Do you guys budget and forecast?
 

Do you guys budget and forecast?

We've been working on putting together the perfect MS Excel workbook that can be used to make our Sponsorship Program run as smoothly as possible. Something that can help us forecast out based on predicted retention rates, conversion rates, trail to join, etc.

We want the expenses, revenue, profit and loss broken down per site.

This is quite a task but something that must be done. The funny thing that I've found is that when asking around I've noticed that most of the people I know in this business don't have anything in place to track and predict cash flow, etc.

What are you guys doing out there in GFY land?

I do away more forecasting that budgetting :):thumbsup

we're all too busy fucking hot chicks and cashing cheques! :1orglaugh

me too! i swear

Hmm. Ok, how about those of you who run Sponsor Programs?

Check out QuickBooks Pro, there's some great forecasting tools in there. I forecast on markets which I can assess, such as PPC and PPI search engines but when it comes to Google, those monthly updates are very unpredictable so that's an area I can't forecast until the Google dance is over.

WG

I'm having a deja vu moment here, meet me at Cheesecake Factory for lunch?

That is something any serious webmaster should be using. I want a copy - let's see if we can implement it with MPA2 too. As it is right now, and I am sure you are using it, the MPA2 will run profit reports and break down what you HAVE DONE in order to use this in your projections...


:thumbsup

:thumbsup KK, ur so smart!

Hahaha, the correct answer was: I hate those ads on the menu!

Yes and no Oystein. From what I can tell in the MPA2 system it tells me only what the webmaster traffic is doing and the webmaster payouts. It does not seem to have any report that tells me what the total revenue was and the breakdown of where the money went and came from. If it did this, and then made the data available to Quick Books, it would be easy to forcast out from there.

I was pretty sure in Mexico we already worked out this formula??

But none the less if we are going to figure it out again, I did see a post a while ago where one guy actually cut and pasted one hell of a formula for calculating returns..... I will try to look for it, pretty sure it was on this board even.

We are always forcasting for new projects, the returns should be built into your project from the beginning there is of course the learning curve, but eventually you come close to guessing things.

Rick - You are right. I thought it was because I read about it in our "next update" white paper... my bad. ;-)
If you have any good ideas for us to add, lmk.

Tim! Wassup! Will I see you in Phoenix?

hey Rick, I made some kind of spreadsheet like that a while ago... hit me up on icq if you need it...

just using simple stats formulas, but could be having some error in there... don't want u sueing me cuz it says you'd make 10$ more a signup lol

but it seems pretty much what stats tell on an infinite amount of time (real signup value) based on all factors.... according to what I was taught in school that is ;)

421704

cash flow has killed more businesses than bad decisions ever will.

budgeting and forecasting is critical in an affiliate program.

for exact budgeting - we only go about 6 weeks out - for both revenue and expenses. it's important to note that we are also a partnership program. rebills are still a critical component but don't play a life altering role in budgets.

for us... after 6 weeks is a crap shoot for what is going to happen.

I use Quickbooks Pro.

I cant imagine a company looking at expansion, in our ever more diluted industry, not being logistically secured by preparing and constantly re-evaluating their forecasts and budgets.

I am constantly looking to ensure the future of our company, given that it helps me to make sound business decisions that will help me grow the fundamental bottom line of our business.

Without it, I'd be steering a ship with no compass...and no fucking paddles.

Rick . . . Also, in MPA2, when you print out the profit reports you will be able to see and use the numbers to make a good budget. Let us expand on that and make it work... :)

PS. http://www.gofuckyourself.com/showth...hreadid=114166