If you’ve ever started a business, been involved with a Startup, or know somebody who has; a business plan in a static state is good for a matter of days. It is not that the process of planning is bad. It is that fact that things in the business world change at warp speed. I recently found a solution to this problem that I am going to share in the post below.

Recently I came across a tool called www.fundingroadmap.com . In their own words they are a “..fast and easy multiple choice planning platform built in the cloud.” So….what does that mean? It means it has never been easier to build a business plan. It means it shows you everything you need to take your idea and put some meat to it. It means that when you show this to an investor it shows you know what the hell you’re doing.

Why the cloud for a Startup business plan? Ever been working on a doc and need someone to add to it? This tool allows you to always have the most current version ready for anyone in the company or a potential angel or venture capital investor. Instead of emailing a pdf, you can now email a secure login and password (that you control) to an investor and they have everything they need in its current form, ready to go! Instant global access for review by investors, secure online storage in case of fire or natural disaster. A feature more important now,then ever before.

Video in your Startup business plan. Huh? Yep, you heard me. Funding Road map allows you to insert a short video right in the start of your plan. Think about it, you can how put your 90 second to 3 minute pitch right in the beginning. This gets the investor interested. Of course they’ll have questions after viewing the video. Now with Funding Road map they can just click on the link to go to the piece of information they need in the business plan to do the correct amount of due diligence to report back to their peers and get you the funding you need to start your business.

TIME SAVER when making your Startup business plan. Alright. You fill out all your info. You have your plan ready to go. You’re counting the days till your business gets the funding it needs. But, is your Startup business plan compliant? How do you know? An oversight on your part could take those expectations of business funding an shatter them.

Problem alarms indicate when information is incorrect or out of compliance. Automatically populates other fields with pertinent information, cutting data entry time.Try doing that with a pdf template! You know that whole change dilemma we were talking about earlier? Well, in this tool, you make a change in one financial statement of the plan, it will update all of the other relevant fields . For instance. I make an sales figure change on one sheet. It will update all the other areas to reflect the potential change in revenue. YOU GROW- IT GROWS. You change and morph, it changes and morphs.

If you are looking for an easy solution to create a business plan for your Startup or entrepreneurial venture and don’t’ want to spend a fortune (only $60!), Funding Road Map is the answer.

Visit them today at www.fundingroadmap.com 

—EXTRA CONTENT—

I contacted the CEO of this innovative company and asked her to write up a few sentences on why she created it.  The below paragraphs are her words:

“I believe in the people who invent and start great businesses, who struggle every day to make their ideas become a reality.

I created the Funding Roadmap TM to markedly improve their odds of success and contribute to a new, reality-based economic recovery.

Especially now, enhancing access to capital for small and growing businesses matters to us and to the health of the global economy, that’s why I am committed to providing the best networked online business planning and reporting solution to help achieve the goals of entrepreneurs, investors and lenders alike.

I couldn’t have imagined that the online launch of the Funding Roadmap TM would coincide with the most profound economic crisis of our lifetime, but here we are, and as a world full of investors and lenders look to reboot, we’re here to provide an innovative, networked solution for funding professionals and entrepreneurs alike. Now everyone looking for transparency and defensible information have a timely scalable new cloud based platform that accelerates business planning, due diligence, and funding.

It is standardized, simple to use and features a video pitching platform, a document repository and deal flow marketplace so entrepreneurs will have an online medium to brilliantly communicate all the essential data – along with their personal passion and commitment.”

Ruth. E. Hedges is the creator of  Fundingroadmap.com. As CEO she’s responsible for overseeing and directing all facets of the Company’s development and operations. Ruth has an executive managerial track record spanning over 27 years, in sales, marketing, and strategic development. She has been featured in the Chronicle of Philanthropy as well as the New York Times, the LA Times and People Magazine for her work with Oxfam America and the Hollywood Hunger Banquets. She was also once featured on ABC’s Home Show, and the Financial News Network did a two-part series on her for their show entitled ‘American Entrepreneur’.

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