Preparing for a Capital Raise in a Cautious Market
Lenders and investors are asking harder questions. What to prepare six months before you need the money.
By Claire Beaumont, Partner, finance and capital , 1 min read
Lenders and investors are asking harder questions than they did two years ago. The companies that raise on good terms prepare six months before they need the money. Lenders and investors are asking harder questions. What to prepare six months before you need the money.
Get the numbers board-ready first
Monthly accounts closed within ten working days, a rolling cash forecast and unit economics by product or customer segment. If any of these take a week of spreadsheet work to produce, fix the reporting before you start conversations.
Tell one consistent story
Investors compare your deck, your data room and what each leader says in meetings. Agree on the three points that explain your growth and your plan, and make sure every number in every document supports them.
How we apply this with clients
In client work this usually becomes one priority on the quarterly plan, with a named owner and a measure the leadership team reviews every month. Our finance partners start with a short diagnostic of where the business is today, then agree the smallest change that will make a visible difference within ninety days.
Key takeaways
- Close the books in ten working days.
- Prepare a rolling cash forecast and segment-level unit economics.
- Align the deck, data room and leadership story.
Want to apply this in your business? Book a discovery call with a Maia Lafortezza partner.
Claire Beaumont
Claire Beaumont leads the firm's finance and capital practice. A chartered accountant and former chief financial officer of two founder-led companies, she has guided clients through capital raises, refinancings and sale processes. She advises leadership teams on cash forecasting, unit economics, board reporting and exit readiness, and writes the blog's finance coverage from the New York office.
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