A private loan to build our first bit of extra help. We're planning around £12,500.
The loan at a glance
Choose the yearly interest rate:
The interest is worked out on what we still owe, so it goes down as we pay the loan back. Full schedule on the Repayment tab.
The business
We help small businesses run better with simple, joined-up systems, so they stop juggling lots of different apps.
We're starting with cleaning companies. Scheduling, staff, customers and follow-ups usually sit in several different tools, and one cancellation means updating several places. Our system puts it all in one place.
We've launched, and we have our first paying customers. Each one pays a setup fee and then a monthly fee. Our onboarding and support steps are written down, so we can hand work to other people.
What the money is for
Right now too much depends on me. This loan brings in help where it holds us back. We'd spend it in stages as customer numbers grow.
Most of these roles are part-time or paid on results, so the cost only rises when customers do.
Next steps
Hopefully this makes sense. I'm happy to go through any of the numbers with you.
Growth outlook
Here are three ways the first year could go. Pick one to see the numbers. Everything on this page changes together.
Money coming in each month
Hover or tap the chart to see any month.
Where the money comes from
Each customer pays the monthly fee from the month after they join, and a few leave along the way.
The three scenarios side by side
New is how many customers sign up in the year. At end is how many are still with us. Money in is what customers pay us, before our costs, so it is not our profit.
What customers pay
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| The system, joining in months 1 to 3 | £297 when they sign up. £97 a month starts the next month. |
| The system, joining from month 4 | £500 when they sign up. £97 a month starts the next month. |
| Advert service | £297 to set up, then £297 a month. The customer pays their own advert costs. |
What we've assumed
How we find customers
At the moment it's cold outreach, demos and word of mouth. We want to scale that with adverts.
What could go wrong
- Sign-ups could be slower than planned.
- More customers might leave than we've allowed for.
- Marketing could cost more per customer than we expect.
- There are costs we haven't counted yet, like tax and VAT.
These are forecasts, not promises. They are not guaranteed profit or cash.
Proposed repayment plan
If we can pay back early, we will.
What we still owe
Hover or tap the chart to see any month.
What we still owe at the end of each stage
What you earn
For comparison, the Bank of England base rate is 3.75%, and a government-backed start-up loan is 7.5%. The interest is worked out on what we still owe, so it falls as the loan is paid back.