How to Easily Get Started with a Business Plan & Pro Forma Financials
If you’re exploring financing, buying a business, or planning for growth, a clear business plan and solid pro forma financials are essential. The good news? You don’t need to start from scratch — and you don’t need to be a financial expert to get this done well.
Below is a simple, proven two-step approach we recommend to help our clients get moving quickly and confidently.
Why This Matters
Lenders — especially SBA lenders — aren’t just looking at where your business is today. They want to understand:
- How the business will operate in the future
- How revenue and expenses will evolve
- How debt will be serviced
- Whether the plan is realistic and well-thought-out
A strong business plan paired with pro forma financials tells that story clearly.
Step 1: Create the Initial Business Plan & Pro Forma Financials
Your first goal is to get a solid foundation in place. An easy and cost-effective way to do that is by working with an experienced consultant.
A Simple Way to Get Started
One popular option is to visit Fiverr and search for:
You’ll find many professionals who specialize in creating business plans and financial projections for entrepreneurs and SBA loan applicants.
👉 Tip: Fiverr providers can usually get you 80 – 90% of the way there, which is exactly what you want at this stage.
Important Instructions to Give Your Consultant
When you engage a consultant, be sure to specify:
- Business Plan format: Microsoft Word
- Financials format: Microsoft Excel
- Editable files so you can update and refine them over time
If you already have materials — such as a pitch deck, PowerPoint, prior financials, or notes — share those with the consultant to help them get started faster and more accurately.
Making the Documents Your Own
Once the draft is complete:
- Review every section carefully
- Tweak and polish the narrative – make it your own
- Adjust assumptions to reflect reality
- Make sure you understand every number
- Align the plan with how the business will actually operate
This step is critical. Lenders will expect you to confidently explain the plan and your projections.
Step 2: Have the Plan Reviewed by the SBDC
After your initial drafts are complete, the next step is review and refinement.
We strongly recommend working with your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
Find the SBDC near you by doing a Google search on “SBDC – Your town/city, State”
Why the SBDC Is Valuable
- They provide free or low-cost advisory services
- They offer a fresh, objective set of eyes
- They understand what lenders and SBA programs look for
- They help identify gaps, weaknesses, or unclear assumptions
To begin, the SBDC will typically ask for:
- Your business plan
- Your pro forma financials
They’ll walk through both with you and help ensure you’re fully prepared to answer lender questions.
How Trust Financing Solutions Helps
At Trust Financing Solutions, we don’t just look at your documents — we help you position them correctly for financing.
We can:
- Help align projections with lender expectations
- Identify potential red flags before submission
- Advise on SBA-specific financial presentation when applying for an SBA loan
- Guide you on next steps toward financing
Our role is to help you move from “draft” to “finance-ready.”
Ready to Move Forward?
If you’re ready to get started — or if you already have a business plan or financials and want a professional review — we’re happy to help.
Next steps:
- Start your Business Plan and Pro forma Financials
- Get a second review from the SBDC
- Connect with Trust Financing Solutions to prepare for financing
👉 Contact us today to discuss your project and next steps.