1 guide on the topic “Financing Plan”: legal obligations, concrete procedures, costs and deadlines.
The financing plan answers a simple question: how do you fund the launch of a project? It sets long-term needs against long-term resources. This page helps founders build one and present it to a bank.
On one side, the table lists long-term needs. These include investments, the initial working capital requirement and a safety reserve. On the other side, it lists long-term resources. These cover capital contributions, partners' current accounts, loans and grants.
A balanced table shows that resources cover needs. Ideally, it also keeps a safety margin. If needs exceed resources, the gap shows how much you still have to find before launching. Better to know that before the bank meeting than during it.
Working capital covers the time gap between spending and collections. If your customers pay at 60 days and your suppliers at 30 days, you advance money. Stock increases this requirement further. That advance weighs heavily in a growing business. Yet many founders forget it in their first financing plan.
Take a fictitious example. A consultant starts with a 15,000 euro personal contribution and a 10,000 euro loan. She invests 8,000 euros in equipment and keeps the rest as working capital. Her financing plan thus stays balanced, with a reserve for the first months.
The financing plan does not stand alone. A loan appears in it as a resource, then creates repayments in the monthly cash flow. It also adds interest costs to the income statement. Likewise, an investment leaves the bank account, then depreciates gradually over several years.
A banker quickly spots tables that do not match. Our guide to the three key tables explains these links. The complete financial forecast guide also shows how to balance the financing plan step by step.
Update the table as soon as an assumption changes. A higher equipment quote or a smaller loan immediately shifts the balance. An up-to-date version shows the bank that you truly control your project.
Finally, think about when resources actually arrive. A loan often comes only after the bank's approval, while some expenses fall earlier. Grants sometimes arrive only after the spending they cover. So build a bridge into your cash flow, so that the launch does not stall.
A bank shares the risk, but does not carry it alone. A visible personal contribution therefore shows your commitment. Our advice on convincing your bank sets out what a credit analyst expects. In Belgium, setting up an SRL also requires a financial document for the notary. Official information on starting a business is available on the FPS Economy website.
