How to write revenue projections a lender will actually believe
This is where most plans quietly fall apart. Not because the numbers are too low, because there's nothing underneath them.
A believable projection shows its work. Not "$31,000/month," but the math that gets you there.
Build it bottom-up
Start from units, price, and frequency: 35 customers a day × $8.60 average ticket × 31 days = $9,331 a month. Now a banker can poke at each input instead of taking a total on faith.
Ramp, don't teleport
New businesses don't hit full revenue in month one. Show a ramp, month 1 lower, building to a steady state, and name what drives it (marketing, word of mouth, a second location maturing).
Be conservative on purpose
Optimistic projections don't impress lenders; they worry them. A plan that clears the bar on modest assumptions is far stronger than one that only works if everything goes right.
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Check my readiness, freeLenderReady is an educational service, not a lender, broker, or financial advisor. Lending criteria vary by institution and change over time; treat this as a starting point, not a guarantee.