About the Clinic

Accessing needed funding to start or grow a business can be challenging, especially translating business plans into financial projections that are typically needed to be considered for a bank loan. The Small Business Accounting and Projection Clinic (APC) assists start up and growth-minded entrepreneurs in Dane, Sauk, and Columbia Counties in Wisconsin with building financial projections in two ways:
- With no-cost, confidential, hands-on assistance creating financial projections necessary for traditional commercial lending funding requests, which includes SBA 7a and 504 loan options, and
- With our Beginner’s Guide to Financial Projections course, which is a no-cost, on-demand course to help businesses across the state of Wisconsin (and beyond!) understand the basics of developing financial projections, including relevant accounting terminology, required financial statements, and more. New to financial projections? Start here to learn more about the topic and – if desired – to prepare to apply to the Clinic! Learn more about this course further down this page.
The clinic is managed by the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UW-Madison (part of the Wisconsin School of Business), and is supported by Wisconsin School of Business student interns.
Meet Some of Our Past Clients!
How to Apply
CLIENT CRITERIA
The UW-Madison Small Business Accounting and Projection Clinic supports Wisconsin entrepreneurs currently located – or planning to open a business in – Dane, Columbia or Sauk counties who are preparing to seek funding from commercial lending institutions.
Clients who are “ready” for projection preparation generally have:
- A completed a plan for the proposed new business or growth strategy (usually in the form of a written business plan, pitch deck, Business Model Canvas, or completed Beginner’s Guide to Financial Projections workbook) that clearly outlines the proposed business model and path to operations.
- Identified key revenue streams, including a pricing plan and key cost of sales and operational costs.
- A good understanding of potential market size and expected market share, grounded in a solid understanding of competition.
- Start-up cost estimates, including the cost of any land, building, or asset acquisition that may be part of the business plan.
- A sufficient credit score to qualify for bank funding (generally above 670).
APPLICATION PROCESS
The Small Business Accounting and Projection Clinic has limited resources and cannot work with every entrepreneur or business that applies for services. If you would like to be considered, please use the Service Request form below. Upon completion of the form:
- We will contact candidates who meet the client criteria (defined at left) to schedule a further screening interview, held either via phone or video conference. Screening interviews typically occur bi-weekly. Candidates who are not qualified will be notified via email.
- After the screening interview, we will let you know if you are a good fit for our Clinic at this time. This determination is based on current Clinic capacity, your “readiness” as defined in CLIENT CRITERIA, and overall fit with clinic objectives.
- For those accepted to the Clinic, we will provide a detailed list of clinic input needs.
- Once client inputs are received, your project will be placed on the schedule. Project completion time is typically 15-20 business days from scheduled start date.
The Wisconsin SBDC Network is a proud part of the Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship in the University of Wisconsin System.
It is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
UW-Madison Accounting and Projection Clinic is generously supported in part by Federal Community Project Funds and Associated Bank
.