what is a business plan proforma

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What Are Pro Forma Financial Statements?

• 28 Oct 2021

When it comes to making business decisions, so much relies on numbers. To get sign-off from key stakeholders, win investors, and strategically plan, you need to demonstrate that your ideas make financial sense.

While certain financial statements —such as balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and annual reports—help provide a historical snapshot of a business’s performance, they often lack the ability to provide foresight when planning for the future. For this reason, professionals typically turn to forecasts and financial projections to guide their plans and answer critical “what if” questions. Pro forma financial statements are a common type of forecast that can be useful in these situations.

Here’s a closer look at what pro forma financial statements are, how they’re created, and why they’re a key aspect of financial decision-making.

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What Is a Pro Forma Financial Statement?

A pro forma financial statement leverages hypothetical data or assumptions about future values to project performance over a period that hasn’t yet occurred.

In the online course Financial Accounting , pro forma financial statements are defined as “financial statements forecasted for future periods. They may also be referred to as a financial forecast or financial projection.”

The course notes that these projections can be used “as a depiction of what the financial statements for the business will look like over a certain period of time, if the assumptions made when preparing them hold true.”

Since the term “pro forma” refers to projections or forecasts, it can apply to a variety of financial statements, including:

• Income statements
• Balance sheets
• Cash flow statements

Whether you’re trying to interpret pro forma financial statements or prepare them, these projections can be useful in guiding important business decisions. In fact, business owners, investors, creditors, and other key decision-makers all use pro forma financial statements to measure the potential impact of business decisions.

How Are Pro Forma Financial Statements Used?

Traditionally, financial statement analysis is used to better understand a company’s performance over a specified period. While this provides insight into a company’s historical health, creating pro forma financial statements focuses on its future. For this reason, these reports can be leveraged in several ways, including analyzing risk, projecting investments, and showing expected results before the end of a reporting period.

One of the most important uses of pro forma reports is related to decision-making and strategic planning efforts. For example, you might create pro forma financial statements to reflect the outcomes of three investment scenarios for your business. Doing so can allow you to conduct a side-by-side comparison of possible outcomes to determine which is favorable and guide your planning process.

Creating Pro Forma Financial Statements

Keep in mind that the general process of creating pro forma financial statements isn’t significantly different from that of creating traditional statements. The difference lies in the assumptions and adjustments made about various inputs, while the format and calculations remain the same.

There are, however, specific methods used for these forecasts. The percent of a sales forecasting method, for example, involves determining future expected sales and finding trends across accounts in statements. This is typically used when creating pro formas internally.

Other individual line items can also be easily forecasted, such as the cost of goods sold, since it can be assumed it will proportionally grow with sales. Line items like income tax expense, on the other hand, typically don’t change directly with sales. Stable businesses can generally estimate income tax expense as a percentage of income before taxes.

All in all, the process of preparing a pro forma balance sheet is much the same as preparing a normal balance sheet . The same holds true for the process of preparing income statements and cash flow statements. It differs when you begin forecasting various line items and calculating how those projections impact your bottom line.

Beyond the Numbers

The true value of pro forma statements goes beyond the numbers they show. These reports provide key stakeholders, investors, and creditors the foresight needed to make decisions and strategically plan. Managers and individual contributors can also benefit from creating pro forma statements, enabling them to understand different factors impacting business units.

Remember: There are limitations to pro forma financial statements. Since these documents are based on assumptions, they shouldn’t be taken as fact. Rather, they can inform decisions using hypothetical data based on historical trends.

Taking an online course like Financial Accounting can help you understand how to create and interpret different kinds of financial statements so you can find meaning in them. Learners enrolled in the course learn the language of accounting and how to create financial statements and forecasts to make strategic decisions.

Do you want to learn more about what's behind the numbers on financial statements? Explore Financial Accounting , one of three courses comprising our Credential of Readiness (CORe) program , to discover how you can develop an intuitive knowledge of financial principles and statements to unlock critical insights into performance and potential.

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Pro Forma Business Plan Template & Financial Statements

Written by Dave Lavinsky

What are Pro Forma Financial statements?

A pro forma business plan is simply another name for a business plan. The term “pro forma” specifically means “based on financial assumptions or projections” which all business plans are. That is, all business plans present a vision of the company’s future using assumptions and projections. “Pro forma” most specifically refers to the financial projections included in your plan, as these are entirely based on future assumptions.

Pro forma financial statements are a type of statement that provides estimates or financial projections for a company. They are often used by businesses to plan for upcoming periods or quarters, assess new opportunities, or track progress against goals.

Why include a Pro Forma Statement in your Business Plan

A pro forma statement is important for your business plan because it gives investors and lenders an idea of your company’s potential financial health. They use your pro forma statements in determining whether to invest in your company or not. Among other things, they consider the likelihood your company will achieve the financial results you forecast, and their expected return on investment (ROI). Your pro forma financial statements also help you to identify and track key financial indicators and metrics over time.

Writing a Pro Forma Business Plan

When writing a pro forma business plan, you will need to include information such as your company’s sales forecasts, expenses, capital expenditure plans, and funding requirements. You should also include a pro forma income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

Importance of a Pro Forma Income Statement in Business Plans

The pro forma income statement is a crucial financial tool that can be used to assess the viability of your business. It shows a company’s expected revenue and expenses over a period of time and can help you to identify potential problems early on.

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Types of pro forma statements in business plans.

There are several types of pro forma statements, including the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

Pro Forma Income Statement

A pro forma income statement is an estimate of your company’s financial performance over a period of time. It shows your expected revenue and expenses and can be used to assess the viability of your business.

Example 5 Year Annual Income Statement

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

A pro forma balance sheet is an estimate of your company’s financial position at a specific point in time. It shows your assets, liabilities, and equity, and can be used to assess your company’s financial health.

Example 5 Year Annual Balance Sheet

Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement

A pro forma cash flow statement is an estimate of how your company’s cash flows over a period of time. It shows your expected cash inflows and outflows and can be used to assess your company’s financial health and ensure you never run out of money.

Example 5 Year Annual Cash Flow Statement

Pro Forma Income Statements for a Business Plan

Pro forma statements for a business plan can take many different forms, but they all typically include information on sales forecasts, expenses, capital expenditure plans, and funding requirements. A pro forma statement that is included in a business plan template should also include financial projections and break-even analysis. 

Cash Flow Statements and Pro Forma Income Statements

The main difference between a cash flow statement and a pro forma income statement is that a cash flow statement shows your actual cash inflows and outflows, while a pro forma income statement shows your estimated future financial performance. For example, if you make a sale today, it will be considered revenue in your income statement. But, if you don’t receive payment for that sale for 90 days, that would be reflected in your cash flow statement. A cash flow statement can help you to manage your finances effectively, while a pro forma income statement can help you to assess the viability of your business.

Pro Forma Statements and Budgets

Pro forma statements and budgets are both financial tools that can be used to track the progress of a business. However, there are key differences between them.

A budget is a plan for how you will use your resources to achieve specific goals. It shows your expected income and expenses and can help you to stay on track financially.

A pro forma statement estimates your company’s future financial performance. It shows your expected revenue and expenses and can be used to assess the viability of your business.

Both pro forma statements and budgets can be useful tools for businesses. However, budgets are more focused on short-term planning , while pro forma statements are more concerned with long-term financial planning.

Business Plan Pro Forma Template and Example

The following is an example of a pro forma business plan:

Executive Summary

In this pro forma business plan, we forecasted our company’s sales, expenses, and capital expenditures over the next three years. We also estimated our funding requirements and outlined our plans for growth. Our pro forma income statement shows that we are expected to have positive net income each year of the forecast period. Our pro forma balance sheet shows that we will have a strong financial position, with increasing equity and minimal debt. Lastly, our pro forma statement predicts healthy cash flow throughout the three-year period. We believe that these results demonstrate the viability of our business and its potential for long-term success.

Our company is XYZ, a leading provider of ABC products and services. We have been in business for 10 years, and our products are sold in over 10 countries. We have a strong track record of financial success, and we are now looking to expand our operations into new markets. In order to do this, we need to raise $5 million in funding.

Business Plan Pro Forma

In this section of the business plan, we will provide pro forma statements for our company’s sales, expenses, capital expenditures, funding requirements, and cash flow. These statements will demonstrate the viability of our business and its potential for long-term success.

Sales Forecast

We forecast that our sales will increase by 20% in each year of the forecast period. This growth will be driven by our expansion into new markets, as well as our continued focus on innovation and customer service.

Expense Forecast

We expect our expenses to increase at a slower rate than our sales, due to our economies of scale. We anticipate that our expenses will increase by 15% in Year 1, 10% in Year 2, and 5% in Year 3.

Capital Expenditure Forecast

We forecast that our capital expenditures will increase in line with our sales, at a rate of 20% per year. We plan to invest heavily in research and development, as well as new product launches.

Funding Requirements

We estimate that we will need to raise $5 million in funding in order to expand our operations into new markets. We plan to use this funding to invest in research and development, as well as to cover the costs of marketing and new product launches.

Cash Flow Forecast

Our pro forma cash flow statement predicts healthy cash flow throughout the three-year period. We expect to have positive cash flow in each year of the forecast period.

This pro forma business plan demonstrates the viability of our company and its potential for long-term success. We have a strong track record of financial success, and we are well-positioned to continue growing our business. Our pro forma statements show that we are expected to generate positive net income, and have a strong financial position and healthy cash flow. We believe that this business plan provides a clear roadmap for our company’s future growth.

A pro forma business plan is an important tool for any business owner. By outlining your sales, expenses, and profit, you can get a clear picture of your company’s financial health and make informed decisions about its future. If you’re not sure where to start, we can help. Our team of experts has created a comprehensive business plan template that will guide you through the process of creating your own pro forma business plan. So what are you waiting for? Get started today and ensure your company’s success tomorrow.

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Pro Forma Business Plan

Financial planning is essential for any business to grow, thrive, and succeed.

Whether it’s a new opportunity or an impending threat—planning for different hypothetical situations strategically and financially creates a safety net that safeguards your business from hitting failure.

Well, pro forma statements, with their forward-looking nature, help you evaluate your future finances and strategize for business accordingly.

But what is it really?

In this blog post, we will learn everything about pro forma business plan statements and steps to create.

Ready to dive in? Let’s get started.

What are pro forma financial statements?

Pro forma statements are projected financial statements that predict the future financial position of a business based on current trends and assumptions. These statements offer a snapshot of financials under different scenarios, helping companies plan efficiently.

A pro forma statement serves as a financial blueprint allowing businesses to set realistic goals, anticipate risks, assess outcomes, and track their goals. When included in a business plan, these statements typically include the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

Why integrate pro forma statements into your business plan?

Although pro forma isn’t calculated using generally accepted accounting principles, these statements offer significant value while making important strategic decisions.

That said, let’s check out more benefits of adding statements of pro forma projections to your business plan:

• Pro forma statements help secure funding from investors by offering them an insight into your expected profitability, growth rate, ROI, and the overall financial health of your company.
• A pro forma statement aids in strategic decision-making by helping you evaluate the financial impact of different situations. For instance, the impact of launching a new product or expanding into a foreign market.
• Pro forma statements nudge you to make timely adjustments to your business strategies by helping you set and track your financial metrics.
• A pro forma statement helps you prepare for different situations by identifying potential challenges and prompting you to develop efficient strategies.

Types of pro forma statements

Let’s now understand the type of pro forma statements to include in your business plan.

1. Pro forma statements based on financial statements

A pro forma includes three financial statements—pro forma income statement, pro forma balance sheet, and pro forma cash flow statement.

Let’s understand these three types in detail.

Pro forma income statement

The most important aspect of financial planning and management is projecting the sales, revenue, costs, and expenses of a business in the future.

Pro Forma income statements do exactly that. They offer insight into expected revenue and expenses and help you assess a business’s profits and retained earnings in a specific financial period.

Pro forma income statements are often used to evaluate the financial viability of launching new products, business expansion, mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic decisions. These statements help you assess what a business income would look like in certain situations.

Pro forma balance sheet

Pro forma balance sheets are similar to actual balance sheets in terms of formatting. However, certain or all the values in such balance sheets are projected based on certain events such as loans, acquisitions, or mergers.

You can use these balance sheets to assess the financial health of your company at a certain stipulated time in the future. It offers an expected value of assets, liabilities, and equity under different situations, thereby, helping you make informed choices.

Moreover,  you can use a pro forma balance sheet to evaluate the impact of a specific loan, acquisition, merger, or financing round on a business’s financials by offering you an overall understanding of making such decisions.

Pro forma cash flow statement

Pro forma cash flow statements illustrate the cash inflow and outflow over a period. It is used to assess the financial health of your company and to ensure that the business never runs out of cash.

Pro forma cash flow projections can be for short-term, mid-term, and long-term. It is often used to evaluate if the company will have enough cash to make significant purchases and investments and to maintain day-to-day operations.

2. Pro forma Statements based on purpose

While an income statement, cash flow statement, and a balance sheet remain quintessential parts of pro forma projections, there are different types of pro forma statements based on distinct purposes.

Full-year pro forma projections

Full-year pro forma statements take into account the financials for the fiscal year till the present time and then add projected outcomes for the remaining year. This will help you illustrate the company’s financial position by the end of the year.

Such statements offer investors a comprehensive overview of the business and its expected performance.

Investment pro forma financial projections

An investment pro forma statement shows how securing a loan and making their interest payout will affect the business’s financial position in the future.

Such financial pro formas are required when you want to convince your business partners about the value of potential financing.

Pro forma projections for acquisition

Such pro forma projections merge the past financial statements of your business and the business you want to acquire to show how the financials would have looked in case of a merger. It helps you decide on acquisition and merger opportunities.

Projections for risk analysis

While preparing your startup financial plan , you need to account for various progressive and aggressive situations that may affect your company’s financial health.

These pro forma statements consider various best-case and worst-case scenarios to evaluate the company’s future financial performance in different situations. It helps you plan for risks and equips you to face them strategically.

Now that you’re aware of the different types of pro forma statements, let’s understand the process of creating pro forma statements useful for your business.

How to create pro forma statements for your business plan

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to creating your pro forma financial statements.

1. Form your assumptions

To create your comprehensive pro forma statements, you first need to form realistic assumptions for different business components. This includes projecting your sales, expenses, revenue, and capital expenditure for different scenarios.

You should also consider the funding you will require and the investments you would make under different business circumstances.

Ensure that you carry out extensive research and study the historical data to form realistic projections. These projections will form the basis for your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow forecast.

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2. Create a pro forma income statement

A pro forma income statement offers an estimate of a company’s financial performance in the future. To get an insight into your expected revenue, expenses, and net profit, create your projected income statement as follows:

• Calculate your COGS (cost of goods sold) and subtract it from your revenue projections to determine your gross profit.
• Estimate your operating expenses. Take everything from rent to salaries into account and then calculate your operating income.
• Also, calculate your other income and expenses and make necessary adjustments to get your net pro forma profit.

Now, place these together in your P&L format and add them to your business plan.

3. Create a pro forma cash flow statement

Next, prepare a pro forma cash flow statement. It’s similar to preparing your actual cash flow forecast. However, here you take the values from your pro forma income statement to plot the cash inflow and outflow.

Be it a new investment, purchase of an asset, repayment of debt, or your operating activities—plot every activity that involves money.

The calculations will either give you a negative or a positive cash flow. To clarify,  a negative cash flow indicates a scarcity of money and a positive cash flow indicates extra money at hand to make new purchases or investments.

Now, add your pro forma CFS to the business plan and use it to assess the future cash position of your business.

4. Create a Pro forma balance sheet

A pro forma balance sheet will offer a financial snapshot of your business at a certain point in time in the future. To prepare your pro forma balance sheet:

• List down your current and long-term assets, and calculate your total assets.
• Make note of your liabilities, both short-term and long term to calculate your total liabilities.
• Add your equities, liquidity, and retained earnings from an income statement to your balance sheet.
• Ensure that the liabilities are equal to your assets and add them to your business plan.

Following this, you will have your pro forma statements ready in no time. Ready to jump right in? Let’s take a quick look at a pro forma business plan template to place your statements together.

Pro forma business plan example

Refer to this example of a pro forma business plan and use it as a reference point to build yours.

Executive Summary

In this pro forma business plan, we forecast our company’s sales, expenses, capital expenditures, and funding needs over the next five years. Our projections show positive net income, a strong financial position with increasing equity, and healthy cash flow, underscoring our business’s viability and long-term potential.

Auto Gear, a leader in auto products and services, has been operating for 10 years across 10 countries. With a solid financial track record, we aim to expand into new markets, seeking $8 million in funding to facilitate this growth.

Business Plan Pro Forma

This section provides detailed pro forma statements for sales, expenses, capital expenditures, funding requirements, and cash flow, illustrating the viability and growth potential of Auto Gear.

Sales Forecast

Auto Gear forecasts 20% annual sales growth driven by market expansion, innovation, and enhanced customer service.

• Year 1: $12 million
• Year 2: $14.4 million
• Year 3: $17.28 million
• Year 4: $20.74 million
• Year 5: $24.89 million

Expense Forecast

Auto Gear anticipates slower expense growth due to economies of scale in the long term.

• Year 1: $8 million, 15% increase
• Year 2: $8.8 million, 10% increase
• Year 3: $9.5 million, 8% increase
• Year 4: $10.07 million, 6% increase
• Year 5: $10.58 million, 5% increase

Capital Expenditure Forecast

The capital expenditure at Auto Gear will report a 20% annual growth to accommodate research and new product launch shifts

• Year 1: $2 million
• Year 2: $2.4 million
• Year 3: $2.88 million
• Year 4: $3.46 million
• Year 5: $4.15 million

Funding requirements

Auto Gear needs $8 million in funding for research, new product launches, and marketing to support its expansion in new markets.

Cash flow forecast

Auto Gear’s pro forma cash flow statement predicts positive cash flow throughout the forecast period, ensuring liquidity and operational stability.

• Year 2: $3.2 million
• Year 3: $4.6 million
• Year 4: $5.6 million
• Year 5: $6.8 million

Before we conclude this blog post, here’s one last segment that needs clarity.

Pro forma statements vs. budgets

Pro forma and budgets are important financial statements that offer a future financial overview of your business. However, that’s the only similarity between them.

With this table, you can understand the differences between these two statements better.

Simply put, pro forma projections assist in long-term financial planning while a budget helps in the achievement of short-term goals.

Prepare your Pro Forma Financial Statements with Upmetrics

Accurate and forward-thinking business and financial planning is quintessential to building a successful business.

That being said, pro forma projections offer the numerical perspective of your business’s financial position and performance in the future. It’s much easier to make decisions when you have clearly outlined sales, revenue, expenses, and funding demands in sight.

Don’t worry. It’s quite easy to create your pro forma projections when you have a business planning app like Upmetrics at your disposal.

Its financial forecasting feature allows you to plan for multiple scenarios and create financial statements and projections for up to 7 years. It generates interactive visual reports and offers AI functionality to simplify financial planning.

This easy-to-use tool has everything you need to plan efficiently.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is a pro forma the same as a p&l.

Pro forma income statements are based on projections. They reflect the expected revenue, expenses, and profitability of a business under specific situations in the future. Profit and loss (P&L), on the other hand, unless specified as pro forma, reflects the exact figures of revenue and expenses in the current situation.

What’s usually included in the pro forma of the business plan?

The pro forma statements in a business plan typically include an income statement, a cash flow statement, a balance sheet, and sometimes even a break-even analysis. Now, if you’re publicly publishing the pro forma, it’s essential to comply with Securities and Exchange Commission guidelines .

Can a pro forma business plan help in securing loans or investments?

Yes, pro forma when based on realistic assumptions and projections, offers a realistic overview of the company’s financial health in the future. It offers investors a thorough understanding of how their funding will be utilized and the expected profitability, growth, and financial standing of a business.

Are there tools or software that can help create a pro forma business plan?

Yes, there are many tools and resources available to help you create your pro forma business plans. Upmetrics is one of the easiest and most cost-effective business and financial planning tools that will help you create detailed pro forma statements with its automated financial forecasting features.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Mastering Pro Forma Financial Statements: The Three You Need

By Andy Marker | November 26, 2018

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Using pro forma templates can save you valuable time when creating your own pro forma income statements. However, like any template, you need to adjust it to suit your needs.

In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about pro forma financial statements: what they are, how they’re regulated, how they work with financial modeling, how to create them, and the problems with pro forma projections, statements, and sheets. We’ll show you what variables link the three sheets, along with equations, examples, and a sampling of free, downloadable pro forma templates.

What Are Pro Forma Financial Statements?

Pro forma financial statements present the complete future economic projection of a company or person. Often used to back up a lending or investment proposal, they are issued in a standardized format that includes balance sheets , income statements, and statements of cash flow. “Pro forma” literally means “as a matter of form.” In finance, this matter of form forecasts the future based on the present, using hypothetical budgeting. Pro forma data estimates are built in to show the company’s profits if certain, one-time items are taken out. Anything the company sees as a one-time only expense — or that does not show the company’s representative value — is removed. Instead of tracking the past exactly, such as would be reported in historical income statements, pro forma statements are used to guide big financial decisions, such as the following:

Debt Refinancing : How the short term is affected by refinance options.

One-Time Large Purchases : Purchases such as land or services, and how they affect the budget.

Company Mergers or Acquisitions : Complete as a part of due diligence to assess future business operating prospects and valuation. In startups, this is often a way to find venture capital.

Leases : How big leases, such as buildings or vehicles, will affect the budget with new accounting standards.

You can also use pro forma statements to do the following:

Develop various sales and budget projections.

Assemble results in profit/loss projections.

Translate data into cash flow projections.

Identify the company assumptions about their financial and operating characteristics.

Compare balance sheets.

Perform financial ratio analysis.

Make decisions about marketing, production, research, development, and projects.

Show the financial picture of a company sans a specific program or department may be floundering.

Show a more accurate picture of the company’s finance, as compared to GAAP or IFRS accounting frameworks.

Act as a benchmark.

Motivate your staff.

Used to show company results to investors, pro forma financial statements are often combined with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) adjusted statements. Pro forma financial statements are not computed using GAAP and are often called non-GAAP. GAAP-adjusted statements are uniform financial statements guided by rules of the Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB). They differ from pro forma statements in that they are not projections, but rather historical reports — therefore, they do not consider things like litigation costs, restructuring charges, and other one-time items.

Pro forma analyses are meant to paint a better picture of what is happening with the company, irrespective of one-time events, but considering the specific industry’s standards. In some respects, this type of analysis is a more accurate depiction of the company’s financial health and outlook. Further, organizations may want to develop their pro forma financial statements while they are doing an annual review of their business plan.

Pro Forma Financial Statements and Regulation

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the United States’ regulator of its stock market, requires pro forma statements with any filing, registration, or proxy statement. They have articles governing the preparation of pro forma financial statements for public companies. These are Regulation S-X Article 11 , and Regulation S-X 8-05 for smaller companies from 17 CFR 210. According to the SEC, pro forma financial statements will be prepared for public companies when something happens that the investors should know, such as in the case of an acquisition, jettison of a business, real estate transactions, roll-ups, spin-offs, changes in accounting principles, changes in accounting estimates, or corrections of previously made errors. Additionally, the SEC may require that pro forma financial statements be submitted when a company is filing for an initial public offering (IPO). This is also true of companies that change tax status from a private, nontaxable company to a taxable C-corporation to file for an IPO. The pro forma financial statements, including pro forma earnings per share calculated, must be submitted. Finally, if substantial changes to the firm’s capitalization (the sum of their stock, debt, and retained earnings) are assumed to change substantially after the offering’s close date, pro forma documents must reflect that.  

A financial forecast may be used in lieu of pro forma financial statements. According to the SEC, this does not take the place of the pro forma balance sheet, but the pro forma income statement may be withheld. The difference is that the financial forecast details the company’s expected results of operations as a single-point estimate or a range. The legal liability of the company may increase upon submitting forecasts instead of pro forma income statements, but the practice may be more relevant for certain businesses.

Not only does the SEC regulate pro forma statements, but the FASB and the AICPA provide directives, especially when there are major changes in the business structure. To evaluate a new or proposed business structure in pro forma documents, these agencies say that the statements must conform with those of the predecessor business. For businesses that are going public and have to transform into a corporation, the predecessor business may not contain items relevant to a corporation, so the following adjustments must be made:

State the owners’ salaries as officers’ salaries.

Recalculate the federal taxes of the predecessor business as though it were a corporation.

Include corporate state franchise taxes.

Add the partner capital balance to the contributed capital instead of to retained earnings through pooling of interests.

Consider making pro forma provision for taxes that would have been paid if the company was a corporation in the past.        

For businesses that previously acted as a partnership or sole proprietorship that are being acquired into a corporation, the statements must reflect that of the acquiring business. This includes that business’ net sales, cost of sales, gross profit on sales, expenses, other income and deductions, and income before taxes.

If a business is acquiring a new business or disposing part of its business, the pro forma statements need to adjust the historical figures to reflect this, and to show, in the case of an acquisition, what a corporation would have looked like separately, but added together. If possible, show a five year projection of the businesses together. There’s no need to include overhead costs. For the effects of the business combination, only show the current and immediately preceding periods.

Financial Modeling Based on Pro Forma Projections

Since pro forma financial statements and financial projections are quite similar, they may be considered synonymous. However, financial projections can be built from nothing for a startup company, using specific industry-specific assumptions. By contrast, pro forma financial statements are based on current financial statements and change based on events and assumptions. In other words, pro forma financial statements start from real financial data.

Compiled pro forma financial statements can form the basis for calculating financial ratios and financial models, which test assumptions and relationships of your company’s plan. You can use them to study how changes in the price of labor, materials, overhead, and the cost of goods affect the bottom line. Use these models to test the goals of a company’s plan, provide findings that may be understood, and offer better, more accurate data than other methods. New financial models use computer programs that has made this testing better, which enables quick calculation for real-time decision making.

Industries That Use Pro Forma

Industries that use pro forma as a concept, whether for financial statements or not, include the following:

Accounting : Pro forma financial statements are compiled for other companies to show the health or true picture of an organization when the GAAP statements are insufficient. Companies are cautioned against using pro forma to obscure GAAP statements.

Business : There are many uses in business for pro forma financial statements. Anytime a transaction is scheduled, such as a merger, acquisition, capital investment, or change in capital structure, pro forma is used as a projection. The pro forma shows the projected cash flow, net revenues, or taxes expected. The business plan will include pro forma financial statements that show the effect of the proposed change, project, or new business. Some banks require pro forma statements to verify cash flow prior to issuing a line of credit.

International Trade : When used in international trade, pro forma invoices are a declaration to customs authorities about the details of the transaction. A pro forma invoice is a precursory bill of sale for buyers that is sent before the delivery of goods or services. The statement is a binding agreement, not just a quote, although the terms may be subject to change. The sale price is often precise and includes commissions, fees, taxes, and shipping costs, and benefits the buyer, so that they are not exposed to major changes during the final transaction. The invoice is not a demand for payment or a bill. In the U.S., a commercial invoice must follow a pro forma invoice for customers within 120 days. Sometimes the use of these pro forma invoices is referred to as “on a pro forma basis.”

Use this Excel pro forma invoice template to create your own pro forma invoices.

Download Pro Forma Invoice Template

Excel | Smartsheet

Law : In legal terms, pro forma means something that satisfies minimum requirements. Pro forma court rulings are made as formalities to facilitate the legal process.

Engineering : Pro forma drawings and templates are used to make agreements with customers and to project the financial basis of projects

Government : In Commonwealth systems, pro forma bills are first drafts of legislation that go through the reading stage. They are symbolic of the parliament’s right to discuss matters aside from those mandated by the head of state. They do not go further than the first reading. Pro forma bills are found in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. In the United States, pro forma sessions are brief meetings of the Senate or House of Representatives. No votes are taken, and no legislative business is generally conducted during a pro forma session. Often, these sessions are held to ensure that both chambers of Congress uphold their requirement to meet every three days during a congressional session. Another reason these may be held is to ensure that the president does not make any recess appointments.

Problems with Pro Forma Analysis

Even though pro forma statements are meant to show a more accurate picture of the business’ profitability, there are many ways to manipulate the documents to give a more favorable representation, as there are no universal guidelines for their compilation. The following details are often left out of the pro forma:

Depreciation

Amortization

Restructuring and merger costs

Interest and taxes

Stock-based employee pay

Losses at affiliates

One-time expenses

Many of the items listed above are part of the GAAP, but not included in pro forma reporting, making it rife for possible deception. This discrepancy is part of the reason the distinction between pro forma and GAAP financial statements is important. Sometimes, in pro forma documents, unsold inventory is even excluded. Not all these things should be left off, but the decisions of what is left off should be well thought out and explained to potential investors, so they have a clear indication of what they are viewing. Knowing how the pro forma documents are compiled and what is left out is also critical when comparing different pro forma statements. Understanding this methodology and the decisions behind it will enable accurate comparisons and information to investors.

Be advised that issuing pro forma financial statements to the public can be problematic, especially since the pro forma statements and the GAAP statements can vary so widely.  Investors should be cautious when evaluating these types of statements because they present a considerably more favorable picture of the business.

Documents in Pro Forma Financial Statements

There are three main documents in pro forma financial statements: balance sheets, income statements, and statements of cash flow. Of the four main financial statements, only the statement of changes in equity is not used in pro forma. Further, the other three main financial statements are amended to project for the specific scenario, making them pro forma.

For publicly-held companies, the SEC requires an introductory paragraph showing the proposed transactions, the company, the period covered, and what the pro forma information describes. The SEC also requires the pro forma balance sheet, pro forma income statement(s), and explanatory notes that provide adjustment justifications and pertinent detail. The statement of cash flow is not required. The pro forma financial information should be presented in columns and show the condensed historical amounts, the pro forma adjustments, and the pro forma amounts. GAAP-conforming financial statements must be included with pro forma submissions.

Pro Forma Income Statement

Pro forma income statements , also called pro forma profit and loss (pro forma P&L), are projections based on your past income statements. Regular income statements, sometimes called statement of financial performance , are exacting, in that they reflect the exact income figures your company had in past years. The pro forma income statements considers past data, but its projections reflect the addition or subtraction of events or things. These statements are vulnerable to inaccuracies and changes.

Pro forma income statements usually project a minimum of three years, whereas regular income statements may just be the year prior or based upon a lender’s request. According to the SEC, when required for public companies, pro forma income statements are required for the fiscal year, but not for interim periods. However, for all regular income statements presented in a filing, there must also be a pro forma statement. Use this pro forma income statement template to create your own. This form may also be used for corporate retail or wholesale companies.

‌ Download Pro Forma Income Statement Template

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

A pro forma balance sheet is a comparison of a business’ assets and liabilities. It provides a snapshot in time of the company’s finances. The pro forma part of the balance sheet is a projection that looks ahead, assuming certain things will occur. Pro forma balance sheets are difficult to compile, but banks generally ask for them and they are important for showing your potential financial picture. They can show the projection of what money will be tied up in receivables, equipment, and inventory. Further, they can represent if your company could run out of money, and how much is necessary to keep it afloat. If your company has a high debt-to-equity ratio, it will show on the balance sheet. Use the balance sheet template below to create your own balance sheet. This pro forma balance sheet can also be used for corporate retail or wholesale businesses.

‌ Download Pro Forma Balance Sheet

According to the SEC, for public companies, a pro forma balance sheet should have the same dates, plus one year from the last submitted balance sheet. If interim period balance sheets were submitted, the company should pick up from where they left off. If it is an annual period, the document should also align with the company’s filed GAAP-approved financial statements.

Often, the difference between a past balance sheet and a pro forma balance sheet is that the pro forma balance sheet reports additional periods, sometimes even interim figures. Public companies that prefer to use a condensed combined balance sheet can use this template to create their own condensed balance sheet. A normal balance sheet covers two years, but it is reasonable for a pro forma balance sheet to cover four years of operations.

Download Public Company Pro Forma Balance Sheet Template

Pro Forma Statements of Cash Flow

Statements of cash flow , or cash flow statements , measure the sources of a company’s cash and how it uses that cash over the stated period. Pro forma statements of cash flow estimate how much cash inflow and outflow is expected in one or more future periods. Often requested by banks, they may also be prepared as a part of the annual budgeting or forecast and estimate where cash shortages may occur in order to obtain additional funding. In the case of estimated cash overages, the company can produce a plan for investment. Arguably, the statement of cash flow is the most important of the pro forma documents. If the pro forma balance sheet and income statements lead to a statement of cash flow that shows inadequate funds for what management has planned, the other documents will be invalid and may need to be reworked.  

There are several methods to prepare a pro forma cash flow document, relative to the forecasting periods:

Short Term : A cash flow statement that represents a period of weeks, based on outstanding invoices and cash payments for existing accounts payable. This is considered the most accurate forecast.

Medium Term : Estimate the revenue from things that have not been billed yet by using the order backlog and the cash receipts for the next few months. The expenses from this time are also translated into cash payments.

Long Term : Budgeted revenue and expenses are translated to payments, costs, and cash receipts. This is the least accurate projection.

In the annual averages, the figures should not vary significantly. However, the information is affected by outstanding estimated days of sales, or the average number of days that payment has not been made by the customers. The closer the projection is to the actual numbers reported, the more accurate it is. Further, if a company has a stable order backlog, the pro forma statement of cash flow is more accurate. Having knowledge of short-term sales sources help as well. Finally, and regardless of its relative accuracy, a pro forma statement of cash flow forces management to think about the future expected cash flow and whether it is enough.

Use the templates found here to create your own cash flow statement forecast. Change the dates and time periods to reflect the projection you need to create. This form may also be used for corporate retail or wholesale companies.

The Introductory Paragraph

If your company must produce an introductory paragraph with its pro forma documents, it should describe the content of your pro forma documents. This means that it should define the transaction, the entities involved, and the periods of time. In this paragraph, you should offer a high-level explanation of the limitations and assumptions the pro forma documents were produced under. For example, if your company recently acquired or dispensed with another company, the assumptions would be the changes in finance expected. The limitations should discuss the challenges of predicting the financial future of a company.

Explanatory Notes

The assumptions behind these adjustments should be explained in the explanatory notes, and the explanatory notes should be referenced in the column the adjustment is made. Explanatory notes are used to add explanations or more information in financial documents that explain the content. (These are put into the explanatory notes, or sometimes listed as references, because they would make the main content too long or awkward to read.)

Pro Forma Earnings Per Share

Pro forma earnings per share (EPS) are calculated by dividing a firm’s net income (and any adjustments) by its weighted shares outstanding, plus any new shares issued due to an acquisition. These are changes to the expected results of operations. This metric determines the financial outcomes of any acquisition or merger and tells the parent company whether the transaction will be accretive (good) or dilutive (bad) to the financial state of the company. Pro forma EPS are calculated in the pro forma income statement, but the figure is also used in the pro forma balance sheet and the pro forma cash flow statement, when necessary. According to the SEC, when the dividends from stock exceed or are planned to exceed the current earnings, the EPS must be calculated. The SEC assumes that that proceeds from any additional shares will be used to fund dividends.

Pro Forma Adjustments

When your financial statements are put into pro forma financial statements, you adjust material charges, credits, and tax effects to the transactions. In other words, you get an idea of what your financial results would have been if the event had already occurred. These are factually supported by the data from the original financial statements.

It is important to disclose how the adjustments are made on pro forma financial statements. Below is the guidance that the SEC offers about making the adjustments:

Directly Attributable : Each adjustment on the financial statements must precisely correlate to the transaction or event from the original financial statements, and then describe how it is changed.

Continuing Impact on the Registrant : The SEC assumes that any adjustments to the financial statements reflect changes that are not temporary. The goal is to find the stream of earnings from core operations, which can be used to forecast. The adjustments you make for forecasting must impact your company for a minimum of one year. Non-recurring events, such as a one-time, big order for goods should be placed in the pro forma balance sheet as an adjustment to the retained earnings, but would be inappropriate in the pro forma income statement. In other words, you need to point out that the event or purchase is not a trend and therefore, that you cannot forecast based on it.

Factually Supportable : In order to consider adjustments, you must provide existing, factual documentation, such as contracts, letters of intent, or completed transactions. For example, management’s plans to revamp the business section and their estimated costs may not be considered factual support. Letters of intent from vendors for this project may be considered factual evidence.

Getting Auditors Involved

Even public companies are not required to get their pro forma document audited by an independent auditor, according to the SEC. However, to comply with professional auditing standards, the documents can be audited at the request of the company or a third party. The SEC guides auditors to ensure that they do not take on too much responsibility for the company’s claims. Whether in an assurance that the company is financially sound, also known as a comfort letter , or through a compilation letter, the auditor is only responsible for ensuring  the financial statements are prepared correctly. The auditor is not responsible for whether the statements are accurate and honestly prepared, but rather to ensure that there are no material errors, such as mathematical errors, oversights, inadequate disclosures, and clerical mistakes. The company’s management is responsible for the documents’ overall validity.

Accountants who prepare companies’ pro forma financial statements are bound by certain requirements, as per the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)’s Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARSs). The SSARSs say that the auditor promises no material modification to the historical financial documents and understands that they are simply showing changes to the company’s financial picture based on a transaction or event using adjustments. They must also ensure they label all pro forma information as such, to avoid confusion with historical information, and list the specific assumptions and uncertainties about them they are making.

The conditions accountants take on include the notation that they may be associated with the statements’ outcomes (so they should consider how the information may be used) and to also submit a compilation report alongside the prepared documents. They are warned that they must have the historical financial information (not just condensed information) alongside their preparation, and that those statements should have been compiled, reviewed, or audited.

To ensure everyone is on the same page, the auditor and the organization’s management should write an understanding of the services being provided. These may include the following:

The objective of pro forma documents is to help management present their information.

The auditor is not responsible if the company made material modifications to the finance information.

Management is ultimately responsible for the pro forma information presentation.

Management is responsible for the internal processes used to garner information.

Management is responsible for any fraud.

Management is responsible for the company to obey the law.

Management is responsible for providing all the pertinent information to the auditor.

Management is responsible to ensure that the preparation rules by AICPA are followed.

A compilation is different from a review or audit of pro forma information. The auditor doing the compilation will not render an opinion.

The compilation will not be relied upon to figure out if there has been fraud, errors, or illegal activities.

If any fraud, material errors, or illegal activities are discovered, they may notify management, but are not required to do so if they are not relevant or if the management has already communicated their awareness.

The auditor must report if they are not independent, and the effect that relationship has on their reporting.

Use this Word template to create your own compilation report, as per the AICPA’s guidance.

‌ Download Compilation Report Template — Word

Before an auditor completes a company’s pro forma preparation, they must review the compilation report and consider any material errors and the appropriateness of the reports. Auditors are required to write a compilation report to protect themselves from liability. This report includes the following:

Title : The title should clearly indicate whether the report is a compilation or if the auditor is independent.

Addressee : As appropriate for the company.

Introductory Paragraph : This must include the company identity, that the pro forma information has been compiled, identify the information, specify the date covered, reference the historical financial documents, state that the auditor does not have an opinion of the finance, as well as note the dates of the historical documents (if applicable), and any departures from those statements.

Statement of Management’s Responsibilities : Management, not the auditor, must state that they are ultimately responsible for the outcomes of the pro forma financial statements.

Statement of Accountant’s Responsibilities : The accountant auditor must state that they will conduct the compilation based upon best practices in their industry.

Statement on Compilation Report Objective : This states that there will be no material modifications made to the pro forma statements.

Paragraph on Pro Forma Documents Limitations and Objectives : This is an explanation of the statements’ intent and why they are projections with limits.

Accountant signature : As appropriate.

Report date : As appropriate.

If the accountant is not independent, the report should reflect this. You can address this fact simply with a final paragraph in the compilation reports, and the author may elect to include the reason for the lack of independence. Finally, in each page of the pro forma information, there must be a reference to the compilation report.

How to Create A Pro Forma Income Statement

To start producing your pro forma financial statements, begin with the pro forma income statement. There is a standard approach called “percent of sales forecasting” that gives you the sales or its growth forecast. From there, project the variables with a stable sales relationship using the forecasted sales and the estimated relations. Generically, the income statement includes the following variables:

Sales (or Revenue) - Cost of Goods Sold = Gross Income (or Gross Earnings)

Gross Income (or Gross Sales/Earnings) - Operating Expenses = Operating Income

Operating Income - Depreciation = EBIT

EBIT - Interest Expense = EBT

EBT – Taxes = Net Income (Net Earnings, EAT, Profits)

Whether you start here or elsewhere, sit down with an income statement from the most recent year. Prior to the end of the year, decide how each item on that statement can or should be changed going forward. The final sales and expenses for the current year should be estimated to get ready a pro forma income statement for the following year. Then, do the following:

Calculate pro forma gross profit . You need to consider all the changes that will be coming next year, including new products, promotions, price changes, and new customers. As a simple example, estimate the percent increase you expect for next year’s sales. For example, if you expect a 5% increase in your current sales of $50,000, you calculate $50,000 * 105% = $52,500. Assuming the cost of the item you sell is not increasing, you still need 5% more of the item you sell to meet your goal. Assuming this year’s cost of goods sold (COGS) was $10,000, you will also multiply it by the 105%, so $10,000 * 105% = $10,500. To get the pro forma gross profit: $52,500 - $10,500 = $42,000 (your projected gross profit).

Calculate pro forma total operating expenses . For pro forma expenses, you should consider every line item and whether it can be cut, and then determine the cost projection increase rate for salaries and expenses. If, for example, your salaries and expenses will increase 3% next year, start by adding both the historical salaries and expenses together and then multiplying that sum 103%, or as an example: ($25,000 + $5,000) *103% = $30,900. Your pro forma salaries next year will be $25,750 and your expenses will be $5,150 for a total of $30,900 in pro forma expenses.

Calculate pro forma net income before taxes . Calculate your pro forma profit before taxes by finding the difference between the pro forma gross profit and the pro forma total expenses. Continuing the example: $42,500 - $30,900 = $11,600 (pro forma profit before taxes).

Calculate pro forma taxes . Take your estimated tax rate, such as 20%, and multiply it by the pro forma profit before taxes. This would be $11,600 * 20% = $2,320 is the tax bill.

Calculate pro forma net income after taxe s. In this example, subtract the $2,320 tax bill from the pro forma before taxes profit of $11,600 to give you the pro forma after taxes.  This is $11,600 - $2,320 = $9,280 (pro forma profit after taxes).

There are other stable variables that aren’t influenced by sales on the income statement, including operating expenses, depreciation and amortization, and interest expense. The COGS figure does directly vary with sales; if it does not, something is wrong with your numbers. The COGS forecast is the COGS/Sales ratio from several years multiplied by the sales forecast.

Below is a sample of a filled out pro forma income statement:

‌ Download Pro Forma Income Statement Sample - Excel

How to Create a Pro Forma Balance Sheet

Once your pro forma income statement is completed and you have determined the change in retained earnings, transfer it to the pro forma balance sheet. Expect that the current assets and liabilities will vary directly with the sales variance. For the pro forma balance sheet, the variables include the following:

Accounts receivable

Prepaid taxes

Marketable securities - total current assets

Gross PP&E (property, plant, and equipment)

Accumulated depreciation

Net PP&E

Land - total assets

Liabilities + Owner’s Equity (Assets – all other liabilities) :

Accounts payable

Wages payable

Taxes payable

Current portion – long term debt - total current liabilities

Long-term debt

Preferred stock

Common stock

Retained earnings - total liabilities + equity

Ideally, the pro forma balance sheet is composed in columns. Here are some notes about the pro forma balance sheet variables:

The cash balance is usually calculated using a model and policy decisions.

The changes for Gross PP&E are also made using policy decisions.

The required new financing is often decided upon by the short-term or long-term debt residuals.

The interest expense comes from the interest-bearing debt.

Net income is affected by the interest expense, which also changes retained earnings, which also affects the amount of interest-bearing debt necessary.

How to Create A Pro Forma Statement of Cash Flow

Once you have completed forecasting both your pro forma income statement and your pro forma balance sheet, you can move on to the pro forma statement of cash flow. Start with the beginning balance, or the cash on hand. From there, add total all the cash receipts you have, including the following:

• Customer account collections
• Loan/cash injection
• Interest income
• Other cash receipts

Now, list all the outgoing cash payments. These include adding up all the following, as applicable:

Cost of goods sold (COGS)

Direct product/service costs

Payroll taxes/benefits (direct)

Salaries (direct)

Other variables as they pertain to your business

From here, add up all the operating expenses, including the following:

Account fees

Advertising

Continuing education

Dues/subscriptions

Licenses/permits

Meals/entertainment

Office supplies

Payroll processing

Payroll taxes/benefits (indirect)

Postage/shipping

Professional services

Rental fees

Salaries (indirect)

Subcontractors

Transportation

Web development

Web domain and hosting

Add any additional expenses together, as applicable:

Cash disbursements to owners

Charitable contributions

Interest expense

Income tax expense

Finally, calculate your formulas at the bottom of the sheet to get the sums of the analysis. These include Total Cash Payments, Net Cash Change, and Month Ending Cash Position. To calculate each:

Total Cash Payments = Total COGS + Total Operating Expenses + Total Additional Expenses

Net Cash Change = Cash Receipts – Cash Payments

Month Ending Cash Position = Cash on Hand + Cash Receipts – Cash Payments

Linking the Three Pro Forma Financial Statements

The pro forma income statement and the pro forma balance sheet are intimately linked. The pro forma balance sheet and the pro forma income statement must be forecasted together, not separately. The pro forma income statement displays the effect of a given year, while the pro forma balance sheet shows the situation at both the beginning of and time after that year. Between these two forms, the sheet must balance out. Some of the formulas between the two sheets bridge. These include the following:

Change in retained earnings (from balance sheet) = Net income (from income statement) – Dividends

Interest Expense (from income statement) = Interest Rate (from the balance sheet) * Interest-bearing debt

Some other criteria that cross sheets include the following:

Bank Loans (from balance sheet) goes into the Less interest expense (on the income statement).

Long-term debt (from balance sheet) goes to the Less interest expense (on the income statement).

Change in retained earnings (from income statement) goes to Retained earnings (on balance sheet).

The pro forma income statement equation is:

Change in retained earnings = [Revenue – Operating expenses – Depreciation & Amortization – (interest bearing debt * interest rate)] * (1- Tax rate) – Dividends

The pro forma balance sheet equation is:

Total assets = accounts payable + wages pay + taxes pay + interest bearing debt + common stock + change in retained earnings

For each of the above equations, the interest-bearing debt is the unknown variable.

Finally, you should link each of your three worksheets together. To do so, make sure you do the following:

Add net income from the income statement to the balance sheet and cash flow statement.

Add back depreciation to capital expenditure, which is arrived at on the cash flow statement. This determines property, plant, and equipment on the balance sheet.

The balance sheet and the cash from finalizing are usually affected by financing activities. Interest from financing is shown on the income statement.

The closing cash balance on the balance sheet is the sum of the last period’s closing cash and the current period’s cash from operations, investing, and financing.

Risk Analysis

In creating your pro forma documents, it is advisable to create multiple sets with different scenarios, especially when their purpose is to help make decisions. In this way, your management team (or C-suite) has all the information they need to make informed decisions. If you enable them, they have the best and worst-case scenarios that review the fiscal impact of their decisions and possible ways to mitigate risk. For more information on conducting risk analyses and the free templates to do so, see “ All the Risk Assessment Matrix Templates You Need .” As an example, your team might need to decide between the acquisition of two separate businesses. You could deliver to them two sets of pro forma financial statements, and two risk assessment templates to use to discover their best option.

Download Risk Assessment Matrix Template

Excel | Word | PDF | Smartsheet

Other Types of Pro Forma Financial Statement Templates

There are several other types of templates that could be helpful for a business other than the ones already presented here. There are many different periods that could be covered, as well as the different purposes for the pro forma financial statements.

Historical with Acquisition Pro Forma Template

This projection looks backward (at one or more years) at another company’s financial statements. For the same period(s), it also looks at the business they are acquiring.  Using this combination, the projections shows how they would have done together. This calculation gives you the the net acquisition costs. This type of projection could be shorter term (from the beginning of the current fiscal year). Use this free template to create your own historical with acquisition pro forma documents.

‌ Download Historical with Acquisition Pro Forma Template — Excel

Investment Pro Forma Projection

For cases in which your company is specifically seeking funding, you want to show your potential investors how the company’s financial results will change with their investment. There may be several sets of these pro forma documents, each based on different potential investment amounts, or just one based on what you think you need. For this projection, you need to determine where in your company the investments would be parlayed. This can be either a fairly simple or complex process. For example, you may be able to add the investment onto the balance sheet under the cash row in the historical with acquisition pro forma template, or you may have to divide the investment under multiple rows. Check the templates in this guide to determine which is right for you to create your own.

Additional Terms Related to Pro Forma:

There are several terms to relate to pro forma and the finance concepts around it. These include the following:

Financial or Accounting Ratios : These figures are calculated from financial document figures, and they give a snapshot of a firm’s financial status and enable comparisons to other firms. Below are five frequently used financial ratios:

Debt-to-Equity Ratio : Total liabilities / stockholder’s equity

Current Ratio : Current assets / current liabilities

Quick Ratio : (Current assets – Inventories) / current liabilities

Return on Equity (ROE) Ratio : Net income / shareholder’s equity

Net Profit Margin : Net profit / net sales

• Pro-rata : This term describes a proportionate allocation. Used for dividend payments, insurance premiums, and interest rates, pro rata calculations determine the fractional payment from the whole. For example, in dividend payments each investor is paid according to their number of shares and based on the company’s number of shares outstanding. If the company has 400 shares outstanding at $2 per share, the maximum amount of dividends paid will be $800. The whole is $800. If one shareholder has 201 shares, their dividend will be: (the number of shares / the number of shares outstanding) * the total dividend payment In this case: (201/400) * $800 = $402

Pro bono : This comes from the latin term “pro bono publico,” meaning to work for the public good. It is voluntary work of no cost to the recipient. It often refers to free services from a professional to clients without the financial means to pay for them.

Quid pro quo : This term is a Latin phrase that means “something for something.” It occurs when two participants mutually agree to exchange something for something else. In business, this can take the form of goods, services, or tradable assets. These have also been called “favor for favor” arrangements, and the term can be used to describe unethical behavior such as the exchange of financial backing for political favors.

A quid pro quo contribution : This is a charitable contribution, but with one major difference. In a regular charitable contribution, the donor does not receive anything in return for their donation. In this type of donation, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows the donor to deduct the entirety of their donation that is eligible. In a quid pro quo contribution, the donor receives something for their gift from the charity. The difference between what they have donated and the value of what they receive is the deductible amount. For example, a parent donates $500 at the school charity event to help them start a garden. In return, she receives a $50 gift card to the local grocery store. This is a quid pro quo contribution of which she may only claim $450 of as contributions for the tax year.

Budgeting : The plan created to balance expenses with revenue. The creation of this plan enables people and businesses to know whether they can afford to do the things they need to do and purchase the things they need. Following a budget ensures that people stay out of debt, can save, and pay their bills. Traditional budgets track expenses, payments to eliminate debt, and building an emergency fund as a buffer. Budgets should be compiled and reevaluated regularly.

Interim financial statements : These cover a period of less than one-year, interim financial statements may be issued for quarterly periods or any period. They usually contain the same documents that would be found in an annual statement, such as income statements, balance sheets, and statement of cash follows, and should match by line items. Some interim financial statements may be reviewed, such as in publicly-held companies, but they are not generally audited. Differences between interim and annual financial statements are in the following:

• Disclosures : Some disclosures are not required in interim financial statements, or may be presented as summaries.

Accrual basis : Accrued expenses may be reported within one reporting period or spread over multiple reporting periods. This variance can cause inconsistencies when interim reports are compared and should be defined for reviewers.

Seasonality : Season trends not seen in annual statements may be revealed by interim statements. These may be helpful in seeing seasons of major profit and loss.

Compilation : When financial statements are prepared or compiled by an outside agent, they are referred to as a compilation . The outside agent does not provide auditing or assurance services, just puts the data into financial statements. This type of service is less expensive than review or auditing services.

Notes to the financial statements : Also called the footnotes , and sometimes in the explanatory notes, notes to the financial statements explain how a company arrives at its numbers and any possible irregularities or inconsistencies. These are the details that explain the methodology, what decisions were made, and why to clarify the reports.  

External financial statements : When financial statements are distributed to people or organizations not involved in the company’s operations, they are considered external financial statements . They are often compared to other companies or to previously released external financial statements and follow GAAP. A complete set includes the following:

Income statement

Balance sheet

Statement of cash flows

Statement of comprehensive income

Statement of stockholder equity

Common-size financial statements : Common size financial statements display all the items as percentages of the common base figure instead of as numerical figures, enabling comparisons between different companies or periods. Though most companies do not report in this way as it is not required, this type of reporting decreases bias.

Free Cash Flow Analysis : A free cash flow (FCF) analysis calculates the amount of cash a company can put aside after it has paid its expenses at the end of an accounting period. Free cash flow shows a company’s ability to grow internally give profit back to its shareholders. The formula for assessing free cash flow is: Net cash flow – capital expenditures - dividends OR (Net income + amortization + depreciation + deferred taxes) – capital expenditures - dividends

Variance Analysis :  A variance analysis clarifies the difference between expected and actual results. Analyzing variances can improve operational efficiency. Using budgets as estimates and actual costs, the differences (called variances ) are calculated. The point of variance analysis is to determine if the project or business forecasts were accurate and to adjust based on this knowledge. For more information on cost variance and how to calculate it specifically for projects, see “ Hacking the PMP: Studying Cost Variance .”

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Pro Forma Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Businesses

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Pro forma financial statements play a crucial role in business planning and decision-making processes. These financial reports are based on hypothetical scenarios, enabling business owners and managers to evaluate potential situations that could occur in the future. By utilizing pro forma statements, companies can project the financial impact of various business decisions, such as launching new product lines, expanding to new locations, or restructuring a department.

Understanding pro forma financial statements involves various components, such as income statements, balance sheets, and statements of cash flow. Each of these elements provides a financial snapshot of a company’s hypothetical future performance. By combining these components, it is possible to create a comprehensive financial projection that can help inform strategic decisions and evaluate the potential return on investment.

Key Takeaways

• Pro forma financial statements help businesses make informed decisions by evaluating hypothetical scenarios
• Components of pro forma statements include income statements, balance sheets, and statements of cash flow
• These statements are essential tools for strategic planning and assessing the impact of various business decisions

Understanding Pro Forma Statements

Definition and purpose.

Pro forma financial statements are hypothetical financial reports that project the future financial performance of an entity, based on expected income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. They are created using assumptions about future values and conditions, which serve to forecast financial performance over a period that has not yet occurred. Their primary purpose is to aid in business planning, investment decision making, and to show the potential impact of a proposed transaction on a company’s financial health.

Significance to Investors

Investors find pro forma financial statements valuable in evaluating a business’s potential for growth and profitability. These statements help investors to:

• Identify trends: Comparing the projected numbers with historical trends can reveal areas of opportunity or concern.
• Assess risk: By reviewing pro forma statements, investors can see how the business may be affected under various hypothetical scenarios, such as changes in the economy, market, or industry.
• Make informed decisions: Investors can use pro forma statements to estimate returns on investment or potential value of a company, and to decide whether to buy or sell securities.

Differences Between GAAP and Pro Forma

Financial statements prepared using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are based on a company’s historical financial performance, whereas pro forma financial statements focus on future projections. The main differences include:

• Basis of calculations : GAAP financials use historical data, while pro forma financials use forward-looking data.
• Accounting standards : GAAP financial statements follow strict accounting standards, whereas pro forma financial statements may deviate from these standards, relying on a company’s assumptions.
• Usage : GAAP statements are used to assess past performance, make comparisons across different periods, and analyze trends; pro forma statements are used for planning, forecasting, and scenario analysis.

It is crucial to note that pro forma financial statements should be used in conjunction with GAAP-compliant financials to gain a comprehensive view of a company’s health and potential growth.

Components of Pro Forma Financial Statements

Pro forma financial statements are essential tools for businesses to plan and project their future financial performance. These statements are based on assumptions and estimates, helping companies understand the impact of various scenarios on their financial position. The three primary components of pro forma financial statements are the Pro Forma Income Statement, Pro Forma Balance Sheet, and Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement.

Pro Forma Income Statement

The Pro Forma Income Statement, also known as the projected income statement, provides an estimate of the company’s future revenues and expenses. This statement helps businesses plan for growth, identify potential risks, and make informed decisions based on expected profitability. The main components of a pro forma income statement include:

• Revenue : The projected sales generated by the company during a specific period.
• Cost of Goods Sold : The estimated cost of producing or purchasing the products sold.
• Gross Profit : The difference between revenue and cost of goods sold.
• Operating Expenses : The anticipated expenses associated with running the business, including salaries, rent, and marketing.
• Net Income : The estimated profit or loss, calculated by subtracting operating expenses from gross profit.

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

The Pro Forma Balance Sheet provides an overview of the company’s projected assets, liabilities, and equity. This statement helps businesses understand their anticipated financial position and evaluate their solvency and liquidity. The main components of a pro forma balance sheet include:

• Assets : The resources a company expects to own or control, such as cash, accounts receivable, inventory, and fixed assets.
• Liabilities : The obligations a company anticipates incurring, such as accounts payable, loans, and taxes payable.
• Equity : The residual interest in the company’s assets, representing the difference between assets and liabilities. This includes retained earnings and contributed capital.

Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement

The Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement offers insight into the company’s anticipated cash inflows and outflows, enabling businesses to plan and manage their liquidity. This statement presents an estimation of cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities. The main components of a pro forma cash flow statement include:

• Operating Activities : The cash flows generated from a company’s core business operations, such as sales and expenses.
• Investing Activities : The cash flows associated with purchases and sales of assets, such as property, equipment, or investments.
• Financing Activities : The cash flows related to borrowing, repaying loans, issuing stock, or paying dividends.

By understanding and utilizing pro forma financial statements, companies can make more informed decisions, develop strategies, and improve their overall financial planning and management.

Creating Pro Forma Statements

Forecasting and assumptions.

When creating pro forma financial statements, the first step is to forecast future revenues, expenses, and other financial data based on a company’s past performance and experience. It is important to make reasonable and educated assumptions to provide an accurate projection of the company’s future financial performance. Some common assumptions used when creating pro forma statements include:

• Expected growth rates
• Changes in market conditions
• Alterations in the company’s strategy or operations
• Expected changes in costs or pricing

Preparing Hypothetical Scenarios

In addition to using historical data and assumptions, pro forma financial statements can incorporate hypothetical scenarios. These scenarios provide a range of possible financial outcomes based on various “what-if” situations. For example, consider a software company that plans to launch a new product in six months. The company can create multiple pro forma statements based on different launch scenarios:

• Scenario 1 : The software product has a successful launch, generating significant sales and revenue.
• Scenario 2 : The software product has a moderate launch, with sales and revenue matching current market conditions.
• Scenario 3 : The software product experiences a weak launch, with sales and revenue falling below market expectations.

Creating a variety of hypothetical scenarios can help gain insight into the potential financial impacts of different decisions, risks, and opportunities.

Projecting Future Performance

Once you have established a solid foundation of assumptions and hypothetical scenarios, you can begin projecting future performance using the pro forma financial statements. This process involves utilizing the following statements:

• Pro Forma Income Statement : Estimates future revenues, expenses, and net income.
• Pro Forma Balance Sheet : Reflects the company’s projected financial position, including assets, liabilities, and equity.
• Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement : Showcases expected cash inflows and outflows, helping a company plan for liquidity needs.

The information gathered from each of these statements can help a company make business decisions, secure funding, and drive strategic planning. In summary, pro forma financial statements serve as a valuable tool for forecasting, preparing hypothetical scenarios, and projecting future performance to ensure a company’s long-term financial success.

Analyzing Pro Forma Statements

Financial ratios and metrics.

When analyzing pro forma financial statements , it is essential to use various financial ratios and metrics to evaluate a company’s performance adequately. These ratios can provide valuable insights into the company’s financial health. Key ratios include:

• Liquidity ratios , such as the current ratio and quick ratio, help assess the company’s ability to meet short-term obligations.
• Solvency ratios , such as the debt-to-equity ratio, evaluate the company’s long-term financial stability and its ability to meet long-term debts.
• Profitability ratios , including the gross margin and return on equity (ROE), gauge the company’s earnings relative to its investments and equity.
• Efficiency ratios , like inventory turnover and the accounts receivable turnover, reveal the effectiveness of the company’s assets management.

These ratios, derived from balance sheets and income statements, can be compared to industry benchmarks to understand how the business is performing against competitors.

Evaluating Business Potential

To gain a clear understanding of a company’s potential for future growth, pro forma earnings must be examined in conjunction with the anticipated financial impact of various business decisions. This analysis enables investors and management to:

• Assess the potential profitability of new projects or investment opportunities.
• Estimate the effect of price changes for products or services.
• Evaluate the implications of business expansions—that may involve mergers, acquisitions, or entry into new markets.
• Gauge the potential impact of changes in cost structures, such as modifications in labor costs.

Using tools like forecasting and scenario planning, decision-makers can estimate the organization’s future financial position and determine actionable strategies to optimize performance.

Risk Analysis

An important aspect of analyzing pro forma statements is identifying potential risks that might affect the company’s financial performance. Risk analysis involves evaluating factors that could negatively impact revenue, increase costs, or alter the overall business dynamics. These factors include:

• Market risks: Changes in consumer preferences, increased competition, or market saturation.
• Operational risks: Disruptions in the supply chain, inefficient production processes, or employee turnover.
• Financial risks: Interest rate fluctuations, exchange rate volatility, or changes in credit terms.

A comprehensive risk analysis enables management to make well-informed business decisions and devise contingency plans to minimize the company’s exposure. This, in turn, helps safeguard the organization’s bottom line and ensure a robust financial standing in the long run.

Strategic Use of Pro Forma Projections

Pro forma financial statements are used by business owners and companies for various strategic purposes. These include business planning and budgeting, funding and investment attraction, and mergers and acquisitions.

Business Planning and Budgeting

Companies use pro forma projections to create a detailed budget, forecasting revenues, expenses, and cash flow, which usually span over three to five years. This provides insights into the financial health and growth potential of the business. It helps companies to:

• Make data-driven decisions
• Identify areas for cost savings
• Determine feasible growth strategies
• Allocate resources efficiently

By leveraging pro forma projections, businesses can test hypothetical scenarios and make informed decisions, effectively planning and structuring their financial activities.

Funding and Investment Attraction

Pro forma financial statements are critical in attracting funding and investments for businesses. These projections provide potential investors with a clear understanding of the business’s:

• Future growth potential
• Risk management strategies
• Financial stability

Investment pro forma projections showcase the company’s ability to generate returns on investments, giving investors the confidence to commit their capital. Business owners can tailor these projections to highlight their business’s unique strengths, ultimately appealing to a broad range of potential investors.

Mergers and Acquisitions

In mergers and acquisitions, pro forma financial statements play an important role in revealing the financial impact of a potential transaction. Companies create historical with acquisition pro forma projections that showcase combined financial position of both organizations. This helps in assessing:

• Expected synergies
• Post-acquisition financial performance
• Integration costs

By identifying these financial outcomes, companies can better evaluate the potential benefits and risks associated with mergers and acquisitions, ensuring that the decision to pursue the transaction is well-informed and in line with their strategic goals.

Real-World Application of Pro Forma

Public reporting and the sec.

Pro forma financial statements often play a significant role in public reporting, especially when dealing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Companies may use pro forma statements to present their financial results, adjusted for specific events such as acquisitions or divestitures. This provides stakeholders with a clearer understanding of the company’s financial position and helps them make informed decisions.

Key aspects of pro forma financial statements in public reporting:

• Financial forecast based on hypothetical scenarios
• Used for decision-making by investors, creditors, and other stakeholders
• Adjustments for specified events, such as acquisitions

Case Studies of Successful Use Cases

1. Business Expansion:

A company plans to expand its operations by opening a new manufacturing facility. They prepare pro forma financial statements to estimate the impact on future revenue, expenses, and profitability, considering various factors such as initial investment, operating costs, and expected sales. This helps them align their growth strategy and make informed decisions on whether or not to proceed with the expansion.

2. Mergers and Acquisitions:

A company is considering acquiring a smaller competitor. They create pro forma statements combining their own historical financial information with that of the acquisition target. This enables them to better understand the combined entity’s future financial performance and potential synergetic effects.

3. Restructuring:

A company facing financial challenges decides to restructure its operations to improve efficiency. They use pro forma financial statements to analyze different restructuring scenarios, such as cost reduction initiatives, refinancing options, or divestitures. This assists them in evaluating the long-term viability and profitability of their restructuring plan.

Learning from Pro Forma Mistakes

While pro forma statements can provide valuable insights, they can also be subject to misuse or misinterpretation. Fraudulent activities may involve manipulating pro forma results to present a rosier financial picture than reality, potentially misleading investors and other stakeholders.

To avoid such pitfalls and maintain a neutral and clear stance, companies should:

• Clearly disclose the basis of any adjustments or assumptions made
• Ensure the use of consistent methodologies across multiple scenarios
• Conduct thorough sensitivity analyses, incorporating a range of possible outcomes
• Seek guidance from accounting or financial experts, when necessary

By understanding the real-world application of pro forma financial statements and learning from past mistakes, businesses can use these tools effectively to drive informed decision-making and achieve better outcomes.

Limitations and Criticisms of Pro Forma

Potential for misrepresentation.

Pro forma financial statements may present an optimistic picture of a company’s financial health, intentionally or unintentionally, that differs from the reality per Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The adjusted nature of pro forma statements allows management to exclude certain items that they consider non-recurring or extraordinary. This level of discretion opens the door for worst-case scenarios , where pro forma statements might be utilized to paint an overly favorable picture of the company’s performance, potentially veiling fraudulent activities or significant financial issues.

A relevant example of this issue can be observed in cases when companies release pro forma earnings and provide little or no reconciling information, making comparisons with audited GAAP financial statements difficult. Thus, it is essential for decision-makers, such as investors and analysts, to be aware of the potential for misrepresentation in pro forma disclosures and to remain vigilant in their research and due diligence.

Understanding Limitations in Decision Making

While pro forma statements provide valuable insights for companies’ internal management, their usefulness is limited for external decision-making by investors or other stakeholders. These statements often focus on estimates and projections, rather than actual financial data, which can result in an unclear picture of a company’s performance. Furthermore, pro forma statements might not take into account the full range of worst-case scenarios , increasing the risk inherent in making decisions based on these projections.

In order to navigate the limitations of pro forma statements, it is crucial for decision-makers to:

• Understand the basis : Scrutinize the methods used to create pro forma statements, such as non-recurring items excluded or other adjustments made by management.
• Compare with GAAP : Cross-check the pro forma disclosures with audited financial statements, ensuring a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the company’s financial health.
• Evaluate risks : Assess the likelihood and potential impact of worst-case scenarios not captured by the pro forma statements, incorporating this knowledge into the decision-making process.

Despite their limitations, pro forma financial statements have a place in financial planning and forecasting. However, recognizing their limitations and staying cautious in the decision-making process is key to fully leverage their value while avoiding potential pitfalls.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Gaap compliance.

Pro forma financial statements should adhere to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) in order to provide accurate and reliable information to investors and other stakeholders. While pro forma statements are used to illustrate the potential impact of a significant transaction on historical financial data, they must still adhere to GAAP requirements, which are designed to ensure consistency and comparability across different financial reports.

For example, when preparing pro forma financial statements, the following GAAP principles should be considered:

• Revenue Recognition : Ensure that revenue is recognized in accordance with GAAP standards, which typically means recognizing revenue when it is earned and realizable.
• Consistency : Apply accounting policies and methods consistently across all financial reports, including pro forma statements, to ensure comparability between different periods and scenarios.
• Conservatism : Exercise caution in making assumptions and estimates when preparing pro forma statements, to avoid overstating potential revenues or understating potential costs.

It is also important to keep in mind that the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) requires companies to provide a thorough and compliant pro forma financial information when significant business combinations or real estate transactions occur.

Addressing Fraudulent Pro Forma Practices

As with all financial reports, there is a risk that pro forma financial information could be used for fraudulent purposes. To mitigate this risk, companies should implement certain policies and procedures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of their pro forma statements:

• Internal Controls : Implement robust internal controls over the financial reporting process, including controls related to the preparation of pro forma statements. This may involve segregating duties between those who generate the data for the pro forma statements and those responsible for reviewing them.
• Documentation : Maintain detailed records supporting the assumptions and estimates used in the preparation of pro forma statements. This documentation should be readily available for review by auditors or regulatory authorities when necessary.
• Transparency : Clearly disclose the basis for any adjustments made in pro forma statements, such as one-time charges or non-recurring items. This includes providing a detailed reconciliation between historical financial statements and the pro forma information.
• Oversight : Establish a process for independent review and approval of pro forma financial information by individuals with appropriate expertise, such as an audit committee or external auditor.

In summary, ensuring legal and ethical compliance in pro forma financial statements is crucial to maintain investor confidence and uphold the integrity of financial reports. By adhering to GAAP requirements and implementing safeguards against potential fraudulent practices, companies can produce accurate and reliable pro forma information that effectively illustrates the potential impact of significant transactions on their financial position and results of operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of pro forma financial statements in assessing a company’s financial health.

Pro forma financial statements provide a hypothetical look at how a company would perform based on a set of credible assumptions about one or more transactions it is contemplating. This enables businesses to evaluate the potential impact of new product launches, expansions, or other strategic decisions, making them essential tools for planning and decision-making.

How do pro forma and traditional profit and loss statements differ?

Traditional profit and loss statements are based on actual financial results, providing an accurate representation of a company’s past performance. Pro forma statements, on the other hand, are based on hypothetical scenarios, such as the impact of a specific business decision or a future event. In essence, pro forma statements are projections, while traditional statements are historical records.

What distinguishes pro forma financial statements from prospective financial statements?

Pro forma financial statements are projections that consider hypothetical situations, such as a proposed transaction or a new product launch. Prospective financial statements, on the other hand, provide a forecast of a company’s future financial position based on current business conditions and expected trends. While both types of statements involve predictions, pro forma statements focus on specific scenarios, whereas prospective statements provide a broader outlook on the company’s potential performance.

Are there specific instances where pro forma financial statements should not be utilized?

Pro forma financial statements are most useful when analyzing potential business decisions or anticipating the impact of future events. However, they should not be used as a substitute for traditional financial statements when assessing a company’s overall financial health or stability. Additionally, pro forma statements can be misleading if based on unrealistic or overly optimistic assumptions, and users need to scrutinize their underlying premises carefully.

Is adherence to GAAP required for pro forma financial statements?

While pro forma financial statements are not subject to the same strict adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as traditional financial statements, it is essential to maintain transparency and consistency in the presentation and preparation of these projections. Misleading or inaccurate pro forma statements can result in a loss of credibility and trust with stakeholders, making it crucial to approach them with integrity and objectivity.

How do pro forma financials assist in cash flow forecasting and management?

Pro forma financial statements, including cash flow statements, provide insights into a company’s anticipated cash inflows and outflows based on specific business scenarios. This allows management to anticipate potential liquidity issues, evaluate financing options, and make informed decisions regarding cash flow management. In essence, pro forma cash flow statements contribute to strategic planning and help minimize financial risks.

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Pro Forma Financial Statements (with Templates and Examples)

Bryce Warnes

Reviewed by

Janet Berry-Johnson, CPA

April 21, 2022

This article is Tax Professional approved

Pro forma definition

According to Merriam-Webster , “pro forma” means:

• Made or carried out in a perfunctory manner or as a formality
• Based on financial assumptions or projections

I am the text that will be copied.

Pro forma is actually a Latin term meaning “for form” (or today we might say “for the sake of form, as a matter of form”).

When it comes to accounting, pro forma statements are financial reports for your business based on hypothetical scenarios. They’re a way for you to test out situations you think may happen in the future to help you make business decisions.

There are three major pro forma statements:

• Pro forma income statements
• Pro forma balance sheets
• Pro forma cash flow statements

Pro forma statements look like regular statements, except they’re based on what ifs, not real financial results. As in, “What if my business got a $50,000 loan next year?” Your pro forma statements for that scenario would show what your income, account balances, and cash flow would look like with a $50,000 loan.

Since pro forma statements deal with potential outcomes, they’re not considered GAAP compliant . This is because GAAP compliant reports must be based on historical information.

Pro forma statements don’t need to meet the strictest accounting standards , but must be clearly marked as “pro forma” and can’t be used for things like filing taxes. Using pro forma statements that aren’t marked as such to misrepresent your business to investors, the IRS, or financial institutions can be penalized by the Securities and Exchange Commission).

However, pro forma statements are still extremely useful. They can help you make a business plan, create a financial forecast, and even get funding from potential investors or lenders.

Different but related: you can send clients pro forma invoices to let them know how much their order would be if they placed it today.

Why create pro forma statements?

Creating pro forma statements for future scenarios can help you:

• Get financed, by showing lenders or investors how you would use their money to sustainably grow your business.
• Plan for the future, by considering best, worst, and most likely case scenarios in detail.
• Anticipate changes that may affect your business as it grows, such as entering a new tax bracket.

For these purposes, pro forma statements are typically created as a part of a financial forecast in financial accounting. Big corporations who have in-house accountants use pro forma statements for financial modeling and forecasting different scenarios.

Pro forma statements vs. budgets

It may be tempting to think of a pro forma statement as the same as a business budget . After all, you create both in anticipation of the future. And both help you plan how you’ll use your money. But budgets and pro forma statements are two distinct financial tools.

Think of it this way: A pro forma statement is a prediction, and a budget is a plan. Your budget may be based on the financial information of your pro forma statements—after all, it makes sense to make plans based on your predictions.

For example: Your income this year is $37,000. According to your pro forma annual income statement, your financial projections show it will be $44,000 next year. So, when you create next year’s budget, you can include that extra $7,000—maybe spending $4,000 over the course of the year to pay down the principal on a loan , while adding $3,000 to savings.

Types of pro forma statement

There are four main types of pro forma statements. While they all fall into the same categories—income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement—they differ based on the purpose of the financial forecast.

1. Full-year pro forma projection

This type of pro forma projection takes into account all of your financials for the fiscal year up until the present time, then adds projected outcomes for the remainder of the year. That can help you show investors or partners what business finances could look like by the end of the fiscal year.

2. Financing or investment pro forma projection

You may be courting investors or trying to convince your business partners of the value of a capital investment or additional financing. In that case, you can use a financing pro forma projection to make your case. It takes into account an injection of cash from an outside source—plus any interest payments you may need to make—and shows how it will affect your business’s financial position.

3. Historical with acquisition pro forma projection

This type of pro forma projection looks at the past financial statements of your business, plus the past financial statements of a business you want to buy . Then it merges them to show what your financials would have looked like if you made a business combination (or merger) earlier. You can use this scenario as a model of what may happen in the future if you buy the other business and restructure now.

4. Risk analysis pro forma projection

Looking at both best case and worst case scenarios helps you make financial decisions based on challenges you may face in the future. For instance, what happens if your main vendor raises their prices like they did last year? Or how will that proposed transaction of buying new equipment impact you long term? Risk analysis lets you take the future for a test ride, and try out different outcomes.

Pro forma templates

To create a pro forma statement, you can use the same template you’d use for a normal financial statement. You may want to use Bench’s free templates:

• Income statement
• Balance sheet
• Cash flow statement

How to create pro forma statements

The sample pro forma statements below may look different from the statements you create, depending on what your template looks like. But generally, these are the steps you need to take to create them—and the info your pro forma statements should include.

Creating a pro forma income statement

There are five steps to creating a pro forma income statement:

• Set a goal for sales in the period you’re looking at. Let’s say you want to increase your income by $18,000 over the course of one year.
• Set a production schedule that will let you reach your goal, and map it out over the time period you’re covering. In this case, you’ll want to earn an additional $1,500 income every month, for 12 months.
• Plan how you’ll match your production schedule. You could do this by growing your number of sales a fixed amount every month, or gradually increasing the amount of sales you make per month. It’s up to you—trust your experience as a business owner.
• It’s time for the “loss” part of “ Profit and Loss .” Calculate the cost of goods sold for each month in your projection. Then, deduct it from your sales. Deduct any other operating expenses you have, as well.
• Prepare your pro forma income statement using data you’ve compiled in the prior four steps.

One note: your pro forma statements will be much more accurate if your bookkeeping is up to date. That way, when you project future periods, you’re basing it off the reality of your business today.

How Bench can help

To predict the future, you first need to understand the past. With Bench, you get a crystal clear image of your financial history so you can focus on planning your future. We’re America’s largest bookkeeping service helping thousands of business owners better understand the financial health of their operations so they can keep focused on growth and planning. When it comes time to create a pro forma statement, you have reliable numbers and reports to get started. We may not be a crystal ball, but we’re the next best thing. Learn more .

Example pro forma income statement:

Rosalia’s Reliable Recordings

Creating a pro forma cash flow statement

You create a pro forma cash flow statement much the same way you’d create a normal cash flow statement. That means taking info from the income statement, then using the cash flow statement format to plot out where your money is going, and what you’ll have on hand at any one time. This pro forma statement can be part of a larger cash flow forecast used for decision making.

Your projected cash flow can give you a few different insights. If it’s negative, it means you won’t have enough cash on-hand to run your business, according to your current trajectory. You’ll have to make plans to borrow money and pay it off.

On the other hand, if net cash flow is positive, you can plan on having enough extra cash on hand to pay off loans, or save for a big investment.

Example pro forma cash flow statement

Mickie’s Murakami Museum

Creating a pro forma balance sheet

By drawing on info from the income statement and the cash flow statement, you can create pro forma balance sheets. However, you’ll also need previous balance sheets to make this useful—so you can see how your business got from “Balance A” to “Balance B.”

The balance sheet will project changes in your business accounts over time. So you can plan where to move money, when.

Example pro forma balance sheet

Daily Dumpling Deliveries

Once you’ve created your pro forma income statements, and cast your eyes forward to the future of your business, you can start planning how you’ll spend your money. It’s time to create a small business budget .

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Building Pro Forma Financial Statements – A Step-by-Step Guide

Welcome to the world of pro forma analysis, a term that might sound as daunting as learning a new language but, in reality, is a powerful tool in the arsenal of any business owner or financial enthusiast. At its core, a pro forma analysis involves creating financial statements that project a company’s future financial performance based on certain assumptions and scenarios. Think of it as the financial crystal ball that allows businesses to anticipate outcomes, plan for various futures, and make decisions today that will set them up for success tomorrow.

I remember the first time I was introduced to a pro forma analysis. It was during my early days in the finance sector, fresh out of college, with enthusiasm to match my inexperience. The document was laid out in front of me, filled with numbers, projections, and terms that seemed as cryptic as hieroglyphics. I recall thinking, “Is this finance, or have I accidentally stumbled into an archaeology lecture?”

In this guide, I aim to be the mentor I had (and sometimes wished I had) during those early days, breaking down pro forma analysis into digestible, manageable parts. So, let’s embark on this journey together, turning the seemingly ancient script of pro forma analysis into a clear roadmap toward your business’s financial future .

Key Takeaways

• Pro forma financial statements are essential tools for forecasting and planning the financial future of your business, offering a detailed look at potential revenues, expenses, and cash flows .
• Accurate pro forma analysis requires a blend of historical data, market research, and conservative projections, ensuring that optimism is balanced with realism to avoid overestimating success.
• Regularly updating and reviewing your pro forma statements can help you navigate through business decisions more effectively, allowing you to adjust strategies in response to internal changes or external market conditions.
• Learning from mistakes and adopting a continuous improvement approach is key; each error provides valuable lessons that can refine your forecasting techniques and improve your business’s financial health.

What Is A Pro Forma?

At its heart, pro forma analysis is a financial tool that businesses use to forecast future financial performance.

Imagine you’re planning a road trip across the country. You wouldn’t just hop in the car and drive off without mapping your route, would you? Similarly, in business, you can’t steer towards success without a clear plan. This is where pro forma analysis comes into play; it’s like the GPS for your business, guiding you through the financial landscapes of the future.

Now, why is this so important? For starters, pro forma analysis helps you make educated guesses about your company’s future revenue, expenses, and overall financial health. It’s like looking into a crystal ball, except instead of vague predictions, you get detailed forecasts based on solid assumptions and data.

One of the key purposes of pro forma analysis is forecasting financial performance. This isn’t just about predicting how much money you’ll make; it’s about understanding how various factors like market trends, new product launches, or changes in pricing could impact your finances. By playing out different “what if” scenarios, you can prepare for the future with confidence, making strategic decisions that propel your business forward.

Another significant benefit is its ability to attract investors. Imagine trying to convince someone to invest in a journey without showing them the map or the destination. Pro forma statements serve as that map, providing potential investors with a clear vision of where your business is headed and the financial milestones you expect to hit along the way. In fact, the Securities and Exchange Commission under part 210 requires a pro forma statement under certain circumstances.

Gathering Necessary Information

Embarking on the journey of creating a pro forma analysis can feel akin to preparing for a grand culinary adventure. Just as a chef gathers all the necessary ingredients before beginning to cook, you too must assemble the right mix of data to craft your financial forecast. The key ingredients? Historical financial data and market research.

Essential Data:

• Historical Financial Data : This forms the backbone of your analysis. You’ll need your business’s income statements , balance sheets, and cash flow statements from at least the past two to three years. Think of this as the base stock of your financial soup, providing depth and flavor (or in this case, context and credibility) to your projections.
• Market Research : To spice things up and tailor your forecast to reality, incorporate market research. Understand industry trends, customer demand, and competitive landscape. This helps in adjusting your projections to reflect potential market shifts.
• Cost Structures and Pricing Strategies : Knowing how your costs behave and how you price your offerings is crucial. It’s like understanding the seasoning – too much or too little can drastically alter the outcome.
• Investment and Financing Plans : If you’re planning significant investments or expect changes in your financing (like taking out a loan), these should be included. They’re the garnish that can change the dish’s presentation and appeal.

Where and How to Gather This Data:

• Historical Financials : Start with your own accounting software or financial records to understand the company’s historical health. If you’re meticulous with bookkeeping, you’ve got a treasure trove waiting to be analyzed.
• Market Research : Dive into industry reports, surveys, and databases. Online platforms like Statista or IBISWorld can be gold mines. Don’t overlook the value of talking directly to customers or conducting surveys for fresh insights.
• Public Records and Reports : For competitor analysis and industry trends, public company filings and industry association reports are invaluable resources. They’re like secret recipes shared in plain sight.

Personal Treasure Hunt Story:

When I first ventured into the realm of business budgeting for my startup, I felt like a novice treasure hunter without a map. My quest for data led me down various paths, from scouring through forgotten files on my computer to diving deep into the depths of online research databases.

I remember one late night, fueled by coffee and determination, I stumbled upon a comprehensive industry report that was the final piece of the puzzle I needed. It was a eureka moment, akin to finding a hidden treasure chest.

Pro Forma Financial Statements

Let’s break down the main components of a pro forma analysis into something more digestible – think of it as separating your ingredients before baking a cake.

Pro Forma Income Statement

First up, we have the pro forma income statement, also known as the profit and loss statement . This is essentially your business’s scorecard over a specific period. It tells you how much revenue you’re bringing in (sales of products or services), subtracts the costs associated with making that money (like materials and labor ), and shows what’s left over, which we hope is a profit.

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

Next on our list of financial statements is the pro forma balance sheet . If the income statement was about the flow of the game, the balance sheet is the snapshot at halftime. It shows everything your company owns (assets) and owes (liabilities), plus equity , at a specific point in time.

Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement

Last but certainly not least, we have the pro forma cash flow statement. This document is like the hydration strategy for your marathon; it tracks the flow of cash in and the cash disbursements out of your business. It helps ensure you don’t run out of liquid assets (cash) by showing when you might need a financial water station. Breaking it down, it covers operating activities (daily business operations), investing activities (buying and selling assets), and financing activities (loans and investments).

Free Excel Template: Pro Forma Financial Statements

Make sure to download a copy of our free Excel template to follow along with the examples and build your own pro forma!

Creating a Pro Forma Income Statement

Crafting pro forma income statements might initially seem like you’re trying to assemble a piece of furniture with instructions in another language. But fear not! I’ll guide you through this process with clear steps. Let’s break it down together, shall we?

Step 1: Project Your Revenues

The first step is akin to predicting how popular your lemonade stand will be at the neighborhood block party. You’ll need to consider factors such as past sales data, market trends, and any upcoming products or services. If you’re just starting, look at industry benchmarks or conduct market research to make educated guesses. Remember, optimism is good, but realism pays the bills. Aim for a balance between hope and practicality.

Step 2: Estimate Your Costs of Goods Sold (COGS)

Now, think about what it costs to squeeze those lemons and stir in that sugar. COGS includes the direct costs attributable to the production of the goods sold in your business. This can range from raw materials to labor directly tied to service delivery. A pro tip here is to always err on the side of caution; it’s better to be pleasantly surprised than caught off guard.

Step 3: Calculate Gross Margin

Subtract your COGS from your projected revenues to find your gross margin. This figure is like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, showing you what’s left after covering the direct costs of your products or services. It’s a crucial indicator of your business’s financial health and efficiency.

Step 4: Outline Operating Expenses

Operating expenses are the costs associated with running your business that aren’t directly tied to making your product or service. Think of these as the essentials needed to keep the lights on and the doors open—rent, utilities, marketing, salaries for non-production staff, and so on. Keeping track of these expenses helps ensure your business operates smoothly without financial hiccups.

Step 5: Forecast Net Income

Finally, subtract your operating expenses from your gross margin to arrive at your net income. This give your pro forma earnings and is the moment of truth, revealing whether your business is on track to make a profit or if adjustments are needed. It’s like the final score of a game, showing you where you stand after all the plays have been made.

Practical Advice:

• Use Conservative Estimates : It’s tempting to assume best-case scenarios, but it’s wise to lean towards conservatism in your projections. Think of it as packing an umbrella for a sunny day—better safe than sorry.
• Consider Different Scenarios : Life is full of surprises, and so is business. Create a few different versions of your income statement based on various scenarios (e.g., an increase in material costs or a dip in market demand). It’s like having a plan B (and C) in your back pocket.

Example From My Experience

I once worked with a café owner who was looking to expand their business. We used local population data and identified coffee consumption trends to project potential sales growth. By considering factors like the increase in remote workers seeking café spots and the popularity of seasonal beverages, we crafted a realistic revenue projection.

The exercise was eye-opening. Not only did it help refine the café’s strategy, but it also prepared the owner for potential challenges ahead. And yes, the pumpkin spice latte season was indeed a hit!

Crafting Your Pro Forma Balance Sheet

Embarking on the journey to create a pro forma balance sheet can feel a bit like setting up a sophisticated piece of furniture with an array of parts spread before you. You know it’s going to look fantastic once assembled, but first, you’ve got to figure out where everything goes. Let’s dive in, ensuring that by the end, you’ll not only have all the pieces in place but also understand exactly what they represent.

Understanding the Basics

Pro forma balance sheets are essentially a snapshot of your business’s financial health at a future point in time. It outlines three key components: assets, liabilities, and equity.

• Assets : Think of assets as everything your business owns that has value. This includes cash in the bank, inventory, equipment, and even the office coffee machine that keeps everyone perky and productive.
• Liabilities : These are your financial obligations; what you owe others. Whether it’s loans, unpaid bills, or that IOU note from when you borrowed cash to cover a surprise expense, they all count here.
• Equity : Equity is what’s left over when you subtract liabilities from assets. It’s the ‘true value’ of your business to its owners. Imagine filling a jar with layers of sand (assets) and then pouring water (liabilities) into it. The space not filled by water represents your equity.

Projecting with Precision

When projecting your assets, consider both your current resources and those you plan to acquire. Remember, accuracy is key. Overestimating assets can lead to overly optimistic equity calculations, akin to thinking you can run a marathon without training. Underestimating, however, might deter potential investors or lenders.

For liabilities, factor in existing debts and anticipated future borrowings. This foresight is crucial for maintaining a realistic view of your financial obligations and ensuring you don’t find yourself in hot water down the line.

A Lesson I Learned The Hard Way

Speaking of equipment, let me share a little tale from my own vault of “oops” moments. Early in my finance journey, I was tasked with creating a pro forma balance sheet for a small bakery. In my eagerness, I meticulously accounted for every ingredient, from flour to yeast, but forgot to include the new industrial oven the bakery was planning to purchase.

This wasn’t just any oven; it was the heart of the bakery’s expansion plan, significantly impacting both assets and liabilities. The oversight led to a considerable underestimation of future liabilities (since the oven was to be financed) and, by extension, equity. Needless to say, I had to redo the entire analysis, a humbling reminder of the importance of double-checking your work and considering all aspects of your business operations.

Preparing a Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement

Ah, the pro forma cash flow statement, the unsung hero of financial projections. It’s like the pulse check for your business, ensuring you don’t end up gasping for air (financially speaking). Let’s dive into how you can forecast cash inflows and outflows with the precision of a skilled gardener ensuring their plants thrive.

Forecasting Cash Inflows

Cash inflows are essentially the lifeblood of your business. These come from sales, returns on investments, loans, and any other sources that inject cash into your business. To forecast these, start by looking at your sales trends. Are there certain times of the year when you make the lion’s share of your sales? Factor in new product launches or seasonal promotions you’re planning. Also, consider the payment terms you’ve negotiated with clients – not all income might be as prompt as we’d wish.

Imagine you’re planning how much water your garden needs. You’d consider the rain forecast (seasonal trends), whether you’re planting more thirsty plants (new products), and how well your soil retains moisture (cash on hand).

Forecasting Cash Outflows

Next up, cash outflows, which include expenses like rent, salaries, supplier payments, and any loan repayments. This step requires you to be as meticulous as a chef preparing a Michelin-star meal. Break down your expenses into fixed (rent, salaries) and variable (materials, utilities) categories. Remember, some payments don’t occur monthly but quarterly or annually, so factor these into your timeline accurately.

It’s similar to knowing when to water your garden and when to add fertilizer or pesticide. Some plants need constant attention (fixed costs), while others may only need seasonal care (variable costs).

Case Study From My Experience

I recall a time when I was helping a friend forecast the cash flow for their startup. In our enthusiasm, we planned for significant marketing spend without accounting for the delayed income from their payment terms. Halfway through the season, it was clear we had “overwatered” their operations. We had to quickly adjust our “gardening strategy,” securing a short-term loan to cover the gap. It was a lesson in the importance of balancing our financial ecosystem carefully.

Analyzing Your Pro Forma Financial Statements

Imagine your pro forma statements as a detailed map of the terrain ahead. Just as a hiker uses a map to decide whether to cross a river at its narrowest point or take a bridge, you use your pro forma financial statement to navigate through business decisions.

For example, if your cash flow statement predicts a cash surplus, you might decide it’s the perfect time to invest in that new piece of equipment. Conversely, a forecasted tight spot might suggest delaying expansion plans in favor of shoring up reserves.

Common Pitfalls When Creating Pro Forma Statements

• Over-Optimism : It’s easy to fall into the trap of rose-colored forecasts. Always ground your projections in reality and remember that hope is not a strategy. It’s like expecting to win a marathon without training, based solely on the belief that you’re a fast runner.
• Ignoring Market Trends : Not keeping an eye on the market is like ignoring weather warnings on a hiking trip. Stay informed about industry shifts to ensure your projections remain relevant and realistic.
• Forgetting to Update Your Statements : Pro forma statements are not set-it-and-forget-it artifacts. They’re more like living documents that require regular updates to reflect both internal changes and external market conditions.

Practical Application – Case Study

Let’s roll up our sleeves and dive into a case study that brings the mystical art of pro forma analysis down to earth. Imagine we’re looking at “Bea’s Boutique,” a small but spirited clothing store nestled in the heart of a bustling neighborhood.

The Scenario

Bea’s Boutique has been the go-to spot for fashion-forward attire for three years. As the boutique gears up for its fourth year, Bea decides it’s time to expand her offerings and possibly renovate the space to attract more foot traffic. She knows this will require a significant investment and wonders if the numbers add up in favor of her vision.

Step 1: Setting the Stage with Historical Data

Bea starts by gathering her sales data, costs, and cash flow statements from the past three years. It’s a bit like detective work, sifting through files and receipts, but it gives her a solid foundation. She notes a steady increase in sales each year and identifies seasonal trends that impact her business.

Step 2: Market Research and Forecasting

Next, Bea conducts market research. She surveys her customers, chats with other local business owners, and keeps an eye on upcoming fashion trends. This helps her anticipate an increase in sales with the introduction of new product lines and a renovated space. Bea projects a 20% increase in sales for the next year, keeping her estimates conservative to stay grounded.

Step 3: Crunching the Numbers

Armed with her historical data and market research, Bea crafts her pro forma income statement. She factors in the cost of renovations, additional inventory purchases, and potential increases in staffing. For her cash flow projections, she considers the timing of her investment and the gradual increase in sales. It’s a balancing act, ensuring she has enough cash on hand to cover expenses during the renovation phase.

Step 4: The Moment of Truth

With her pro forma statements prepared, Bea takes a deep breath and reviews the numbers. The pro forma financial information shows a tight first six months post-renovation, with cash reserves taking a dip. However, as the increased sales begin to kick in, the future looks promising, with a return to healthy cash flow levels and profitability.

Lessons Learned

• Start with Solid Groundwork : Gathering comprehensive historical data was crucial for Bea. It gave her a clear picture of where the business stood and how it had grown over time.
• Research is Key : Understanding the market and her customers helped Bea make informed decisions about her expansion plans and set realistic sales projections.
• Conservatism Pays Off : By keeping her projections conservative, Bea avoided the trap of overestimating her success and underestimating her expenses.
• Prepare for the Lean Times : Recognizing that her cash flow would be tight initially, Bea planned accordingly, ensuring she had a buffer to cover expenses during the slower months.

Practical Tips for Your Business

• Don’t Skip the Prep : Spend the time needed to gather your data and understand your market. It’s the foundation of accurate forecasting.
• Stay Grounded : It’s easy to get carried away by optimism. Keep your estimates realistic to avoid unpleasant surprises down the line.
• Plan for All Seasons : Every business has its ups and downs. Make sure your financial plans account for the lean times, not just the peaks.

Bea’s journey through pro forma analysis not only illuminated the path for her boutique’s expansion but also provided a blueprint for managing future growth. By approaching the process with diligence, realism, and a touch of optimism, she was able to make informed decisions that aligned with her vision for Bea’s Boutique. Just like Bea, you can apply these steps and lessons to navigate your business’s financial future with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do pro forma financial statements have to meet generally accepted accounting principles.

While it is not a requirement for pro forma financial statements to meet Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), it is generally recommended to adhere to these principles for accuracy and consistency.

What Is A Pro Forma Invoice?

Pro forma invoices are a commercial invoice that outlines the anticipated costs and terms of a transaction or sale. It is typically used in international trade to provide an estimated cost for goods or services before they are delivered.

Have any questions on building pro forma financial statements? Are there other topics you would like us to cover? Leave a comment below and let us know! And make sure to subscribe to our Newsletter to receive exclusive financial news right to your inbox.

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FP&A Leader | Digital Finance Advocate | Small Business Founder

Mike Dion brings a wealth of knowledge in business finance to his writing, drawing on his background as a Senior FP&A Leader. Over more than a decade of finance experience, Mike has added tens of millions of dollars to businesses from the Fortune 100 to startups and from Entertainment to Telecom. Mike received his Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Master of International Business from the University of Florida, laying a solid foundation for his career in finance and accounting. His work, featured in leading finance publications such as Seeking Alpha, serves as a resource for industry professionals seeking to navigate the complexities of corporate finance, small business finance, and finance software with ease.

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What Are Pro Forma Financial Statements?

Our Small Business Expert

In accounting, pro forma refers to financial reports based on assumptions and hypothetical situations, not reality. Businesses use pro forma financial documents internally to aid in decision-making and externally to showcase the effect of business decisions.

Before acquiring another business, investing in new equipment, or taking on new debt, businesses draft forward-looking pro forma financial statements to understand the effect. Unlike traditional financial statements that explain the past, pro forma documents usually look forward and rely on financial modeling and speculation.

Pro forma statements take on a slightly new meaning with public companies. After a major acquisition, a public company must prepare a secondary balance sheet and income statement as if the purchase occurred at the beginning of the year. We put the “pro forma” label on these financial documents because there’s a lot of “what if” involved in their making.

“What if” doesn’t jibe with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Straying even further from GAAP, pro forma financials exclude unusual one-time expenses, such as restructuring costs. Critics say pro forma financial statements are ploys to excite investors about the benefits of a business combination, what finance nerds call “synergies.”

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) consistently updates its stringent rules on preparing pro forma statements for the public. Still, pro forma financials are not regulated to the same extent as historical financial statements.

3 types of pro forma statements

Small business owners can use pro forma statements to draft forecasted financial statements, budgets, and quotes.

1. Forecasted financial statements

Small business owners draft pro forma financial statements to quantify the impact of potential business decisions, such as taking out a loan to grow your business. Pro forma financial statements give you and your team something to consider before signing on the dotted line.

The most common pro forma financial statements are projected balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. Together, the documents help you assess whether your business’s financial health improves, declines, or remains the same following the decision.

Say you’re a business owner contemplating a loan to invest in more efficient equipment. Your current equipment still works, but the cutting edge technology in newer machines can speed up production by 20%. You’re not sure what to do.

Guide your decision-making by creating two sets of forecasted financial statements: the first to project next year’s net income if you take out the loan, the second if you don’t.

If you take out the loan, you might share the pro forma financial statements with the lender to demonstrate your ability to repay the loan. Businesses also use pro forma financial statements to prod investors to provide capital.

Since we can’t predict the future, don’t rely solely on pro forma financial statements. Your assumptions could wind up wrong, throwing off your financial projections.

Businesses create annual budgets that fall in line with a company’s profitability and production goals.

Budgets and projected financials are similar in that they both factor in assumptions and scenarios that remain to be seen. Where they differ: Budgets are managerial accounting documents, meaning they’re meant to guide business decisions and aren’t to be shared publicly. Budgets provide more detail than you’d care to share with a lender, and they’re more nearsighted, usually focusing one year ahead.

3. Pro forma invoices

The best way to package a quote for your goods and services is by using a pro forma invoice, also called a draft invoice.

Before delivering an actual invoice, send a client a pro forma invoice that lists the cost of the goods and services you’re planning to provide. A pro forma invoice isn’t binding; it’s a way to make sure you and the client are on the same page before agreeing to the transaction. The transparency could score you points for customer satisfaction.

Your accounting software can make pro forma invoices.

An example of pro forma

Russell operates a life coaching business. Word has gotten around that Russell is the absolute best, and he has more prospective clients lined up than he has time to take on. Russell is considering hiring an assistant to lighten his administrative workload, but he’s unsure whether he can afford to pay someone full time. His options are:

• Not hiring an assistant
• Hiring a part-time assistant
• Hiring a full-time assistant

Russell creates a pro forma income statement for next year to inform his decision. He dedicates a column for each scenario he’s considering. Russell follows The Ascent’s guide to forecasted financial statements to generate the document.

Create multiple pro forma documents to play out different scenarios. Image source: Author

According to Russell’s projections, he reaches the highest earnings when he hires a full-time administrative assistant. More significantly, the pro forma income statement reveals that hiring a part-time assistant is nearly as lucrative as bringing someone on full-time.

I’d advise Russel to hire a part-time assistant to reduce the risk of sinking nearly $60,000 into a new position when he’s not sure he’ll see the increased revenue he’s expecting. He can always offer the person a full-time job after his projection actualizes.

Not all pro forma documents are made equal. Pro forma financials have their place, but some public companies have taken advantage of loose rules to mislead potential investors.

For small, private companies, pro forma financials can help you see the long-term impact of decisions you’re considering today. Nobody is dissing the use of pro forma reports here.

The dot-com bubble, where tech companies enjoyed bloated market valuations before losing it all, proved the harm of pro forma financials. In the early 2000s, Yahoo caught heat after years of releasing pro forma financial statements that downplayed hefty one-time costs from business acquisitions.

Public companies release pro forma financials under the guise of clarifying their financial position after a business acquisition. They take out one-time or unusual costs to offer a fuller picture of the business’s operating profit. To some, pro forma financials feel like companies are creating their own financial accounting rules to engineer appealing financial results.

Since the dot-com bubble burst, the SEC has cracked down on using pro forma financials to protect the public from being misled.

Before extending capital or credit, investors and lenders might ask for pro forma statements to understand your outlook on company performance. For new businesses with no historical financial statements , lenders look at pro forma statements for a realistic vision of your company’s future.

After you create pro forma financial statements to inform a business decision, run a pro forma analysis to assess your company’s profitability.

Say you own a small restaurant, and you’re considering extending your business hours and hiring a new waiter. You drafted a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement for next year, assuming increased utility, wages, and food expenses.

Analyze the results using profitability metrics. If the measures point to increased profitability, you might have hit on a winning opportunity for your restaurant.

It’s not called “amateur forma” for a reason

Building accurate pro forma financials requires an in-depth financial analysis of your present business. When creating pro forma financial statements, ask an accountant to provide additional guidance.

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Pro Forma Template: What Are They? How To Use Them

Jump to section, what is a pro forma template.

A pro forma template, also known as a pro forma financial statement, is a document used to project future financial performance based on hypothetical scenarios. In the context of accounting, pro forma templates will help you make decisions based on hypothetical scenarios as well.

They can also help you formulate a business plan , obtain investor funding, and more. By having a pro forma template ready, you can create your financial documents faster and more uniformly every time you need them.

Understanding A Pro Forma Statement

There are numerous types of pro forma documents. They may be required in certain situations, such as for public companies or during mergers and acquisitions. More or less, pro forma templates exist to give you a jumpstart on understanding your company’s financial health at a glance or when presenting to board members and stockholders.

You can use a template to create the following types of financial documents:

• Income statements
• Balance sheets
• Cash flow statements
• Owner’s equity statements
• Notes to financial statements
• Annual pro forma projections
• Investment projections
• Risk analysis

While pro forma templates are relatively straightforward to use, ensure that you seek legal advice from corporate lawyers to help you develop the right set of templates the first time you draft them. For some pro forma templates, ensure that they meet all applicable accounting rules, including GAAP principles and state laws.

Using A Pro Forma Template

The first step you should take with a pro forma template is to save a master copy of it in a safe, accessible location. There is always a chance for deletion across numerous duplications and file changes, which means that you should save it on a flash driver, external hard drive, or in the cloud. In case it gets deleted, you always have the original to back you up.

After saving your pro forma template, you will then take the following steps when using it:

• Use a form to help you automatically collect information entered into the template
• Enter financial data to help forecast income and cash flow
• Create different scenarios to map out how cash flow is affected as variables change
• Share it with an expert to make sure you are using it properly
• Make a copy of the original to avoid an accidental deletion
• Consider naming conventions for your files by statement type

The use of a pro forma template depends upon the type you are using. Some provide you with blank space to enter specific values, while others are just a set of guidelines. By inputting these variables, you can calculate your profit and loss under the template’s author’s guidelines.

As you can see, pro forma templates are simply financial documents that you can use for everyday business needs. It is imperative that you hire incorporation lawyers for specialized projects or one-time needs. Not addressing the critical details of business documents can negatively impact you.

Image via Pexels by Lukas

Pro Forma Template Samples

There are numerous resources available online regarding the development of pro forma templates that you case use to report on your business’s financial health. Spend some time looking for the right sample since several do not always address specific business needs.

Here are three templates that you can view online:

• Smartsheet pro forma template sample
• Freshbooks pro forma template sample
• Spreadsheet 123 pro forma template sample

When using these templates, you can generally input the data you need to populate complete financial statements. However, you will not own the software that stores the templates, which means you need to download updates every time. There are several ways and methods available to make your own pro forma template to consider.

You should also be able to easily edit your pro forma template since you will need to update your associates, employees, and investors on-the-fly occasionally. The most straightforward way to make your pro forma is by ensuring that you have your business objectives in mind first.

How Do You Make Your Own Pro Forma?

The best way to make your own pro forma statement template is by starting with the right type of document in the first place. You can find samples online or hire corporate lawyers to draft the templates you use to create financial statements.

However, here are the next steps forward that you can take to make your own pro forma templates:

• Review pro forma template samples to establish what should go into your financial documents
• Consider the elements that should be included in every statement
• Set a goal for sales over certain period of time
• Figure out how much the cost of production will be to support those sales
• Consider all other costs associated with running the business
• Add all of these financial data points to the model to predict net cash flow
• Set-up periodic reviews of your pro forma templates to ensure that they are still up-to-date

If you decide to find a pro forma template online, seek advice from a trusted colleague or attorney. Online templates tend to miss some critical notes when it comes to personalization and customization of your needs. However, some can be customized to your needs. The process of finding the right pro forma template can be frustrating, especially when there are question marks in your mind.

Simply put, it is more cost-effective to hire corporation lawyers the first time around you are drafting pro forma templates. Doing so will save you money, time, and stress over the long-run. You can even use planning with pro formas to start your business by hiring corporate lawyers to draft your documents instead of relying on templates created for hypothetical organizations or those serving other industries.

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Leverage our network of lawyers, request free bids, and find the right lawyer for the job.

Planning With Pro Formas To Start Your Business

In the previous section, we addressed the importance of legal advice. However, the cost of hiring an attorney or vetting one can turn many business owners away from engaging in this critical part of the process. Keep in mind that legal mistakes can come back to haunt you later, which means that it is essential to get your pro forma templates right from the first day you use them.

ContractsCounsel has made this process as easy as possible on business owners:

• Sign up for our service at no cost
• Post your project to our platform
• Begin receiving proposals from licensed and vetted attorneys

That is it. From one single location, you can receive numerous proposals and prices for your pro forma template project. Not only is the process convenient, but it also satisfies the need to draft your templates correctly and adequately for your jurisdiction while keeping your financial statements more uniform.

Working With A Lawyer For Business Formation

When starting a business, you will need to file Articles of Incorporation with your secretary of state’s office to receive a Certificate of Incorporation . However, there may be other entities that are better suited for your situation, and other legal requirements may apply, including the drafting of an operating agreement .

Working with a lawyer for a business formation is smart since you will effectively and efficiently avoid making legal mistakes, negatively impacting your company’s future. Corporate lawyers also have the experience and capacity to determine which documents you may need to stay compliant and prevent future disputes with clients, contractors, partners, and other third-parties you serve.

Get Pro Forma Template Help with ContractsCounsel

Instead of leaving your pro forma templates to basic internet searches and best guesses, get the right document that you need the first time around. Sign up for ContractsCounsel today with no upfront cost to you and start receiving proposals today.

ContractsCounsel is not a law firm, and this post should not be considered and does not contain legal advice. To ensure the information and advice in this post are correct, sufficient, and appropriate for your situation, please consult a licensed attorney. Also, using or accessing ContractsCounsel's site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and ContractsCounsel.

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How a Pro Forma Statement Can Help Your Small Business

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As a business owner, you know the importance of financial planning and forecasting. 

Pro forma financial statements are powerful tools that can help you project future financial performance, assess potential investments, and evaluate the impact of business decisions.

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What does pro forma mean?

Pro forma is a Latin term that means "as a matter of form" or "for the sake of form." 

In business and accounting, it describes financial statements that are based on assumptions or estimates rather than actual historical data. 

Maybe you’re considering taking out a small business loan or merging with a larger company. A pro forma statement projects the impact of those decisions, showing whether your company’s financial health is expected to improve, decline, or remain the same after the event takes place. 

Pro forma statements can omit certain information. For example, a company may exclude one-time expenses, such as restructuring costs or a legal settlement, in order to present a more accurate picture of ongoing operations.

Pro forma statements, budgets, and invoices are typically used for planning, forecasting, or decision-making purposes.

What are pro forma financial statements?

Pro forma financial statements forecast estimated future financial performance rather than relying solely on historical data. 

Typically, these statements include a pro forma income statement, balance sheet , and cash flow statement , all based on hypothetical scenarios and assumptions.

Pro forma statements are usually preliminary or illustrative. They’re meant to give you a glimpse into a company's potential performance rather than strict adherence to the accounting rulebook.

Companies engaging in mergers and acquisitions often prepare pro forma financial statements to offer a picture of their future finances. These statements play a crucial role in negotiations and valuation discussions.

Sharing a pro forma statement also helps you communicate your growth strategy to lenders and investors. 

Critics of pro forma financial statements argue that companies use this freedom to cherry-pick what to include or exclude, molding the numbers to fit a desired narrative.

Pro forma invoices

Pro forma invoices are preliminary invoices sent to customers before the actual transaction takes place. Think of it as a "pre-invoice.” It outlines the products or services being offered, their quantities, prices, and other essential details

Pro forma invoices are the preferred method of doing international business, according to the U.S. International Trade Administration .

These invoices allow buyers to obtain necessary permits or secure financing before goods are shipped out.

Pro forma invoices also assist with customs clearance by providing necessary information to custom officials for the import and export process. It’s like a financial roadmap to ensure a smooth international trade journey.

While regular invoices are binding and indicate an actual sale, pro forma invoices are a prelude to the real deal. Pro forma invoices don't demand payment or initiate financial transactions.

You can find basic templates for creating pro forma invoices online, or you can create your own with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

Many accounting software programs, such as Sage Accounting and FreshBooks , offer features and templates specifically designed for generating pro forma invoices.

With Sage , for example, you can select a pro forma template, input the information, save a copy for your records, and email it directly to the client. There’s also an option to convert it to a full invoice later.

Different billing and invoicing software also offers this feature. Companies like Zoho Books , for example, offer a pro forma template on their website you can download and use for free.

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Pro forma budgets

A pro forma budget is a projected financial plan that outlines anticipated revenue, expenses, and cash flows for a specific period. 

Pro forma budgets can be useful for assessing the financial feasibility of new projects or projecting the impact of cost-cutting measures.

So, how is it different from a traditional budget?

A regular budget focuses on your current financial situation and sets spending limits based on historical data. It helps you manage day-to-day operations. A pro forma budget, on the other hand, takes things a step further by considering future events or changes.

Let’s say you're planning to launch a new product line. With a pro forma budget, you can estimate the revenue and expenses associated with your new venture. You might consider costs like research and development, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution. 

By projecting the financial outcomes of your product launch, you can assess its viability and make adjustments before it goes live. 

Downsides of pro forma statements

While pro forma statements serve a purpose, they can also be misleading. Excluding certain expenses or items can paint an overly optimistic — or even unrealistic — picture of a company's financial health. 

Businesses have the freedom to use their own discretion when calculating pro forma earnings. They can include or exclude certain items based on what they believe truly represents their company's performance or future prospects.

Just remember, like any financial information, it's important to read between the lines and dig into the assumptions behind impressive pro forma numbers. 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires companies to provide clear explanations on pro forma statements and reconcile pro forma figures to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). 

Using pro forma projections to grossly misrepresent GAAP-based results and mislead investors is considered fraudulent and punishable by law under SEC regulations. 

Rachel Christian is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance and a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She focuses on small businesses, retirement, investing and taxes. 

Pro forma frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Businesses use pro forma statements to examine the potential impact of future events based on certain assumptions. 

Pro forma statements allow companies to make informed decisions based on projections, attract investors, and assess the impact of mergers and acquisitions. 

By adjusting for these events, businesses can gauge potential financial impact and make smarter strategic choices.

Pro forma statements are not bound by the same rigorous standards as audited financial statements. As a result, their accuracy heavily depends on the integrity of the company preparing them.

Pro forma statements rely on forward-looking information, which can be incredibly difficult to predict. Economic conditions, market dynamics and other external factors outside a company’s control can throw even the most well-researched pro forma statements off course. 

That’s why you shouldn’t rely solely on pro forma financial statements.

Regular financial statements are prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and provide an accurate depiction of a company's historical financial performance. 

Pro forma statements, on the other hand, are more like "what if" scenarios. They’re created to show how a company's financials might look under different situations or to exclude certain non-recurring costs.

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Pro Forma Financial Statements: How They Help Businesses Plot a Course

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pro forma financial statements are valuable tools managers can use to plan for the future, anticipate and control risks and acquire funding for their business. And they’re not just for big corporations.  Small business owners can benefit from them as well.

What Does Pro Forma Mean? 

The term pro forma is Latin and can be translated to mean “for the sake of form.” Companies use pro formas to evaluate what-if scenarios and how they could impact their business.

Furthermore, when management has to gauge the probability of success or failure and decide if a potential return is worth the risk, pro formas are a way to examine the effects of different outcomes.

What Are Pro Forma Financial Statements?

A pro forma financial statement offers projections of what management expects to happen under a particular set of circumstances and assumptions. Standard financial statements are based on a company’s historical performance. In contrast, the purpose of pro forma financial statements is to look to the future or to analyze hypothetical scenarios of what could be. They do not include one-time items and do not conform to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). 

Businesses can develop pro forma income statements, balance sheets, revenue projections, estimates of costs and expenses and expectations of cash flow , such as the result of a merger or the introduction of a new product.

Adjustments for Nonrecurring Items

Suppose a company has recently gone through a substantial restructuring program. Stores or plants were closed; employees were laid off and benefits paid; departments were combined. All of these events had one-time, or nonrecurring, costs.

Under standard Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, these nonrecurring restructuring costs would get posted on the company’s income statement, substantially reducing profits or maybe even showing losses.

However, management could prepare a set of pro forma statements to remove these extraordinary items and show the results of the company’s normal business operations. 

This would be helpful to lenders and partners who might otherwise be alarmed at such a negative performance. The more positive presentation from the pro formas could restore confidence that the restructuring was a correct decision and the company would continue to operate profitably.

Keep in mind, it is illegal to use pro forma financials to mislead investors. 

When Are Pro Forma Statements Used? 

Managers can use pro forma statements for a variety of reasons to illustrate the effects of executive decisions or expected changes in business. 

Secure Funding

As businesses grow, they often need to secure additional funding . If outside funds are needed, pro forma statements can help present the expected future results to lenders and other investors.

Let’s suppose Blue Widget Corporation has introduced a new model widget. Sales are skyrocketing, putting a strain on the company’s cash flow. Management prepares projections for the next several years of the expected revenue increase and the rise in costs of operations. These projections detail how much money the company will need to borrow and how the loan will be paid back.

Pro formas can help a company and its lenders determine the most appropriate type of financing.

Forecasts for Results of a Merger or Acquisition

Acquiring another corporation or merging operations can be complicated.  When presenting these ideas to other partners, lenders or to a board of directors, pro forma projections can clarify things. 

Managers have to make difficult decisions and may have many questions: Which offices and plants will be kept and which ones will be closed? Will departments be consolidated and employees laid off? How will new product lines affect revenues?

These questions can be answered with the preparation of pro forma financial statements.

Analyze Risks

What if Blue Widget Corporation wanted to introduce a new product line that would cost $1 million in new plant expansion and equipment and another million in marketing and promotion? What would be the effects on the financial health of the company if the project failed?

Pro forma projections could shed some light on the best-case and worst-case scenarios.

If the project is successful, the company could reap the benefits of profits and positive cash flows . But if not, the losses might deplete the company’s capital base and create financial hardships. Pro formas can reveal the company’s capacity to absorb a worst-case situation and be able to continue operating.

Pro Forma Examples

There are several types of instances when pro forma statements can be used. Here are pro forma financial statement examples:

Pro Forma Income Statement

Income statements indicate the profitability of a business. This is done by taking the difference between revenue, or sales and expenses, or the costs involved in doing business. On a pro forma income statement , revenue is calculated based on events that could increase or decrease sales. When creating your pro forma income statement, it’s important to use realistic assumptions to estimate your revenue projections.  

Keep in mind, expenses can be fixed or variable, and they are calculated as a percentage of sales. You can calculate a base percentage of sales by averaging sales over a certain time frame, and then use that percentage to estimate your projections. 

Pro Forma Statement of Cash Flow 

The statement of cash flow indicates the amount of money that goes in and out of a business. This includes activities specific to operating, financing and investing. A pro forma statement of cash flow can be helpful in determining when there might be a shortage of cash, which could help determine whether cutting expenditures or taking on a loan could help. It could also help determine if a surplus of cash is projected.

Pro forma cash flow statements cover short-, medium- and long-term time periods. 

The short-term method projects cash flow over several future weeks and is considered highly accurate. It takes into account cash payments for existing accounts payable and cash receipts from invoices that are outstanding.  

Pro forma cash flow for the medium-term refers to estimating revenues for items that haven’t been billed as well as expenses needed to support the revenue. You can do this by referencing your order backlog for several future months, which are translated into cash receipts. 

Though not considered very accurate, the long-term method takes into account budgeted revenues, which are translated into cash receipts. It also considers expenses, which equate to payments.

Pro Forma Balance Sheet 

A company’s balance sheet shows a company’s financial position and it’s made up of assets, liabilities and equity. When creating a pro forma balance sheet, you might consider if any assets will be purchased, any investments will be sold or any debt will be paid. 

In the business lending world, lenders will look at a company’s pro forma balance sheet to determine the debt-to-equity ratio for additional lending. If it’s too high, borrowing may not be available.

How to Prepare Pro Forma Financial Statements

To prepare a pro forma statement, you can use a financial statement template or pro forma sample spreadsheets , like these from Smartsheet.

When building pro forma financial statements, be sure to use realistic, conservative figures.

To prepare your pro forma income statement, you’ll need to determine your estimated revenue projections. 

Then estimate all of your costs and liabilities, such as loans, rent, payroll, taxes, etc. 

After this, use your costs and revenue projections to find out what your future net income might be. 

You can then determine the net effect on cash based on the hypothetical scenario.

It’s important to note that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has guidelines to govern the preparation of pro forma financial statements for public companies.

Pro Forma Modeling With Ratios

One tool that lenders use to evaluate the performance and financial health of a company is the calculation of financial ratios for various scenarios of revenues and expenses. Lenders use ratios to gauge a company’s liquidity, profit performance and debt-to-equity leverage.

Lenders want to feel comfortable that a business has sufficient working capital and liquidity to support its operations. For example, they will look at projections of changes in the current ratio, current assets divided by current liabilities, under different economic conditions to make sure that enough liquidity is being maintained.

Will the company be as profitable in the future as in past years? How profitable is the company compared to others in the same industry? Pro formas will show management’s expectations.

Prudent financial management requires a balance between the amount of debt a company owes compared to its equity base. 

Company management should look at their pro forma financials to make sure their ratios comply with lenders’ guidelines.

Issues With Pro-Forma Financial Statements

While pro forma financials are useful for management to evaluate the consequences of various alternatives, they can sometimes present more optimistic pictures of future results. GAAP requirements are often omitted from pro forma statements because they result in more negative reporting.

For example, GAAP requires deductions for such expenses as depreciation, amortization , restructuring expenses, one-time costs, stock payouts and employee stock options. Management might not feel that some of these expenses affect cash flow or are not part of normal operating costs, however.

Litigation is another area of difference between GAAP and pro forma financials. Occasionally, a company may receive an adverse judgment in a lawsuit. GAAP would require that this expense be reported on the company’s income statement, but management would not consider this to be a recurring expense and may elect to prepare pro forma statements that reflect normal operating results.

However, ongoing litigation might be a regularly occurring cost in some businesses, such as medical devices, and should be reported as a normal cost of doing business.

Pro Forma Statements and Budgets

The preparation of pro forma statements in various economic environments is useful for management to examine the consequences of rises in expenses or economic downturns. With the best guesses of future results, managers can prepare budgets for all departments to deal with the expected conditions.

The opposite is also true. Optimistic pro forma financials help managers prepare for increases in sales and profits. They may need to increase purchases of inventory, hire additional staff, lease more warehouse space and secure additional lending to finance the rise in current assets.

Management’s responsibility is to never get caught by surprise, anticipate changes and always be prepared for upcoming conditions. Pro forma financial statements are essential tools to meet those obligations.

They Are Essential ‘What If’ Modeling Tools

Pro forma statements are versatile. Managers can use them to play with various what-if scenarios. This might be the introduction of a new product, the acquisition of another company, the purchase of new equipment or the closing of a money-losing division. The objective is to examine various alternatives and determine the best course for the business.

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“As a matter of” or “For the sake of form”

What does Pro Forma Mean?

Pro forma is Latin for “as a matter of” or “for the sake of form.” It is used primarily in reference to the presentation of information in a formal way, assuming or forecasting pieces of information that may be unavailable.

In most cases, pro forma documentation is used to present a reasonable representation of what an anticipated occurrence will look like, often a cash expense for shipments. Pro forma statements show the underlying assumptions about the shipment and what the documentation will look like if the assumptions are proven true.

Pro Forma Income Statements

Pro forma statements are useful with regard to tracking future financial direction and occurrences, often including some historical numbers to help account for what the projected outcomes should look like. In the event that the projected numbers show that profits are likely to drop, the pro forma statement allows a company to see the need for changes in its operations to prevent decreased profitability. The changes can include cutting costs or increasing the price of goods and services.

Pro forma income statements are important because of the information they can offer a company. If, for example, it is preparing to produce new goods, the financial statements can help forecast if producing the new goods will cause expenses to increase. This enables the company to accommodate any potential for profit/loss by changing production strategy , materials, or even the rate at, or timing of, the production of the goods.

Letters of Intent

Pro forma documents, in any form, are essentially like letters of intent , expressing what an invoice or transaction is anticipated to look like after completion. The documents are often used to express interest in business transactions or reveal the intended purpose and outcome of the transaction.

Any documents that deal with a company and its earnings must follow the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) , established by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). For small businesses, application for a Small Business Administration loan often requires the production of a pro forma financial document. Regardless of the arena in which a pro forma document is used, it is an important tool for forecasting outcomes and ensuring that the desired outcomes are met.

Additional Resources

CFI offers the Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA)™ certification program for those looking to take their careers to the next level. To keep learning and advancing your career, the following CFI resources will be helpful:

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• Source Documents
• Three Financial Statements
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What is a Pro Forma Financial Statement? Definition & Uses

Jeffery is a businessman who deals in computers and is doing well in his venture. He thinks of expansion but is skeptical about entering into a new side of his ongoing profitable business. He has questions like ‘what if he buys a new line of business' or 'what if he loses an account' or 'what if his tax liabilities increase.' Such "What if" questions make it imperative for Jeffery and other businesses to make pro forma financial statements that provide the opportunity to run a variety of virtual scenarios and understand their potential effect on organizations.

The term "proforma" is a Latin word that means "according to form". So, what are pro forma financial statements? Let us understand here.

Table of Contents

Why create pro forma financial statements, benefits of creating pro forma financial statements, pro forma financial statements vs. budget, types of pro forma financial statements, how to create pro forma financial statements, how do you create pro forma financial statements - balance sheet, to create pro forma financial statements - balance sheet, to create pro forma financial statements – income statement, to create pro forma financial statements – cash flow statement, creating a pro forma financial statements - balance sheet, how can deskera help you, key takeaways.

The definition and meaning of pro forma financial statements

According to Merriam-Webster, “pro forma” means something that is created or executed superficially or formally or a statement that is based on financial assumptions or forecasts. From an accounting perspective, pro forma financial statements are revenue and cost reports of a business based on an assumption or a fictitious scenario. These are ways to test what might happen in the future to help you make business decisions. There are three important pro forma financial statements:

• Proforma Income Statement
• Proforma balance sheet
• Proforma cash flow statement

Estimated financial statements are prepared by the company based on assumptions regarding historical events or occurrences that may take place in the future. These statements help in making budgets and provide outsiders with an overview of the company's results because they present the organization's forecasts for future periods based on specific assumptions. Pro forma financial statements are established on what-ifs rather than actual financial results.

The pro forma financial statements correspond to potential outcomes and are not considered to follow GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles). They don’t have to meet the formal accounting standards, and cannot be used for tax returns, etc. You could invite a penalty by the Securities and Exchange Commission if you use a proforma statement that is not so specified to falsely convey your company to investors.

However, pro forma financial statements help you create business plans, make financial forecasts, and get money from potential investors and lenders.

• Creating proforma statements can help businesses:
• Raise funds by showing investors how businesses plan to spend their funds to potentially scale and grow their business
• These statements help businesses to take a closer look at all kinds of likely scenarios to plan for the future
• The pro forma financial statements help to predict changes that may impact your growing business
• Large companies use pro forma financial statements for forecasting and financial shaping of varied scenarios

1. Testing Technique

These are very useful business planning tools as they can be compared side by side based on various financial forecasts that will help you decide between two possible strategies. This is a form of A / B testing for strategic business management and planning.

2. Predict the influence of financial decisions

You can use pro forma financial statements to predict the impact of financial decisions; for example, if you are considering refinancing your debt, or if your business is trying to set a new tax rate, you can use the pro forma financial statements to determine the impact of your decision on your business and plan for the future.

3. Raising funds

If you're looking for an investment, you can provide lenders and investors with pro forma financial statements that can show them how you plan to scale your business. Pro forma financial statements are often a prerequisite for investment.

4. Historical efficiency

Pro forma financial statements provide insights into the company's historical health and focus on the company's future. You can create these statements for risk analysis, investment forecasting, and viewing expected results before the end of the financial period.

5. Management Decisions

Pro forma financial statements help in decision-making and strategic planning. These statements allow you to directly compare the possible results to determine which is better and guide you through the planning process.

Both pro forma financial statements and budgets are an anticipation of the future and can decide you intend to spend your money. However, budgets and proforma statements are two different financial tools. Pro forma financial statements are forecasts and budgets are planned. Budgets are formulated based on pro forma financial statements to plan based on expectations.

For Example:

Jeffrey’s current year's income is $20,000. He prepares his pro forma financial statements that predict the income to rise to $35000 next year. So, when you budget for next year, you can take that extra $15,000 into account. You'll probably spend the extra predicted earnings to repay a loan principal or simply add to your savings.

There are four main types of pro forma financial statements depending on the purpose of your financial forecast.

1. Year-round proforma guidance

Pro forma financial statements forecast captures all year-to-date financial data and then adds forecast results for the rest of the year. This allows investors and partners to see the financial status of the company at the end of the fiscal year.

2. Pro forma financial statements for financing or investment

Perhaps you are courting an investor or trying to convince your business partner of the value of your investment or additional funding. In this case, you can create a case using external cash injections that shows how this affects your company's financial position.

3. Pro forma financial statements based on business History

This type of forecast looks at the company's historical financial statements or the financial status of a merger in the past. This scenario can be used as a possible future model if you buy another company and rebuild it now.

4. Prediction for Risk Analysis

Considering the best and worst scenarios, pro forma financial statements will help you make face challenges in the future. For example, you can better equip your business to deal with inflation or rise in prices, for checking your affordability to expand or purchase new equipment and experiment with different results.

1. Pro forma financial statements – Balance Sheets

Pro forma financial statements – balance sheets are formulated based on the outlining of the future financial position of the business after the proposed transaction occurs.

2. Pro forma financial statements – Income Statement

Proforma revenue, often found in the form of a proforma income statement, represents start-up revenue in a tuned format, excluding certain costs. As a result, the proforma income statement shows what a start-up’s revenue would look like if certain inflows were excluded.

3. Pro forma financial statements - Cash Flow Statement

A cash flow proforma statement is a practice in which a voluntary statement regarding cash is reported to present a financial forecast. This is considered an estimate of the expected cash flow at a particular point in the future.

Balance sheets systematically organize your financial forecasts in a tabular format to help start-ups manage their assets better and achieve better future results. This minimizes the various types of surprises.

Step 1 – Identify the Current Assets

The pro forma financial statements - balance sheet must contain current assets like accounts receivable and cash and then cover income that is within the scope of this financial statement. The claimed rationale should include the current income and the general schedule that follows the bill payment.

Step 2 – Fixed Assets

To be included in total fixed assets , the proforma balance sheet must include fixed or long-term assets. Examples of long-term assets are tangible assets such as land, cars, and buildings. Before you can calculate total (long-term) assets, you need to calculate individual assets. For example, considering that the value of land is not depreciated over time, the value of land will be the same as the original purchase price. Buildings and vehicles, on the other hand, are subject to depreciation, so you need to calculate their value. You need to subtract this from the initial purchase price to calculate the asset value.

Step 3 - Total assets

After calculating steps 1 and 2, you should be ready with the total asset value. The estimated total asset value is equal to the sum of the current and long-term asset values calculated in the previous two steps.

Step 4 - Total debt Liability

This includes expenses expected to be incurred on the Proforma balance sheet. Examples of such costs are accounts payable, wages paid, credit payments, mortgage payments, etc. Returning to the example of the proforma balance sheet, such financial statements should include the amount that the start-up should pay for the month for example the cost paid to consultants, marketing agents, team members, workers, etc. After the values of all these liabilities have been recorded, they must be added together to calculate the final value of the total liabilities.

Step 5. Tabulating the Balance sheet

Finally, wrap up all your data and subtract your total liabilities from your total assets to see if your start-up has enough assets to continue. In this case, you may need to borrow or cut costs.

The following steps should be followed in a proforma income statement:

• Step 1. Set a sales target for the review period – for example, if Jeffrey wants to enhance his revenue by $18,000 in a year, the same should be considered here
• Step 2. Establish a production schedule that will help you reach your goals and plan them over the period covered
• Step 3. Plan how to adjust the production schedule. To do this, increase your monthly sales by a fixed amount or gradually increase your monthly sales. It's up to you-trust your experience as an entrepreneur
• Step 4. It is the time of the "Loss" part of "Gain and Loss". Calculate the monthly cost of goods sold in the forecast. Then subtract it from your sales. It also deducts all other business costs you have
• Step 5. Create a proforma income statement using the data collected in the previous four steps. If the accounting is up to date, the proforma statement will be much more accurate. Thus, when predicting future periods, it is based on the reality of today's business

Create a To Create Pro Forma Financial Statements – cash flow statement, should be treated and made just like a regular cash flow statement. This means getting information from your income statement and using the form of a cash flow statement to keep track of where your money goes and what you have at hand.

Expected cash flows can give several insights. If it is negative, it means that you do not have enough cash on hand to run your business according and you may have to contact lenders or investors to out in your business. If the cash flow shows a positive figure, you can plan how to spend the surplus. You can either think of repaying an existing loan or saving by investing in the surplus.

You can use the information in the income statement and cash flow statement to create proforma financial statements. However, to make this convenient, you also need your old balance sheet. This allows you to see how your company has moved from Balance Sheet A to Balance Sheet B. The balance sheet predicts changes in your business account over time. This allows you to plan where and when to move your money.

Pro Forma Financial Statements are an insightful way to investigate fictitious scenarios, but it's important to remember that they are based on forecasts, not facts. Therefore, it is quite possible that the predictions made by the Pro Forma Financial Statements will not be completely inaccurate and may have fallacies.

Therefore, you need to be excessively careful when valuing these types of Pro Forma Financial Statements and use them in combination with other financial statements to get a clearer picture of the company's actual financial position.

Deskera Books is an online accounting , invoicing , and inventory management software that is designed to make your life easy. A one-stop solution, it caters to all your business needs, from creating invoices and tracking expenses to viewing all your financial documents whenever you need them.

• Pro Forma Financial Statements are based on developments that may occur in the future or that may have occurred in the past
• You can create full-year Pro Forma Financial Statements forecasts and investment proforma forecasts
• Pro Forma Financial Statements use existing and historical data as the basis for representing the estimated future state of the start-up after the proposed transaction occurs
• Proforma revenue, often presented in the form of a proforma income statement, represents adjusted start-up revenue, excluding certain costs
• Proforma cash flow statements are a common accounting practice in which these are reported to represent financial forecasts
• Pro Forma Financial Statements accounts have become an important tool for businesses and serve as an efficient mechanism for planning the future and predicting, managing, mitigating, and assessing the risks associated with start-up capital

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How to Create Pro Forma Financial Statements

March 14, 2023

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by Casey Clark

CEO, Co-Founder

Chicago, IL

As a business partner, he helps his clients get a holistic view of their financial health by slowing down to talk about numbers. Then, he breaks down even complex problems into one or two elements to help them break through their barriers of growth.

July 27, 2022

It’s impossible to predict the future performance of your company, but a pro forma income statement is an asset that can help. In Latin, “pro format” means “for the sake of the form”. A pro forma financial statement is a way to forecast your future earnings over a particular period. By using historical financial statements and your projected cash flow, you can help determine how your business will perform in various scenarios.

At Cultivate Advisors, our revenue management consultants can help you put together a pro forma income statement to give you confidence and insight into how your company will perform in various scenarios. 

What Is a Pro Forma Financial Statement?

Pro forma statements utilize hypothetical data or assumptions about the future values of your company to project performance. A pro forma statement doesn’t use generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and typically excludes one-time expenses that aren’t part of standard operating expenses, such as any restructuring costs following a merger. If a company believes an expense obscures the accuracy of its financial outlook, it can be excluded when factoring in financial projections. 

Why Does Your Business Need a Pro Forma Financial Statement?

In addition to understanding how to make a pro forma income statement, companies also need to know the reasoning behind creating pro forma statements. There are many benefits to doing so in predicting the accuracy of future periods, including:

• Allows you to better plan for the future by factoring in the best, worst, and most likely scenarios in greater detail;
• Shows investors or lenders how you would leverage their money to help grow your business in a sustainable way;
• Helps you anticipate changes to your cash flow statements as your business grows, such as financial documents that revolve around entering a new tax bracket;
• Pinpoints financial limitations of which you should be aware.

In accounting, pro forma total expenses are usually used in a financial forecast that can help with financial modeling. 

Pro Forma Statements vs. Budget: What Is the Difference?

You might be wondering how a pro forma balance sheet differs from a budget, as it’s likely tempting to think about the two as the same thing. Although the two documents share commonalities, they are two distinct financial tools that you can use to benefit your business.

Another simplistic way to think about a budget versus a pro forma is that a budget is a set plan while a pro forma is more of a prediction. It’s possible that your budget is based on the financial information that’s found in your pro forma statement. This makes sense, as you’ll want to make plans based on your predictions.

For example, let’s say your business has an income this year of $100,000. Based on your pro forma annual income statement, next year’s income will be $107,000. When you are putting together the budget for next year, you can factor in that $7,000 difference.

Pro Forma and GAAP Financials: What Is the Difference?

As there are no official rules when it comes to putting together pro forma income statements, investors must distinguish the difference between those and statements using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) or standard accounting practices. There are strict guidelines when using GAAP while pro forma income statement figures are seen as hypothetical. 

4 Main Types of Pro Forma Statements

There are four main types of pro forma statements that you can use to manage your cash flows and the financial health of your business.

• Pro forma balance sheets : This is similar to a traditional balance sheet as it shows the accounts receivable, your cash flow statements, and other pertinent financial information. Business decisions and a business plan can be made based on this information.
• Pro forma cash flow : Another type of pro forma document is a pro forma cash flow that shows both you and potential investors the outflows and inflows of your company’s financial results within a set period that you determine. For example, it might cover a quarter or a fiscal year.
• Pro forma earnings : Using a pro forma earnings report can help you predict how your revenue will change in the upcoming year. It’s the inverse of a total expenses projection and allows you and key decision-makers to plan for various changes in your net income.
• Pro forma total expenses : This allows you to predict how your operating expenses will change in the year ahead.

Purposes of Pro Forma Statements

As we discussed, there are four essential types of pro forma statements, but there are slightly different scenarios for each. The purpose of the financial forecast will impact which one you choose.

1. Full-year Pro Forma Projections

A full-year projection factors in all of your financials for the fiscal year up until the present time. It then adds your projected cash flow outcomes for the remainder of the year. This allows you to showcase to partners or investors the potential of the business finances by the end of the fiscal year.

2. Financing or Investment Pro Forma Projections 

If you’re talking to multiple investors to get their capital investment or you’re striving to convince your business partners that there’s value in additional financing, you should use a financing pro forma projection to help establish your case and outline the risk analysis. This factors in an additional cash flow from an outside source in addition to any interest payments that are factored in. It displays how this will impact your business’s overall financial position.

3. Historical with Acquisition Pro Forma Projections 

As the name suggests, this pro forma projection considers the previous financial statements of your company in addition to the past financial statements of a company that you are hoping to purchase. It combines these numbers to showcase what your financials would have looked like in the case that you combined businesses earlier. You can use this data from the proposed transaction as a guide to what your projected income statement would be in the future and restructure from there.

4. Risk Analysis Pro Forma Projection 

Examining both the best-case scenario and the worst-case scenario of your financial decisions, it helps you better prepare for the potential challenges that you might see in the future. For example, what if the estimated tax rate changes or you purchase new equipment that impacts you in the long run?

How to Make a Pro Forma Income Statement

Generally speaking, to create a pro forma income statement, you’ll want to follow the below five steps.

• Start by setting a sales goal for the particular time period at which you’re looking. In our example, let’s say you want to increase your income by $12,000 over the course of one year.
• Set a production schedule that allows you to reach your goal and map it out over the covered time period. In this case, you’ll need to make an extra $1,000 every month to meet your goal.
• Then you’ll want to map out how you’ll match your production schedule to achieve your goals. There’s more than one way to do this; you can achieve this by increasing your number of sales by a fixed amount each month, or you can do so in a gradual way. Your experience as a business owner can guide you in the right direction.
• At this point, you’ll want to factor in the loss by determining the cost of goods sold for every month within your projection. From there, deduct that number, as well as any other operating costs, from your overall sales.
• Finally, prepare your pro forma income statement using the above data that you’ve compiled.

As a pro tip, you’ll always want to ensure that your bookkeeping is up to date, including your gross profit and your net cash flow, as it allows you to come up with more accurate data. You can also use a   cash flow projection tool for guidance.

How to Create a Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement

In order to create a pro forma cash statement, there are five general steps that you can follow:

• Start by setting a sales goal for the particular period that you’re considering. For example, maybe you are looking at a year, and you want to increase your income by $12,000 during this time.
• Next, set a production schedule that allows you to reach your goal and project it over that same time period. In the case of our example, you would need to earn an additional $1,000 every month for the next 12 months.
• Then, determine how you can match your production schedule. For example, you can do so by increasing your sales amount by a set amount monthly, or you can do so gradually. Utilize your expertise as a business owner.
• Make sure to calculate the “loss” portion of your “profit and loss.” To do so, calculate the cost of goods sold every month and deduct this number from your sales. If there are other expenses, these should be deducted.
• You’ll be able to prepare your pro forma income statement using the above information.

You can also use a cash flow projection tool to guide you through this process. 

How to Create a Pro Forma Balance Sheet

Start by taking the information from your income statement and using the cash flow statement to determine where your money is going. This statement can be part of a larger cash flow that’s used for financial accounting and decision-making.

This projected cash flow allows you to see whether you’ll have excess money to spend on things such as paying off loans or saving for an upcoming investment. 

How Cultivate Advisors Can Help

With Cultivate Advisors , we can help you navigate your pro forma expenses and leverage them to benefit your business. Whether you need help with your pro forma gross profit or you’re looking for information on an investment pro forma projection, we are here to help! Reach out to our revenue management consultants to get started. 

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Why You Need Pro Forma Financial Statements

How Pro Forma Financial Statements Can Help Your Business

Sakshi Udavant covers small business finance, entrepreneurship, and startup topics for The Balance. For over a decade, she has been a freelance journalist and marketing writer specializing in covering business, finance, technology. Her work has also been featured in scores of publications and media outlets including Business Insider, Chicago Tribune, The Independent, and Digital Privacy News.

What Are Pro Forma Financial Statements?

Types of pro forma financials, what pro forma financials do for your business, how to prepare pro forma statements, frequently asked questions (faqs).

Marc Romanelli / Getty Images

Planning and budgeting for business changes play crucial roles in operating a successful company. However, balance sheets, income statements, and similar finance-tracking documents focus only on the history of transactions and the current economic status of your company.

If you want to plan for upcoming economic changes, you need pro forma financial statements to predict future income, identify and control risks, and secure funding for your business.

Here’s a breakdown of what pro forma financials are, why they matter for your business, and the different types of pro forma financials you need to know about.

Key Takeaways

• Pro forma statements can help predict cash flow, analyze risks, and secure funding.
• There are three main types of pro forma statements: income sheet, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
• You can create pro forma statements by using online sample spreadsheets, templates, or existing financial statements in your accounts process.

Pro forma financial statements help businesses estimate future cash flow and plan for major changes without upfront investment.

“Pro forma financial statements provide a hypothetical look at how a company would perform based on a credible set of assumptions about one or more transactions which a company is contemplating,” said finance coach Tanya Taylor in a video interview with The Balance. “For example, what would a company's financials look like if it merges with another company to create new synergies, or alternatively if it sold one of its lines of business?”

These projections are generally made several years out into the future and are used as inputs into the valuation process, said Robert R. Johnson, professor of finance, Heider College of Business, Creighton University, in a separate email interview with The Balance.

Pro forma statements do not follow the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), because reports that comply with GAAP must rely on historical data and not anticipated cash flow .

There are three main types of pro forma statements, each with a different purpose. Taylor explained these as:

• Pro forma income statement : Also known as profit and loss (P&L) statements , these include predictions of upcoming revenues, cost of goods or services, and the company’s net profit .
• Pro forma balance sheet : These include any changes in the assets and liabilities of the business, including cash, receivables, inventories, account payables, and debt.
• Pro forma cash flow statement : These show the cash coming in and going out of the business as a result of the different hypothetical scenarios.

Pro forma statements can significantly benefit businesses by offering data for planning and predicting future economic changes, analyzing risks, securing funding, and making merging/selling decisions.

Here are some ways pro forma financials can benefit your company, no matter which stage of operation you’re at.

Securing Financing for Your Business

Pro forma financials offer businesses ways to make realistic assumptions about future growth rates and costs. According to Johnson, this is useful when you’re seeking outside capital (either debt or equity) to grow. “Potential capital suppliers will carefully examine pro forma financial statements (and the critical assumptions used in creating them) before committing capital to the firm,” Johnson said.

Assessing Potential Mergers

Pro forma statements offer a realistic estimate of what a merger would look like. For instance, “They can help you identify redundancies, and any new addition that needs to be made,” said Taylor. For example, through pro forma statements, you can identify that you may not need two accounting departments and two HR functions in a merger. The statements can also help you predict the economic changes that will come with the merger and how to ensure your business is ready for those.

Analyzing Risks and Planning for the Future

The hypothetical scenarios in pro forma financials can help analysts predict risks early and prepare for them before making any concrete changes.

“A key element of pro forma financials is that they allow analysts to change one or more key variables and see how the financial statements appear if certain variables are more or less optimistic than the base case,” Johnson said.

As an example, he explained that if the base case is that revenue grows by 20% over the next few years, one may want to lower that projected growth rate to, say, 10%, to see how the firm's financials look.

“This is called sensitivity analysis (determining the sensitivity of the firm's performance to different variables) and can help both firm insiders and potential suppliers of capital determine the risks of the firm,” Johnson added.

Using this as a tool, your business can come up with optimistic, realistic, and pessimistic future scenarios for the future of the company.

Creating pro forma statements is easy with dozens of free and paid tools available online.

You can use pro forma sample spreadsheets or work with an existing template in your accounting process. “There’s no need to over-engineer it,” Taylor said. “Start building the pro forma financials using the format of your current financial statements. If new lines are required, or certain lines need to be removed, make that adjustment.”

Another important thing to remember when preparing pro forma statements is to use credible data and not over-rely on hypothetical information, so your estimates are as close to accurate as possible. Taylor suggested starting the process with actual data that has been audited (if you have an auditor), or at a minimum have been validated as accurate.

Your business might benefit by following the SEC guidelines for public companies outlining how to use pro forma statements, even if you’re not a publicly traded business.

Remember pro forma financials are only a tool. These statements are useful for making estimates and analyzing future risks, but they’re not foolproof. So it’s best to use them in combination with other tools such as balance sheets , income statements , economic audits, and more.

Why do banks require pro forma financial statements?

Pro forma financial statements give banks information about your ability to make payments while continuing to run your business. “The statements also provide them with the assurance that you understand the operations of your business and what can cause fluctuations in your earnings,” said Taylor.

What do I use to create a pro forma statement?

Here are some prime examples of tools you can use to create a pro forma statement: 

• Excel spreadsheets
• Sample pro forma spreadsheets
• Pro forma templates
• Existing templates in your accounting process

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “ Cautionary Advice Regarding the Use of 'Pro Forma' Financial Information in Earnings Releases .”

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “ Beginners’ Guide to Financial Statement .”

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What Is a Business Plan?

Understanding business plans, how to write a business plan, common elements of a business plan, how often should a business plan be updated, the bottom line, business plan: what it is, what's included, and how to write one.

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

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A business plan is a document that details a company's goals and how it intends to achieve them. Business plans can be of benefit to both startups and well-established companies. For startups, a business plan can be essential for winning over potential lenders and investors. Established businesses can find one useful for staying on track and not losing sight of their goals. This article explains what an effective business plan needs to include and how to write one.

Key Takeaways

• A business plan is a document describing a company's business activities and how it plans to achieve its goals.
• Startup companies use business plans to get off the ground and attract outside investors.
• For established companies, a business plan can help keep the executive team focused on and working toward the company's short- and long-term objectives.
• There is no single format that a business plan must follow, but there are certain key elements that most companies will want to include.

Investopedia / Ryan Oakley

Any new business should have a business plan in place prior to beginning operations. In fact, banks and venture capital firms often want to see a business plan before they'll consider making a loan or providing capital to new businesses.

Even if a business isn't looking to raise additional money, a business plan can help it focus on its goals. A 2017 Harvard Business Review article reported that, "Entrepreneurs who write formal plans are 16% more likely to achieve viability than the otherwise identical nonplanning entrepreneurs."

Ideally, a business plan should be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect any goals that have been achieved or that may have changed. An established business that has decided to move in a new direction might create an entirely new business plan for itself.

There are numerous benefits to creating (and sticking to) a well-conceived business plan. These include being able to think through ideas before investing too much money in them and highlighting any potential obstacles to success. A company might also share its business plan with trusted outsiders to get their objective feedback. In addition, a business plan can help keep a company's executive team on the same page about strategic action items and priorities.

Business plans, even among competitors in the same industry, are rarely identical. However, they often have some of the same basic elements, as we describe below.

While it's a good idea to provide as much detail as necessary, it's also important that a business plan be concise enough to hold a reader's attention to the end.

While there are any number of templates that you can use to write a business plan, it's best to try to avoid producing a generic-looking one. Let your plan reflect the unique personality of your business.

Many business plans use some combination of the sections below, with varying levels of detail, depending on the company.

The length of a business plan can vary greatly from business to business. Regardless, it's best to fit the basic information into a 15- to 25-page document. Other crucial elements that take up a lot of space—such as applications for patents—can be referenced in the main document and attached as appendices.

These are some of the most common elements in many business plans:

• Executive summary: This section introduces the company and includes its mission statement along with relevant information about the company's leadership, employees, operations, and locations.
• Products and services: Here, the company should describe the products and services it offers or plans to introduce. That might include details on pricing, product lifespan, and unique benefits to the consumer. Other factors that could go into this section include production and manufacturing processes, any relevant patents the company may have, as well as proprietary technology . Information about research and development (R&D) can also be included here.
• Market analysis: A company needs to have a good handle on the current state of its industry and the existing competition. This section should explain where the company fits in, what types of customers it plans to target, and how easy or difficult it may be to take market share from incumbents.
• Marketing strategy: This section can describe how the company plans to attract and keep customers, including any anticipated advertising and marketing campaigns. It should also describe the distribution channel or channels it will use to get its products or services to consumers.
• Financial plans and projections: Established businesses can include financial statements, balance sheets, and other relevant financial information. New businesses can provide financial targets and estimates for the first few years. Your plan might also include any funding requests you're making.

The best business plans aren't generic ones created from easily accessed templates. A company should aim to entice readers with a plan that demonstrates its uniqueness and potential for success.

2 Types of Business Plans

Business plans can take many forms, but they are sometimes divided into two basic categories: traditional and lean startup. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) , the traditional business plan is the more common of the two.

• Traditional business plans : These plans tend to be much longer than lean startup plans and contain considerably more detail. As a result they require more work on the part of the business, but they can also be more persuasive (and reassuring) to potential investors.
• Lean startup business plans : These use an abbreviated structure that highlights key elements. These business plans are short—as short as one page—and provide only the most basic detail. If a company wants to use this kind of plan, it should be prepared to provide more detail if an investor or a lender requests it.

Why Do Business Plans Fail?

A business plan is not a surefire recipe for success. The plan may have been unrealistic in its assumptions and projections to begin with. Markets and the overall economy might change in ways that couldn't have been foreseen. A competitor might introduce a revolutionary new product or service. All of this calls for building some flexibility into your plan, so you can pivot to a new course if needed.

How frequently a business plan needs to be revised will depend on the nature of the business. A well-established business might want to review its plan once a year and make changes if necessary. A new or fast-growing business in a fiercely competitive market might want to revise it more often, such as quarterly.

What Does a Lean Startup Business Plan Include?

The lean startup business plan is an option when a company prefers to give a quick explanation of its business. For example, a brand-new company may feel that it doesn't have a lot of information to provide yet.

Sections can include: a value proposition ; the company's major activities and advantages; resources such as staff, intellectual property, and capital; a list of partnerships; customer segments; and revenue sources.

A business plan can be useful to companies of all kinds. But as a company grows and the world around it changes, so too should its business plan. So don't think of your business plan as carved in granite but as a living document designed to evolve with your business.

Harvard Business Review. " Research: Writing a Business Plan Makes Your Startup More Likely to Succeed ."

U.S. Small Business Administration. " Write Your Business Plan ."

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What is a Business Plan? Definition, Tips, and Templates

Published: June 07, 2023

In an era where more than 20% of small enterprises fail in their first year, having a clear, defined, and well-thought-out business plan is a crucial first step for setting up a business for long-term success.

Business plans are a required tool for all entrepreneurs, business owners, business acquirers, and even business school students. But … what exactly is a business plan?

In this post, we'll explain what a business plan is, the reasons why you'd need one, identify different types of business plans, and what you should include in yours.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a documented strategy for a business that highlights its goals and its plans for achieving them. It outlines a company's go-to-market plan, financial projections, market research, business purpose, and mission statement. Key staff who are responsible for achieving the goals may also be included in the business plan along with a timeline.

The business plan is an undeniably critical component to getting any company off the ground. It's key to securing financing, documenting your business model, outlining your financial projections, and turning that nugget of a business idea into a reality.

What is a business plan used for?

The purpose of a business plan is three-fold: It summarizes the organization’s strategy in order to execute it long term, secures financing from investors, and helps forecast future business demands.

Business Plan Template [ Download Now ]

Working on your business plan? Try using our Business Plan Template . Pre-filled with the sections a great business plan needs, the template will give aspiring entrepreneurs a feel for what a business plan is, what should be in it, and how it can be used to establish and grow a business from the ground up.

Purposes of a Business Plan

Chances are, someone drafting a business plan will be doing so for one or more of the following reasons:

1. Securing financing from investors.

Since its contents revolve around how businesses succeed, break even, and turn a profit, a business plan is used as a tool for sourcing capital. This document is an entrepreneur's way of showing potential investors or lenders how their capital will be put to work and how it will help the business thrive.

All banks, investors, and venture capital firms will want to see a business plan before handing over their money, and investors typically expect a 10% ROI or more from the capital they invest in a business.

Therefore, these investors need to know if — and when — they'll be making their money back (and then some). Additionally, they'll want to read about the process and strategy for how the business will reach those financial goals, which is where the context provided by sales, marketing, and operations plans come into play.

2. Documenting a company's strategy and goals.

A business plan should leave no stone unturned.

Business plans can span dozens or even hundreds of pages, affording their drafters the opportunity to explain what a business' goals are and how the business will achieve them.

To show potential investors that they've addressed every question and thought through every possible scenario, entrepreneurs should thoroughly explain their marketing, sales, and operations strategies — from acquiring a physical location for the business to explaining a tactical approach for marketing penetration.

These explanations should ultimately lead to a business' break-even point supported by a sales forecast and financial projections, with the business plan writer being able to speak to the why behind anything outlined in the plan.

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Fill out the form to access your free business plan., 3. legitimizing a business idea..

Everyone's got a great idea for a company — until they put pen to paper and realize that it's not exactly feasible.

A business plan is an aspiring entrepreneur's way to prove that a business idea is actually worth pursuing.

As entrepreneurs document their go-to-market process, capital needs, and expected return on investment, entrepreneurs likely come across a few hiccups that will make them second guess their strategies and metrics — and that's exactly what the business plan is for.

It ensures an entrepreneur's ducks are in a row before bringing their business idea to the world and reassures the readers that whoever wrote the plan is serious about the idea, having put hours into thinking of the business idea, fleshing out growth tactics, and calculating financial projections.

4. Getting an A in your business class.

Speaking from personal experience, there's a chance you're here to get business plan ideas for your Business 101 class project.

If that's the case, might we suggest checking out this post on How to Write a Business Plan — providing a section-by-section guide on creating your plan?

What does a business plan need to include?

• Business Plan Subtitle
• Executive Summary
• Company Description
• The Business Opportunity
• Competitive Analysis
• Target Market
• Marketing Plan
• Financial Summary
• Funding Requirements

1. Business Plan Subtitle

Every great business plan starts with a captivating title and subtitle. You’ll want to make it clear that the document is, in fact, a business plan, but the subtitle can help tell the story of your business in just a short sentence.

2. Executive Summary

Although this is the last part of the business plan that you’ll write, it’s the first section (and maybe the only section) that stakeholders will read. The executive summary of a business plan sets the stage for the rest of the document. It includes your company’s mission or vision statement, value proposition, and long-term goals.

3. Company Description

This brief part of your business plan will detail your business name, years in operation, key offerings, and positioning statement. You might even add core values or a short history of the company. The company description’s role in a business plan is to introduce your business to the reader in a compelling and concise way.

4. The Business Opportunity

The business opportunity should convince investors that your organization meets the needs of the market in a way that no other company can. This section explains the specific problem your business solves within the marketplace and how it solves them. It will include your value proposition as well as some high-level information about your target market.

5. Competitive Analysis

Just about every industry has more than one player in the market. Even if your business owns the majority of the market share in your industry or your business concept is the first of its kind, you still have competition. In the competitive analysis section, you’ll take an objective look at the industry landscape to determine where your business fits. A SWOT analysis is an organized way to format this section.

6. Target Market

Who are the core customers of your business and why? The target market portion of your business plan outlines this in detail. The target market should explain the demographics, psychographics, behavioristics, and geographics of the ideal customer.

7. Marketing Plan

Marketing is expansive, and it’ll be tempting to cover every type of marketing possible, but a brief overview of how you’ll market your unique value proposition to your target audience, followed by a tactical plan will suffice.

Think broadly and narrow down from there: Will you focus on a slow-and-steady play where you make an upfront investment in organic customer acquisition? Or will you generate lots of quick customers using a pay-to-play advertising strategy? This kind of information should guide the marketing plan section of your business plan.

8. Financial Summary

Money doesn’t grow on trees and even the most digital, sustainable businesses have expenses. Outlining a financial summary of where your business is currently and where you’d like it to be in the future will substantiate this section. Consider including any monetary information that will give potential investors a glimpse into the financial health of your business. Assets, liabilities, expenses, debt, investments, revenue, and more are all useful adds here.

So, you’ve outlined some great goals, the business opportunity is valid, and the industry is ready for what you have to offer. Who’s responsible for turning all this high-level talk into results? The "team" section of your business plan answers that question by providing an overview of the roles responsible for each goal. Don’t worry if you don’t have every team member on board yet, knowing what roles to hire for is helpful as you seek funding from investors.

10. Funding Requirements

Remember that one of the goals of a business plan is to secure funding from investors, so you’ll need to include funding requirements you’d like them to fulfill. The amount your business needs, for what reasons, and for how long will meet the requirement for this section.

Types of Business Plans

• Startup Business Plan
• Feasibility Business Plan
• Internal Business Plan
• Strategic Business Plan
• Business Acquisition Plan
• Business Repositioning Plan
• Expansion or Growth Business Plan

There’s no one size fits all business plan as there are several types of businesses in the market today. From startups with just one founder to historic household names that need to stay competitive, every type of business needs a business plan that’s tailored to its needs. Below are a few of the most common types of business plans.

For even more examples, check out these sample business plans to help you write your own .

1. Startup Business Plan

As one of the most common types of business plans, a startup business plan is for new business ideas. This plan lays the foundation for the eventual success of a business.

The biggest challenge with the startup business plan is that it’s written completely from scratch. Startup business plans often reference existing industry data. They also explain unique business strategies and go-to-market plans.

Because startup business plans expand on an original idea, the contents will vary by the top priority goals.

For example, say a startup is looking for funding. If capital is a priority, this business plan might focus more on financial projections than marketing or company culture.

2. Feasibility Business Plan

This type of business plan focuses on a single essential aspect of the business — the product or service. It may be part of a startup business plan or a standalone plan for an existing organization. This comprehensive plan may include:

• A detailed product description
• Market analysis
• Technology needs
• Production needs
• Financial sources
• Production operations

According to CBInsights research, 35% of startups fail because of a lack of market need. Another 10% fail because of mistimed products.

Some businesses will complete a feasibility study to explore ideas and narrow product plans to the best choice. They conduct these studies before completing the feasibility business plan. Then the feasibility plan centers on that one product or service.

3. Internal Business Plan

Internal business plans help leaders communicate company goals, strategy, and performance. This helps the business align and work toward objectives more effectively.

Besides the typical elements in a startup business plan, an internal business plan may also include:

• Department-specific budgets
• Target demographic analysis
• Market size and share of voice analysis
• Action plans
• Sustainability plans

Most external-facing business plans focus on raising capital and support for a business. But an internal business plan helps keep the business mission consistent in the face of change.

4. Strategic Business Plan

Strategic business plans focus on long-term objectives for your business. They usually cover the first three to five years of operations. This is different from the typical startup business plan which focuses on the first one to three years. The audience for this plan is also primarily internal stakeholders.

These types of business plans may include:

• Relevant data and analysis
• Assessments of company resources
• Vision and mission statements

It's important to remember that, while many businesses create a strategic plan before launching, some business owners just jump in. So, this business plan can add value by outlining how your business plans to reach specific goals. This type of planning can also help a business anticipate future challenges.

5. Business Acquisition Plan

Investors use business plans to acquire existing businesses, too — not just new businesses.

A business acquisition plan may include costs, schedules, or management requirements. This data will come from an acquisition strategy.

A business plan for an existing company will explain:

• How an acquisition will change its operating model
• What will stay the same under new ownership
• Why things will change or stay the same
• Acquisition planning documentation
• Timelines for acquisition

Additionally, the business plan should speak to the current state of the business and why it's up for sale.

For example, if someone is purchasing a failing business, the business plan should explain why the business is being purchased. It should also include:

• What the new owner will do to turn the business around
• Historic business metrics
• Sales projections after the acquisition
• Justification for those projections

6. Business Repositioning Plan

When a business wants to avoid acquisition, reposition its brand, or try something new, CEOs or owners will develop a business repositioning plan.

This plan will:

• Acknowledge the current state of the company.
• State a vision for the future of the company.
• Explain why the business needs to reposition itself.
• Outline a process for how the company will adjust.

Companies planning for a business reposition often do so — proactively or retroactively — due to a shift in market trends and customer needs.

For example, shoe brand AllBirds plans to refocus its brand on core customers and shift its go-to-market strategy. These decisions are a reaction to lackluster sales following product changes and other missteps.

7. Expansion or Growth Business Plan

When your business is ready to expand, a growth business plan creates a useful structure for reaching specific targets.

For example, a successful business expanding into another location can use a growth business plan. This is because it may also mean the business needs to focus on a new target market or generate more capital.

This type of plan usually covers the next year or two of growth. It often references current sales, revenue, and successes. It may also include:

• SWOT analysis
• Growth opportunity studies
• Financial goals and plans
• Marketing plans
• Capability planning

These types of business plans will vary by business, but they can help businesses quickly rally around new priorities to drive growth.

Getting Started With Your Business Plan

At the end of the day, a business plan is simply an explanation of a business idea and why it will be successful. The more detail and thought you put into it, the more successful your plan — and the business it outlines — will be.

When writing your business plan, you’ll benefit from extensive research, feedback from your team or board of directors, and a solid template to organize your thoughts. If you need one of these, download HubSpot's Free Business Plan Template below to get started.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in August 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Free Business Plan Template for Small Businesses (2024)

Use this free business plan template to write your business plan quickly and efficiently.

A good business plan is essential to successfully starting your business —  and the easiest way to simplify the work of writing a business plan is to start with a business plan template.

You’re already investing time and energy in refining your business model and planning your launch—there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to writing a business plan. Instead, to help build a complete and effective plan, lean on time-tested structures created by other  entrepreneurs and startups. 

Ahead, learn what it takes to create a solid business plan and download Shopify's free business plan template to get started on your dream today. 

What this free business plan template includes

• Executive summary
• Company overview
• Products or services offered
• Market analysis
• Marketing plan
• Logistics and operations plan
• Financial plan

This business plan outline is designed to ensure you’re thinking through all of the important facets of starting a new business. It’s intended to help new business owners and entrepreneurs consider the full scope of running a business and identify functional areas they may not have considered or where they may need to level up their skills as they grow.

That said, it may not include the specific details or structure preferred by a potential investor or lender. If your goal with a business plan is to secure funding , check with your target organizations—typically banks or investors—to see if they have business plan templates you can follow to maximize your chances of success.

Our free business plan template includes seven key elements typically found in the traditional business plan format:

1. Executive summary

This is a one-page summary of your whole plan, typically written after the rest of the plan is completed. The description section of your executive summary will also cover your management team, business objectives and strategy, and other background information about the brand. 

2. Company overview

This section of your business plan will answer two fundamental questions: “Who are you?” and “What do you plan to do?” Answering these questions clarifies why your company exists, what sets it apart from others, and why it’s a good investment opportunity. This section will detail the reasons for your business’s existence, its goals, and its guiding principles.

3. Products or services offered

What you sell and the most important features of your products or services. It also includes any plans for intellectual property, like patent filings or copyright. If you do market research for new product lines, it will show up in this section of your business plan.

4. Market analysis

This section includes everything from estimated market size to your target markets and competitive advantage. It’ll include a competitive analysis of your industry to address competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. Market research is an important part of ensuring you have a viable idea.

5. Marketing plan

How you intend to get the word out about your business, and what strategic decisions you’ve made about things like your pricing strategy. It also covers potential customers’ demographics, your sales plan, and your metrics and milestones for success.

6. Logistics and operations plan

Everything that needs to happen to turn your raw materials into products and get them into the hands of your customers.

7. Financial plan

It’s important to include a look at your financial projections, including both revenue and expense projections. This section includes templates for three key financial statements: an income statement, a balance sheet, and a cash-flow statement . You can also include whether or not you need a business loan and how much you’ll need.

Business plan examples

What do financial projections look like on paper? How do you write an executive summary? What should your company description include?  Business plan examples  can help answer some of these questions and transform your business idea into an actionable plan.

Professional business plan example

Inside our template, we’ve filled out a sample business plan featuring a fictional ecommerce business . 

The sample is set up to help you get a sense of each section and understand how they apply to the planning and evaluation stages of a business plan. If you’re looking for funding, this example won’t be a complete or formal look at business plans, but it will give you a great place to start and notes about where to expand.

Lean business plan example

A lean business plan format is a shortened version of your more detailed business plan. It’s helpful when modifying your plan for a specific audience, like investors or new hires. 

Also known as a one-page business plan, it includes only the most important, need-to-know information, such as:

• Company description
• Key members of your team
• Customer segments

💡 Tip: For a step-by-step guide to creating a lean business plan (including a sample business plan), read our guide on how to create a lean business plan .

Benefits of writing a solid business plan

It’s tempting to dive right into execution when you’re excited about a new business or side project, but taking the time to write a thorough business plan and get your thoughts on paper allows you to do a number of beneficial things:

• Test the viability of your business idea. Whether you’ve got one business idea or many, business plans can make an idea more tangible, helping you see if it’s truly viable and ensure you’ve found a target market. 
• Plan for your next phase. Whether your goal is to start a new business or scale an existing business to the next level, a business plan can help you understand what needs to happen and identify gaps to address.
• Clarify marketing strategy, goals, and tactics. Writing a business plan can show you the actionable next steps to take on a big, abstract idea. It can also help you narrow your strategy and identify clear-cut tactics that will support it.
• Scope the necessary work. Without a concrete plan, cost overruns and delays are all but certain. A business plan can help you see the full scope of work to be done and adjust your investment of time and money accordingly.
• Hire and build partnerships. When you need buy-in from potential employees and business partners, especially in the early stages of your business, a clearly written business plan is one of the best tools at your disposal. A business plan provides a refined look at your goals for the business, letting partners judge for themselves whether or not they agree with your vision.
• Secure funds. Seeking financing for your business—whether from venture capital, financial institutions, or Shopify Capital —is one of the most common reasons to create a business plan.

Why you should you use a template for a business plan

A business plan can be as informal or formal as your situation calls for, but even if you’re a fan of the back-of-the-napkin approach to planning, there are some key benefits to starting your plan from an existing outline or simple business plan template.

No blank-page paralysis

A blank page can be intimidating to even the most seasoned writers. Using an established business planning process and template can help you get past the inertia of starting your business plan, and it allows you to skip the work of building an outline from scratch. You can always adjust a template to suit your needs.

Guidance on what to include in each section

If you’ve never sat through a business class, you might never have created a SWOT analysis or financial projections. Templates that offer guidance—in plain language—about how to fill in each section can help you navigate sometimes-daunting business jargon and create a complete and effective plan.

Knowing you’ve considered every section

In some cases, you may not need to complete every section of a startup business plan template, but its initial structure shows you you’re choosing to omit a section as opposed to forgetting to include it in the first place.

Tips for creating a successful business plan

There are some high-level strategic guidelines beyond the advice included in this free business plan template that can help you write an effective, complete plan while minimizing busywork.

Understand the audience for your plan

If you’re writing a business plan for yourself in order to get clarity on your ideas and your industry as a whole, you may not need to include the same level of detail or polish you would with a business plan you want to send to potential investors. Knowing who will read your plan will help you decide how much time to spend on it.

Know your goals

Understanding the goals of your plan can help you set the right scope. If your goal is to use the plan as a roadmap for growth, you may invest more time in it than if your goal is to understand the competitive landscape of a new industry.

Take it step by step

Writing a 10- to 15-page document can feel daunting, so try to tackle one section at a time. Select a couple of sections you feel most confident writing and start there—you can start on the next few sections once those are complete. Jot down bullet-point notes in each section before you start writing to organize your thoughts and streamline the writing process.

Maximize your business planning efforts

Planning is key to the financial success of any type of business , whether you’re a startup, non-profit, or corporation.

To make sure your efforts are focused on the highest-value parts of your own business planning, like clarifying your goals, setting a strategy, and understanding the target market and competitive landscape, lean on a business plan outline to handle the structure and format for you. Even if you eventually omit sections, you’ll save yourself time and energy by starting with a framework already in place.

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Business plan template FAQ

What is the purpose of a business plan.

The purpose of your business plan is to describe a new business opportunity or an existing one. It clarifies the business strategy, marketing plan, financial forecasts, potential providers, and more information about the company.

How do I write a simple business plan?

• Choose a business plan format, such as a traditional or a one-page business plan. 
• Find a business plan template.
• Read through a business plan sample.
• Fill in the sections of your business plan.

What is the best business plan template?

If you need help writing a business plan, Shopify’s template is one of the most beginner-friendly options you’ll find. It’s comprehensive, well-written, and helps you fill out every section.

What are the 5 essential parts of a business plan?

The five essential parts of a traditional business plan include:

• Executive summary: This is a brief overview of the business plan, summarizing the key points and highlighting the main points of the plan.
• Business description: This section outlines the business concept and how it will be executed.
• Market analysis: This section provides an in-depth look at the target market and how the business will compete in the marketplace.
• Financial plan: This section details the financial projections for the business, including sales forecasts, capital requirements, and a break-even analysis.
• Management and organization: This section describes the management team and the organizational structure of the business.

Are there any free business plan templates?

There are several free templates for business plans for small business owners available online, including Shopify’s own version. Download a copy for your business.

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14 Reasons Why You Need a Business Plan

10 min. read

Updated May 10, 2024

There’s no question that starting and running a business is hard work. But it’s also incredibly rewarding. And, one of the most important things you can do to increase your chances of success is to have a business plan.

A business plan is a foundational document that is essential for any company, no matter the size or age. From attracting potential investors to keeping your business on track—a business plan helps you achieve important milestones and grow in the right direction.

A business plan isn’t just a document you put together once when starting your business. It’s a living, breathing guide for existing businesses – one that business owners should revisit and update regularly.

Unfortunately, writing a business plan is often a daunting task for potential entrepreneurs. So, do you really need a business plan? Is it really worth the investment of time and resources? Can’t you just wing it and skip the whole planning process?

Good questions. Here’s every reason why you need a business plan.

• 1. Business planning is proven to help you grow 30 percent faster

Writing a business plan isn’t about producing a document that accurately predicts the future of your company. The  process  of writing your plan is what’s important. Writing your plan and reviewing it regularly gives you a better window into what you need to do to achieve your goals and succeed. 

You don’t have to just take our word for it. Studies have  proven that companies that plan  and review their results regularly grow 30 percent faster. Beyond faster growth, research also shows that companies that plan actually perform better. They’re less likely to become one of those woeful failure statistics, or experience  cash flow crises  that threaten to close them down. 

• 2. Planning is a necessary part of the fundraising process

One of the top reasons to have a business plan is to make it easier to raise money for your business. Without a business plan, it’s difficult to know how much money you need to raise, how you will spend the money once you raise it, and what your budget should be.

Investors want to know that you have a solid plan in place – that your business is headed in the right direction and that there is long-term potential in your venture. 

A business plan shows that your business is serious and that there are clearly defined steps on how it aims to become successful. It also demonstrates that you have the necessary competence to make that vision a reality. 

Investors, partners, and creditors will want to see detailed financial forecasts for your business that shows how you plan to grow and how you plan on spending their money. 

• 3. Having a business plan minimizes your risk

When you’re just starting out, there’s so much you don’t know—about your customers, your competition, and even about operations. 

As a business owner, you signed up for some of that uncertainty when you started your business, but there’s a lot you can  do to reduce your risk . Creating and reviewing your business plan regularly is a great way to uncover your weak spots—the flaws, gaps, and assumptions you’ve made—and develop contingency plans. 

Your business plan will also help you define budgets and revenue goals. And, if you’re not meeting your goals, you can quickly adjust spending plans and create more realistic budgets to keep your business healthy.

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• 4. Crafts a roadmap to achieve important milestones

A business plan is like a roadmap for your business. It helps you set, track and reach business milestones. 

For your plan to function in this way, your business plan should first outline your company’s short- and long-term goals. You can then fill in the specific steps necessary to reach those goals. This ensures that you measure your progress (or lack thereof) and make necessary adjustments along the way to stay on track while avoiding costly detours.

In fact, one of the top reasons why new businesses fail is due to bad business planning. Combine this with inflexibility and you have a recipe for disaster.

And planning is not just for startups. Established businesses benefit greatly from revisiting their business plan. It keeps them on track, even when the global market rapidly shifts as we’ve seen in recent years.

• 5. A plan helps you figure out if your idea can become a business

To turn your idea into reality, you need to accurately assess the feasibility of your business idea.

You need to verify:

• If there is a market for your product or service
• Who your target audience is
• How you will gain an edge over the current competition
• If your business can run profitably

A business plan forces you to take a step back and look at your business objectively, which makes it far easier to make tough decisions down the road. Additionally, a business plan helps you to identify risks and opportunities early on, providing you with the necessary time to come up with strategies to address them properly.

Finally, a business plan helps you work through the nuts and bolts of how your business will work financially and if it can become sustainable over time.

6. You’ll make big spending decisions with confidence

As your business grows, you’ll have to figure out when to hire new employees, when to expand to a new location, or whether you can afford a major purchase. 

These are always major spending decisions, and if you’re regularly reviewing the forecasts you mapped out in your business plan, you’re going to have better information to use to make your decisions.

7. You’re more likely to catch critical cash flow challenges early

The other side of those major spending decisions is understanding and monitoring your business’s cash flow. Your  cash flow statement  is one of the three key financial statements you’ll put together for your business plan. (The other two are your  balance sheet  and your  income statement  (P&L). 

Reviewing your cash flow statement regularly as part of your regular business plan review will help you see potential cash flow challenges earlier so you can take action to avoid a cash crisis where you can’t pay your bills. 

• 8. Position your brand against the competition

Competitors are one of the factors that you need to take into account when starting a business. Luckily, competitive research is an integral part of writing a business plan. It encourages you to ask questions like:

• What is your competition doing well? What are they doing poorly?
• What can you do to set yourself apart?
• What can you learn from them?
• How can you make your business stand out?
• What key business areas can you outcompete?
• How can you identify your target market?

Finding answers to these questions helps you solidify a strategic market position and identify ways to differentiate yourself. It also proves to potential investors that you’ve done your homework and understand how to compete. 

• 9. Determines financial needs and revenue models

A vital part of starting a business is understanding what your expenses will be and how you will generate revenue to cover those expenses. Creating a business plan helps you do just that while also defining ongoing financial needs to keep in mind. 

Without a business model, it’s difficult to know whether your business idea will generate revenue. By detailing how you plan to make money, you can effectively assess the viability and scalability of your business. 

Understanding this early on can help you avoid unnecessary risks and start with the confidence that your business is set up to succeed.

• 10. Helps you think through your marketing strategy

A business plan is a great way to document your marketing plan. This will ensure that all of your marketing activities are aligned with your overall goals. After all, a business can’t grow without customers and you’ll need a strategy for acquiring those customers. 

Your business plan should include information about your target market, your marketing strategy, and your marketing budget. Detail things like how you plan to attract and retain customers, acquire new leads, how the digital marketing funnel will work, etc. 

Having a documented marketing plan will help you to automate business operations, stay on track and ensure that you’re making the most of your marketing dollars.

• 11. Clarifies your vision and ensures everyone is on the same page

In order to create a successful business, you need a clear vision and a plan for how you’re going to achieve it. This is all detailed with your mission statement, which defines the purpose of your business, and your personnel plan, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of current and future employees. Together, they establish the long-term vision you have in mind and who will need to be involved to get there. 

Additionally, your business plan is a great tool for getting your team in sync. Through consistent plan reviews, you can easily get everyone in your company on the same page and direct your workforce toward tasks that truly move the needle.

• 12. Future-proof your business

A business plan helps you to evaluate your current situation and make realistic projections for the future.

This is an essential step in growing your business, and it’s one that’s often overlooked. When you have a business plan in place, it’s easier to identify opportunities and make informed decisions based on data.

Therefore, it requires you to outline goals, strategies, and tactics to help the organization stay focused on what’s important.

By regularly revisiting your business plan, especially when the global market changes, you’ll be better equipped to handle whatever challenges come your way, and pivot faster.

You’ll also be in a better position to seize opportunities as they arise.

Further Reading: 5 fundamental principles of business planning

• 13. Tracks your progress and measures success

An often overlooked purpose of a business plan is as a tool to define success metrics. A key part of writing your plan involves pulling together a viable financial plan. This includes financial statements such as your profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheet, and sales forecast.

By housing these financial metrics within your business plan, you suddenly have an easy way to relate your strategy to actual performance. You can track progress, measure results, and follow up on how the company is progressing. Without a plan, it’s almost impossible to gauge whether you’re on track or not.  

Additionally, by evaluating your successes and failures, you learn what works and what doesn’t and you can make necessary changes to your plan. In short, having a business plan gives you a framework for measuring your success. It also helps with building up a “lessons learned” knowledge database to avoid costly mistakes in the future.

• 14. Your business plan is an asset if you ever want to sell

Down the road, you might decide that you want to sell your business or position yourself for acquisition. Having a solid business plan is going to help you make the case for a higher valuation. Your business is likely to be worth more to a buyer if it’s easy for them to understand your business model, your target market, and your overall potential to grow and scale. 

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• Writing your business plan

By taking the time to create a business plan, you ensure that your business is heading in the right direction and that you have a roadmap to get there. We hope that this post has shown you just how important and valuable a business plan can be. While it may still seem daunting, the benefits far outweigh the time investment and learning curve for writing one. 

Luckily, you can write a plan in as little as 30 minutes. And there are plenty of excellent planning tools and business plan templates out there if you’re looking for more step-by-step guidance. Whatever it takes, write your plan and you’ll quickly see how useful it can be.

Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software , a co-founder of Borland International, and a recognized expert in business planning. He has an MBA from Stanford and degrees with honors from the University of Oregon and the University of Notre Dame. Today, Tim dedicates most of his time to blogging, teaching and evangelizing for business planning.

Table of Contents

• 6. You’ll make big spending decisions with confidence
• 7. You’re more likely to catch critical cash flow challenges early

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The importance of a business plan

Business plans are like road maps: it’s possible to travel without one, but that will only increase the odds of getting lost along the way.

Owners with a business plan see growth 30% faster than those without one, and 71% of the fast-growing companies have business plans . Before we get into the thick of it, let’s define and go over what a business plan actually is.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a 15-20 page document that outlines how you will achieve your business objectives and includes information about your product, marketing strategies, and finances. You should create one when you’re starting a new business and keep updating it as your business grows.

Rather than putting yourself in a position where you may have to stop and ask for directions or even circle back and start over, small business owners often use business plans to help guide them. That’s because they help them see the bigger picture, plan ahead, make important decisions, and improve the overall likelihood of success. ‍

Why is a business plan important?

A well-written business plan is an important tool because it gives entrepreneurs and small business owners, as well as their employees, the ability to lay out their goals and track their progress as their business begins to grow. Business planning should be the first thing done when starting a new business. Business plans are also important for attracting investors so they can determine if your business is on the right path and worth putting money into.

Business plans typically include detailed information that can help improve your business’s chances of success, like:

• A market analysis : gathering information about factors and conditions that affect your industry
• Competitive analysis : evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors
• Customer segmentation : divide your customers into different groups based on specific characteristics to improve your marketing
• Marketing: using your research to advertise your business
• Logistics and operations plans : planning and executing the most efficient production process
• Cash flow projection : being prepared for how much money is going into and out of your business
• An overall path to long-term growth

What is the purpose of a business plan?

A business plan is like a map for small business owners, showing them where to go and how to get there. Its main purposes are to help you avoid risks, keep everyone on the same page, plan finances, check if your business idea is good, make operations smoother, and adapt to changes. It's a way for small business owners to plan, communicate, and stay on track toward their goals.

10 reasons why you need a business plan

I know what you’re thinking: “Do I really need a business plan? It sounds like a lot of work, plus I heard they’re outdated and I like figuring things out as I go...”.

The answer is: yes, you really do need a business plan! As entrepreneur Kevin J. Donaldson said, “Going into business without a business plan is like going on a mountain trek without a map or GPS support—you’ll eventually get lost and starve! Though it may sound tedious and time-consuming, business plans are critical to starting your business and setting yourself up for success.

To outline the importance of business plans and make the process sound less daunting, here are 10 reasons why you need one for your small business.

1. To help you with critical decisions

The primary importance of a business plan is that they help you make better decisions. Entrepreneurship is often an endless exercise in decision making and crisis management. Sitting down and considering all the ramifications of any given decision is a luxury that small businesses can’t always afford. That’s where a business plan comes in.

Building a business plan allows you to determine the answer to some of the most critical business decisions ahead of time.

Creating a robust business plan is a forcing function—you have to sit down and think about major components of your business before you get started, like your marketing strategy and what products you’ll sell. You answer many tough questions before they arise. And thinking deeply about your core strategies can also help you understand how those decisions will impact your broader strategy.

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2. To iron out the kinks

Putting together a business plan requires entrepreneurs to ask themselves a lot of hard questions and take the time to come up with well-researched and insightful answers. Even if the document itself were to disappear as soon as it’s completed, the practice of writing it helps to articulate your vision in realistic terms and better determine if there are any gaps in your strategy.

3. To avoid the big mistakes

Only about half of small businesses are still around to celebrate their fifth birthday . While there are many reasons why small businesses fail, many of the most common are purposefully addressed in business plans.

According to data from CB Insights , some of the most common reasons businesses fail include:

• No market need : No one wants what you’re selling.
• Lack of capital : Cash flow issues or businesses simply run out of money.
• Inadequate team : This underscores the importance of hiring the right people to help you run your business.
• Stiff competition : It’s tough to generate a steady profit when you have a lot of competitors in your space.
• Pricing : Some entrepreneurs price their products or services too high or too low—both scenarios can be a recipe for disaster.

The exercise of creating a business plan can help you avoid these major mistakes. Whether it’s cash flow forecasts or a product-market fit analysis , every piece of a business plan can help spot some of those potentially critical mistakes before they arise. For example, don’t be afraid to scrap an idea you really loved if it turns out there’s no market need. Be honest with yourself!

Get a jumpstart on your business plan by creating your own cash flow projection .

4. To prove the viability of the business

Many businesses are created out of passion, and while passion can be a great motivator, it’s not a great proof point.

Planning out exactly how you’re going to turn that vision into a successful business is perhaps the most important step between concept and reality. Business plans can help you confirm that your grand idea makes sound business sense.

A critical component of your business plan is the market research section. Market research can offer deep insight into your customers, your competitors, and your chosen industry. Not only can it enlighten entrepreneurs who are starting up a new business, but it can also better inform existing businesses on activities like marketing, advertising, and releasing new products or services.

Want to prove there’s a market gap? Here’s how you can get started with market research.

5. To set better objectives and benchmarks

Without a business plan, objectives often become arbitrary, without much rhyme or reason behind them. Having a business plan can help make those benchmarks more intentional and consequential. They can also help keep you accountable to your long-term vision and strategy, and gain insights into how your strategy is (or isn’t) coming together over time.

6. To communicate objectives and benchmarks

Whether you’re managing a team of 100 or a team of two, you can’t always be there to make every decision yourself. Think of the business plan like a substitute teacher, ready to answer questions any time there’s an absence. Let your staff know that when in doubt, they can always consult the business plan to understand the next steps in the event that they can’t get an answer from you directly.

Sharing your business plan with team members also helps ensure that all members are aligned with what you’re doing, why, and share the same understanding of long-term objectives.

7. To provide a guide for service providers

Small businesses typically employ contractors , freelancers, and other professionals to help them with tasks like accounting , marketing, legal assistance, and as consultants. Having a business plan in place allows you to easily share relevant sections with those you rely on to support the organization, while ensuring everyone is on the same page.

8. To secure financing

Did you know you’re 2.5x more likely to get funded if you have a business plan?If you’re planning on pitching to venture capitalists, borrowing from a bank, or are considering selling your company in the future, you’re likely going to need a business plan. After all, anyone that’s interested in putting money into your company is going to want to know it’s in good hands and that it’s viable in the long run. Business plans are the most effective ways of proving that and are typically a requirement for anyone seeking outside financing.

Learn what you need to get a small business loan.

9. To better understand the broader landscape

No business is an island, and while you might have a strong handle on everything happening under your own roof, it’s equally important to understand the market terrain as well. Writing a business plan can go a long way in helping you better understand your competition and the market you’re operating in more broadly, illuminate consumer trends and preferences, potential disruptions and other insights that aren’t always plainly visible.

10. To reduce risk

Entrepreneurship is a risky business, but that risk becomes significantly more manageable once tested against a well-crafted business plan. Drawing up revenue and expense projections, devising logistics and operational plans, and understanding the market and competitive landscape can all help reduce the risk factor from an inherently precarious way to make a living. Having a business plan allows you to leave less up to chance, make better decisions, and enjoy the clearest possible view of the future of your company.

Business plan FAQs

How does having a business plan help small business owners make better decisions.

Having a business plan supports small business owners in making smarter decisions by providing a structured framework to assess all parts of their businesses. It helps you foresee potential challenges, identify opportunities, and set clear objectives. Business plans help you make decisions across the board, including market strategies, financial management, resource allocation, and growth planning.

What industry-specific issues can business plans help tackle?

Business plans can address industry-specific challenges like regulatory compliance, technological advancements, market trends, and competitive landscape. For instance, in highly regulated industries like healthcare or finance, a comprehensive business plan can outline compliance measures and risk management strategies.

How can small business owners use their business plans to pitch investors or apply for loans?

In addition to attracting investors and securing financing, small business owners can leverage their business plans during pitches or loan applications by focusing on key elements that resonate with potential stakeholders. This includes highlighting market analysis, competitive advantages, revenue projections, and scalability plans. Presenting a well-researched and data-driven business plan demonstrates credibility and makes investors or lenders feel confident about your business’s potential health and growth.

Understanding the importance of a business plan

Now that you have a solid grasp on the “why” behind business plans, you can confidently move forward with creating your own.

Remember that a business plan will grow and evolve along with your business, so it’s an important part of your whole journey—not just the beginning.

Related Posts

Now that you’ve read up on the purpose of a business plan, check out our guide to help you get started.

The information and tips shared on this blog are meant to be used as learning and personal development tools as you launch, run and grow your business. While a good place to start, these articles should not take the place of personalized advice from professionals. As our lawyers would say: “All content on Wave’s blog is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be considered legal or financial advice.” Additionally, Wave is the legal copyright holder of all materials on the blog, and others cannot re-use or publish it without our written consent.

What Is A Project Management Plan And How To Create One

Updated: Jun 12, 2024, 11:45am

Table of Contents

What is a project management plan, 6 parts of a project management plan, before you create a plan, how to create a project management plan in 7 steps, bottom line, frequently asked questions (faqs).

A project management plan offers a blueprint to stakeholders and end-users surrounding the execution of an upcoming project. While it takes time to put it together, the process is worth it. It helps to reduce risks, create buy-in, gather your team’s expertise, align communication and ensure resource availability. This guide outlines what a project management plan is and its benefits, and then offers an easy step-by-step guide on how to create one.

A project management plan is a set of documents that outline the how, when and what-ifs of a project’s execution. It overviews the project’s value proposition, execution steps, resources, communication tools and protocols, risks, stakeholders (and their roles) and the deliverables involved in a project’s completion. Its documents include an executive summary, Gantt and team charts, risk assessment and communication- and resource-management subplans.

What Is a Project Management Plan Used For?

A project management plan serves as a blueprint or roadmap to the ultimate success of your project. It does so by aligning talent, buy-in, manpower, resources, risk management and high-quality communication around your plan. It also ensures everyone knows their responsibilities, which tasks are involved and when deadlines are so the project stays on track for quality on-time completion.

Here is a closer look at project management plan use cases:

• Buy-in . Your plan ensures all stakeholders are on board, so that they’re prepared to be productive.
• Expertise. A plan helps to ensure you have enough people to expertly own the activities needed to complete the project.
• Risk management. Putting together your plan helps you to assess the risks that may come up through the trajectory of project execution and how to prevent or mitigate them.
• Communication and collaboration. Your planning process ensures poor communication does not negatively impact the project’s outcome. It does so by getting everyone on the same page regarding communication tools, schedules, preferences and protocols.
• Milestones. As you plan your project, you ensure your team agrees on the necessary milestones to complete it successfully. Doing so ensures your team is ready to be productive instantly come project initiation and that scope creep does not impact the project negatively.
• Resource management. Through your planning process, you assess the resources needed to complete the project and their availability. Resources may include funds and raw materials, for example. Doing so ensures resource availability and that insufficient resources do not derail or stop the project altogether.

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A project management plan should include an executive summary, timeline or Gantt chart, resource management subplan, risk assessment, communication subplan and team chart. Here is an overview of each of these parts:

• Executive summary. An executive summary provides an overview of the project’s value proposition, the problem it addresses and its resolution, budget breakdown, milestones and deliverables.
• Timeline or Gantt chart. Many project management plans include a Gantt chart that shows both the dates the project begins and ends and all start and end dates for the milestones that lead to the completion of the project. It should also point out any dependent and independent activities.
• Risk assessment. A risk assessment should list all of the potential obstacles that could impact the completion of the project or the quality of its deliverables negatively. It also outlines the triggers that could cause these risks and how the risks can be mitigated or avoided altogether.
• Team chart. The team chart shows all the people who will be involved in completing the project, their roles and their communication preferences.
• Communication subplan. This subplan offers an overview of what tools will be used for communication, the communication assets and schedules that will be used to keep the project progressing and on track, communication protocols stakeholders should follow and team members’ communication preferences.
• Resource management subplan. This subplan should list what resources may be needed to complete the project. Essential resources may include raw materials, digital tools and funding. It should then offer a breakdown of what materials will be needed for each milestone, a way to ensure their availability and ways to track resources throughout project execution.

Before you begin writing your plan, take a few minutes to prepare. Doing so may involve defining what is at stake should the project not go well, identifying the milestones needed for successful completion, selecting key talent to complete your project, selecting and signing up for the tools that will make the plan creation process easy and efficient and defining the end beneficiary of your project. Below is a closer look at each of these preparation steps.

Failure Risk Assessment

Defining what would happen if the project were not completed successfully can guide you later as you motivate your execution team and formulate your plan’s and your project’s value proposition. This perspective tells all stakeholders how important their roles are.

Milestone Identification

One way to ensure you select the proper team members for plan creation and execution is to define the milestones for which they will be responsible. Once you have identified the milestones, you can identify the needed expertise and then the talent that holds that expertise.

Talent Selection

As you write your plan, it is essential to gather expertise from the team members who will execute it. Doing so could mean the success or failure of your project. Identifying these stakeholders now means you can get them involved sooner for higher collective knowledge during the planning process.

Tool selection

When planning your project, you will need to use charts, graphics and reports to record the necessary information. Graphic design tools like Canva and project management software like monday.com or Wrike can help.

Beneficiary or End-user Identification

Nothing can set you up for success in project completion like understanding what the end-user or project beneficiary needs in the final deliverable. Understanding this requires an understanding of that end-user or beneficiary. Take some time to listen to their needs, wants and hopes surrounding your project before beginning to plan a project that will impact and, hopefully, delight them ultimately.

To create a project management plan, first put together a high overview of the basics of your project, including the project’s scope, schedule and budget. Next, build on those basics to write an executive summary. Then, add a project timeline, risk assessment, stakeholder chart, communication plan and resource management plan to your executive summary. Lastly, gather and incorporate stakeholders’ insights to perfect and create buy-in for your plan.

1. Identify Baselines for Your Project

Your project’s baselines should first focus on the project’s scope, then the project’s schedule and, finally, its budget. The result should be a high overview that will inform the rest of your planning process. To complete this step, answer the following questions:

• What is a summary of the project’s deliverables, including the expected features in order of priority?
• What important milestones will help us complete this project?
• What should the project not focus on? (set some scope boundaries)
• When is the project scheduled to begin?
• When should the project be complete?
• How much do we have to spend on this project? If it is a project that needs to be completed for a client, what budget do we have to spend on it while still making a set profit margin?

2. Write an Executive Summary

An executive summary should include a definition of your project, your project’s value proposition, including the problem your project addresses and its solution, milestones and their deliverables, scope limits―and the consequences for changing these limits―goals and financial breakdown. Use the answers to the questions posed in step one to put together your executive summary.

As the face of your project before stakeholders, your executive summary should be visually appealing and succinct. Columns and visuals should break it up to make it easy to read quickly. One great tool for creating an attractive and succinct summary is a Canva executive summary template. You can customize a template to match your brand and add your content, then either download your executive summary or share it in link form.

To begin, sign up for Canva for free, then use the search box titled “What will you design?” for “executive summary” and press “enter.” Click the appropriate template for your purposes and brand, then use the tools on the left-hand side of the enlarged template to customize its colors, text and images. Add pages by clicking the plus sign at the top right-hand corner of the template and proceed to add text and customizations to complete your summary.

3. Plot Your Project’s Timeline

The best way to plot your project’s timeline is with a Gantt chart. A Gantt chart is a visual representation of what activities you plan to begin and complete and when. These activities are usually small chunks or milestones of your completed project. They also formulate the scope of your project, helping to reduce scope creep later on. Gantt charts are often the easiest to use to plot your timeline.

It is important to note expected dependencies on your Gantt chart. A dependency happens when one activity on a timeline must be completed before team members can go on to the next one. For example, a prototype needs to be completed before a focus group analysis of the prototype can take place. Thus, these two activities are dependent. Also note independent activities that can be completed even as other activities are underway, thereby saving time.

Pro tip: An easy way to note dependencies and independent activities is via color-coding. Arrows drawn on your Gantt chart can also help to pinpoint dependencies.

While Canva does offer Gantt charts to plot your project’s timeline, there are also platforms that specialize in producing Gantt chart software . Not only can this software help you put together your Gantt chart, but it can then help you stay on track with its timeline and avoid scope creep once your project begins via task descriptions and automations. If paying for such a service isn’t in your project’s budget, you can also create a Gantt chart in Excel or Google Sheets.

Gantt chart from monday.com

4. Define Stakeholder Roles

With your project activities recorded on your timeline, define who will be responsible for each activity. Your plan serves as a guiding star to all stakeholders involved in your project, so it’s best to record responsible parties in an intuitive chart. Create a project team chart to show who will be involved in completing the project and for which activities each is responsible. For collaboration ease, also note who each person is accountable to and their contact information.

Canva offers organizational or team chart templates you can use to customize for the needs of your project. Search “organizational chart” using the search bar in your Canva account. Click the chart that best suits your project and brand needs. Then, use the design menu to upload pictures of your team members, customize colors and replace template text to offer the data your stakeholders need for easy collaboration during the life of your project.

An example of a Canva organizational chart template to be adapted to create a project team chart.

5. Perform a Risk Assessment

Your risk assessment should begin with a list of obstacles that could impact your team’s ability to complete the project on time negatively at all and with the desired quality. It should then create a plan for each risk by addressing what might trigger the risk, steps that lend to risk prevention and how to mitigate a risk should it happen. Finally, it should assign stakeholders to manage risk triggers, prevention and mitigation. Some teams use a SWOT analysis to help identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in this stage.

To dive into each risk, answer the following questions:

• What could happen that would negatively impact the project?
• At what point in the project timeline is this risk most likely to happen?
• How likely is the risk to happen?
• What events or factors would trigger this risk?
• What steps can be taken to reduce the chances of this risk taking place? How can we avoid this trigger or these triggers?
• What would be the expected outcome should the risk happen anyway?
• How could we mitigate a negative outcome should the risk take place?
• Who would be the best person to manage each risk’s triggers, prevention or mitigation?

As you assigned responsible parties for each project activity, you likely selected people who had expertise in the areas in which their assigned activities fall. For example, if you assigned the graphic design of a marketing project to a team member, that person is likely a graphic designer. Their expertise is invaluable in assessing graphic design risks and their prevention and mitigation steps. Lean on your team for this expertise, and then implement their suggestions.

6. Create Key Subplans

Two key subplans you should include in your project management plan are a resource and communications management plan. Your resource sub plan should list what resources are needed to complete your project and their availability. Your communications plan should include how your team will communicate one-on-one and team-wide.

Resource Management Plan

A resource subplan can be completed in project management software. You can create columns for estimated expenses and other needed resources broken down by milestones, such as raw products and talent. Other customizable resource reports are available within the software and automatically kept up to date. Wrike, for example, offers customizable reports where you can track resource availability and export reports to include in your plan.

An example of Wrike’s customizable resource reports

Communications Management Plan

While it may seem inconsequential compared to your risk assessment and resource plan, poor communication is the primary reason most projects experience scope gaps and project failure, according to a PMI study . Poor communication can, therefore, derail all your other planning efforts.

As such, your communications management plan should be detailed and address what, when and how information will be shared during your project. Details should focus on what needs to be communicated and at what intervals during the project execution, stakeholders’ communication preferences, a communication schedule for virtual meetings or phone calls that occur at planned intervals, who will review tasks, to whom task completions should be reported and what platforms or tools should be used for communication purposes.

Pro tip: For best results, look at the communication tools available in your project management software. Alternatively, consider what communication-tool integrations it offers. For example, most project management software offer integrations with Slack. Using available tools within your software will allow ease of collaboration and the communication visibility your team needs to stay on the same page and on track.

7. Gather and Incorporate Feedback From Stakeholders

The team you have chosen to own the activities on your project timeline are uniquely capable of doing so. As such, they are likely to have recommendations you might not think about to make your project more successful. Moreover, if their insights are incorporated into the plan, they are more likely to enthusiastically follow it. So, get your team together and go over the details of your plan. Learn from them and incorporate their insights.

In addition, present your plan to the end-user or client for whom you are executing the project. Make sure they agree to the project scope and its deliverables. Make their preferred changes now so you don’t have to make them later. Discuss what will happen if they change their minds later―extra fees, for example―so that scope creep does not impact your project’s successful execution, on-time completion or quality final deliverable negatively.

Creating a project management plan is the first critical step to ensuring a quality project execution and completion. Without it, you risk project derailment, a blown budget, an unrealized value proposition and a potentially frustrated end-user. With it, you enjoy buy-in, resource availability, budget adherence, a quality and expertly-driven final deliverable and a delighted end-user. We hope this guide sets you on a trajectory to enjoy all of these benefits.

What are the six parts of a project management plan?

At minimum, a project management plan includes an executive summary, timeline or Gantt chart , stakeholder or team chart, risk assessment, communications subplan and resource subplan.

How do I write a project management plan?

To write a project management plan, begin by identifying your project baselines, then write an executive summary, create your timeline and team charts, perform and write a risk assessment and write your communications and resource subplans. Finally, present your plan to all involved stakeholders to gather and incorporate their insights, suggestions and feedback, and then finalize agreement around your plan.

What is the main purpose of a project management plan?

A project management plan lays out the details and steps necessary to reduce confusion, create confidence and prevent obstacles and risks during project execution. It does so by providing a clear outline and value proposition of the project, assigning essential roles, outlining milestones and the final deliverable, identifying and taking steps to prevent risks, ensuring clear communication guidelines and ensuring the availability of essential resources.

What is project management methodology?

A project management methodology is a set of principles, values and processes that determine how a team will complete a project. It dictates factors such as the methods of communication within and outside of the project team—as well as the level of planning, design and documentation—timelines and modes of assessment.

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With over a decade of experience as a small business technology consultant, Alana breaks down technical concepts to help small businesses take advantage of the tools available to them to create internal efficiencies and compete in their markets. Her work has been featured by business brands such as Adobe, WorkFusion, AT&T, SEMRush, Fit Small Business, USA Today Blueprint, Content Marketing Institute, Towards Data Science and Business2Community.

Cassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of directors of two non-profit organizations seeking to revitalize her former railroad town. Prior to joining the team at Forbes Advisor, Cassie was a content operations manager and copywriting manager.

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Israeli military knew how Hamas planned to take hostages weeks before October 7: report

• The IDF knew about Hamas' plans to attack just weeks before October 7, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported.
• The IDF's Gaza Division had intel on Hamas' training and hostage-taking strategies, Kan reported.
• According to Kan, IDF intelligence officials even predicted Hamas would take 200-250 hostages.

The Israeli military knew about Hamas' plans to attack southern Israel weeks before October 7 — even how many hostages the militant group planned to capture, according to a report from Israeli public broadcaster Kan .

The Israel Defense Force's Gaza Division reportedly distributed an internal intelligence document on September 19, 2023, outlining the details of Hamas' planned raid, according to Kan.

The document, which Kan reportedly saw, states that the IDF had observed Hamas conducting a series of trainings where militant fighters practiced attacking both Israeli military stations and civilian kibbutzim communities.

The IDF also knew, according to the document viewed by Kan, that Hamas trained its units on how to capture hostages and how to guard them once they were taken back to the Gaza Strip.

The IDF declined to comment on the report.

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The IDF's Southern Command and Gaza Division also wrote in the document, according to Kan, that they expected Hamas to take between 200 and 250 hostages. The officials even had intel on how Hamas intended to treat the hostages in certain extreme circumstances and what rules Hamas set for executing hostages, Kan reported.

Israel mistakenly believed, the Times of Israel reported , that Hamas would never be able to get past its high-tech border security — an "Iron Wall" composed of concrete, tunnels, and razor wire, complete with remote-controlled machine guns, that was installed two years before the attack.

That oversight prevented top Israeli intelligence leaders from doing anything about the internal report detailing Hamas' plans, Kan News reported.

And it wasn't just a few weeks before October 7 that Israel reportedly knew about Hamas' plans.

More than a year before the attack, Israel had a 40-page document detailing, play-by-play, exactly how Hamas would attack the southern border, The New York Times reported last year . But, Israel never took Hamas' plans seriously, assuming the militant group would never get past Israel's defenses, the Times reported.

Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage, many of whom are still being held in captivity.

The exact number of hostages Hamas took is unclear, but Israel has estimated it was around 240, with about 116 still in Gaza, the Wall Street Journal reported .

Israel's subsequent airstrikes and war against Hamas in Gaza have killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, many of whom are women and children, according to Palestinian health authorities.

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Watch: Families hold out hope for Israeli hostages as war escalates

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