Business Financing and Planning

Preparing to Seek Financing   Financial Analysis Tools   Stock & Debt Offering Options

Venture Capital   Profitability & Return Analysis   Commercial/Investment R.E.

Promissory Notes, Contracts   Letters of Credit   Business Value   Business Plans

Financing Application   Business Financial Calculators   Efficiency Techniques

Plan, Fund and Finance Your Business

Use Our Online Planning, Funding and Financial Analysis Tools, Tutorial Guides, Calculators, Spreadsheets, Forms and Templates to assist you in preparing, deciding, and obtaining the loan or investment your business needs.

1.   Preparing to Seek Business or Commercial Financing and Loans  

   • The Credit Process: A Guide For Small Business guide assists small business owners or entrepreneurs who are seeking outside financing for the first time. It highlights information that prospective borrowers need to know about the credit process before they apply for a loan.

   • Introduction to Commercial and Business Financing and Funding and Checklist of Items In Negotiating a Business or Commercial Loan

   • Knowing the Lender's Questions & How They Rate You for the Money - How to deal with lenders and investors and what they want to know about you. 

   • Getting Business Credit - When you shop for a loan or line of credit, remember that the law protects you against discrimination.

   • How to Raise Capital and Business Loans - this will give you ideas on ways a small business can raise money and how to prepare a loan proposal. Also see Steps to Growth Capital: Learn how to prepare for financing and investors.

   • SBA Business Borrower's Guide - The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a federal agency which participates with Banks to assist eligible businesses with their growth and expansion plans. Also see SBA Financing and Business Loan Programs.

   • Learn About SBICs - Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) provide equity capital and long-term loans to businesses with their own funds plus funds borrowed at favorable rates with an SBA guaranty. Look here to find a local SBIC.

   • Learn About SBDCs - Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) can help you if you’re seeking advice or management and technical assistance for your business. SBDCs provide education, training and consulting at 1,000 locations. Look here to find a local SBDC.

   • Find a local SCORE office - The SCORE program offers professional counseling advice to small business owners that cannot afford the high cost of business consultants.
     
     
     

2.   Financial Analysis Tools and Spreadsheets   to facilitate your business financing analysis and preparation

   • Business Financial Ratio Analysis (171kb)  -Excel

     • Use this tool to calculate all important financial ratios so you can find and document your business's financial health to all who need to know.

   • Overall Quality Assessment to Obtain Financing  -Excel

     • Assess and grade your business to see how it rates and qualifies for funding.

   • Financial Need Statement  -Excel

     • This is used to document exactly where your new debt or equity funds will be used.

   • Cash Budget to Calculate Loan Needs  -Excel

     • Use this to budget and understand how much money your business needs.

   • Financial Growth Capacity  -Excel

     • This is used to show your lending or investor your projections of how much your business will grow.

   • Need Statement, Budget Loan Needs and Growth Capacity all in one  -Excel

   • Balance Sheet Statement Template  -Excel

   • Income (Profit and Loss) Statement Template  -Excel

   • Cash Flow Statement Template  -Excel

   • 12 Month Forecasted Projection Spreadsheet Template for Cash Flow Forecast

   • 12 Month Financial Forecasting and Projection Spreadsheet Template
     
     
     

3.   Stock and Debt Offering Options  

   • Compare the five options small and medium size businesses have for raising capital.

   • A Guide on How to Raise Capital and Comply with the SEC - This guide will help you understand how to raise capital for your business and comply with the federal securities laws.

   • Private Placement Memorandum and Offering Guide - if your company is not publicly traded and you are seeking equity capital as funding, then you may want to offer a Private Placement to private equity investors.

   • Sample Private Placement Memorandum for a Fitness Club

   • Private Placement Memorandum for an E-Commerce Web Site

   • Private Placement Offering Memorandum Template for an LLC

   • Private Placement Memorandum for an Education and Finance Company (500kb)

   • Private Placement Memorandums: Examples of Proposed Terms  and Valuation - 6 samples of proposed terms plus a valuation analysis and calculation.

   • Private Placement Financial Covenants Reference Manual for Fixed Income Securities and Model Form of Note Purchase Agreement

   • SCOR Funding and Financing Requirements

   • Shareholder Agreement, Convertible Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement, and Employment and Stock Purchase Agreement.
     
     
     

4.   Venture Capital  

   • Read our Venture Capital Guide to learn what it is and whether your business can or should pursue it.

   • Visit our Venture Capital Companies page to review and investigate these type of investment firms.

   • If you need definitions of what a specific word means, look at our Venture Capital and Private Equity Glossary of Terms.
     
     
     

5.   Equity Analysis of a Project or Startup Venture  

   • This spreadsheet performs a basic capital budgeting analysis for a project or start-up venture, and computes Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Return on Investment (ROI).  -Excel

   • Investment Profitability and Worth Measures - This financial analysis measures the four most common investment valuations used to evaluate the return or payback of an investment: Internal Rate of Return, Net Present Value, Accounting Rate of Return, and Payback Period. Spreadsheets: -Excel -OO
     
     
     

6.   Commercial and Investment Real Estate Financing  

   • Learn and understand what is needed when obtaining a loan secured by a mortgage on commercial real estate.

   • Use this Commercial Real Estate Loan Underwriting Analysis to analyze your real estate deal and impress your lender or investor.  -Excel

   • Maximum or Optimum Commercial Real Estate Loan Analysis - use this spreadsheet calculator to vary the terms on your commercial mortgage, includes an optional balloon payment and an analysis of debt service coverage and loan to value ratios.  -Excel (with amortization schedule)

   • Real Estate Valuation - this tool uses cash flow to value a commercial real estate property.  -Excel

   • Real Estate Development and Financing Agreements, Contracts, and Letters - These will help you understand the details of how real estate financing works.
     
     
     

7.   Promissory Notes, Borrower, Lender, Partnership Agreements and Forms, and Commercial Mortgage and Security Contracts  

   • Sample Promissory Notes:

     • This promissory note was used by a firm to lend its CEO $125,000.

     • A simple promissory note

     • A promissory note secured by deed trust or mortgage.

     • This promissory note is appended with a guarantee.

     • A promissory note with a variable rate.

   • Examples of Contracts and Forms for Mortgages, Borrowers, Partnerships, Joint Ventures, and Commercial Security Agreements - Review these to help understand business and commercial financing and then apply them to your needs.
     
     
     

8.   Letters of Credit and How to Use Them  

   • Letters of credit are commonly used in the sale of goods (as a commercial credit), or as a type of guarantee (as a standby credit).
     
     
     

9.   Valuing a Business  

   • This details six common methods of assigning a value to a business.

   • Free Cash Flow to Firm (FCFF) and Economic Value Added (EVA) Valuation Analysis, Calculations, and Tutorial (174kb)  -Excel
     
     
     

10. Business Plan Outline, Guide, Templates and Samples  

    • This is an excellent business plan guide, which gives you a great start with what to think about and how to write your business plan.  -Word  -RTF

    • This is a great business planning tool that you can use to help write your business plan.  -Word  -RTF

    • Sample Business Plans:

      • Here is a Business Plan Writing Guide for a Service Company

      • Here is a sample Business Plan for a Graphics Design Company

      • This is a hybrid between a business plan and an operating agreement for a winery and brewery.
        
        
        

11.   Business Financing Application Form  

    • Here is a typical funding application form to fill out to start the process of obtaining a business loan or equity funding.  -Word  -RTF
      
      
      

12.   Business Financial and Planning Calculators and Resources  

    • Start-up Costs Calculator
      Calculate the starting costs of your new business before you get going. This calculator helps you evaluate how much capital you'll need to start your business.

    • Break Even Calculator
      Break Even Analysis is an expected component of most business plans, especially for start-up companies. This calculator shows how much revenue you need to cover both fixed and variable costs.

    • Cash Flow Calculator
      This cash calculator shows you how business-to-business sales, carrying inventory, and rapid growth can absorb a business' money.

    • Discounted Cash Flow
      Money today is worth more than the same amount of money tomorrow. This calculator helps you explore this "time value of money" concept, just like the professional analysts..

    • Investment Offering Calculator
      Use this calculator to view both sides of the investment table. See what an investor gets, and a what a company gives up all in one easy tool.

    • Success Potential Quiz
      Will your business be able to succeed? This quiz asks you some questions that will help you determine what the success potential of your business might be.

    • Business Resource Finder
      Answer a few questions about your business and the Business Resource Finder will display a list of sample Business Plans, articles, and more resources for your business.

    • Financing and Financial Glossary of Terms - learn the language used in the word of finance, especially dealing with business, commercial and real estate financing.

    • Also look at these free Business Financing and Cash Flow Management  Tutorial Lessons.

By using the above business financing tools, guides, calculators, spreadsheets, forms and templates on this page, you will gain leverage when negotiating the financing of your business. You also should attempt to fully understand both debt financing and equity financing, when you should consider each and when one is preferred over the other. 

  Business Efficiency Techniques  

Here are more tools to help you with running a more effective and efficient business:

1. 167 Techniques to Increase Cash Flow - Utilize Cash Better to Increase Profits and Cut Costs

2. Business Planning Tips and Techniques: Best Practices for Success - Learn proven techniques that will make your business successful.