Financial planning spreadsheet

[Rand]

Keep in mind that all the financial planning, and all the machinery and gear won't change the weather, which will be the largest factor in a season's success or failure.Aim for a target somewhere in the middle of what may be possible, and be prepared to work longer and harder if it's a bumper year.

Sound advice. What I hope is helpful about the spreadsheet is that it makes it easier to look at the implications (i.e., bottom line given fixed costs, etc.) of best case or worst case scenarios.

Rand

[Rand]

OK, I have attached the spreadsheet referenced in the beginning post. According to the sage advice of Tim Perkins, it can be attached as a zip file (but not an excel file) so it is attached in that form. Start with the first tab ("Read Me First") for general description. The tool is best suited for looking at a new operation or expansion scenario. All data is entered only in yellow cells on the following three tabs: Production&Revenue, Expenses, Capital. Everything else is calculated from there. Existing information in yellow cells is there for illustrative purposes only; please delete and add info specific to your situation.

It is a work in progress, hopefully tuned based on feedback from people like you who are more knowledgeable than I am.

I developed this to be able to quickly test assumptions and scenarios. I am offering it up here in case anyone sees utility in it. I have already learned a lot from this site. This is my way of hopefully paying things forward as I have little in practical sugaring experience to offer up at this point.

Any and all feedback, constructive criticism, questions gratefully accepted.

Rand

[buckeye gold]

Wow that there is a monster Rand! I did not enter numbers to see how things calculated out, but she looks like a workable book to me. Since you already have as many work sheets as you have you may as well add one or two more for entry data. One sheet could do it. The columns would be your line items and rows for single transactions. With the expenses and total linking to your expense sheet. This would allow operators to add individual payouts/invoices for tracking and ease, as they can enter as the expenses come in. They could even add notes to each cell. The same is true for sales. You could do columns for each row/line item and allow people to track each day's sales or individual.

I have a spreadsheet and I want a line for each transaction with cost to profit numbers updating at each entry. Perhaps since your this deep add a sheet for production records. Mine is just an extension of my financial sheet with my columns being date, sap collected, syrup made, sap sugar, lot info, lot number, sap held over and comments. All columns total a running total and I have a line for sap to syrup conversion and bottled syrup.

I have to go I saved it to play with some more if that's ok.

[Rand]

Good ideas Buckeye. It would turn it into more of a tracking tool than a projection tool. I suspect (hope) there are better ways to do that, perhaps thru customizing an accounting package. Your suggestion also resonates well with your earlier recommendation to use a database rather than spreadsheet. I can see how you would have entry forms for expenses and investments and the like. Maybe something for me to dabble with some future December.

Rand