The LivePlan Blog

Sometimes the best opportunities come from seeing an untapped market and determining how to serve it. Read about how Bo’s Wine Depot identified just such an opportunity, and handled challenges.

When starting out as a real estate agent, many choose to join existing brokerages. However, realtor Ben Fogelson decided to start a boutique real estate business that put community first.

When the Kirsches opened NorthWest Burgers, their plan was simple: To create high-quality, thoughtfully prepared burgers. Here’s how they navigated the process of growing their business while staying true to their vision.

What struggles and growing pains do small businesses face after they’ve opened successfully? Find out how Tradewinds Café & Catering Co. navigated the challenges of managing their business.

Your profit and loss statement is the first financial information that investors and bankers will look at in your plan. Here’s a rundown of what the numbers mean.

Does the idea of reading your balance sheet leave you feeling decidedly unbalanced? The balance sheet is the most misunderstood financial statement—which is problematic because it is also one of the most useful. Here’s how to read it.

Cash is the lifeblood of every business. Run out of cash, and you’re dead in the water. Here’s how to understand your cash flow statement, and keep your business alive.

We all set goals in our personal lives, but when it comes to business, it turns out that we’re not nearly as goal-focused. Even though we’ve taken on big risks to start new businesses, the surprising truth is that we’re really not very good at goal setting at all.

Industry benchmarks are a great tool to measure your company’s performance against similar businesses, but they can also be used by startups to help with forecasting and budgeting, and ultimately, to help drive business growth. Here’s how to use them effectively.

Let’s talk about three critical factors that you need to pay attention to when you’re creating your cash flow forecast.