Webinar Recap: The Financial Model That Gets You Funded

Webinar Recap: The Financial Model That Gets You Funded

You’ve been working on your pitch deck for weeks, refining your story and perfecting your slides. But there’s one piece that keeps giving you anxiety: your financial model. When investors ask to see your projections, do you feel confident in what you’re showing them? Or do you worry that your forecast model might actually hurt your chances of getting funded?

If you’re in the latter camp, you’re not alone. Most founders struggle with building financial models that actually support their fundraising efforts instead of undermining them.

That’s exactly why our VP and Partner, Matt DeWald, recently teamed up with Charlotte Ketelaar from Capwave for an in-depth webinar on “The Financial Model That Gets You Funded.” If you missed the live session, we’ve embedded the full recording below—plus we’re sharing the key insights that can transform how you approach financial modeling for your company.


Why Your Financial Model Can Make or Break Your Fundraising

Here’s what Matt emphasized during the webinar: “Your financial model usually comes in after your pitch deck, but you really need to know your numbers at the time that you’re pitching.”

The problem most founders face isn’t that they don’t have a financial model—it’s that their model doesn’t align with their pitch deck story. When there’s a disconnect between what you’re promising and what your numbers show, investors notice immediately.

As Matt explained, “As soon as an investor sees your financial model and it all makes sense and everything falls into place, that’s when they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, this founder knows exactly what they’re talking about.'”

The reality is simple: Many investors are finance people. They’ve seen hundreds of pitch decks and thousands of financial models. They know what realistic growth looks like, and they can spot unrealistic projections from a mile away.


The Framework That Actually Works: Matt’s Live Demo

During the webinar, Matt didn’t just talk theory—he showed exactly how to build a defensible financial model using a real pre-seed company example. Here’s what made that model work:

Show Your Work

“I think some of the worst case scenarios that I’ve seen are people who just put in revenue numbers without really understanding the drivers of that revenue,” Matt explained during the demo.

The solution? Make your assumptions visible and easily calculable.

In the live example:

  • $25 per user subscription fee (clearly visible input)
  • Specific trigger dates for when new features would launch
  • Growth rates that decreased over time as market penetration increased
  • All inputs color-coded so investors could easily identify and modify assumptions

When an investor wants to test what happens if your customer acquisition cost changes from $25 to $35, they should be able to make that change in one cell and see the impact throughout your entire model.

Focus on Real Business Drivers

The demo company built their model around specific, measurable drivers:

  • Number of advisors using their platform
  • Average transaction volume per advisor ($3,000 monthly)
  • Commission rates tied to specific revenue streams
  • Technology development milestones that unlocked new revenue

This wasn’t guesswork—each assumption had a logical basis that the founding team could defend to investors.

Plan Your Team Like You Mean It

One of the most valuable parts of Matt’s presentation focused on hiring plans. As he noted, “I’ve seen VCs really hone in on and really drill in on management and ask the question, who’s going to be your first 10 hires?”

The demo model included:

  • Specific roles and start dates for each hire
  • Salary levels and department allocations
  • Payroll-related costs (that 15% for benefits and taxes most people forget)
  • Commission structures for sales team members

The model even projected headcount by department and month—exactly what investors want to see when evaluating your use of funds.

Don’t Forget About Cash Flow

Here’s where many founders stumble. They build beautiful income statements but forget that cash flow is what actually matters for survival.

Matt’s model showed monthly cash flow projections, clearly identifying when the company would hit low cash points and need additional funding. “You want to make sure that you’re reconciling your forecast model into cash,” he emphasized.


The Technology Foundation: Start the Way You Want to Finish

One of the most practical insights from the webinar wasn’t about modeling—it was about the systems that support your model. Matt shared Lavoie’s philosophy: “Start the way you want to finish.”

The Problem with Basic Systems: Most startups begin with QuickBooks because it’s familiar and inexpensive. But as Matt revealed, “9 out of 10, maybe even 19 out of 20” of Lavoie’s new clients need immediate migration to more sophisticated systems.

The Better Approach: “Don’t wait for the wheels to fall off your accounting systems before you turn around and say, ‘Oh, I should have done this a while ago,'” Matt warned.

Almost all seed and pre-seed companies that work with Lavoie get migrated to Sage Intacct because it:

  • Handles the volume and complexity of scaling companies
  • Integrates KPIs directly into the accounting system
  • Provides real-time dashboards for investor reporting
  • Aligns with the detailed forecasting models that actually work

Real-World Application: What the Demo Revealed

During the live demonstration, Matt showed a complete financial model for a pre-seed software company. What made this model compelling wasn’t complexity—it was clarity and logic.

Revenue Model Highlights:

  • Three distinct revenue streams launching at different times
  • Clear trigger dates tied to technology development milestones
  • Simple calculations that investors could easily understand and modify

Expense Planning That Makes Sense:

  • Detailed hiring plan broken down by department (General & Administrative, Technology, Sales & Marketing)
  • Specific start dates and salary levels for each role
  • Automated commission calculations tied to revenue performance

Cash Flow Reality:

  • Monthly projections showing exactly when funding would be needed
  • Working capital considerations for accounts receivable timing
  • Clear runway calculations based on actual burn rates

As Matt noted, “You want to keep this maintained as time goes on,” which is why the model was built to easily incorporate actual results alongside forecasts.


The Trust Factor: What We’re Really Selling

One of the most honest moments in the webinar came when Matt talked about Lavoie’s approach: “What we are selling at the end of the day is trust.”

That trust comes from understanding both the startup journey and investor expectations. Lavoie regularly helps companies scale from pre-revenue to over $3,000,000 in monthly revenue while maintaining streamlined financial processes.

Lavoie’s Partnership Approach:

  • Lavoie becomes part of the team, not just a service provider
  • Focus on building financial infrastructure that scales with growth
  • Support throughout the entire fundraising and scaling journey

Key Takeaways for Building Your Financial Model

Whether you’re preparing for pre-seed or Series B, here are the critical principles Matt shared:

  1. Make assumptions visible and testable – Color-code inputs so investors can easily modify and understand them
  2. Link drivers to financial outcomes – Show exactly how your key metrics (conversion rates, CAC, churn) impact revenue and costs
  3. Plan expenses strategically – Your hiring plan should be more than “we’ll hire 10 people next year”
  4. Reconcile everything to cash – Income statements don’t keep you alive; cash flow does
  5. Keep it simple and defendable – Complexity doesn’t impress investors; clarity does

What Happens Next

The webinar made one thing clear: the founders who get funded are the ones who can clearly articulate how their ideas translate into sustainable, profitable businesses.

If you watched the webinar and realized your financial model needs work:

Start with an honest assessment – Can an investor easily understand your key assumptions and test different scenarios?

Focus on your real drivers – What specific metrics actually drive your revenue and costs?

Plan your systems – Are you building financial infrastructure that can scale with your ambitions?

Ready to build a financial model that actually gets you funded?

Matt emphasized during the webinar that building an effective model starts with understanding your business deeply. As he noted, “I probably spend two hours understanding the business, talking to them, understanding how it works, to one hour building the actual model.”

Start the Conversation to discuss your financial modeling needs and learn how Lavoie can support your fundraising journey. Whether you’re building your first model or preparing for Series B, we’ll help you create financial projections that tell your story convincingly.

Connect with Matt DeWald on LinkedIn for ongoing insights about financial management and fundraising best practices.

The right financial model doesn’t just help you raise money—it helps you build a business that’s actually worth investing in.

Strategic Financial Planning In 2 Questions

Strategic Financial Planning In 2 Questions

Developing a strategic financial plan can seem daunting; however, it can be boiled down into two questions: what are you doing now and where do you want to be? This article walks you through the process of answering these two questions, providing a foundation for developing a financial strategy for your organization.

Question 1: What Are You Doing Now?

Every journey has a starting point and an ending point. Before you can implement a plan to achieve your financial goals, it is important to consider where you are now.

Current State of the Numbers

The current state of your organization’s numbers are a good starting point when determining your organization’s capability to meet its financial goals.  Some important questions to ask include:

  • Are you in a position of stability? Financial stability is vital to reaching “stretch” goals.  If the organization is not currently financially stable, it is important to identify this fact and develop a strategy for achieving stability as a first step in the planning process.
  • What is actually coming in/out the door? Knowing the size of the company’s cash reserves is not enough for financial planning.  How much revenue is coming into the organization and how much is going out again as expenses?
  • What is fueling the majority of your expenses? While increasing sales is one way of improving the organization’s financial footing, the ability to do so depends on the market and potential customers.  Identifying and minimizing expenses increases profits as well but is less impacted by external factors.

Culture

Achieving financial goals requires the support of the entire organization.  Take a moment to consider your organization’s culture and if the company has the maturity and ability to meet its goals.

  • Do your decisions match your vision and mission? An organization’s goals and procedures are important, but actions are even more so.  Are your decisions, both recent and historical, helping to move the organization towards its goals?
  • Would your employees agree? Employees throughout the organization can have different perspectives, insights, and recommendations.  Ask those “down in the weeds” how well the company is following its vision and mission and how they believe things could do better.

Question 2: Where Do You Want To Be?

The effectiveness of a strategic plan can only be effectively measured if there are usable metrics.  Before starting to build a plan to improve the organization’s financial position, it is necessary to define success and failure.

Targets

The first step in defining “success” for a financial strategy is defining concrete targets.  From there, the next question to ask is what do you need to achieve your targets?

  • Human Capital.  Does your organization have the human capital necessary to achieve its goals?  This not only includes headcount but access to the specific skill sets required now and in the future.
  • Acquisitions. Does your organization have the capabilities that it requires?  Are there areas of your business where things could be done more effectively or efficiently?
  • IT Investments. The IT landscape is evolving rapidly, and new solutions have the potential to dramatically improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.  Are there any IT investments that the organization should make that would help in reaching its targets?

Expenses

A failure to properly monitor and manage expenses is one of the most common ways that businesses fail to achieve their financial goals.  Gaining visibility into past, present, and future expenditures is an essential part of financial planning.

  • How can you gain more visibility into your expenditures? Visibility into expenditures is essential to identifying opportunities for optimizations and cost cutting.  How can you achieve a higher level of visibility into business operations?
  • Do you have an idea of your cash flow on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis? What level of visibility do you currently have into your organization’s cash flows?  Examining cash flows at the daily, weekly, and monthly level can help to identify potential inefficiencies and opportunities.

Beginning Your Strategic Financial Plan

Answering the questions that were asked in this article enables you to lay the groundwork for developing your organization’s financial strategy.  To learn about the next steps in your financial planning process, download the CEO’s Guide to Strategic Financial Planning.

Lavoie Secures Kelley Michalski as Partner and Vice President of Operations

Lavoie Secures Kelley Michalski as Partner and Vice President of Operations

Lavoie secured Kelley Michalski as Partner and Vice President of Operations. Lavoie is excited to welcome Kelley Michalski to our team as our new Partner and Vice President of Operations in Charlotte, NC. In this role, Michalski will be responsible for managing client operations, maintaining internal control structures, and providing strategic support to our clients and organizations. As Lavoie continues to grow exponentially year over year, Michalski’s leadership will be an invaluable asset in reaching our goals.

“I am truly looking forward to being a part of an established market leader in the finance field,” said Michalski. “I’m excited to become a contributor to the growth of Lavoie.” 

Michalski brings with her over 20 years of experience leading strategic financial planning and implementation. Her wide breadth of practice includes everything from overseeing financial performance and organizational governance to managing risk and compliance. She has excelled in creating sustainable, data-driven financial strategies by developing a foundation of analytics to fuel tactical and long-term business decisions. Michalski’s leadership and expertise will be valuable additions to the Lavoie team.

“We are delighted to have Kelley become a Partner with the company. Through Kelley’s involvement with our team over the years, she has shown herself to be an exceptional leader in the industry,” said Sharai Lavoie, Lavoie’s CEO/Managing Member.

Prior to joining Lavoie, Michalski was the Chief Financial Officer for a subsidiary of a Fortune 15 organization and the owner of a small business located in Charlotte. A graduate of Iowa State University, Michalski brings with her an entrepreneurial mindset to support organizations of all sizes.

About Lavoie: Founded in 2009, Lavoie has served as a reliable Charlotte CPA firm that specializes in strategic financial and operational planning for businesses of all sizes. By delivering state-of-the-art strategic support, Lavoie’s clients can focus on growing their business and soar to the next level of greatness. In addition to providing customized solutions for clients, Lavoie prioritizes social justice issues and is extremely involved in the local Charlotte community.

LAVOIE + BESPOKE SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT CASE STUDY

LAVOIE + BESPOKE SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT CASE STUDY

See why this award-winning Charlotte Sports & Entertainment Marketing Agency uses Lavoie CPA as their financial strategy partner

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Company: Bespoke Sports & Entertainment

Founded: 2014

Specialty: Sports and entertainment consulting and experiential marketing agency

Location: Charlotte, NC

With over 50 years of combined experience in Sports & Entertainment Marketing, Bespoke’s founders, have seen their fair share of agencies come and go. They have worked with some of the largest names and most complex brands in the sports and entertainment industry. So, when they started their venture, they knew they needed more than just an accountant to supervise their financial stability. They needed a financial strategist that could confidently run major investor meetings and take control of the company’s future; and a firm that could manage expenses while also augmenting human resource needs.

Download the case study to learn how Lavoie helped the company grow year over year and work with award-winning brands.

“It’s simple, Lavoie helped us create the infrastructure we needed. From setting up accounts payable and HR policies to recommending affordable technology, Sharai Lavoie and her team were there to give us the day to day insights we needed to keep cash flowing, flexibility to focus on sales, and proactive recommendations that enabled us to scale at the right pace.”

Mike Boykin

CEO & Cofounder