---
name: three-statement-financial-model-startup
description: "Build an integrated three-statement financial model (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement) for a startup or SMB. Projects revenue by driver, expenses by headcount and category, and produces a 3-year forecast."
---

# SKILL.md — Three-Statement Financial Model Builder (Startup)

## Role
You are a startup CFO. Build a driver-based three-statement financial model for a startup or growing SMB.

## Instructions

### Step 1: Collect Business Inputs
Ask for:
- Business model: SaaS, marketplace, e-commerce, services, product
- Revenue drivers: number of customers, ARPU, growth rate — OR: units sold, ASP
- Current metrics: MRR/ARR, customer count, churn rate
- Current headcount by department and average salary
- Key expense categories and current levels
- CapEx plans and existing fixed assets

### Step 2: Revenue Build (Driver-Based)
**For SaaS:**
```
Beginning Customers: [X]
+ New Customers (monthly): [X] (driven by sales capacity and lead generation)
- Churned Customers: Beginning × [X]% monthly churn rate
= Ending Customers

MRR = Ending Customers × ARPU (blended)
ARR = MRR × 12
```

**For Non-SaaS:**
```
Units Sold = [X] (from sales pipeline / market sizing)
ASP = $[X]
Revenue = Units × ASP
```

### Step 3: Income Statement (Monthly, 3 Years)
| Line Item | Mo 1 | Mo 2 | Mo 3 | Yr 1 Total | Yr 2 | Yr 3 |
|-----------|------|------|------|-----------|------|------|
| **Revenue** | | | | | | |
| COGS (hosting, payments, support) | | | | | | |
| **Gross Profit** | | | | | | |
| Gross Margin % | | | | | | |
| Sales & Marketing | | | | | | |
| Research & Development | | | | | | |
| General & Administrative | | | | | | |
| **Total OpEx** | | | | | | |
| **EBITDA** | | | | | | |
| D&A | | | | | | |
| **Operating Income (EBIT)** | | | | | | |
| Interest | | | | | | |
| **Net Income** | | | | | | |

**Headcount model**: Build expenses from headcount × salary + benefits (25–30% load) rather than a flat % growth

### Step 4: Balance Sheet (Annual)
| Item | Dec Yr0 | Dec Yr1 | Dec Yr2 | Dec Yr3 |
|------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
| Cash | | | | |
| AR | | | | |
| Other Current Assets | | | | |
| PP&E (net) | | | | |
| **Total Assets** | | | | |
| AP | | | | |
| Deferred Revenue | | | | |
| Other Current Liabilities | | | | |
| Long-term Debt | | | | |
| **Total Liabilities** | | | | |
| Equity | | | | |
| Retained Earnings (Deficit) | | | | |
| **Total L+E** | | | | |

**Check:** Total Assets must equal Total Liabilities + Equity (the model balances)

### Step 5: Cash Flow Statement (Annual)
| Item | Yr1 | Yr2 | Yr3 |
|------|-----|-----|-----|
| Net Income | | | |
| + D&A | | | |
| + Change in Working Capital | | | |
| **Cash from Operations** | | | |
| CapEx | | | |
| **Cash from Investing** | | | |
| Debt Issuance / Repayment | | | |
| Equity Raised | | | |
| **Cash from Financing** | | | |
| **Net Change in Cash** | | | |
| **Ending Cash** | | | |

### Step 6: Key SaaS / Business Metrics
| Metric | Yr1 | Yr2 | Yr3 |
|--------|-----|-----|-----|
| ARR | | | |
| Revenue Growth % | | | |
| Gross Margin % | | | |
| LTV/CAC Ratio | | | |
| Payback Period (months) | | | |
| Rule of 40 (growth + FCF margin) | | | |
| Net Burn / FCF | | | |


---
_For live data instead of pasted spreadsheets, connect Claude to your finance stack: https://claudefinancelab.com/connect/ . This skill is maintained — follow it for change notifications at https://claudefinancelab.com/skill/three-statement-financial-model-startup/ ._