Calculate how much to ask for

Ask for too much and your command will be doubted. Ask for too little and you'll run dry before takeoff. Here's how to tie your real need to a defensible figure.

The amount you ask for says a lot about your preparation. A round number out of nowhere ("I need €100,000") worries. A figure justified line by line reassures. The right amount is neither the one you hope for, nor the one that "looks serious": it's the one that follows from your financing plan.

1. List all your start-up needs

Start by listing what must be financed to launch and last until break-even: investments (equipment, fit-out, gear), launch costs (deposit, initial communication), and above all the working capital need — the money to operate before customers pay.

2. Don't forget the safety cushion

The classic mistake is to finance only the visible investments and forget the cash cushion. The first months rarely generate enough revenue to cover costs. Plan to last several months without depending on revenue — that's what avoids suffocation at the worst moment.

3. Deduct the contribution, compute the financing

Once the total need is set, subtract your personal contribution and any grants obtained. What remains is the amount to finance through a loan or investors. Presented this way — total need, minus contribution, equals ask — your figure becomes obvious and defensible.

The reflex that inspires confidence

When a funder asks "why this amount?", you must be able to walk through the financing plan line by line. This ability to justify every euro is, in itself, an argument: it proves you master your project.