Free spreadsheet
Startup Cost & Funding Gap Worksheet
Before you open, find out how much cash you actually need. List what you will buy, the deposits you must pay, the costs before opening and the months of running costs you want in reserve — then compare the total with the money you have confirmed.
How much cash do I need to open, and how much is still missing?
How the numbers are worked out
Cash required = setup + deposits + pre-opening + operating reserveReserve = monthly cost × (reserve months − months already paid)Funding gap = cash required − funds available now- Deposits are part of the cash required but shown apart from spending.
- Proposed or unconfirmed funding is listed but never counted.
- Flagged lines are left out, and the status line says the results are incomplete.
Worked example
A café needs $29,550 of equipment and fit-out, $7,000 of refundable deposits, $9,290 of pre-opening expenses and a three-month reserve of $37,920: $83,760 in total. With $50,000 available now, the gap is $33,760. A bank loan application and a family loan offer are listed but not counted.
What it does not do
- It does not forecast sales, judge whether you could get finance or recommend any kind of funding.
- It plans cash before and just after opening; for week-by-week cash once you are trading, use the 13-week cash-flow forecast.
Common questions
How do I avoid counting rent twice?
Say which period each pre-opening expense pays for. Rent during the fit-out is a period before opening, so the reserve still counts every month after opening: one month before plus a three-month reserve funds four months of rent. Rent paid in advance for the first three trading months is a period after opening; name the cost (“Rent”) and the months (3), and the reserve leaves those months out.
Why are deposits shown separately?
A refundable deposit needs cash before you open, so it is part of the cash required. You expect it back, so it is not spending; the results show spending without deposits on its own line.
What counts as funds available now?
Only money you mark “Available now”: in your account or otherwise certain to be yours to spend. A loan application, an investor’s interest or a hoped-for grant is “Proposed or unconfirmed”: listed, but not counted in the gap.
How many months of reserve should I choose?
That is your decision, based on how long you expect it to take before income covers your costs. The worksheet does not suggest a number, and the results say they are incomplete until you enter one.
Which spreadsheet apps does it work in?
It is a standard .xlsx file with ordinary formulas and no macros. We checked the example and edits such as a longer reserve, unknown cost names and newly confirmed funding in LibreOffice Calc. It has not been tested in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.