Cash Flow Forecaster and Traction Simulator

 

The Cash Flow Forecaster & Traction Simulator is a new, innovative software made for the MS Excel environment. Based on a sophisticated simulation engine and the parameters you supply about your next business project it predicts the number of customers and purchases month by month and forecasts the corresponding cash flow.

 

 

Please note: The engine of the simulator is currently under an overhaul.

Some of the benefits:

• Applicable for a number of different businesses and real life scenarios (digital products, SaaS, physical products, cancellations, renewals, commission based new customers, viral effect, organic traffic, etc.).
• You can predict if a future business is likely to fail, or has a good potential to be profitable and successful.
• In case you already have a business model, your cash flow forecast can be ready in a matter of hours (if you don’t have a business model our Lean Startup Toolbox can be the tool you need to start with).
• You can make a much more established financial plan based on the cash flow forecast.
• You can easily overview the expected timeline (Gantt chart) of your first project together with a follow-up project.
• Experiment with the model parameters to see which one you should change and improve first.
• You can simulate the impact of varying almost any of your parameters on the performance. For example how will the month when you break even change if you raise more starting capital? Or how will the cost of customer acquisition impact your revenue and cash flow?
• See startup dynamics – get a deep insight into how a web and advertisements based startup can work and develop.
• You can easily compare the real performance with the predictions, calculating more than 30 metrics, including the most important KPIs.
• Based on the comparisons you can exert tight control, make corrective steps or pivots.
• It takes only minutes to modify the cash flow forecast when some of the parameters has to be changed.
• Instantly see the predicted tracking (e.g. monthly new customers, total number of customers, revenue).
• You can easily judge if your advertising campaigns are likely to be profitable on the short and on the long run.

To use the tool you will need Microsoft Excel 2013 or later, or Excel 365. Development of a LibreOffice (free alternative) version is in progress, send a message, if interested. Only very basic Excel knowledge is required, as the planner works like a program – it is very robust. See more details about technical issues in the downloadable pdf file (user manual).

Some people consider web applications fancier things nowadays. However, we made our tools downloadable so you can keep it forever, while in a subscription model generally you have access only as long as you maintain (and pay for) your subscription.

The application possibilities of the tool is widespread, but it is best suited for Web and advertisement based businesses.

Before purchasing the Standard version, you are required to download and try the working demo version, as we cannot guarantee that the software works in all possible environments. If the demo version is fully functional on your PC, you know so will the Standard one. And in the rare circumstances when not, and we cannot correct a major error in 10 days we shall refund you in full (see our Refund Policy).

The working demo is almost fully functional, except that you cannot enter your own parameter sets.

No opt-in is required (i.e. you don’t have to sign-up).

What is the real value of our full product? Judge for yourself. How much is it worth for you to avoid a costly mistake, losing perhaps tens of thousands of dollars and years of your life? Also developing anything similar (albeit not so robust and comprehensive) in house may even take half a year for a very experienced person, or rather a small team, as you will need an Excel virtuoso, a planning and a lean startup expert.

Summer sales is on, you can have the Standard version for a very friendly price.

To comply with our refunds policy, you are required to try and test the working demo version before purchase.

 

To take full advantage of the tool, we recommend you to read our 70+ page eBook on the subject of lean startups. The few hours it will take to read it will pay off as it is a very concise, but also comprehensive description of the best practices of building a startup or developing and/or introducing to the market a new product in an existing business. And another good news: it is still FREE.

Using the Cash Flow Forecaster & Traction Simulator is simple.

You will find answers to almost any of your possible questions in the User Manual (if not ask your questions in the Forum).

In order to work effectively, you are advised to prepare a business model canvas (preferably a lean canvas) before making your cash flow plan. You can use our toolbox, if you wish.

When you have your business model ready all you have to do is to give the required parameters and the software will do the rest of the planning for you.

After you simulate your first project, you can add a follow-up project and see the timeline (Gantt chart) of both of them, together with the combined cash flow.

If your product and business model is fine, you gave the parameters carefully, what you will hopefully see is the piling up of cash in your bank account – both in the plan and later in real life.

However, even the best plan cannot guarantee success. Let’s suppose, you have followed the lean startup product development formula, and you have a product in your hand the market has already shown interest in. But to sell it with profit you need additional skills … and a bit of luck, at least at the beginning.

The Traction Planner is not designed to calculate metrics for a Profit & Loss Statement and a Balance Sheet. However, you can use your sales modelling data when making those (rather than prepare an old fashioned financial plan from thin air).

As Dwight D. Eisenhower, general and former president of USA said: “A plan is nothing, planning is everything.” That means real life will almost inevitably overwrite your initial plans. There are several reasons for that, such as unexpected market response, your learning experience with online marketing and the uncertainty of estimated variables and parameters.

However, the energy you invest in planning will pay off many fold, as you can adjust your plans and forecasts in a matter of minutes on your journey to success. That said, you can always update the model based on your learning experience and the data you have gathered.

Bear in mind that there is no guarantee for success, especially if there is no market for your product or you cannot gain access to the market with your existing channels.

Anyway, be an innovator, take carefully calculated risks, but don’t gamble!

Test your BIG idea before investing $$$$ and perhaps years of your life. Don’t risk your family’s financial well-being for something you don’t have a business model for and a good chance to succeed!

Your dreams may be reaching the sky, but as a responsible person you have to stay with both feet on the ground. More than 75% of startups fail in 5 years. But as a smart entrepreneur you want to be among the 25% who succeed.

Haven’t tried the working demo version yet? Then go ahead and download it now!

Even with the working demo you can enjoy the excitement of seeing the effects of varying parameters and understand more and more about startup dynamics.

If you liked the demo version, then you will love the full version for a fair price.

Although the Traction Planner is very knowledgeable and thoroughly tested in its present form, we shall continue to work on improvements and extensions. Also, based on the feedback from our customers we may include additional features in the future.

You may say: What? Future customers will get a better product than me?

Don’t worry! Even if it is NOT a subscription, for six months you will find all updates in your webshop account for no extra fee. The same refers to the eBook – the latest edition will always be available first to our valued customers. 🙂