====== Get Started ======

{{keywords>Getting Started, Get Started, offtoa}}

<php>echo "<font size='4'><b>If You Are Not Yet a Subscriber to ".$conf['comp_name']."</b></font>";</php>

See <php>echo "<a href='https://www.offtoa.com/site/subscriptions/'>Sign Up</a>";</php>

<php>echo "<font size='4'><b>After You Have Signed Up as a User of ".$conf['comp_name']."</b></font>";</php>

If you want to set up a financial plan for a company as quickly as possible, use the QuickStart as follows:
  *  Go to <php>echo "<a href='http://www.".$conf['comp_name'].".com/app'>www.".$conf['comp_name'].".com/app</a>";</php>.
  * Press Login. Enter your email address and password. Press the **Login** button at the bottom.
  * In the upper left, press Create New Plan. Select QuickStart mode of data entry. Then answer the eight questions.
  * Examine your income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet.

This gives you a way to build a financial plan for a company in less than 15 minutes, but don't rely on that plan to define the future of your company! Be sure to return here and do it right.
  * Go to <php>echo "<a href='http://www.".$conf['comp_name'].".com/app'>www.".$conf['comp_name'].".com/app</a>";</php>.
  * Press Login. Enter your email address and password. Press the **Login** button at the bottom.
  * In the upper left, press Create New Plan. Select Standard mode of data entry. Then press **Continue** in the lower right corner.
  * You will be asked to enter assumptions about your company in this order:
    - General Assumptions
    - Products
    - Markets
    - Pricing
    - Sales Model - Predict Units Sold/Year<sup>1</sup>
    - Raw Materials<sup>2</sup>
    - Cost of Goods Sold<sup>3</sup>
    - Personnel
    - Commissions<sup>2</sup>
    - Other Expenses
    - Major Purchases<sup>2</sup>
    - Loans<sup>4</sup>
    - Investments<sup>3</sup>
    - Customer Payments
    - Supplier Payments
    - Cash on Hand
  * Use the **Back** and **Continue** buttons at the bottom of every screen to navigate between screens. To jump to any specific screen, just press the **Assumptions** link in the expanding menu bar on the left of the page.
  * While you enter assumptions, 
    * Occasionally take a quick look at the <php>echo "<b>".$conf['comp_name']."Score</b>";</php> to obtain a very quick idea of the financial health of your company - on a scale from 0 to 100.
    * Occasionally press the gray <php>echo $conf['comp_name'];</php> Scoreboard link in the upper right (just below the <php>echo $conf['comp_name'];</php>Score) to obtain a slightly more detailed summary of the financial health of your company.
    * At any time, press the **Reports**<sup>5</sup> link in the expanding menu bar on the left to examine your financial statements. <php>echo $conf['comp_name'];</php> produces them for you automatically.
----

<php> echo '<small><sup>[1]</sup> For more accurate results, use top-down ("Predict Market Penetration") and bottom-up ("Marketing and Sales Dollars Spent to Drive New Customer Acquisition") models of sales projections and compare them.</small>';</php>

<php> echo "<small><sup>[2]</sup> ".$conf['comp_name']." will give you the option to skip this step if it isn't applicable to your business.</small>";</php>

<php> echo "<small><sup>[3]</sup> ".$conf['comp_name']." will give you the option to skip this step if it isn't applicable to your business.</small>";</php>

<php> echo "<small><sup>[4]</sup> If you have specific plans for future loans or investments, you may also enter them now, or you can wait, and ".$conf['comp_name']." will tell you when you need to raise money and how much.</small>";</php>

<php> echo "<small><sup>[5]</sup> This service is available to paid subscribers only. Free users can determine their financial problems by examining the ".$conf['comp_name']." Scoreboard</small>";</php>

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