of the period, not just how it traded.
- Assumption registerEvery material assumption listed openly, so a reviewer can challenge the input instead of distrusting the output.
- Scenario testingWhat the model does if revenue lands short, a key cost rises, or a major receipt arrives late — tested before someone else tests it for you.
Who this suits
Businesses seeking finance. Where a bank or lender has asked for projections and a plan as part of an application, and the quality of the pack affects the outcome.
Businesses taking on a partner or investor. Where a third party is putting money or effort in and needs a documented basis for the arrangement.
Owners planning a significant change. A new site, a large equipment purchase or a new division, where the decision deserves modelling before commitment.
How a plan is built
Define the audience
A plan for a bank differs from one for an incoming partner. We establish who will read it and what they need to be satisfied about.
Establish the historical base
Where the business has trading history, projections start there. Where it does not, assumptions carry more weight and get documented more carefully.
Build and challenge the model
The financial model is built, then deliberately stress-tested, so weaknesses are found by us rather than by the reader.
Document and hand over
You receive the plan, the model and the assumption register — and an explanation clear enough that you can defend it without us in the room.
Projections are built from a real historical base wherever one exists, which is why this work draws on prepared financial statements. Once a plan is in place, the ongoing work of testing it against reality belongs to business advisory.
Works well with
Common questions
Will a plan guarantee my finance application succeeds?
How far forward should projections run?
We are a start-up with no trading history. Can you still help?
Speak to a chartered accountant
Tell us what you need and we’ll let you know whether we can help, what it involves and what it costs — before you commit to anything.