“I want $100,000” sounds decisive. It does not explain what the business must pay, what cash is already available, when money returns, or whether the economics can carry the cost.
Are you asking for what the plan requires—or for a number that merely sounds useful?
01
Build from line items
List inventory, materials, payroll, deposits, freight, equipment, buildout, and other defined costs. Put dates beside them.
02
Subtract what is already available
Include only cash the business can responsibly allocate without starving normal operations, plus inflows reasonably expected during the same gap.
03
Contingency needs a reason
A contingency should reflect identifiable timing or cost uncertainty, not a desire to maximize the request. Bigger requests do not manufacture bigger offers.
Sources and further reading
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