Adapted from content excerpted from the American Express® OPEN Small Business Network
Unlike other financial statements a balance sheet is created
only once a year to calculate the net worth of a business. If your
business plan is for a start-up business, you will need to include
a personal balance sheet summarizing your personal assets and
liabilities. If your business exists already, include past
years' balance sheets up to the balance sheet from your last
reporting period. Analyze the results of the balance sheet briefly
and include this analysis in your business plan.
Tips
- As with all financial documents, have your balance
sheet prepared or at least reviewed by a reputable
accountant.
- Do not include "projections" that include
dates and events already in the past. Old projections are
more tolerable if your projections were right than
wrong.
- Avoid large income or expense categories that are
lumped together without backup information about the
components.
|