Services / Financial management

Business plans for SMEs: banks, investors and acquisitions

Services and guides

Explain the project and show how its numbers fit together

A business plan explains what the business intends to do, why the project is credible and how it affects profit, assets, funding and cash. It can support a bank funding request, an investor discussion, a new activity, a significant investment or an acquisition.

Start from the purpose

The audience affects the questions the plan must answer. A bank will examine repayment capacity and financial balance. An investor will also want to understand value creation, risk and governance. Management needs a plan that can guide actions and be compared with actual results.

We first agree the project, planning horizon and available information. Historical accounts are reviewed through financial statement analysis so that the starting point and any adjustments are clear.

Connect the operating and financial assumptions

The financial model should connect sales volumes and prices with costs, staffing, investment, receivables, inventories, payables and funding. The outputs normally include a projected income statement, balance sheet and cash-flow statement. Assumptions should be identifiable and revisable.

For an acquisition, the plan also needs to distinguish the target’s existing performance from expected changes, integration costs and the financing of the purchase. Planned synergies are assumptions to test, not results already achieved.

Test more than one scenario

Revenue growth does not necessarily produce immediate cash. Longer customer payment terms or higher inventory can absorb funding even when profits improve. We compare a central scenario with plausible changes in margins, collection periods, investment timing and funding costs.

The aim is to see which assumptions matter most and whether additional financial resources or operational actions would be needed. A spreadsheet’s consistency alone does not establish that the commercial assumptions will be realised.

Define the deliverable and review cycle

The engagement can include a written business plan, an integrated financial model and a presentation for the intended audience. The exact format, data requirements and updates are agreed for the assignment. We can connect the plan to funding for business investment, M&A advisory or fractional CFO support.

Use the contact form to describe the project, its timing and whether the plan is intended for management, a bank or an investor.

Contact

Describe your needs, we’ll find the right solution for you

Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed