Essential Business Resources

Discover the essential tools for building a strong foundation for your business using the resources and templates below. From business plans that outline your vision to financial documents that speak to fiscal responsibility, and marketing plans that will help elevate your brand, these templates are tailored to guide you through the intricacies of entrepreneurship without reinventing the wheel, saving you countless hours in front of your computer.

Ready for Success?

Liberate your business’s full potential with these user-friendly and curated resources, providing you with the insights and structure needed to navigate the complexities of starting and running a successful business. Ready, set, GO!

Financial Resources

Business Plan

Writing a business plan helps you to carefully and meticulously think through every step of starting your business so you can better prepare and handle any and all challenges. While a thorough business plan is essential in the financing process, it’s also helpful especially if you don’t need outside financing because it forces you to analyze your business from a top-down perspective. This is a great way to start the planning process.

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Learn more about forming a business plan.
Download Word template.

Startup Expenses

Many entrepreneurs have underestimated startup costs and faced the danger of running out of funding. The key to avoiding this pitfall is to adopt a rigorous approach to your research and planning. What will it cost you to get your business up and running? The key to accuracy here is attention to detail! To insulate yourself from unwanted financial surprises in the future, identify your business expenses now and be ready for them.

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Learn more about startup expenses.
Download Excel template.

Financial Projections

Financial projections use existing or estimated financial data to forecast your company’s future income and expenses. They often include different scenarios to see how changes to one aspect of your finances (such as higher sales or lower operating expenses) might affect your profitability. Creating financial projections for a business now helps you to set reasonable and obtainable business goals to reach once you begin operating.

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Learn more about financial projections.
Download Excel template.

Balance Sheet

Most people don’t dive into entrepreneurship because they’re excited about the accounting process. However, a basic understanding of accounting is important to help you start a successful business. One of the most important financial documents business owners need to understand is the balance sheet. This document helps you work with your financial numbers to build a workable balance and forecast your business.

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Learn more about balance sheets.
Download Excel template.

Break-Even Analysis

The break-even point is the point when your business’s total revenues equal its total expenses. You’re not making a profit, but you aren’t losing money, either. After the break-even point, any additional sales will generate profits. A break-even analysis is a critical part of the financial projections in the business plan for a new business. This will help you plan the amount of startup capital you’ll need and determine how long that capital will need to last.

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Learn more about break-even analysis.
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Personal Financial Statement

When you’re seeking a business loan or outside financing, you may need to share information about your personal financial data with a lending source or investor, and they may ask you for a personal financial statement. A personal financial statement is a snapshot of your personal financial position at a specific point in time. A lenders might use a personal financial statement to see how well you manage your finances.

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Read about personal financial statements.
Download Excel template.

12-Month Cash Flow Statement

The 12-month cash flow statement is one of the 3 fundamental financial statements for a business. The other two are the balance statement and the profit and loss statement. Like a bank statement, the cash flow statement shows the money going in and out of your business. You’ll include a cash flow statement in the financial section of your business plan. Reviewing your statement regularly can help you avoid failure.

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Learn more about 12-month cash flow.
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Profit and Loss Statement

A profit and loss statement (P&L) provides information about a company’s ability or inability to generate profit by increasing revenue, reducing costs, or both. Profit and loss statements are often presented on a cash or accrual basis. Company managers and investors use P&L statements to analyze the financial health of a company. Use this document to track your revenue and expenses so you can forecast your profits and losses for the next 12 months.

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Learn more about P&L statements.
Download Excel template.

Financial History & Ratios

In the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship, where financial stability is often the linchpin of success, small business startups need more than just a promising idea and a business plan. Enter the financial history and ratios document—a powerful tool that goes beyond the narrative of a business plan to provide a quantitative and analytical perspective on the company’s financial health. Learn why this document is essential.

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Read about financial history & ratios.
Download Excel template.

Loan Request Letter

A bank loan request is a letter that accompanies your bank loan application package, so it’s a part of your loan application. Similar to a cover letter accompanying a resume, the bank loan request should highlight the key points of your business and sum up your request. The bank is more likely to grant you a loan if you explain the history of your business and its financial standing, along with how you plan to use loan funds and how to pay them back.

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Learn more about the loan request letter.

Marketing and Sales Resources

1 Year Marketing Plan

No matter what industry you are in or the size of your company, a solid marketing plan can help you effectively meet your company revenue and growth goals. Not only should you have a marketing plan customized to support your company needs, but you should also revisit that plan each year to ensure it still aligns with your key objectives. Many times, formulating a marketing plan will help answer questions you didn’t even know you should be asking!

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Learn more about marketing plans.
Download Word template.