Online Help to Start Your Business

Business Plans, Budgeting and Business Plan Consulting Fast4Cast offers a free business plan application, budgeting software and provides consulting. The business plan application provides an online word processor for the text of your business plan and web forms for completing the financial portion of your business plan. The application generates integrated pro-forma financial statements with supporting schedules, graphs and charts. Upon request, consulting is provided at reasonable rates. With Fast4Cast you can easily build a complete, well formatted business plan without installing any software. Since there is nothing to install, you can start immediately and our cost is much lower (so low we can offer the service for free!). You write the text portion of your business plan using our online word processor which includes sample business plans and business plan outlines (an outline with detailed instructions). At any time you can save your business plan as a word document. You even can cut and paste text from/to your word document to/from the online text editor. A complete business plan requires integrated forecasted financial statements along with supporting charts, graphs and tables. This is done using the online budgeting program which is also free and completely integrated with the business plan program. For more information see the budgeting section. Budgeting We supply the templates and provide tools to help you forecast. You just enter the numbers. You can start forecasting by editing one of the sample budgets or you can start from scratch with a blank budget template. The budgeting program generates several reports including: Proforma Income Statements, Balance Sheets, Statement of Cash Flows and schedules (sales, payroll, depreciation, loan amortization, etc). To see a sample of these reports go the sample budget reports page. The budgeting program has charting and graphing capabilities built in. To see samples, please go to the sample graphs and sample charts pages. Business Plan Consulting If you need help, we will proofread or finish uncompleted business plans (and budgets) at reasonable rates. Please contact us for a quote. Free Registration Before building your business plan or budget you must register. Registration is free. Your data will stay online for 6 months. When you register you will be asked for a username and password, this will insure that only you or people you authorize can view your data. The Fast4Cast program contains no advertising or hidden charges. None of the data that you enter into the application will be disclosed to the public, used by Fast4cast, Inc. or sold to third parties without your express written consent. You can copy your tables, graphs and documents to your PC and/or keep them online for free for 1 to 6 months. Your data will be deleted after 1 month of inactivity (no one logs on to view or modify your business plan or budget) or after 6 months from the day you register. To register and use the application for free, please go to the registration page. Business Plans Budgeting Business Plan Consulting Related Pages: Business Plan Outlines Sample Text Editor Cash Flow Calculator Start Up Calculator Break Even Calculator Loan Calculator

Online Help to Start Your Business

Business Plans, Budgeting and Business Plan Consulting Fast4Cast offers a free business plan application, budgeting software and provides consulting. The business plan application provides an online word processor for the text of your business plan and web forms for completing the financial portion of your business plan. The application generates integrated pro-forma financial statements with supporting schedules, graphs and charts. Upon request, consulting is provided at reasonable rates. With Fast4Cast you can easily build a complete, well formatted business plan without installing any software. Since there is nothing to install, you can start immediately and our cost is much lower (so low we can offer the service for free!). You write the text portion of your business plan using our online word processor which includes sample business plans and business plan outlines (an outline with detailed instructions). At any time you can save your business plan as a word document. You even can cut and paste text from/to your word document to/from the online text editor. A complete business plan requires integrated forecasted financial statements along with supporting charts, graphs and tables. This is done using the online budgeting program which is also free and completely integrated with the business plan program. For more information see the budgeting section. Budgeting We supply the templates and provide tools to help you forecast. You just enter the numbers. You can start forecasting by editing one of the sample budgets or you can start from scratch with a blank budget template. The budgeting program generates several reports including: Proforma Income Statements, Balance Sheets, Statement of Cash Flows and schedules (sales, payroll, depreciation, loan amortization, etc). To see a sample of these reports go the sample budget reports page. The budgeting program has charting and graphing capabilities built in. To see samples, please go to the sample graphs and sample charts pages. Business Plan Consulting If you need help, we will proofread or finish uncompleted business plans (and budgets) at reasonable rates. Please contact us for a quote. Free Registration Before building your business plan or budget you must register. Registration is free. Your data will stay online for 6 months. When you register you will be asked for a username and password, this will insure that only you or people you authorize can view your data. The Fast4Cast program contains no advertising or hidden charges. None of the data that you enter into the application will be disclosed to the public, used by Fast4cast, Inc. or sold to third parties without your express written consent. You can copy your tables, graphs and documents to your PC and/or keep them online for free for 1 to 6 months. Your data will be deleted after 1 month of inactivity (no one logs on to view or modify your business plan or budget) or after 6 months from the day you register. To register and use the application for free, please go to the registration page. Business Plans Budgeting Business Plan Consulting Related Pages: Business Plan Outlines Sample Text Editor Cash Flow Calculator Start Up Calculator Break Even Calculator Loan Calculator

Cash Flow Calculator

The cash flow calculator will help you determine how much cash you will need to start a business. You can use the calculator for free. To use the cash flow calculator you first fill out three short forms which will build your Company’s Start Up Statements. To build the start up statements you will need to know the following: Your expenses related to starting the company. The assets (cash, equipment, etc.) that you will invest in the company. The money that you will owe for the assets listed above. After you build the Start Up Statements you then forecast for your Company’s first year of business. After you do this, forecast financial statements will be generated. The statements will show your companies cash balances for the first 12 months of business. To forecast the financial statements you must know the following: The type of business your are in. You can select from a list of the following: General Business Accounting / CPA Advertising / PR Architecture Construction / Contracting Consulting Farming / Ranching Graphic Design / Printing Healthcare Insurance Legal Manufacturing Manufactures / Sales Rep Property Management Real Estate Broker Restaurant Retail Service Wholesale / Distribution Writer / Artist Your company’s projected first month sales and expenses. Your company’s projected monthly growth rate. The amounts and dates of any forecasted equipment purchases (i.e. instance, automobiles, manufacturing equipment, etc.) The terms of your sales. If your company sells to other businesses, then you will likely have to offer your business customers credit terms. You will have to provide them will your Company’s goods and/or services, then send them a bill and wait for them to pay you. Most retail businesses do not offer credit terms to individuals. You’ll need to know the percentages of sales that will be sold on credit and how many days after the sale you will receive the money. Note: Don’t confuse “credit card sales” with “credit sales”. With credit card sales, the credit card company is offering your customer credit, but will immediately deposit the money in your company’s bank account regardless of when or even if the customer ever pay their credit card bill. The terms of your monthly expenses. Most venders offer businesses (your company) credit so you can pay for goods and services after you receive them. You will likely have to pay for rent in advance, but you might be able to negotiate 30, 60 or even 90 day terms for the inventory you stock.. When you are done entering the information, you will be able to see your company’s monthly cash balances for its first year. If the cash balance is negative or below what you consider to be a safe amount, then you will need to either find equity investors or obtain a loan. The cash flow calculator will allow you to enter equity and/ or a loan. Finally when your are done you can download the reports in excel or view them on line. Below are the steps involved. Some steps you can just skip, but you should start at the top and work your way down. Start Up Statements 1 Start Here Set up Enter general information which will appear at the top of the reports. 2 Start-Up Expense Statement Enter expenses related to starting your company. 3 Beginning Balance Sheet Enter the assets and liabilities for your companies first day of business. First Year Statements 4 Chart of Accounts Select the industry for your company and the approximate sales and expenses for your first month of operations. 5 Month 1 & Monthly Growth Add / delete expense accounts, adjust sales and expense amounts for the first month of operations and set the growth rates. 6 Months 1 – 12 Make adjustments to the sales and expense amounts for months 1 – 12. 7 Balance Sheet Assumptions Enter balance sheet assumptions for accounts receivable, inventory and accounts payable. 8 Fixed Asset Purchases Enter fixed asset purchases (equipment, furniture, etc.) and assumptions for depreciation expense. 9 Equity Investments Enter equity investments and withdrawals. 10 Other Balance Sheet Items If necessary, enter the following balance sheet items: Other Short-term Assets, Other Long-term Assets, Other Short-term Liabilities, and / or Other Long-term Liabilities. 11 View Financial Statements View the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flows. Reports 12 Formatting / Output Select the report formatting options and download the reports. Loan Amortization Schedule Loan Enter loan amount, term and interest rate. Below is a chart that shows the steps involved for determining how much cash you will need to start your company. The boxes below are hyperlinked, so if you click on a box you will be sent directly to that step.

Cash Flow Calculator

The cash flow calculator will help you determine how much cash you will need to start a business. You can use the calculator for free. To use the cash flow calculator you first fill out three short forms which will build your Company’s Start Up Statements. To build the start up statements you will need to know the following: Your expenses related to starting the company. The assets (cash, equipment, etc.) that you will invest in the company. The money that you will owe for the assets listed above. After you build the Start Up Statements you then forecast for your Company’s first year of business. After you do this, forecast financial statements will be generated. The statements will show your companies cash balances for the first 12 months of business. To forecast the financial statements you must know the following: The type of business your are in. You can select from a list of the following: General Business Accounting / CPA Advertising / PR Architecture Construction / Contracting Consulting Farming / Ranching Graphic Design / Printing Healthcare Insurance Legal Manufacturing Manufactures / Sales Rep Property Management Real Estate Broker Restaurant Retail Service Wholesale / Distribution Writer / Artist Your company’s projected first month sales and expenses. Your company’s projected monthly growth rate. The amounts and dates of any forecasted equipment purchases (i.e. instance, automobiles, manufacturing equipment, etc.) The terms of your sales. If your company sells to other businesses, then you will likely have to offer your business customers credit terms. You will have to provide them will your Company’s goods and/or services, then send them a bill and wait for them to pay you. Most retail businesses do not offer credit terms to individuals. You’ll need to know the percentages of sales that will be sold on credit and how many days after the sale you will receive the money. Note: Don’t confuse “credit card sales” with “credit sales”. With credit card sales, the credit card company is offering your customer credit, but will immediately deposit the money in your company’s bank account regardless of when or even if the customer ever pay their credit card bill. The terms of your monthly expenses. Most venders offer businesses (your company) credit so you can pay for goods and services after you receive them. You will likely have to pay for rent in advance, but you might be able to negotiate 30, 60 or even 90 day terms for the inventory you stock.. When you are done entering the information, you will be able to see your company’s monthly cash balances for its first year. If the cash balance is negative or below what you consider to be a safe amount, then you will need to either find equity investors or obtain a loan. The cash flow calculator will allow you to enter equity and/ or a loan. Finally when your are done you can download the reports in excel or view them on line. Below are the steps involved. Some steps you can just skip, but you should start at the top and work your way down. Start Up Statements 1 Start Here Set up Enter general information which will appear at the top of the reports. 2 Start-Up Expense Statement Enter expenses related to starting your company. 3 Beginning Balance Sheet Enter the assets and liabilities for your companies first day of business. First Year Statements 4 Chart of Accounts Select the industry for your company and the approximate sales and expenses for your first month of operations. 5 Month 1 & Monthly Growth Add / delete expense accounts, adjust sales and expense amounts for the first month of operations and set the growth rates. 6 Months 1 – 12 Make adjustments to the sales and expense amounts for months 1 – 12. 7 Balance Sheet Assumptions Enter balance sheet assumptions for accounts receivable, inventory and accounts payable. 8 Fixed Asset Purchases Enter fixed asset purchases (equipment, furniture, etc.) and assumptions for depreciation expense. 9 Equity Investments Enter equity investments and withdrawals. 10 Other Balance Sheet Items If necessary, enter the following balance sheet items: Other Short-term Assets, Other Long-term Assets, Other Short-term Liabilities, and / or Other Long-term Liabilities. 11 View Financial Statements View the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flows. Reports 12 Formatting / Output Select the report formatting options and download the reports. Loan Amortization Schedule Loan Enter loan amount, term and interest rate. Below is a chart that shows the steps involved for determining how much cash you will need to start your company. The boxes below are hyperlinked, so if you click on a box you will be sent directly to that step.