---
title: "Small Business Budget and 12-Month Forecast Build | MCC"
description: "A working budget and 12-month forecast built from your real books: revenue drivers, costs, hiring scenarios and cash runway, with budget against actual set up."
url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/projects/budget-and-forecast-build"
---

Bookkeeping project

# Budget and 12-month forecast build

Most budgets fail because they were not built from real numbers. We start with your books, build a forecast you can change, and set up the monthly comparison that keeps it alive.

[![Intuit ProAdvisor Gold tier badge](/img/credentials/intuit-proadvisor-gold.png)](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)Gold tier in Intuit's ProAdvisor program. [See my Intuit listing](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)

For owners planning a year, a hire, a price change or a big purchase.

## What you get

- A 12-month budget by month, built from your actual history
- Revenue drivers you can change, such as customers, price, volume or hours
- Cost lines split into fixed and variable, with notes on what moves them
- Scenarios for the decisions you are weighing: a hire, a price change, a new location, a purchase
- A cash flow view and runway, so you see when cash gets tight
- A budget against actual report set up in your accounting software or a spreadsheet
- A walk-through session so you can run it yourself

## What we need from you

- At least 12 months of reasonably accurate books, or willingness to fix them first
- Your plans and constraints
- The decisions you are trying to make
- A little time for the walk-through

## How it works

- **Check the base.** If the history is wrong, the forecast is wrong. We confirm the books first.
- **Find the drivers.** What actually moves revenue and cost in your business?
- **Build the model.** A forecast with inputs you can change and formulas you can read.
- **Run the scenarios.** Compare the options you are weighing, side by side.
- **Hand over and teach.** A working file, a short guide and a session on how to update it.

## What this is not

- A forecast is not a prediction or a guarantee.
- We do not give investment, tax or legal advice.
- We do not replace your CPA for tax planning.

## Price

**Starting at $1,200** one time.

Your written scope sets the final price before any work starts. What moves it: the number of scenarios and locations. If we are not the right fit, we say so.

## Related

- [How to explain month-over-month variances](/bookkeeping/guides/how-to-explain-month-over-month-variances)
- [Cash flow and burn rate calculator](/bookkeeping/cash-flow-and-burn-rate-calculator)
- [Business Valuation Forecaster (Excel)](/toolkits/business-valuation-forecaster)
- [All projects](/bookkeeping/projects)
- [Monthly service levels](/bookkeeping/plans)

## Questions

**How accurate will the forecast be?**

It depends on your assumptions and on how stable your business is. The value is in seeing what your plan implies and in updating it as real numbers come in.

**Can you build it in my software?**

Often yes. If your software has limited forecasting, we use a spreadsheet linked to your numbers.

**What do I do with it each month?**

Enter the actuals, compare to budget and ask why each big difference happened. The variance review guide shows how.

**Do I need a forecast to borrow money?**

Some lenders ask for a projection. Ask yours. See the lender-ready package.

MCC Solutions is not a CPA firm or a law firm. These projects organize and present your own numbers. They are not audits, reviews, tax returns, valuation opinions, or credit, tax or legal advice, and we cannot promise that a lender, buyer or investor will accept them. Rules and requirements change, so confirm anything that matters with the party involved and your CPA.

Excel workbook

### Budget vs Actual Workbook

Set a budget for each income and expense line, enter your actuals as the months close, and see what is over, what is under and where the year is heading.

[See what is inside ($24)](/toolkits/budget-vs-actual-workbook) [Try the free starter](/toolkits/budget-vs-actual-workbook#free-starter)

Also in the [Business Planning Bundle](/toolkits/business-planning-bundle): 4 products for $79 instead of $106 separately.

## Tell us about the project and get a written scope.

[Request a scope](/contact)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)