Cash flow e game

The numbers game: software that analyzes your cash flow - Buyers Guide

There are certain ills that plague nearly every business: tight cash flow, narrowing margins, rapid growth but no expansion capital, and footdragging clients who never pay on time. A stout remedy to such problems is Profit Mentor from Management Advisory Services (MAS), a division of Moss Adams, an accounting firm in Seattle.

What's nice about this financial management software program is it helps you monitor trends and market indices relative to your type of business. Profit Mentor covers three main areas: historical analysis, which provides ratio and financial impact analysis reports; monthly cahs-flow forecasting, including seasonal fluctuations of the business; and annual forecasting.

Whereas most business planning programs just project an income statement, Profit Mentor links your income statement, cash flow and balance sheet together to help you come up with meaningful what-if scenarios. This way, you can plan for any changes in your financial situation.

Profit Mentor ($245 Windows, DOS $145; 206-233-0500) calculates important ratios to measure safety, liquidity, profitability and operating performance based on future plans.

If you are having specific problems supplying lenders with the financial information they need, then you'll want to check out Loan Express from San Diego-based ValuSource Inc. (800-825-8763). This DOS-based program guides you in organizing, analyzing and preparing a business loan application. No matter what business you're in, Loan Express can help you tailor your request proposal.

The $195 program covers the gamut, including sources of debt financing, ratio analysis, business valuation and loan repayment. This menu-driven program is easy to use and has a great graphing feature.

For those business owners who are mostly interested in forecasting their cash intake 60 or 90 days out, a solid pick is Up Your Cash Flow 4.0, from Los Angeles-based Granville Publications Software. This $99.95 program, whose format will be familiar to anybody who has ever used Lotus 1-2-3 or Microsoft Excel, has a spreadsheet that lets you predict how much cash you will have on hand on a specific date, from one week out to the following year.

Also, you don't have to figure out or input any formulas--that's already done for you. And the varying categories allow you to budget and track expenses with as fine a hand as you want.

Although you can export financial data in Up Your Cash Flow to other spreadsheet programs, such as Lotus 1-2-3, you can't import information. So, you'll have to key-punch in all sales and expense data.

Up Your Cash Flow is offering a 20% discount on their software to BE readers, and their Personal Finance Software, free. That's a $112.90 value for $79.95. All you have to do is call 800-873-7784, ask for Gary Greenberg and mention this article.

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Data you can bank on Nationwide database of alternative financing sources

You're looking to launch a business, bring your product to market or employ the latest technology. Yet, you're short on funds. The Financing Sources Databank from DataMerge Inc. in Denver can help you with your search for capital. This software program (available for IBM compatibles) is a national database of business lenders other than traditional commercial banks.

You simply indicate your industry, location and amount of financing needed, and Databank automatically presents a list of prospective lenders and investors. The Entrepreneur Version ($139) features 2,500 lenders, including Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Companies, venture capitalists, and factors. The Professional Version ($499) has 5,800 sources, including investment bankers, IPOs and private placement underwriters.