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Funding Requirements in a Business Plan

… our funding requirements are …

The summary given in the funding requirement section should be consistent with the rest of the business plan. The amount needed, and when it is needed should follow from the detailed financial projections, and the purpose of the funding, sales and marketing, hire of employees, to achieve a milestone etc. should again link in with the rest of the plan,

Funding Requirements Presentation

This is part of the financial projections and Contents of a Business Plan Guide , a series of posts on what each section of a simple business plan should include. The next post in this series is the final section, and deals with the planned exit for investors.

About the Author

Chartered accountant Michael Brown is the founder and CEO of Plan Projections. He has worked as an accountant and consultant for more than 25 years and has built financial models for all types of industries. He has been the CFO or controller of both small and medium sized companies and has run small businesses of his own. He has been a manager and an auditor with Deloitte, a big 4 accountancy firm, and holds a degree from Loughborough University.

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Capitalization | Sources and Uses of Funds

What is a sources and uses of funds section in a business plan, a sources and uses of fund section is a summary of how much money will be required for startup expenses and operating capital, and where you expect that money to come from..

The sources and uses of funds section of a business plan is an important financial component that outlines where the funds for the business will come from and how they will be used. This section typically includes information on the business’s funding requirements, the sources of funding that have been secured or are being sought, and a detailed breakdown of how the funds will be used to support the business’s operations and growth. It is important for a business to have a clear understanding of its funding needs and how the funds will be used in order to attract investors and secure financing.

The level of detail in the sources and uses of funds section of a business plan can depend on the intended audience and purpose of the plan. For example, if the plan is being used to attract investors or secure financing, it may need to be more detailed and include specific numbers and projections.

In this case, the section should include spreadsheets or tables that clearly show the funding requirements, sources of funding, and detailed breakdown of how the funds will be used.

If the plan is being used as an internal tool for current investors or the board, it may be more high-level and not include as much detail. It should still however, provide a clear overview of the funding needs, sources and usage of funds.

As a best practice, it’s always a good idea to include financial projections in the form of spreadsheets or tables, this way the audience can see the financial viability of the business, in a clear and easy-to-understand format.

Why the Sources of Uses of Funds Section is Vitally Important

Many entrepreneurs and business owners rely far too much on intuition and positive expectations. “I’m not an accountant” is not a good enough reason to forego having an understanding of the basics of cash flow. Of all the traditional financial statements including the balance sheet and income statement, a reliable cash flow statement is most important. The sources and uses of funds section of your business plan is in effect a high-level cash flow statement for investors. The primary purpose of fund statements is to demonstrate that the business will have sufficient capital to start, grow and thrive.

Your company’s financial health is critical to investors and the use of funds document is a simple financial statement they’ll expect to see.

If Charles Lindberg or Emelia Earhart came to a group of equity investors or providers of debt financing, they probably would have known very little about transatlantic flying, particularly since it had never been done. But the business minds would have quickly converged on the sources and uses of funds statement. The investors would want to know that the funds statement accounted for sufficient capital to build the plane and fly it across the ocean. After all, who would want to provide funding to get a plane halfway across the ocean?

Now, this a light-hearted way to talk about a funds statement, but it makes the point: Your sources and uses of funds statements will ensure that you have thought through the business requirements and are raising sufficient capital to get your business to the next investable milestone or profitability.

Creating Your Statement of Sources and Uses of Funds

The various sections of your business plan spell out how you will go about finding new customers, creating products and services they need, and building your business. The details regarding the costs and revenues from your “word plan” make it to the “numbers plan” in the financial section. So, what’s left?

This section on Capitalization and Use of Funds summarizes how much money will be required for startup expenses and operating capital, and where you expect that money to come from. Show your financial needs for a minimum of one year into the future, or until your business will become cash-flow positive, whichever is longer.

Business Plan Outline for Capitalization and Use of Funds Should Include:

Use of Funds

Startup Costs

Working Capital

Sources of funds.

Owner’s investment

Debt or senior debt (from lenders)

Equity (from investors)

Important Considerations

This section of your business plan is intended to provide an overview of the funds your business will require. The specific details regarding terms for investing in your company must be in a separate document, which will be governed by specific legal guidelines. By law, securities can be offered for sale or solicited only by a private placement memorandum, which is a formal legal document.

Start with the Use of Funds Section

The Use of Funds section of your business plan must include all of the costs required as well as the capital to sustain your business until it becomes cash-flow positive. The initial costs are those costs required to open the business. Working capital is the money it takes to pay your bills (including labor) until your business is generating sufficient cash to fund itself. Your financial projections (Section 9) will have taken you through the hard work required to arrive at these numbers.

A simple table or spreadsheet should be used to show your use of funds or costs. Summarize costs into major categories. Customize the example below for your business. Most importantly, include all expenses that are listed on your financial statements.

For the working capital number, look at your cash flow statement. If you had no funding whatsoever, how much money would your business consume before it starts to turn a profit or become cash-flow positive? That’s how much working capital your business will need, plus a contingency fund.

The example below is meant to be easily understood and is modeled around a startup business. It also includes rolled up numbers at a high level. It is okay to present your numbers in this manner, so long as you have the detailed version –that totals to the same amounts- if asked.

Sample Start-up Costs

Office Build-Out     $12,000

Prepaid Rent     $ 4,000

Office Equipment     $ 6,000

Grand Opening     $ 3,000

90-Day Ad Campaign  $ 5,000

Website Design   $  2,000

Administrative Costs

Insurance     $2,000

Fees & Permits    $ 1000

Miscellaneous Startup Costs, $15,000

Total Startup Costs     $50,000

Annual Salaries for 3 employees $300,000

Contingency capital funds $50,000

Total W/C      $350,000

Total Use of Funds      $400,000

Let’s start with the obvious. The sources of funds needs to meet or exceed the use of funds from the section above.

Now that you have laid out the financial needs of the business, where will that money come from? Ideally, at least some of that will be coming directly from you. Perhaps you’ll even include a “family and friends” round of investment. The balance will be the amount you need to bring in either as loans or outside investments. Customize the example below to your business.

Sources of Funds Table

Owner’s Cash Investment $50,000

Family and Friends Investment (Equity) $20,000

Loan Sought $330,000

While you don’t have to include it in your business plan, you should be prepared to talk about your collateral, or how you will guarantee that the lender will be repaid. Most financial institutions require a primary and secondary source of collateral. This topic is covered in the section titled, Exit Strategy or Payback Analysis.

Many people think about the balance sheet and income statement as the most important financial statements. It’s the cash flow statement that tells most about the company’s financial health and ability to continue. The “sources and uses of funds” section of your business plan is a means of looking ahead at the cash flows of the business – both incoming and outgoing – to determine how much cash you’ll need to raise.

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How to Write a Business Plan: Step-by-Step Guide + Examples

Noah Parsons

24 min. read

Updated April 10, 2024

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write a business plan that’s detailed enough to impress bankers and potential investors, while giving you the tools to start, run, and grow a successful business.

• The basics of business planning

If you’re reading this guide, then you already know why you need a business plan . 

You understand that planning helps you: 

• Raise money
• Grow strategically
• Keep your business on the right track 

As you start to write your plan, it’s useful to zoom out and remember what a business plan is .

At its core, a business plan is an overview of the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy: how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. 

A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It’s also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. 

After completing your plan, you can use it as a management tool to track your progress toward your goals. Updating and adjusting your forecasts and budgets as you go is one of the most important steps you can take to run a healthier, smarter business. 

We’ll dive into how to use your plan later in this article.

There are many different types of plans , but we’ll go over the most common type here, which includes everything you need for an investor-ready plan. However, if you’re just starting out and are looking for something simpler—I recommend starting with a one-page business plan . It’s faster and easier to create. 

It’s also the perfect place to start if you’re just figuring out your idea, or need a simple strategic plan to use inside your business.

Dig deeper : How to write a one-page business plan

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• What to include in your business plan

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally just one to two pages. Most people write it last because it’s a summary of the complete business plan.

Ideally, the executive summary can act as a stand-alone document that covers the highlights of your detailed plan. 

In fact, it’s common for investors to ask only for the executive summary when evaluating your business. If they like what they see in the executive summary, they’ll often follow up with a request for a complete plan, a pitch presentation , or more in-depth financial forecasts .

Your executive summary should include:

• A summary of the problem you are solving
• A description of your product or service
• An overview of your target market
• A brief description of your team
• A summary of your financials
• Your funding requirements (if you are raising money)

Dig Deeper: How to write an effective executive summary

Products and services description

This is where you describe exactly what you’re selling, and how it solves a problem for your target market. The best way to organize this part of your plan is to start by describing the problem that exists for your customers. After that, you can describe how you plan to solve that problem with your product or service. 

This is usually called a problem and solution statement .

To truly showcase the value of your products and services, you need to craft a compelling narrative around your offerings. How will your product or service transform your customers’ lives or jobs? A strong narrative will draw in your readers.

This is also the part of the business plan to discuss any competitive advantages you may have, like specific intellectual property or patents that protect your product. If you have any initial sales, contracts, or other evidence that your product or service is likely to sell, include that information as well. It will show that your idea has traction , which can help convince readers that your plan has a high chance of success.

Market analysis

Your target market is a description of the type of people that you plan to sell to. You might even have multiple target markets, depending on your business. 

A market analysis is the part of your plan where you bring together all of the information you know about your target market. Basically, it’s a thorough description of who your customers are and why they need what you’re selling. You’ll also include information about the growth of your market and your industry .

Try to be as specific as possible when you describe your market. 

Include information such as age, income level, and location—these are what’s called “demographics.” If you can, also describe your market’s interests and habits as they relate to your business—these are “psychographics.” 

Related: Target market examples

Essentially, you want to include any knowledge you have about your customers that is relevant to how your product or service is right for them. With a solid target market, it will be easier to create a sales and marketing plan that will reach your customers. That’s because you know who they are, what they like to do, and the best ways to reach them.

Next, provide any additional information you have about your market. 

What is the size of your market ? Is the market growing or shrinking? Ideally, you’ll want to demonstrate that your market is growing over time, and also explain how your business is positioned to take advantage of any expected changes in your industry.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write a market analysis

Competitive analysis

Part of defining your business opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage is. To do this effectively, you need to know as much about your competitors as your target customers. 

Every business has some form of competition. If you don’t think you have competitors, then explore what alternatives there are in the market for your product or service. 

For example: In the early years of cars, their main competition was horses. For social media, the early competition was reading books, watching TV, and talking on the phone.

A good competitive analysis fully lays out the competitive landscape and then explains how your business is different. Maybe your products are better made, or cheaper, or your customer service is superior. Maybe your competitive advantage is your location – a wide variety of factors can ultimately give you an advantage.

Dig Deeper: How to write a competitive analysis for your business plan

Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan covers how you will position your product or service in the market, the marketing channels and messaging you will use, and your sales tactics. 

The best place to start with a marketing plan is with a positioning statement . 

This explains how your business fits into the overall market, and how you will explain the advantages of your product or service to customers. You’ll use the information from your competitive analysis to help you with your positioning. 

For example: You might position your company as the premium, most expensive but the highest quality option in the market. Or your positioning might focus on being locally owned and that shoppers support the local economy by buying your products.

Once you understand your positioning, you’ll bring this together with the information about your target market to create your marketing strategy . 

This is how you plan to communicate your message to potential customers. Depending on who your customers are and how they purchase products like yours, you might use many different strategies, from social media advertising to creating a podcast. Your marketing plan is all about how your customers discover who you are and why they should consider your products and services. 

While your marketing plan is about reaching your customers—your sales plan will describe the actual sales process once a customer has decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer. 

If your business requires salespeople and a long sales process, describe that in this section. If your customers can “self-serve” and just make purchases quickly on your website, describe that process. 

A good sales plan picks up where your marketing plan leaves off. The marketing plan brings customers in the door and the sales plan is how you close the deal.

Together, these specific plans paint a picture of how you will connect with your target audience, and how you will turn them into paying customers.

Dig deeper: What to include in your sales and marketing plan

Business operations

The operations section describes the necessary requirements for your business to run smoothly. It’s where you talk about how your business works and what day-to-day operations look like. 

Depending on how your business is structured, your operations plan may include elements of the business like:

• Supply chain management
• Manufacturing processes
• Equipment and technology
• Distribution

Some businesses distribute their products and reach their customers through large retailers like Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. 

These businesses should review how this part of their business works. The plan should discuss the logistics and costs of getting products onto store shelves and any potential hurdles the business may have to overcome.

If your business is much simpler than this, that’s OK. This section of your business plan can be either extremely short or more detailed, depending on the type of business you are building.

For businesses selling services, such as physical therapy or online software, you can use this section to describe the technology you’ll leverage, what goes into your service, and who you will partner with to deliver your services.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write the operations chapter of your plan

Key milestones and metrics

Although it’s not required to complete your business plan, mapping out key business milestones and the metrics can be incredibly useful for measuring your success.

Good milestones clearly lay out the parameters of the task and set expectations for their execution. You’ll want to include:

• A description of each task
• The proposed due date
• Who is responsible for each task

If you have a budget, you can include projected costs to hit each milestone. You don’t need extensive project planning in this section—just list key milestones you want to hit and when you plan to hit them. This is your overall business roadmap. 

Possible milestones might be:

• Website launch date
• Store or office opening date
• First significant sales
• Break even date
• Business licenses and approvals

You should also discuss the key numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common metrics worth tracking include:

• Conversion rates
• Customer acquisition costs
• Profit per customer
• Repeat purchases

It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few metrics and grow the number you are tracking over time. You also may find that some metrics simply aren’t relevant to your business and can narrow down what you’re tracking.

Dig Deeper: How to use milestones in your business plan

Organization and management team

Investors don’t just look for great ideas—they want to find great teams. Use this chapter to describe your current team and who you need to hire . You should also provide a quick overview of your location and history if you’re already up and running.

Briefly highlight the relevant experiences of each key team member in the company. It’s important to make the case for why yours is the right team to turn an idea into a reality. 

Do they have the right industry experience and background? Have members of the team had entrepreneurial successes before? 

If you still need to hire key team members, that’s OK. Just note those gaps in this section.

Your company overview should also include a summary of your company’s current business structure . The most common business structures include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Be sure to provide an overview of how the business is owned as well. Does each business partner own an equal portion of the business? How is ownership divided? 

Potential lenders and investors will want to know the structure of the business before they will consider a loan or investment.

Dig Deeper: How to write about your company structure and team

Financial plan

Last, but certainly not least, is your financial plan chapter. 

Entrepreneurs often find this section the most daunting. But, business financials for most startups are less complicated than you think, and a business degree is certainly not required to build a solid financial forecast. 

A typical financial forecast in a business plan includes the following:

• Sales forecast : An estimate of the sales expected over a given period. You’ll break down your forecast into the key revenue streams that you expect to have.
• Expense budget : Your planned spending such as personnel costs , marketing expenses, and taxes.
• Profit & Loss : Brings together your sales and expenses and helps you calculate planned profits.
• Cash Flow : Shows how cash moves into and out of your business. It can predict how much cash you’ll have on hand at any given point in the future.
• Balance Sheet : A list of the assets, liabilities, and equity in your company. In short, it provides an overview of the financial health of your business. 

A strong business plan will include a description of assumptions about the future, and potential risks that could impact the financial plan. Including those will be especially important if you’re writing a business plan to pursue a loan or other investment.

Dig Deeper: How to create financial forecasts and budgets

This is the place for additional data, charts, or other information that supports your plan.

Including an appendix can significantly enhance the credibility of your plan by showing readers that you’ve thoroughly considered the details of your business idea, and are backing your ideas up with solid data.

Just remember that the information in the appendix is meant to be supplementary. Your business plan should stand on its own, even if the reader skips this section.

Dig Deeper : What to include in your business plan appendix

Optional: Business plan cover page

Adding a business plan cover page can make your plan, and by extension your business, seem more professional in the eyes of potential investors, lenders, and partners. It serves as the introduction to your document and provides necessary contact information for stakeholders to reference.

Your cover page should be simple and include:

• Company logo
• Business name
• Value proposition (optional)
• Business plan title
• Completion and/or update date
• Address and contact information
• Confidentiality statement

Just remember, the cover page is optional. If you decide to include it, keep it very simple and only spend a short amount of time putting it together.

Dig Deeper: How to create a business plan cover page

How to use AI to help write your business plan

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can speed up the business plan writing process and help you think through concepts like market segmentation and competition. These tools are especially useful for taking ideas that you provide and converting them into polished text for your business plan.

The best way to use AI for your business plan is to leverage it as a collaborator , not a replacement for human creative thinking and ingenuity. 

AI can come up with lots of ideas and act as a brainstorming partner. It’s up to you to filter through those ideas and figure out which ones are realistic enough to resonate with your customers. 

There are pros and cons of using AI to help with your business plan . So, spend some time understanding how it can be most helpful before just outsourcing the job to AI.

Learn more: 10 AI prompts you need to write a business plan

• Writing tips and strategies

To help streamline the business plan writing process, here are a few tips and key questions to answer to make sure you get the most out of your plan and avoid common mistakes .  

Determine why you are writing a business plan

Knowing why you are writing a business plan will determine your approach to your planning project. 

For example: If you are writing a business plan for yourself, or just to use inside your own business , you can probably skip the section about your team and organizational structure. 

If you’re raising money, you’ll want to spend more time explaining why you’re looking to raise the funds and exactly how you will use them.

Regardless of how you intend to use your business plan , think about why you are writing and what you’re trying to get out of the process before you begin.

Keep things concise

Probably the most important tip is to keep your business plan short and simple. There are no prizes for long business plans . The longer your plan is, the less likely people are to read it. 

So focus on trimming things down to the essentials your readers need to know. Skip the extended, wordy descriptions and instead focus on creating a plan that is easy to read —using bullets and short sentences whenever possible.

Have someone review your business plan

Writing a business plan in a vacuum is never a good idea. Sometimes it’s helpful to zoom out and check if your plan makes sense to someone else. You also want to make sure that it’s easy to read and understand.

Don’t wait until your plan is “done” to get a second look. Start sharing your plan early, and find out from readers what questions your plan leaves unanswered. This early review cycle will help you spot shortcomings in your plan and address them quickly, rather than finding out about them right before you present your plan to a lender or investor.

If you need a more detailed review, you may want to explore hiring a professional plan writer to thoroughly examine it.

Use a free business plan template and business plan examples to get started

Knowing what information to include in a business plan is sometimes not quite enough. If you’re struggling to get started or need additional guidance, it may be worth using a business plan template. 

There are plenty of great options available (we’ve rounded up our 8 favorites to streamline your search).

But, if you’re looking for a free downloadable business plan template , you can get one right now; download the template used by more than 1 million businesses. 

Or, if you just want to see what a completed business plan looks like, check out our library of over 550 free business plan examples . 

We even have a growing list of industry business planning guides with tips for what to focus on depending on your business type.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing your business plan. Some entrepreneurs get sucked into the writing and research process, and don’t focus enough on actually getting their business started. 

Here are a few common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Not talking to your customers : This is one of the most common mistakes. It’s easy to assume that your product or service is something that people want. Before you invest too much in your business and too much in the planning process, make sure you talk to your prospective customers and have a good understanding of their needs.

• Overly optimistic sales and profit forecasts: By nature, entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future. But it’s good to temper that optimism a little when you’re planning, and make sure your forecasts are grounded in reality. 
• Spending too much time planning: Yes, planning is crucial. But you also need to get out and talk to customers, build prototypes of your product and figure out if there’s a market for your idea. Make sure to balance planning with building.
• Not revising the plan: Planning is useful, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned. As you learn more about what’s working and what’s not—revise your plan, your budgets, and your revenue forecast. Doing so will provide a more realistic picture of where your business is going, and what your financial needs will be moving forward.
• Not using the plan to manage your business: A good business plan is a management tool. Don’t just write it and put it on the shelf to collect dust – use it to track your progress and help you reach your goals.
• Presenting your business plan

The planning process forces you to think through every aspect of your business and answer questions that you may not have thought of. That’s the real benefit of writing a business plan – the knowledge you gain about your business that you may not have been able to discover otherwise.

With all of this knowledge, you’re well prepared to convert your business plan into a pitch presentation to present your ideas. 

A pitch presentation is a summary of your plan, just hitting the highlights and key points. It’s the best way to present your business plan to investors and team members.

Dig Deeper: Learn what key slides should be included in your pitch deck

Use your business plan to manage your business

One of the biggest benefits of planning is that it gives you a tool to manage your business better. With a revenue forecast, expense budget, and projected cash flow, you know your targets and where you are headed.

And yet, nothing ever goes exactly as planned – it’s the nature of business.

That’s where using your plan as a management tool comes in. The key to leveraging it for your business is to review it periodically and compare your forecasts and projections to your actual results.

Start by setting up a regular time to review the plan – a monthly review is a good starting point. During this review, answer questions like:

• Did you meet your sales goals?
• Is spending following your budget?
• Has anything gone differently than what you expected?

Now that you see whether you’re meeting your goals or are off track, you can make adjustments and set new targets. 

Maybe you’re exceeding your sales goals and should set new, more aggressive goals. In that case, maybe you should also explore more spending or hiring more employees. 

Or maybe expenses are rising faster than you projected. If that’s the case, you would need to look at where you can cut costs.

A plan, and a method for comparing your plan to your actual results , is the tool you need to steer your business toward success.

Learn More: How to run a regular plan review

Free business plan templates and examples

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How to write a business plan FAQ

What is a business plan?

A document that describes your business , the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy, how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

What are the benefits of a business plan?

A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.

Having a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.

What are the 7 steps of a business plan?

The seven steps to writing a business plan include:

• Write a brief executive summary
• Describe your products and services.
• Conduct market research and compile data into a cohesive market analysis.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategy.
• Outline your organizational structure and management team.
• Develop financial projections for sales, revenue, and cash flow.
• Add any additional documents to your appendix.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

There are plenty of mistakes that can be made when writing a business plan. However, these are the 5 most common that you should do your best to avoid:

• 1. Not taking the planning process seriously.
• Having unrealistic financial projections or incomplete financial information.
• Inconsistent information or simple mistakes.
• Failing to establish a sound business model.
• Not having a defined purpose for your business plan.

What questions should be answered in a business plan?

Writing a business plan is all about asking yourself questions about your business and being able to answer them through the planning process. You’ll likely be asking dozens and dozens of questions for each section of your plan.

However, these are the key questions you should ask and answer with your business plan:

• How will your business make money?
• Is there a need for your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How will you reach your customers?
• How will you measure success?

How long should a business plan be?

The length of your business plan fully depends on what you intend to do with it. From the SBA and traditional lender point of view, a business plan needs to be whatever length necessary to fully explain your business. This means that you prove the viability of your business, show that you understand the market, and have a detailed strategy in place.

If you intend to use your business plan for internal management purposes, you don’t necessarily need a full 25-50 page business plan. Instead, you can start with a one-page plan to get all of the necessary information in place.

What are the different types of business plans?

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan: The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used when applying for funding or pitching to investors. This type of business plan follows the outline above and can be anywhere from 10-50 pages depending on the amount of detail included, the complexity of your business, and what you include in your appendix.

Business model canvas: The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

One-page business plan: This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business. You’ll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences. It’s most useful for those exploring ideas, needing to validate their business model, or who need an internal plan to help them run and manage their business.

Lean Plan: The Lean Plan is less of a specific document type and more of a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, test, review, refine, and take action based on performance. It’s faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan covers the “who” and “what” of your business. It explains what your business is doing right now and how it functions. The strategic plan explores long-term goals and explains “how” the business will get there. It encourages you to look more intently toward the future and how you will achieve your vision.

However, when approached correctly, your business plan can actually function as a strategic plan as well. If kept lean, you can define your business, outline strategic steps, and track ongoing operations all with a single plan.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

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How To Write the Funding Request for Your Business Plan

What goes into the funding request, parts of the funding request, important points to remember when writing your request, frequently asked questions (faqs).

MoMo Productions / Getty Images

A business plan contains many sections, and if you plan to seek funding for your business, you will need to include the funding request section. The good news is that this section of your business plan is only needed if you plan to ask for outside business funding. If you're not seeking financial help, you can leave it out of your business plan. There are a variety of  ways to fund your business  without debt or investors. Below, we'll cover how to write the funding request section of your business plan.

Key Takeaways

• The funding request section of your business plan is required if you plan to seek funding from a lender or investors.
• You'll want to include information on the business, your current financial situation, how the money will be used, and more.
• Tailor each funding request to the specific funding source, and make sure you ask for enough money to keep your business going.

The funding request section provides information on your future financial plans, such as when and how much money you might need. You will also include the possible sources you could consider for securing your funds, such as loans or crowdfunding. Later, you can update this section when you need outside funding again for business growth.

An Outline of the Business

Yes, you've done this already in past sections, but you want to give potential lenders and investors a recap of your business. In some cases, you might simply share the funding request section so you need to have your business details such as what you provide, information about your target market, your structure (i.e. LLC), owners' and members' information (for partnerships and corporations), and any successes you've had to date in your business.

Current Financial Situation

Again, you've provided some financial information in the financial data section , but it doesn't hurt to summarize. If you're submitting just the funding request, you'll need this information to help financial sources understand your money situation.

Provide financial details such as income and cash flow statements, and balance sheets in your funding request section.

Offer your projected financial information as well. If you're asking for a loan for which you'll be offering collateral, include information about the asset. If the business had debt, outline your plan for paying it off. Finally, share how you'll pay the loan or what sort of return on investment (ROI) investors can expect by investing in your business.

How Much Money Do You Need Now and in the Future?

Indicate what type of funding you're asking for such as a loan or investment. Outline what you need now and what you might need in the future as far as five years out. 

How Will the Funds Be Used?

Detail how you'll be using the money, whether it's for inventory, paying a debt, buying equipment, hiring help, and more. If you plan to use the money for several things, highlight each and how much money will go to each.

Most financial sources would rather invest in things that grow a thriving business than things that pay for debt or overhead expenses. 

Current and Future Financial Plans

Current and future financial plans include items such as loan repayment schedules or plans to sell the business. If you're getting a loan, outline your plans for repayment (although most lenders will have their own schedules). If you have plans to sell the business, let the lender know that and how it will affect them. Other issues to consider are relocation (if you move) or a buyout. Finally, let investors know how they can exit the deal, such as cashing out (and how long before they can do that).

You're asking for money, so you need to always be professional and know your business inside and out. Here are some other things to keep in mind:

• Tailor your funding request to each financial source : Lenders and investors need different information, such as loan repayment versus ROI, so create different reports for each. 
• Keep your funding sources in mind : Each resource will have different questions and concerns. Do a little research so you can address them in your report.
• Ask for enough to keep your business going : Don't be stingy, as you don't want your business to fail from a lack of money. At the same time, don't be greedy, asking for more than you need. 

How do you request funding for a nonprofit?

Most nonprofits seek funding in the form of grants. Write a grant proposal that includes information on the project or organization, preliminary budget needs, and more. Be sure to format it with a cover letter, proposal summary, the introduction of the organization, problem statement, objectives, methods, evaluation, future funding needs, and the budget.

What are three methods of funding?

Grants and scholarships, equity financing, and debt financing are the main three methods of funding for small businesses . Grants and scholarships do not need to be repaid and are often best for nonprofit organizations. Equity financing is when you receive money in exchange for ownership and profits. Debt financing is when you borrow money that needs to be repaid.

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Small Business Administration. " Fund Your Business ."

Congressional Research Service. " How To Develop and Write a Grant Proposal ."

Library of Congress Research Guides. " Types of Financing ."

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15+ Business Plan Examples to Win Your Next Round of Funding

By Jennifer Gaskin , Jun 09, 2021

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” according to words of wisdom dubiously attributed to Benjamin Franklin. While there’s no solid evidence that Franklin actually coined this phrase, the sentiment rings true for any business.

Not having a solid plan makes it unlikely you’ll achieve the goals you seek, whether the goals are getting your to-do list done or launching a successful organization.

In the early stages of a company, that means developing things like pitch decks, business plans, one-sheeters and more. With Venngage’s Business Plan Builder , you can easily organize your business plan into a visually appealing format that can help you win over investors, lenders or partners.

Learn more about  how to create a business plan  so you can hit the ground running after reading through this list for inspirational examples of business plans.

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Simple business plan example, startup business plan example, small business plan example, nonprofit business plan example, strategic business plan example, market analysis business plan example, sales business plan example, organization and management business plan example, marketing and sales strategy business plan example, apple business plan example, airbnb business plan example, sequoia capital business plan example.

While your business plan should be supported by thorough and exhaustive research into your market and competitors, the resulting document does not have to be overwhelming for the reader. In fact, if you can boil your business plan down to a few key pages, all the better.

CREATE THIS PLAN TEMPLATE

The simple, bold visual aesthetic of this  business plan template  pairs well with the straightforward approach to the content and various elements of the business plan itself.

Use Venngage’s My Brand Kit  to automatically add your brand colors and fonts to your business plan with just a few clicks.

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An essential startup business plan should include a clear and compelling value proposition, market analysis, competitive analysis, target audience identification, financial projections, and a well-defined marketing and operational strategy.

For a typical startup, the need to appear disruptive in the industry is important. After all, if you’re not offering anything truly new, why would an investor turn their attention toward your organization. That means establishing a problem and the ways in which you solve it right away.

CREATE THIS PRESENTATION TEMPLATE

Whether it’s a full-scale business plan or, in this case, a pitch deck, the ideal way for a startup to make a splash with its plans is to be bold. This successful business plan example is memorable and aspirational.

In the Venngage editor, you can upload images of your business. Add these images to your plans and reports to make them uniquely your own.

All businesses start out small at first, but that doesn’t mean their communications have to be small. One of the best ways to get investors, lenders and talent on board is to show that you’ve done your due diligence.

In this small business plan example, the content is spread over many pages, which is useful in making lengthy, in-depth research feel less like a chore than packing everyone on as few pages as possible.

Organizations that set out to solve problems rather than earning profits also benefit from creating compelling business plans that stir an emotional response in potential donors, benefactors, potential staff members or even media.

CREATE THIS REPORT TEMPLATE

Simplicity is the goal for nonprofits when it comes to business plans, particularly in their early days. Explain the crisis at hand and exactly how your organization will make a difference, which will help donors visualize how their money will be used to help.

Business plans are also helpful for companies that have been around for a while. Whether they’re considering new products to launch or looking for new opportunities, companies can approach business plans from the strategy side of the equation as well.

Strategic business plans or strategy infographics should be highly focused on a single area or problem to be solved rather than taking a holistic approach to the entire business. Expanding scope too much can make a strategy seem too difficult to implement.

Easily share your business plan with Venngage’s multiple download options, including PNG, PNG HD, and as an interactive PDF.

One-page business plan example

For organizations with a simple business model, often a one-page business plan is all that’s needed. This is possible in any industry, but the most common are traditional ones like retail, where few complex concepts need to be explained.

This one-page strategic business plan example could be easily replicated for an organization that offers goods or services across multiple channels or one with three core business areas. It’s a good business plan example for companies whose plans can be easily boiled down to a few bullet points per area.

Especially when entering a saturated market, understanding the landscape and players is crucial to understanding how your organization can fit it—and stand out. That’s why centering your business plan around a market analysis is often a good idea.

In this example, the majority of the content and about half the pages are focused on the market analysis, including competitors, trends, pricing, demographics and more. This successful business plan example ensures the artwork and style used perfectly matches the company’s aesthetic, which further reinforces its position in the market.

You can find more memorable business plan templates to customize in the Venngage editor. Browse Venngage’s  business plan templates  to find plans that work for you and start editing.

Company description business plan example

Depending on the market, focusing on your company story and what makes you different can drive your narrative home with potential investors. By focusing your business plan on a company description, you center yourself and your organization in the minds of your audience.

This abbreviated plan is a good business plan example. It uses most of the content to tell the organization’s story. In addition to background about the company, potential investors or clients can see how this design firm’s process is different from their rivals.

With Venngage Business , you can collaborate with team members in real-time to create a business plan that will be effective when presenting to investors.

Five-year business plan example

For most startups or young companies, showing potential investors or partners exactly how and when the company will become profitable is a key aspect of presenting a business plan. Whether it’s woven into a larger presentation or stands alone, you should be sure to include your five-year business plan so investors know you’re looking far beyond the present.

CREATE THIS PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

With Venngage’s Business Plan Builder , you can customize a schedule like this to quickly illustrate for investors or partners what your revenue targets are for the first three to five years your company is in operation.

The lifeblood of any company is the sales team. These are the energetic folks who bring in new business, develop leads and turn prospects into customers. Focusing your energy on creating a sales business plan would prove to investors that you understand what will make your company money.

In this example sales business plan, several facets of ideal buyers are detailed. These include a perfect customer profile that helps to convey to your audience that customer relationships will be at the heart of your operation.

You can include business infographics in your plan to visualize your goals. And with Venngage’s gallery of images and icons, you can customize the template to better reflect your business ethos.

Company mergers and shakeups are also major reasons for organizations to require strong business planning. Creating new departments, deciding which staff to retain and charting a course forward can be even more complex than starting a business from scratch.

This organization and management business plan focuses on how the company can optimize operations through a few key organizational projects.

Executive summary for business plan example

Executive summaries give your business plan a strong human touch, and they set the tone for what’s to follow. That could mean having your executive leadership team write a personal note or singling out some huge achievements of which you’re particularly proud in a business plan infographic .

In this executive summary for a business plan, a brief note is accompanied by a few notable achievements that signal the organization and leadership team’s authority in the industry.

Marketing and sales are two sides of the same coin, and clever companies know how they play off each other. That’s why centering your business plan around your marketing and sales strategy can pay dividends when it comes time to find investors and potential partners.

This marketing and sales business plan example is the picture of a sleek, modern aesthetic, which is appropriate across many industries and will speak volumes to numbers-obsesses sales and marketing leaders.

Do business plans really help? Well, here’s some math for you; in 1981, Apple had just gone public and was in the midst of marketing an absolute flop , the Apple III computer.  The company’s market cap, or total estimated market value,  could hit $3 trillion this year.

Did this Apple business plan make the difference? No, it’s not possible to attribute the success of Apple entirely to this business plan from July 1981, but this ancient artifact goes to show that even the most groundbreaking companies need to take an honest stock of their situation.

Apple’s 1981 business plan example pdf covers everything from the market landscape for computing to the products that founder Steve Jobs expects to roll out over the next few years, and the advanced analysis contained in the document shows how strategic Jobs and other Apple executives were in those early days.

Inviting strangers to stay in your house for the weekend seemed like a crazy concept before Airbnb became one of the world’s biggest companies. Like all disruptive startups, Airbnb had to create a robust, active system from nothing.

As this Airbnb business plan pitch deck example shows, for companies that are introducing entirely new concepts, it’s helpful not to get too into the weeds. Explain the problem simply and boil down the essence of your solution into a few words; in this case, “A web platform where users can rent out their space” perfectly sums up this popular company.

Sequoia Capital is one of the most successful venture capital firms in the world, backing startups that now have a combined stock market value of more than $1 trillion, according to a Forbes analysis .

For young companies and startups that want to play in the big leagues, tailoring your pitch to something that would appeal to a company like Sequoia Capital is a good idea. That’s why the company has a standard business plan format it recommends .

Using Sequoia Capital’s business plan example means being simple and clear with your content, like the above deck. Note how no slide contains much copy, and even when all slides appear on the screen at once, the text is legible.

In summary: Use Venngage to design business plans that will impress investors

Not every business plan, pitch deck or one-sheeter will net you billions in investment dollars, but every entrepreneur should be adept at crafting impressive, authoritative and informative business plans.

Whether you use one of the inspirational templates shared here or you want to go old school and mimic Apple’s 1981 business plan, using Venngage’s Business Plan Builder helps you bring your company’s vision to life.

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A solid business plan is one of the most important documents you’ll need to create for your company. This document provides a roadmap for your company’s future developments. However, no growth can occur without a sufficient amount of working capital. That’s why your business plan should include a source of funds section – it can remind you how to maintain the cash flow your company needs.

There’s another reason this part of your business plan matters. It can show certain lenders how much money you need beyond what the funding sources in your business plan can get you. That said, not all lenders will require you to share a business plan. For example, SmartBiz’s loan approval requirements don’t include business plans among the necessary paperwork. Either way, below are some source of funds examples in business plans.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a document that guides your company’s growth. It helps define your business goals and provides a clear overview of how you’ll achieve them. You can also use it to plot out your marketing, operational, and sales approaches. Your business plan can be the foundation of a strategy to minimize risk and maximize growth.

Another reason why solid business plans are essential is that you’ll often need to provide them as you apply for business loans. Business plans provide an in-depth look at a company’s plan for profits, so lenders can more easily judge the borrower’s likelihood of repayment. Lenders are much more likely to finance borrowers whom they believe can pay back the loan amount in a reasonable timeframe.

8 source of funds examples

Having a source of funds – sometimes several sources of funding – is vital to growing your business . Common funding options include business loans, and sometimes, to qualify for them, you must show lenders your other funding sources. Understanding the below source of funds examples in business plans can help you better structure yours.

1. Personal savings

When you’re just getting your business off the ground, sometimes, the fastest way to fund it is directly from your current savings. However, entwining your personal savings into a company that could fail is a risky prospect – but it also shows commitment. Lenders and investors often respond well to a borrower who’s ready to go the distance with their ideas.

2. Money from friends and family

Money from family and friends, which you’ll also see called “love money,” is a viable source of funds in your business plan. However, just as it’s risky to get your own money wrapped up in a business, it’s dangerous with other people’s finances too. Plus, accepting money from a loved one can come with drawbacks. For starters, not everyone in your life has much to spare in the first place. Furthermore, if you borrow money from friends or family and you can’t repay it, the relationship could be damaged.

3. Federal and private grants

Occasionally, your business model can put you in line for federal grants. That said, rare is the business that qualifies for federal grants – technically, the government does not provide grants for small businesses growth. However, private companies ranging from FedEx to the NBA offer grants to small businesses that fit certain criteria. If there’s a chance your company could fit these criteria, you can include private grants as sources of funding in your business plan.

4. Share sales and dividends

Selling shares of your company to investors – as in, anyone who buys stocks – falls under a category of funding known as equity financing. This arrangement can be lucrative, which is a main reason why you see so many companies having initial public offerings (IPOs).

However, equity financing has a few drawbacks. For one, you’ll no longer have complete control over your company's future, as stockholders dilute your ownership. Additionally, you’ll have to account for dividends in your financial planning. You pay these sums to your shareholders every quarter.

5. Venture capital

If you need a large amount of cash, venture capitalists can be a viable option. Typically, though, venture capitalists are only interested in funding startup businesses in the tech sector with high growth potential.

Venture capital is a high-reward but high-risk funding source. It often requires you ceding a certain amount of ownership – and thus control – of your business. Furthermore, if your business fails, you may still need to repay any venture capitalists or firms that have funded your operations.

6. Angel investors

An angel investor is a wealthy private individual who invests in small businesses to help them get off the ground. They tend not to offer as much starting capital as a venture capitalist, but they can make up for the smaller amount with experience. Angel investors are often experts within a specific industry and put money back into it by investing in newer businesses within that sphere.

Although you’ll have to give an angel investor some control over your company, their experience and network can help your business grow. Additionally, the word “angel” in their name reflects that they typically don’t ask for their money back if your business fails. That makes them a safer bet than venture capitalists.

7. Business incubators

Unlike the previous funding options, a business incubator doesn’t offer direct monetary support. Instead, incubators help fledgling businesses thrive by allowing them into their workspace and letting them share resources as they get started. This type of funding is indirect – you’ll rarely get direct cash infusions, but you’ll get resources that would otherwise cost you money. It’s common in high-tech industries such as biotechnology, industrial technology, and multimedia.

8. Bank loans

Bank loans probably ring a bell for you. When a current or aspiring small business owner needs additional funds, these loans are often the first thing that comes to mind. They’re among the most in-demand funding options available given their large funding amounts, long-term repayment periods, and low interest rates . However, their high amounts introduce lender risk that can make them difficult to obtain. To minimize risk, most lenders impose strict qualification criteria that you might not make.

Why do you need to provide sources of funds in your business plan?

Providing a source of funds in your business plan paves a path toward obtaining and using your funding. Knowing where your money is coming from and what you’re spending can help with strategic financial planning. It also minimizes the chances of your business partners spending money the company doesn’t actually have.

In a lending context, your sources of funds may help you qualify for any loans you need in the future. Depending on the funding sources you’re using, lenders may view you as someone able to repay the debt financing they offer. For example, using personal savings shows your commitment to your business, meaning you’re likely a reliable borrower who won’t flake on a loan. You’ll show your commitment to your company and your business at the same time.

Parting thoughts

Reliable funding sources are essential to achieving your company’s objectives, and their presence in your business plan can help you obtain more funding. Namely, certain entities that offer small business loans require business plans as part of the borrower approval process. When your approval plan clearly shows why you need the loan money and how else you’re getting funding, lenders may trust you more.

However, certain lenders don’t require business plans. In fact, when you apply for SBA 7(a) loans , bank term loans, or custom financing through SmartBiz ® , you don't need a business plan. Check now to see if you pre-qualify * – the business funding you need might be closer than you think.

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Write the Funding Request Section of Your Business Plan

Free Startup Fundraising Checklist

Aayushi Mistry

• December 12, 2023

While writing a business plan to seek funding, you must be clear about what needs to be written under the section where you would request funding. This is an important and essential section of your business plan.

What Is the Funding Request?

A funding request section of your business plan allows you to ask for the required fund. While writing the request, you always have to mention the timeline in which you will utilize the funds. Usually, this timeline is up to the next 5 years from the request.

The funding request may differ on the age of your company. If your company is only a start-up, it will have to provide more details than any older company. Generally, any business up to its 7th year is called a startup company. Although this criterion may differ with respect to location and industry.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing the Funding Request of Your Business Plan

Before you start writing your requests, be clear about your requirements. And, in the same line, be very clear explaining it. Your readers want you to get to the point. So, they can make accurate decisions just in time. Moreover, it will also save you a lot of time and effort.

Once the facts and figures are drawn (accurately), you need to draft them properly into your business plan. And you have to be very careful and precise while doing it.

So ideally, you need to figure out your requirements. And then put it into the context of the business plan.

So, How to derive your funding requirements?

Deriving funding requirements get a little overwhelming. But if you take it one step at a time, it starts getting easier.

First, determine what you need money for

It could be for hiring new staff, getting new equipment, or starting your business at a new location . Just be very clear with the goals. Then list down the requirements and the required fund for it. In the end, sum it up. If you want funds for recovering your debts, explain all your debts in detail.

Now, It Is Time to Know How Much Amount Can You Get on Your Own.

• Calculate the financial resources: Look out for your saved capital in cash as well as in personal assets. Other than that, see if you can gather the funds from friends and family.
• Grants and subsidies: Check if your company is eligible for any government grants and subsidies. If yes, apply for it and add the amount. Calculate and find the difference between the required amount and the amount you can already put together. And that will be the amount you will be needing from the third party, investors, or from the bank. Once you have the right fund requirement at hand, list out the investors, moneylenders, and loans who can provide you with the sum.

Now, Let’s Start Writing Your Funding Request

1. Provide Business Information

Yes, you still have to give this brief even though you have already explained it in detail. No, it does not get redundant-It does not have to be. In fact, you can take it up as an opportunity to give a little recap to your potential prospects and moneylenders.

Moreover, sometimes, you might have to only send the funding request section and not the entire business plan. In such cases, such information comes handy.

So, here’s what you will have to explain in the funding request section of your business plan-

• Target Market
• Your business structure like LTD, LLC, or more
• Brief about your product/service
• Partners involved
• Business heir, if there exists.

2. Mention the Current Financial Situation

You might have provided some financial information in the financial section. But, you have to add some figures here anyway. Not only will make it contextual, but even easier to have a clear picture in one place.

Here are some financial details that you will have to include in this section:

• Quarterly as well as yearly cash inflow and outflow
• Balance sheets
• P&L statement
• Expected financial condition in the upcoming quarter and year
• Include the list of assets and their ownership details if you are asking loan from the bank
• If your business is in debt, explain the situation in the detail and a brief plan for paying it.
• Mention how much return on investment can they expect.
• In the end, mention how will you pay off the loan or transfer the ownership of the business.

3. Announce How Much Funds Do You Need?

When you explain the situation in brief and have all the facts and figures put aside, narrow it down to your requirements. Mention how much money you need.

4. Discuss Briefly How Will You Use the Money?

Here, you have to narrow down what you need the money for and how you are going to use it. Just list down the details and put the figure for it- so much like how you do your billing. If they are taking the money for multiple things, highlight every detail.

5. Dive Deep into Current and Future Financial Planning

You must have explained a little about the inflow and outflow in the financial section. But over here, you have to get into the details like-

• If you are getting a loan, outline your timelines for payments.
• If you are looking forward to selling, mention how it will affect the investors.
• And then, finally, mention the exit strategy . Your exit strategy includes how you will transfer the business ownership at the end.
• You only have to add the funding request if only you want the funding from outside. If you don’t want to raise your funds from a third party, then you don’t have to include them in your business plan.
• Your investors would like to invest in your business if only it is thriving or promising. They are less likely to lend money if you are in debt.
• You see, you are asking for money. So don’t take this section casually. Know your business inside out and only involve people who know everything about your business.
• Be as specific about your requirements and the funding that you require.
• If you are planning to send it to different investors, tailor your funding request according to the reader.
• All your sources have different mindsets and different funding criteria. Be very specific about it. Do detailed research before starting to write your funding request.
• Don’t hesitate while asking for the funds. Be open and ask just as much as your business really requires. But at the same time, don’t be greedy.

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Writing a business plan for funding application

Table of Contents

Business proposition

Unique selling point, market research, competitors, objectives and strategy, target audience, customer profile, channels , qualifications, amount needed, projections, use countingup to manage finance beyond your plan.

Setting up a company comes with many hurdles to face. For example,  you might look to buy equipment, stock or pay for marketing.

To help you secure the money you will need, you can apply for finance. That might mean you approach a bank for a small business loan or off an investor a share of your company.

When you decide to look for any form of funding, there’s one crucial document you need for the application — a business plan.

A business plan is not something to take lightly. It can go a long way to help you secure finance. So, before you start writing, it would help to know everything it can cover.

This guide discusses writing a business plan for funding application, including:

Your business plan for a funding application aims to encourage investors or lenders to believe in your business. These groups will only hand out their money for ideas that they can see being successful.

For that reason, your first section outlines what your business proposes. One of the key markers of a successful product or service is its uniqueness.

If your startup has something that only you offer, that is called a unique selling point . That could be the product that you sell or the service you provide.

Even when you sell something unique, you can demonstrate how knowledgeable you are about its market through market research .

You can research who will likely pay for what you sell and other competing businesses.

Research first-hand information through interviews and surveys sent out to the public. Alternatively, look at competitors’ websites and products or services to see how yours compares. 

In your business plan, it’s helpful to include a few specific companies you see as competition . Showing that you know who they are can convince lenders or investors that you know the industry and can overcome competitors.

Provide successful businesses with something similar to show there’s a market for what you offer. But remember to clarify how your unique product or service will be more appealing to customers.

Another important section for your business plan for funding application is the objectives and strategy. Here, discuss what you aim to do and how you’ll get there.

Pinpointing some ambition for your business to aspire toward can help put across the direction you see it going. But also include short and medium goals in addition to long-term ones.

For example, a long-term objective may be to become the largest drinks company in the UK within five years. A short-term one could be to increase your social media following by 200 in the next month.

If you can share your target audience , you can provide your plan with a clear strategy to reach them. You could find a few similarities between likely customers during your market research.

To show your target audience in a way that is relatable and easy to understand, you can create customer profiles (sometimes called customer avatars).

These are summaries of hypothetical people who represent your ideal customers, and they can include:

If you outline who your audience will be, it also points to how you’ll meet any objectives through marketing. An essential part of how you market is your branding .

Your brand is the identity your startup will put across to the public. It can involve a few elements, including:

• Brand name — what is your business called?
• Logo — what icon is attached to your business?
• Brand colours — what you’ll use three or four colours in your marketing?
• The tone of voice — how will you speak to your customers? (e.g. friendly/conversational).

In your strategy, you can also mention which marketing channels you’ll use. Looking at your customer profiles will help you create a plan for reaching your audience. 

For example, to target 18-25-year-olds, you might use Instagram competitions. 

Writing a compelling business plan for funding applications may also benefit from a description of its leadership.

If you have any business experience or past in the relevant industry, it could help convince lenders or investors to trust your business. 

Beyond experience, you could also have qualifications that back up your abilities. If you don’t have any relevant credentials, look at the online courses from the Open University .

In addition to experience or qualifications, just as important are skills you can bring. Mention where your strengths are that can help you run your business.

For example, you may have abilities in developing websites, which would help you set up your own.

As important as what you are good at, mention areas you look to improve. It can further benefit your plan if you can say how you’ll overcome weaknesses.

For example, if you have little experience in finance, you could write that you’ll use an accounting app like Countingup.

Countingup is a business account with built-in accounting software, making finance accessible for anyone, anytime through their phone.

To banks and investors, another important section in your business plan for funding application is your financial information.

The purpose of the plan and application is to seek money, so it’s essential to clarify how much you want. But it’s also crucial to lenders or investors what you’ll do with their funds.

Research and list the costs for each action you’ll take. An example for marketing could be to ask an advertising agency for a quote.

As well as explaining how much money you’d like to receive, it’s helpful to show how you’ll pay it back in your plan. To do that, you can put together a sales forecast .

A sales forecast calculates the estimated amount of sales you expect by the price you’ll charge for each. It gives you a projection for the amount of money that’ll come into the business over a month, quarter or year.

Now that you’ve written an incredible business plan, you are in a great position to seek funding. But once you get it, you’ll want to make that plan a reality.

To help you manage your finances, use Countingup, the business account with built-in accounting software. With features like expense categorisation, you’ll be able to sort costs quickly and make the best use of your funding.

Turn a business proposal into a marriage of ambition and management with Countingup.

Start your three-month free trial today.  Find out more here .

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Business Plan Funding Request Section: How to Write Guide .

Sep 17, 2023 | Business Consulting , Business Growth , Business Performance , Business Plan , Financial Plan , Funding Needs , Funding Request , Small Business , Startup , Strategy

How to Write the Business Plan Funding Request

“It is more rewarding to watch money change the world than to watch it accumulate.” –Gloria Steinem.

By now, you’ve made significant progress in developing your business plan. With this, the eighth article in our Creating a Detailed Business Plan series will focus on including a funding request.

Business plans are generally the catalyst for requesting banks, lenders, and investors to invest money into a company . Usually, the business plan and funding help support business growth or rapidly scale a startup company.

As you can imagine, this makes the funding request section extremely important . Business plans can be written even with ample existing funding and can be in stages to support different business expansion phases. You can omit a funding request if you aren’t looking for outside investment.

The funding request section of your business plan is required if you plan to seek funding from a lender or investors.

Benefits of including a business plan funding request section

A business plan typically consists of various areas, and if you intend to secure funding for your business, it’s crucial to include the funding request section. Fortunately, this part of your business plan is only necessary if you plan to seek external financial assistance. If you don’t require any funding, you can skip this section.

There are various ways to fund your business without debt or investors. This article will help you create a persuasive funding request for your business plan.

What information is needed for the business plan funding request?

The business plan funding request section of your plan outlines your financial needs for the future, including how much money you require and when you will need it. You should also mention the various sources you could use to secure funding, such as loans or crowdfunding.

Remember that you can constantly update this section in the future if you require additional funding for business expansion.

How much money and how much duration must you include in your funding request?

A funding request is no time to be shy. Your readers will know what funding you’re after when they get to this section, so be forthright. Declare your business funding needs now and in the future. Give exact figures, and spell out any further infusions you’ll require over the next five years.

Explain how long the funds will be needed , when you plan on repayments, and when the investor can expect a return. It’s also helpful to spell out whether you’d prefer a loan, a grant, a direct investment, and any other relevant terms you would like included . For example, are you willing to give up equity in your business to secure the loan, or will you be personally underwriting the loan from your assets?

How do you plan to use the requested funds?

It’s unlikely that anyone will give you money if they don’t understand how you plan on using the funds. So be explicit when explaining the purpose of your request. For example, note whether the funding will go toward working capital, additional equipment, or business expansion to new premises or regions.

Describe your plans if you are growing your team or expanding your operation. If you plan on buying another company, explain what this will do for your bottom line and cash flow.

You might also use the funds to retire debt, create and market a new product line, or combine things. Whatever the use, be rigorous in your explanations.

Business banks and investors aim to secure a reasonable return on their investment. So, they’re far more likely to fund businesses that plan to use the money to grow and become more profitable.

But, on the other hand, if they get the sense that the money is just helping to string along a failing enterprise or the owner is not clear on the funding required, they’ll stay away.

What are your long-term plans for the business?

If you have any solid, situational plans for the business that might positively impact investors, you should spell them out.

Consider your plans for scaling your business. If there’s an expectation of a lucrative buyout or acquisition after meeting specific benchmarks, mention this. Describe your goals if you plan on selling a portion of the company to focus your efforts on more profitable areas.

Mention any primary debt service you plan to make, mainly if it will put your company on a firmer footing for the future.

Why should investors trust you?

This question is critical. It would help convince your readers that you would be a good steward of their money and your business. It’s essential to remember that those who are providing you with money are doing so with the expectation of being paid back and making a profit. If they don’t trust you or doubt your ability to make this happen, they may not be willing to get involved.

Explain the assumptions you’re making in your plans and provide the proper financials to support your contentions. Let the data speak. If you’re correct, the research will bear out our position.

Planning for your finances now and in the future

When it comes to financial planning and funding your growth , it’s essential to consider factors such as loan repayment schedules and potential business sales. If you are seeking a loan, it’s wise to detail your repayment plans, although lenders will likely have their agenda in place. If you plan to sell your business, it’s crucial to inform the lender and explain how this may impact them. Additionally, you should consider possible relocation if you plan to move or a buyout if that’s on the table. Lastly, informing investors of their exit options, such as the ability to cash out and the timeline for doing so, is essential.

Our upcoming article will focus on creating financial projections for a business plan.

You can achieve your goals, and Noirwolf is here to assist you.

Putting together a funding request can be daunting. Asking your accountant for help is always a good idea. You can also use tools like Microsoft Excel and financial planning software like LivePlan . If you need further assistance, we’re ready to help out.

Contact us today to learn more about Noirwolf Consulting services and how we can significantly help you .

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Contact Noirwolf Consulting today using the website contact form or by emailing [email protected] or call us at +44 113 328 0868.

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Business Plan Section 8: Funding Request

These guidelines will help you prepare a funding request to present to a potential lender alongside your loan application.

We’ve talked before about the benefits of having a business plan for every business, but the truth is, most companies don’t put one together until they want to apply for funding, whether from a bank or investor. Sometimes, even if you don’t need a full business plan when applying for a loan, you will be asked for a funding request. You can also follow the guidelines below to prepare a stand-alone proposal to present to a potential lender with your application.

If the purpose of your business plan is NOT to get funding, feel free to skip this section.

As we’ve said before about writing a business plan, it’s important to keep your audience in mind. You can certainly prepare different versions of your funding request depending on whether you’re applying for a loan or approaching an investor. The terms of each would be different, and you might be looking for different amounts of money or types of funding, especially if you’re approaching several potential partners.

Be clear about whom you’re directing the request to, and think about the questions they might have and what they would want to see. Make sure you’ve done your homework regarding the costs involved with your plans. This is where the financial section of your plan will work hand in hand with this one. Be consistent with your numbers, and ask for enough to cover your needs fully so you don’t fall short and remain unable to complete your goals. At the same time, don’t ask for more than you need.

What to Include in Your Funding Request

1. a summary of the business.

If the request is part of your business plan, you will have already put together all the information found in a business summary. If you’re creating a funding request as a stand-alone document, explain what the company is, where you’re located, what you sell or what services you offer, and who your customers are. Mention whether you’re incorporated, and if so, what type of corporation it is, along with who the owners and key staff members are. Briefly list your business successes and accomplishment thus far.

2. How much money you’re requesting

How much cash are you looking for now, and if you anticipate this being the first part of an ongoing growth plan, how much more money do you plan to request over time? What would the specific timeline look like? The Small Business Administration suggests thinking as far as five years down the road when putting your funding request together. Also spell out what type of funding you’re looking for, whether a loan or investment, and the terms you’re asking for. (As we suggested above, you can put together different versions of the request for different types of funding.)

3. What you will use the money for

Do you need some extra funds for working capital to buy more inventory? Are you paying off a high-interest loan? Buying a building, new equipment, or another company? Expanding your advertising campaign, or hiring more staff? Whatever it is, explain how much each aspect will cost.

4. Financial information

This will be the heart of the financial information section of your business plan , but you need to include it here if you’re putting together a stand-alone funding request.

You’ll need historical data on the company (if it’s an established business), like income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements for the last three to five years. If the funding request is for a loan that requires collateral, document what you have to offer. If you’ve invested your own money in the company or there are other investors, state that along with how much.

Offer realistic projections for the future, and explain how this new funding would help you reach those goals. Prepare yearly forecasts for income, balance sheets, cash flow and capital expenditure budgets for the next five years. Be even more specific for the first year, with projections for each month or quarter.

You also need to cover how you plan to pay off the debt, or what kind of return on investment you can offer a potential investor. Potential funders will pay particular attention to this, wanting to maximize their gains and minimize their risk as much as possible. If the plan is targeted to investors, what would their exit plan be? Can they cash out in a specific number of years? Do you plan to go public and offer stock?

Finally, address anything that might affect your ability to repay, whether positively or negatively, such as being acquired, buying out another business, relocating, etc.

Getting money to fund your business may very well be the point of creating your entire business plan, so take the time to carefully prepare your funding request, making sure to include all the information a decision-maker will need.

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How to Create a Startup Funding Proposal: 8 Samples and Templates to Guide You

Being a founder is difficult. Managing the day-to-day as a founder while trying to secure capital for your business can almost feel impossible. Thankfully, there are different tools and techniques that founders can use to systemize their fundraise to focus on what truly matters, building their business.

One of those tools is a startup funding proposal. In this guide, we’ll break down what a startup funding proposal is and how you can leverage it to build momentum in your fundraise.

What Is a Startup Funding Proposal?

A startup funding proposal is a document that helps startup founders share an overview of their business and make the case for why they should receive funding. A startup funding proposal can be boiled down to help founders layout 3 things:

• What — what does your startup do
• How — how does your startup or product help customers accomplish what they are seeking
• Why — why does your startup need funding and why should an investor fund your business

Related Resource: How to Write a Business Plan For Your Startup

Types of Startup Funding Proposals

Like any business document, there are many ways to approach a startup funding proposal. Ultimately it will come down to pulling the pieces and tactics that work best for your business. Investors are seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of deals a month so it is important to have your assets buttoned up to move quickly and build conviction during a raise. Check out a couple of popular types of funding proposals below:

Traditional Startup Funding Proposal

The most traditional or “standard” standard funding proposal is generally a written and visual document that is created using word processing software and/or design tools.

A traditional proposal is great because it allows you to share context with every aspect of your business. For example, if you include a chart of growth you’ll be able to explicitly write out why that was and what your plan is for future growth.

This document is generally designed to fit your brand and will hit on the key components of your business is structured and predictable way. We hit on what to include in your proposal below.

Startup Funding Proposal Pitch or Presentation

The most common approach we see to a fundraise or proposal is the pitch deck. Pitch decks take the same components as any proposal and fit them into a visual pitch deck that can be easily navigated and understood by a potential investor.

Pitch decks are not required by investors by are generally expected and are a great tool that can help you efficiently close your round. To learn more about building your pitch deck, check out a few of our key resources below:

• Tips for Creating an Investor Pitch Deck
• 18 Pitch Deck Examples for Any Startup
• Our Teaser Pitch Deck Template

1-on-1 Proposals (Elevator Pitch)

A 1 on 1 proposal or an elevator pitch is the quickest version of any proposal. Every founder should have an elevator pitch in their back pocket and is a complementary tool to any of the other funding proposals mentioned here.

As the team at VestBee puts it, “Elevator pitch” or “elevator speech” is a laconic but compelling introduction that can be communicated in the amount of time it takes someone to ride an elevator, usually around 30 seconds. It can serve you for fundraising purposes, personal introduction, or landing a prospective client.”

Email Proposal

Another common way to share a startup funding proposal via email. While the content might be similar to what is seen in a “traditional” funding proposal this allows you to hit investors where they spend their time – their inbox.

The format will follow a traditional proposal with less emphasis on visual aspects and more emphasis on the written content. Check out an example from our Update Template Library below:

Related Resource: How to Write the Perfect Investment Memo

Investor Relationship Hub

Lastly, there is an investor relationship hub or data room that can be used to share your proposal with potential investors. A hub is a great place to curate multiple documents or assets that will be needed during your fundraise. For example, you could share your funding proposal and your financials if they are requested by a potential investor.

Related Resource: What Should be in an Investor Data Room?

What to Include in Your Startup Funding Proposal

How you share your funding proposal might differ but ultimately the components are generally closely related from one proposal to the next. However, be sure that you are building this for your business. There is no prescriptive template that will work for every business.

Project Summary

First things first, you’ll want to start with a summary of your project or your business. This can be a high-level overview of what your proposal encompasses and will give an investor the context they need for the rest of the proposal. A couple of ideas that are worth hitting on:

• What your company does and how it’s different from existing solutions to pressing problems.
• Existing market gaps and how your product covers them.
• The importance of your product in your industry and how it improves the industry.
• Existing resources and manpower, investment requirements, and potential limitations.

Current Performance and Financial Report

Of course, investors want to see how your business has been performing. The data and metrics around your business are generally how an investor builds conviction and further interest in your business. We suggest using your best judgment when it comes to the level of metrics or financials that you’d like to share. A couple examples of what you might share:

• Current assets and liabilities
• MVP presentation for companies still in the ideation stage
• Appendix with financial reports

Related Resource: ​​ Building A Startup Financial Model That Works

Existing Investors and Partners

Inevitably investors will want to know who else you have raised capital from and partnered with in the past. Include a brief description of the different investors you have on your cap table and be ready to field additional questions if they have any.

Pro tip: The first place an investor will go to when performing due diligence is your current investors. Make sure you have a strong relationship and good communication with your current investors.

Market Study and Sales Goals

Investors will also care about your customer acquisition efforts and want to make sure you can repeatably find and close new customers. A couple of things that might be important to include in this section:

• Product pricing and information
• Revenue targets and goals
• Customer acquisition model and efforts
• Sales and marketing related KPIs
• Stories or testimonials from happy customers

Current Valuation, Investment Requirements, and Expected Returns

This is an opportunity to lay out your cap table and explain your current valuation, investment requirements, and what future valuations could look like. As always, we suggest using your best judgment when it comes to what level of detail you’d like to share about your cap table.

Potential Pitfalls and Solutions

There is an inherent risk when investing in any startup. It is important to make sure potential investors are aware of this. Layout the common pitfalls your startup might face and stop you from achieving your goals. Next, lay out the solutions to these problems and how you plan to tackle them if/when they arise.

8 Startup Funding Proposal Samples and Templates

Below are 8 proposal templates to help you kick off your next fundraise. Note that some of these are technically investor updates and not designed for first-time fundraising. Keep in mind that a startup funding proposal could also be utilized for additional funding after the first round of funding.

1. An Investment Summary Template by Underscore VC

Underscore VC is a seed-stage venture fund based out of Boston. As the team at Underscore writes :

“As part of this, we strongly recommend you write out a pitch narrative before you start to build a pitch deck. “Writing the prose forces you to fill in the gaps that can remain if you just put bullets on a slide,” says Lily Lyman, Underscore VC Partner. “It becomes less about how you present, and more about what you present.”

This exercise can help you synthesize your thoughts, smooth transitions, and craft a logical, compelling story. It also helps you include all necessary information and think through your answers to tough questions.

Check out the template here .

2. The Visible “Standard” Investor Update Template

Our Standard investor update template is great for communicating with existing investors. If you are regularly sending Updates to their investors they should know when you are beginning to raise capital again and can almost be treated as an investment proposal.

Check out the template for our standard investor update template here .

3. Sharing a Fundraising Pitch via Video

Videos are a great way to give the right context to the right investors in a concise and quick way. Video is a great supporting tool for any other information or documents you might be sending over. For example, you can include a few charts or metrics and some company information and use the video to further explain the data and growth plans. Check out the template here .

4. Financial Funding Proposal

The team at Revv put together a plug-and-play financial funding proposal. As they wrote, “A funding proposal must provide details of your company’s financials to obtain the right amount of funding. Check out our funding proposal template personalized for your business.” Check out the template here .

5. Investor Proposal Template for SaaS Companies

The team at Revv put together a template to help founders grab the attention of investors. As they wrote, “With so many Investing Agencies, this Investor proposal will surely leave an impact on your company in the long run.” Check out the template here .

6. Startup Funding Proposal Sample

Template.net has created a downloadable funding proposal template that can be edited using any tool. As they wrote, “Get your business idea off the ground by winning investors for your business through this Startup Investment Proposal. Fascinate investors with how you are going to get your business into the spotlight and explain in vivid detail your goals or target for the business.” Check out the template here .

7. Simple Proposal Template

Best Templates has created a generic proposal template that can be molded to fit most use cases. As they wrote, “Use this Simple Proposal Template for any of your proposal needs. This 14-page proposal template is easily editable and fully customizable using any chosen application or program that supports MS Word or Pages file formats.”

8. Sample Investment Proposal for Morgan Stanley

Another example is from the team at Morgan Stanley. The template is commonly used by their team and can be applied to most proposal use cases.

Connect With More Investors and Tell Your Story With Visible

Being able to tie everything together and build a strategy for your fundraise will be an integral part of your fundraising success. Check out how Visible can help you every step of the way below:

Visible Connect — Finding the right investors for your business can be tricky. Using Visible Connect, filter investors by different categories (like stage, check size, geography, focus, and more) to find the right investors for your business. Give it a try here .

Pitch Deck Sharing — Once you’ve built out your target list of investors, you can start sharing your pitch deck with them directly from Visible. You can customize your sharing settings (like email gated, password gated, etc.) and even add your own domain. Give it a try here .

Fundraising CRM — Our Fundraising CRM brings all of your data together. Set up tailored stages , custom fields , take notes, and track activity for different investors to help you build momentum in your raise. We’ll show how each individual investor is engaging with your Updates, Decks, and Dashboards. Give it a try here .

5 Common Funding Sources For Start-Ups & Growth

Written by Dave Lavinsky

If you want to be successful in business, it is crucial to determine when, where, and how to obtain the startup funding you need. Whether you need $1,000 or $1 million to start or expand your business, if you can’t raise money, you can’t build the business you want.  

Before You Look For Funding

Before you look for funding, you need to create a solid business plan. In addition to explaining your business and your strategy for success, your plan must determine how much money you need and how it will be used.

Also, it’s very important for you to understand the timing of the funding. For example, do you need all the funding now (e.g., to build out a location), or can you receive your funding in stages or “tranches.”

The amount of funding you seek will affect the source of funding you approach. For example, if you require $250,000 in funding, angel investors are more applicable than venture capitalists. If you need $5 million, the opposite is true.

Secure Funding Quickly!

The key to securing funding for your business is having the right business plan. With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can complete your plan in just hours and secure funding quickly!

What is The Most Common Source of Funding for Entrepreneurs?

Personal financing is the most common funding source for entrepreneurs. This includes using both your personal savings and personal credit cards to initially fund your business. Other key funding sources, as discussed below, include business loans, friends & family, angel investors and venture capitalists.

What are the Different Ways Businesses can Find Start-up Funds?

While I have identified 41 sources of funding for your business , below are the 5 most common.

1. Funding from Personal Savings

Funding from personal savings is the most common type of funding for small businesses. The two issues with this type of funding are 1) how much personal savings you have and 2) how much personal savings are you willing to risk.

In many cases, entrepreneurs and business owners prefer OPM, or “other people’s money.” The four funding sources below are all OPM sources.

2. Business Loans

Debt financing is a fancy way of saying “ loan .”  Credit unions and banks offer funding that you must repay over time with interest. This can come in the form of a personal loan, a traditional business loan, or different loans based on the type of asset you need to purchase (e.g., for equipment, land, or vehicles).

You must prove to the lender that the likelihood of you paying back the bank loans is high, and meet any requirements they have (e.g., having collateral in some cases). With a bank loan, you do not need to give up equity. However, once again, you will have to pay interest along with the principal.

3. Friends & Family

A big source of funding for entrepreneurs is friends and family. They can provide funding in the form of debt (you must pay it back), equity (they get shares in your company), or even a hybrid (e.g., a royalty whereby they get paid back via a percentage of your sales).

Friends and family are a great source of funding since they generally trust you and are easier to convince than strangers. However, there is the risk of losing their money. And you must consider how your relationship with them might suffer if this happens.

4. Angel Investors

Angel investors are generally wealthy individuals like friends and family members; you just don’t know them (yet). At present, there are about 250,000 private angel investors in the United States that fund more than 30,000 small businesses each year.

Most of these angel investors are not members of angel groups. Rather they are business owners, executives and/or other successful individuals that have the means and ability to fund deals that are presented to them and which they find interesting.

Networking is a great way to find an angel investor for your business.

5. Venture Capital

Venture capital funding is a suitable option for businesses that are beyond the startup period, as well as those who need a larger amount of venture capital for expansion and increasing market share. Venture capitalists and VC firms are professional investors that are more involved with business management, and they play a significant role in setting milestones, targets, and giving advice on how to ensure greater success.

Venture capitalists invest in new businesses and medium-sized businesses they believe are likely to go public or be sold for massive future business profits. Specifically, they want to fund companies that have the ability to be valued at $100 million or more within five years. They also go through an expensive and lengthy process of deciding on the best business to invest their venture funds. Hence, the application process and approval usually takes several months.  

What Are the Three Major Sources of Funding for New Businesses?

The three major sources of funding for new businesses are personal funds, loans and credit, and venture capital. Personal funds involve using one’s own savings or assets to finance the startup. Loans and credit options are sought from banks, credit unions, or online lenders to obtain the necessary capital. For high-growth potential startups, venture capital firms and angel investors can provide funding in exchange for equity. Other funding options like crowdfunding, grants, or government assistance may also be explored based on the specific business and its needs.  

The Bottom Line

As you search for the best funding options for your start-up business or to expand your existing business, you will discover that some sources are more complicated and time-consuming while others may offer a very small amount. While the five sources mentioned above are the most common, there are other ways of obtaining the financing you need including government programs including grants , crowdfunding sites, business credit cards, or a line of credit from a bank just to name a few.

Choosing an inappropriate type of funding can lead to unfavorable outcomes such as feuds between the lender and business owner, shift of control, waste of resources and other negative consequences.

With this in mind, you should study the benefits and drawbacks of each financing option and select the ideal one that will help you meet your business goals. With the right sources of money, the sky’s the limit for your business.

Other Helpful Funding & Business Plan Articles

Understanding the Different Types of Funding for Your Business

By alex ryzhkov, introduction.

Funding sources are an important part of any business plan. They serve as a means to finance the completion of activities, as well as to facilitate new ones. Generally, there are three different types of funding sources, each of which comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

A funding source can be defined as any type of financial resource that a business can use to embark on or fulfill obligations. It includes, but is not limited to, money from an individual, a government grant, a loan, and/or investments.

The three kinds of funding sources most commonly used in business planning are:

Debt Financing

Equity financing, hybrid financing, debt funding.

Debt funding is a common way for businesses to acquire financing. This involves borrowing money, usually from a bank, to fund a business plan or project. Debt funding typically has to be repaid over a certain period of time and with interest. There are two main types of debt funding: loan or a line of credit.

A Loan or Line of Credit

A loan is when a business takes out a set amount of money from a lender for a predetermined amount of time, usually at an agreed upon interest rate. A line of credit is similar except that it allows a business to draw funds as needed, usually up to a set limit, for a predetermined amount of time. Interest is only charged when money is drawn from the line of credit.

Advantages / Disadvantages

Debt funding has several advantages. One of the main advantages is that a business is able to receive a lump sum of money quickly. Furthermore, a business will not have to surrender any equity or profits in exchange for the loan. On the other hand, debt funding has some disadvantages. The most notable of these is the interest that will be charged, as well as the need to establish a consistent repayment schedule. Additionally, the repayment of the loan or line of credit will create a financial strain on the business.

• Quick access to a lump sum of money
• No need to give up any equity or profits
• Interest charges
• Financial strain from repayments

Equity Funding

Equity funding is one of the most popular sources of funding for businesses. This form of financing involves issuing shares or ownership in your business in exchange for investment money. As the owner, you'll maintain some level of control and will be required to pay dividends to shareholders, depending on the terms of the agreement.

Seeking An Investor

When seeking out an equity investor, there are a few things to consider. First, determine the type of equity investor you wish to attract. Are you seeking angel investors, venture capitalists, or private equity firms? Each type offers its own set of advantages and drawbacks.

Once you have identified your desired equity investor, create a targeted pitch. Make sure to include information about your business and the funding you seek, as well as a realistic timeline and financial projections. Finally, make sure to research potential investors and reach out to them with a well-crafted introduction.

Equity funding has several advantages. For one, you don't have to worry about loan repayments or having to cut ties with your business. You also benefit from the investor's expertise and resources, which can help to grow and expand your business. Additionally, the investor is likely to contribute more money than traditional lenders, so you'll have a greater amount of capital with which to start your business.

One of the downsides of equity funding is that you give up partial control of your enterprise and you may be subject to additional scrutiny. Moreover, the return on your investment may not be realized for years. As such, you'll need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of equity funding and consider if it is the right fit for your business.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is an increasingly popular method for small businesses or entrepreneurs to acquire funding for their business plans. Fundraising campaigns on crowdfunding platforms have become an attractive, alternative to traditional banking and capital investment.

Online Platforms

One of the largest and best-known crowdfunding platforms is Kickstarter, where a user can set up a page on their website and collect money from website visitors and other investors. They can offer rewards to incentivize larger donations or investments, such as products related to the business. Other popular crowdfunding platforms include: Indiegogo, GoFundMe, Fundly, and Patreon.

Advantages/Disadvantages

The primary benefit of crowdfunding is that it offers the ability to raise significant amounts of capital in a short period of time, which can be attractive for business owners who need to get their ideas off the ground quickly. It also allows for greater exposure for your business idea, and can be a great way to gain public interest or momentum. However, it can be difficult to make your campaign stand out on a platform, and it cannot replace traditional methods of financing, such as debt or equity.

• Raise significant amounts of capital in a short period of time
• Greater exposure for your business idea
• Gain public interest or momentum
• Difficult to make your campaign stand out
• Cannot replace traditional methods of financing

Alternative Funding Sources

Starting a business can be an expensive undertaking, but fortunately, there are many potential funding sources available to entrepreneurs. Knowing the different types of financing available can help entrepreneurs make the best decisions for their business. Here are some of the other alternative funding sources that entrepreneurs may find useful.

Government Grants

Government grants are a type of finance offered to entrepreneurs, usually to support a particular purpose or cause. The specific terms and conditions of government grant availability vary based on country or region. Generally, they are designed to encourage entrepreneurship by providing access to need-based resources. Government grants are appealing as they usually carry no interest, but they also tend to have a lot of restrictions and requirements that need to be met.

Specialized Loans

Specialized loans are available for certain types of businesses, such as small business loans offered by the Small Business Administration. These are tailored to meet the specific needs of particular businesses and the requirements for eligibility can vary based on the loan. Businesses that may be eligible for such loans may include startups, older businesses, and those of particular industries such as agriculture. Specialized loans tend to have better interest rates than other types of finance and may also be easier to apply for.

• Government grants are a type of finance offered to entrepreneurs, usually to support a particular purpose or cause.
• Specialized loans are tailored to meet the specific needs of particular businesses and may offer better interest rates and easier applications.

Strategies for Acquiring Funding

If you want to be successful in launching your own business, understanding all the options available to you regarding funding is of the utmost importance.

An essential part of this process is building your business plan. Your business plan will provide answers to questions that prospective funders may have and can help provide a plan of action that can be followed to reach your business goals and objectives. Additionally, it will help you to identify the types of funding you need to pursue.

When searching for potential funders, it is important to create a detailed list of options that can help support your business. Before doing so, it is important to understand the different types of funding that can be leveraged:

• Equity and Investment
• Crowdfunding Platforms
• Business Incubators and Accelerators
• Family, Friends and Angel Investors

Building Your Business Plan

Creating a solid business plan is one of the most important strategy for acquiring funding for your business. A well-crafted business plan will demonstration to potential investors or lenders that your business will be able to not only sustain but also grow. It should include a mission statement, detailed market research, a list of short and long-term goals, a staffing outline, and your financial projections.

Creating a business plan should also include a “projected use of funds” section. This should detail precisely what each funding source would be used for and how much you would need for each purpose. For example, if you are applying for a loan, this should include a description of how you plan on repaying the loan.

Identifying Your Funders

Once your business plan is complete, the process of identifying funders and the types of funding that make the most sense for your business can begin. Depending on the stage of your business, different types of funders might be more suitable. For example, if you are in the early stages of development, then crowdfunding platforms, angel investors, and venture capital might make the most sense, while if your business is further along, then a bank loan or line of credit might better fit your needs.

These decisions should be based on the amount of money you need, the types of investments you are willing to make, and the repayment methods you are able to commit to. Ultimately, it is important to carefully evaluate each option before deciding on the best fit.

Funding is an essential part of any business plan, and understanding the different types of funding sources available is key to identifying the best option for your business. In this article, we took a comprehensive look at the different types of funding sources, from traditional lenders like banks, to alternative forms like crowdfunding and venture capital. We also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each type of funding, as well as the steps you should take to make sure you get the best deal possible.

Weighing Your Options

When it comes to funding your business, there are many options to consider, and it can be difficult to know which one is right for you. That’s why it’s important to take the time to research each option, and weigh the pros and cons against your particular business needs. As you do your research, make sure to consider things like interest rates, terms, and the amount of documentation needed.

Continuing to Investigate Funding Options

It's important to remember that the world of business funding is always changing. New options are emerging all the time, so it's important to stay informed about the latest developments. Monitor the business news, and talk to other entrepreneurs and financiers, to get an idea of the latest funding trends. Additionally, consider seeking out professional advice if you need help making the right decisions.

• Monitor business news
• Talk to other entrepreneurs and financiers
• Seek out professional advice

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“How Do You Calculate Funding Requirements?” 3 Easy Steps

What are funding requirements in a business plan?

The Funding Requirements section of your business plan is where you outline:

• How much money your startup is going to need to begin operations and reach self-sufficiency
• Whether you are seeking debt financing, equity financing, or both
• Any other details regarding how the money will be used, how much will be returned to the financier(s), and when it will be returned

Unless you have a really big chunk of money saved up, you’re probably going to have to do what most other startups do – ask for money. Ultimately, the goal is, of course, to make the business self-sufficient. But, early on, if you want to scale up quickly, you’re probably going to have to leverage someone else’s money.

What would you want to know if you were giving someone money to start a business? Would you want to know how they’re going to use it? How they’re going to preserve it? How about how they’re going to build upon it?

Maybe you’re a lone wolf? You want to keep this operation as lean as possible. Particularly when it comes to people.

I can appreciate that!

Nevertheless, if you’re going to be funding this thing on your own, you still want to hold yourself accountable. You want a plan regarding where your money will be spent, and how you’re going to earn a return on it.

1) Capital, operating, and financial budgets

Starting a business from scratch is not so different from a decades-old business starting a new year. The required tasks are nearly the same.

Writing posts on, and making templates for, strategic planning topics is the foundation of this website. Capital, operating, and financial budgeting is critical to small business success.

The capital budget will specify any projects and/or large-scale assets you intend to buy. Plus, what kind of return you expect on that investment.

The operating budget is where you forecast your first one, three, or five years of operation. Your revenue, your cost of revenue, and your sales/administrative costs. An operating budget leads to the creation of a pro forma income statement.

Finally, your financial budget . This is your cash budget. It specifies when you think you’ll actually put money in your bank account from all those sales you’ll be making. It also specifies how you plan to stay solvent. This budget leads to the creation of a pro forma balance sheet and cash flow statement.

2) Determine funding need

All of the preceding budgets, particularly the financial (cash) budget, show where the money is going to be used. Once you compare the business’ cash needs to the cash you’re contributing, you’ll know how much is required from outside sources.

Budgeting will also show when and how the business is expected to make enough to support itself. Furthermore, other important milestones will be reflected. Milestones such as your first sale, your first $10,000 in revenue, your first $1 million in revenue(?), and so forth.

Can you see how these budgets will serve as a good measuring stick for your business’s launch and growth?

3) Funding details

Now that you know how much outside funding you’ll need to get off the ground, it’s time to really get into the nitty-gritty details.

Step one is to specify how much of the funding will be debt and how much will be equity. If you’re seeking equity investment, you’ll want to outline a proposal dictating what their investment will buy them. Also, how much power that equity investment will wield.

Another important point to clarify is the timeframe. For instance, things such as debt/balloon payments. If you’re really aggressive, there might come a point where you expect to cash out of the business and pay your equity holders

Whatever the case may be, you’re going to be clear about the status of the business at the end of the five-year forecast. Plans can change, of course, but you’ll want to include an exit strategy for those who are investing in you.

Finally, you should consider building on step one (budgeting) and clarify how the debt/equity funds will be used. Will it be for fixed assets, marketing, other operating expenses, or something else?

What are business funds?

Business funds are used by the business for their financial requirements. A business needs money to run. It is the oxygen that fuels its operations.

Starting a business is not cheap. To fund your new company, you’ll need some money upfront and this can be one of the first financial choices made by entrepreneurs when they start their own enterprise. But it’s also an important decision that could have lasting impacts on how your structure and run your business over time.

There are a variety of sources to turn to if you’re looking for small business funding. Capital may come in various forms like loans, grants, or crowdfunding.

Don’t Guess if Crowdfunding Can Help Your Small Biz – Know

Before you seek out funds, make sure to have a solid business plan and a clear outline of how the money will be used. Investors want assurance that their investments are being well managed so they can invest with confidence in the company’s future success!

This is what your entire business plan has been building up towards.

If you follow these steps for calculating funding requirements, don’t you think you’ll have an enormous amount of insight as you launch your startup?

This is the culmination of all the hard work you’ve put into your business plan thus far. Once completed, you’ll know how much money you’ll need, and what you’ll use it for.

Asking someone to invest in your business is like asking for a sale. Fortunately, if you’ve stuck with me this far you’re well prepared to write the funding requirement section of your business plan. I’m sure you’ll get what you need to be successful!