Can the business finance the gap between doing the work and getting paid?
Picture the second crew already working while the first invoice is still 30 days from clearing. Demand is not the only constraint. Growth often asks the bank account to move before revenue catches up.
If the opportunity works on paper, does it still work after the cost and timing of capital?
01
Start with the operating event
Name what changes: another crew, a new location, a larger inventory position, equipment capacity, or contract mobilization. Vague growth creates vague capital requests.
02
Separate revenue from contribution
Incremental revenue is only the top line. Estimate gross margin, subtract additional operating costs not already captured, then subtract a realistic financing-cost assumption entered by you.
03
Future pace the downside too
Ask what must go right, what happens if sales ramp slowly, and which costs remain even when the forecast slips. A serious plan makes room for uncertainty.
Sources and further reading
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