Don Van Winkle

What is capital access planning?

November 19, 2016

What is capital access planning?
We don’t need to use the high-brow language of investment bankers.

Capital access, or capital planning, is a concept that, while fundamental and critical, continues to be vague and illusive to many. As a result, it’s often misunderstood or overlooked in managing and financing our businesses. I work at the side of CEOs and owner/operators as well as third- party financing sources to make the capital access playing field level. For our purposes here, “capital access planning” is a customized outline (& time line) of options for funding the future capital or money requirements necessary to fuel and/or sustain ongoing growth and business viability. We don’t need to use the high-brow language of investment bankers.

In contrast, the concept of capital access represents a finite world of options that all CEOs and owner/operators need to be as familiar with as they are with the back of their own hands. My challenge, and one that I welcome, is to work with CEOs and boards to ensure that capital access is top of mind in the strategic process. When fellow CEOs are in an environment where they can confidentially share their successes and creative ideas in this vital area, options become more real and attainable.