How do you translate your business idea into numbers? What costs should you expect, and when can your startup become profitable? How much investment might your startup need and when? In this masterclass, you’ll learn the basics of financial forecasting using a straightforward Excel-based model (FAST model). We’ll walk you through the key financial terms, explain how to structure a forecast, and show how to apply the model to a simple business case. The goal is to help you understand what’s behind the numbers so you can use them to make better decisions and explain your plan to funders, partners, or internal stakeholders. After the session, you’ll receive the Excel model to adapt and use for your own business case. Make sure to bring your notebook, so you can follow along and practice during the session.
What we’ll cover
- key financial concepts and terms (e.g. revenue, cost structure, margin, cash flow)
- how to build a basic financial forecast
- how the FAST model works, step by step
- how to estimate what kind of investment your startup may need, and when
- where to find support when developing your own case
This session is for: (early stage) entrepreneurs
