Furthermore, how many customers are there, how much will they pay and how quickly will they write you a check. Understand that this is not an academic exercise. Ultimately, you will have to execute your business plan and place the actual results along side of your proforma numbers to see if you are meeting your benchmarks. View the procedure as an upside-down triangle or funnel starting with a wide base of information gathering. Ultimately, the wide base of knowledge is narrowed down to specifically reflect your operating numbers on your proforma.
Nonrelevant information is discarded.
The wide base of information is available at the library in publications such as Robert Morris Associates and Dun and Bradstreet. The business section librarian can help. Major accounting firms also publish operating numbers for various industries. Your accountant may be able to help you get to the right accounting firm. Each industry's trade association has operating statistics.