A Guide to Creating Financial Statements for Entrepreneurs

The financials that are common in the business world are those that track past performance. With these statements, if we know past performance, we can better predict future performance. For a prospective business that has not previously existed, on the other hand, preparing financial statements is much more difficult. There is no past history to build on, there are no real numbers to start with, and it is not certain how the venture will materialize. It is not likely the numbers will be correct, so why do this? The main reasons for creating financials fall into internal and external arguments: 1. Your numbers reflect your positioning and business model. They can inform you about the viability of your business and help you determine whether and how to move forward. While some numbers are likely to be wrong, your initial approach to the business is also likely to be wrong in some aspects. If these numbers can help put you on a more viable path (sooner rather than later), this information is undeniably valuable. 2. Investors and other stakeholders will want to understand the viability of your business and how you intend to pursue the opportunity. They want to know that you have thought through the economic representation of your business model and that you have done your homework in crafting logical financials. While most sophisticated investors and other experts often believe entrepreneurs are overly optimistic with financial projections, they also want to see how ambitious you are in your thinking about launching the business.

• Entrepreneurship
• Financial analysis
• Business analysis