Ready to take control of your business's financial destiny? Whether you're launching a startup, scaling an existing company, or managing a non-profit, a solid forecast is your most critical tool for strategic decision-making. In this practical webinar, our expert panel—CEO Sabrina Parsons, CFO Trevor Benenson, and entrepreneurship expert Peter Thorsson—demystifies the forecasting process. They cut through the jargon and hesitation to show you how to build, manage, and use a forecast to answer your most pressing business questions and drive sustainable growth. Watch now to turn your financial data into your greatest strategic asset.
What You'll Learn
This webinar is packed with practical tips and answers to the most common questions about financial forecasting. Here’s a look at what we cover:
Why Forecasting is Non-Negotiable
The 'Why' Behind the Numbers: Understand why forecasting is the end-all, be-all for running a sustainable business, enabling you to make strategic decisions about hiring, marketing, rent, and more. Beyond Profitability: Learn why cash flow, not profitability, is the number one reason businesses fail and how a forecast helps you manage it effectively. Forecasting for Non-Profits: Discover how non-profits use forecasting to balance their operational budget, plan for fundraising, and ensure their mission remains sustainable.
Building Your First Forecast
Overcome the 'Blank Page': Learn a simple trick to get started: begin with your expenses. It’s the easiest way to create a baseline and a revenue target to aim for. From Educated Guess to Strategic Plan: Understand that a forecast is a "best guess," and the goal isn't perfect accuracy but to create a plan that you can iterate on as you gather real-world data. Leverage AI for a Head Start: See how LivePlan’s AI assistant can instantly generate potential revenue streams and business plan text to help you build your forecast quickly.
Managing and Adapting Your Forecast
The Power of Scenarios: Discover how to use forecast scenarios in LivePlan to model best-case, worst-case, and other potential outcomes, allowing you to prepare for different futures without risk. From Forecast to Dashboard: See how connecting your accounting software (QuickBooks or Xero) to LivePlan transforms your forecast into a dynamic dashboard for comparing your plan to your actual results. Stay Agile with Live Forecast: Learn how the Live Forecast feature automatically updates your forecast with actuals, giving you an up-to-date view of your financial health and helping you spot potential cash flow issues months in advance.
Collaboration and Strategy
Don't Go It Alone: Understand the value of sharing your forecast with advisors, partners, or SBDC consultants and how to use LivePlan’s collaboration features securely. Secure and Confidential: Rest assured that your financial data and business ideas are secure within LivePlan, allowing you to collaborate with confidence. Answer Your Biggest Questions: Ultimately, learn how an active forecasting process empowers you to answer critical questions like, "Can I afford to hire a new employee?" or "When is the right time to buy that new piece of equipment?"
