This no-cost session is being hosted as part of Forward Fest 2025! Learn more about all of the sessions offered for entrepreneurs – and register for the full Forward Fest event – at ForwardFest.org. Event registration will be available starting early summer 2025.
Click here for directions on how to sign up for your FREE Forward Festival pass! All SBDC-hosted sessions are offered at no cost with this pass option; other events may charge to attend.
Session Description
In 40+ years of working with entrepreneurs, we have regularly observed that “the money part” of business planning is often what causes many business owners and would-be business owners alike the most anxiety and confusion. Yet the numbers don’t have to intimidate you. Instead, understanding a clear financial plan for your business will give you the confidence to make educated decisions about the viability of your business idea, access needed capital and actively manage cash flow as your business grows.
This live-virtual introductory session – designed for new and prospective business owners in any industry – will help you understand:
- The purpose (and power!) of a pro forma in business planning, management and in accessing capital
- The fundamental “inputs” to building solid projections, including:
- Identification of your business models key revenue streams, and how to translate to your projections
- Synthesis of customer, competitive and industry knowledge into reasoned market size and share estimates
- The impact of pricing decisions, buyer behavior and capacity on projected revenue
- Types of key cost estimates needed for your projections
- Other considerations
- Resources for pulling it all together!
By joining us for this overview session, you will build a solid foundation of concepts that can help you understand how to put real numbers to your dreams and learn the path to projections. Whether you plan to seek funding from a bank, determine the feasibility of your business idea, or explore new directions for your business, following the ideas we’ll cover in this session will help you build success based on knowledge.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the Role of Financial Projections – Define what financial projections are, and explain their importance in business planning and securing funding.
- Identify Key Inputs for Financial Projections – Determine what critical data and assumptions are needed to prepare to develop accurate and realistic projections.
- Translate Your Business Plan/Model from Narrative to Numbers – Learn how to convert a business plan or concept into meaningful financial projections, including revenue forecasts, expense estimates, and profitability analysis.
- Develop a Roadmap for Action – Walk away with suggestions and resources for next steps in developing your projections.
Registration for 2025
NOTE: This no-cost session is being hosted as part of Forward Fest 2025! Learn more about all of the sessions offered for entrepreneurs – and register for the full Forward Fest event – at ForwardFest.org.
Location: Online, Live virtual session via Zoom. Course link will be sent out shortly before the first session.
Session date & time: Session time at FORWARD FEST 2025 coming soon!
Fee: This course is being offered at no cost. Participants must reserve a free Forward Fest pass to register, and must register ahead of time for the event. While Forward Fest offers several pass types, all SBDC events are accessible with the free Forward Fest event pass.
Interesting in attending? fill out this interest form! We will let you know when the date has been solidified.
Cancellation Policy: Due to program costs and space limitations for these programs, participants are expected to cancel their registration at least 24 hours ahead of the program. Cancellations that occur less than 24 hours prior to the start of the program will be considered no-shows and may be removed from future programming and/or charged a course fee.
Disability Statement: Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact the UW-Madison SBDC office at sbdc@bus.wisc.edu to request accommodations.
Can’t get enough? Check out The Beginner’s Guide to Financial Projections!
When seeking funding and/or determining the feasibility of your business idea, you will likely need financial projections. This free, interactive online class is designed to help you understand what inputs you need to create projections.
Access the Beginner’s Guide to Financial Projections here
You will learn to answer these questions:
- How can I prepare to create financial projections? What information do I need to gather?
- What is some basic terminology I should understand to be more “fluent” in the language of projections?
- How do financial projections work? What are the key components?
- What can I expect when working with a traditional lender?
- What are some typical sources of funding for new businesses and expansion projections?
- What are some next steps I can take to translate my inputs into projections?
“Thank you! This was exactly what I needed to feel less intimidated about taking this step. Anne's presentation style and all the information provided were excellent. Demystify is the correct title - I took away the confidence that I can tackle this and that with time, I can pull together the data I need.”
– 2022 Demystifying the Pro Forma Participant
Meet the Presenter: Anne Inman
Anne Inman has a diverse business background spanning over 25 years of bringing organization to data, functions and people to address a broad spectrum of business challenges. She began her career in the accounting profession. A growing interest in marketing lead her to several roles at Information Resources, Inc. and Kraft Foods. She has also owned her own consulting business. She has been a business consultant with the UW-Madison Small Business Development Center for two years and works with clients in the Entrepreneurial Training Grant program. Anne holds a BS in Accounting from Purdue University, an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
The Wisconsin SBDC Network is a proud part of the Office of Business & Entrepreneurship within the Universities of Wisconsin.
It is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact us at sbdc@bus.wisc.edu or call (608) 263-2221.