What It Is

The Startup Model is an Excel workbook that walks you through the steps of creating investor-ready financial statements. You enter estimates of product prices, sales, and costs, plus estimates of ongoing business expenses, plus an estimate of capital requirements to generate pro forma income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements by month, quarter, and year for five years. While it is easy to use, it is totally dependent on the realism of its underlying estimates, and its use requires at least an appreciation for the fundamentals of finance. If you can balance your checkbook, you can probably use this tool!

Who It's For

Anyone who wants to start a business or launch a new product, and who understands basic math can use this tool productively. To get full value, it's important to understand what financial statements are and how they are used. For financial neophytes, there are numerous sources for building this skill, including our Excel at Excel workbook.

It's free!