Capital Request Form Template Excel: Fill & Download for Free

I am currently working on a project for a small US financial firm as a contractor. I have been asked to put a small piece of software together for a division who deals in certain financial products.They have outdated financial software, use Excel spreadsheets for everything, their employees lack the time to do proper risk analysis, these employees are expensive and their output isn't good enough. Albeit this is what senior management is telling me. They don't want expensive off the shelf financial software, they want a quick strategical solution that can be implemented without too much fluff and hoo-ha.I am too lazy to build something from scratch, so I pay a few developers in India a solid amount to produce a template/draft script. As figure of speech, lets say $2500. This takes them, miles away from where the bank is located, a few weeks of work. They don't know that this work is going somewhere else. For them this is a lot of money.I adjust this based on my own experience and demo it to the client. My own input is very little. I just tweak it to the needs of the client. Perhaps a day or two.I bill this client for two weeks of work and get paid $15.000.The client has no problem paying this as he can reduce the payroll by a few FTE as less reporting, assurance, control management folks are needed. His payroll gets reduced by $200.000.My client only listened to me, my demo, and basically did fuck all, yet “made money”I basically requested a bunch of developers to make me a simple tool. They worked their ass off as I see physically the evidence and the effort they put into it. I just valued my own working hours more than theirs.The guys in the bank who will be made redudant also work hard, much harder than me or the senior management team.Yet the “hard working people" are the ones who get screwed over. Not in the sense of loss of job, but in regards of financial reward and effort.This is capitalism.It favours the ones with money. It works, just not for the people who “deserve" it, only for the people who take it. And there is no regulator or government body to intervene.But then again, capitalism isn't based on who deserves what. It is a cracked system. Don't be blind. It isn't a dream. It isn't charity.It's all fake and make believe.

Currently I use:MS Excel & Powerpoint - for obvious reasonsEvernote - taking notes, making to-do lists and also even for syncing with our deal tracker system, more on this belowCapital IQ - as an ex-banker, I'm still stubbornly reliant on this for pulling public market information, comparable valuation data and for the useful Excel plug-in that lets you automate a lot of the financial analysis work. It has its own Excel ribbon with the accompanying shortcuts, and god knows I love Excel shortcuts.Crunchbase - sometimes inaccurate vs. CapIQ because they take figures from public news/blogs, not SEC filings, but still useful for getting a snapshot of # of funding rounds, existing investors, exec team namesAngelList - mostly I use this to keep track of companies in themes that I already find interesting, such as online lending or maybe mobile language education - easy way to identify most of the companies in a certain space so I can focus my research and outreachLinkedin - beyond tracking connections, I often use the "get an intro" feature to look for mutual contacts. Usually then I email that person directly - I find the Linkedin intro request form a bit strange and overly formal to use.Sevanta Dealflow - we use this as our deal log system; it's not the prettiest system but it was written by an ex-VC, solely for VCs, so it has many investor-focused feature sets (such as a pre-built funnel scoring system, reporting, financial position summaries and coolest of all, the ability to email in notes and autogenerate new deal entries simply by learning 1-2 pieces of syntax). We worked with the founder to also allow Evernote entries to be sent in and either created as new company names OR synced with existing entries. Our issue with existing CRM vendors was that our investment team tends to take either email or Evernote notes, and doesn't want to be bothered with data entry, esp. on a system that didn't already fit into our regular workflows. The ease of entering new deals/companies into the system via emails means that we actually record 100% of our new meetings without creating a ton of new work or disrupting existing behaviors of the team.Rapportive / RelateIQ - I bucket these together because I use them to the same end: guessing email addresses. Although I strongly prefer to get intros to companies, sometimes when I feel timing pressure, or when there isn't a low resistance way to get an intro, I guess the CEO/founder/exec's email address using one of these; you basically start composing the recipient address in gmail and test out different iterations until Rapportive or RelateIQ recognizes that person and pulls up a profileeMarketer & Euromonitor - both are great for market sizing data, esp. around ecommerce, mobile commerce, mobile/internet penetration by country, digital advertising spend globally and other commerce or advertising-focused metrics. Both will periodically publish articles or presentations where you can find some interesting data without necessarily having to buy it.Surveymonkey - we like to run extensive customer surveys for the consumer-focused companies we diligence, and this gets the job done, plus it auto-generates Excel graphs so I don't have to make themWechat - because half of our team is based in China, the entire investment team ended up converging on Wechat as an easy communication platform. I love being able to create voice recordings, make wifi-based audio or video calls and send all kinds of dancing emojis/stickers.LogMeIn/Join.me - I manage a few remote interns, and this is a great way to cheaply run screenshare meetings. I know many people prefer to use Google Hangouts, but I've always found this much easier to use. All I have to do is send out an email link (instead of adding contacts, trying to figure out who's in what circles, etc.)Weave - a mobile app that is kind of like Tinder for business networking, which sounds atrocious but isn't! You can basically put up a professional bio, sync your Linkedin and say yes/no to people you want to meet. You can choose to only be in a few specific rooms, such as for "fundraising" or "looking for a co-founder" if you want to be more targeted. I have met some very interesting founders, execs and other investors this way. I've tried out a few other attempts at this model, but it's usually hard to get a large enough network of people for you to consistently see quality results. I've definitely set up high quality meetings from this app.Noun Project - I don't usually make an art project of my presentations, but sometimes I find it supremely stress-relieving to make pretty slides. (Obviously I'm the life of the party.) This site has beautiful, easy to download/buy vector icons that look great, esp. when you're trying to explain how a certain product works and want to cut down on words.Product Hunt - maybe once a week I'll look at this to stay up to date on new products, but the volume of new companies/products is huge, and the filter is understandably more focused on "cool products" than on "investable companies," so I don't use it for sourcing much. However, if we are already talking to a company, I'll always peruse their Product Hunt feedback just like I would their app store reviews, Yelp rating and Glassdoor pageA few others that I know investors like to use:Clara Labs and x.ai are both AI-based virtual assistants that help you schedule meetings automatically. I've had VC friends set up meetings with me using both (you can tell because they are cc'ing either Clara or Amy, the placeholder names for the bots). I do enjoy writing very personalized responses to emails, even for scheduling, because earlier in my career I resented receiving the "you can talk to my assistant" brush-off, but I definitely foresee myself using one of these more often in the futureYesware/Toutapp - both are perhaps better suited for salespeople or demand gen people as they help you send out email templates at scale, then help you track open rates, response rates and even links clicked to test which messages have the highest conversion rates. VCs aren't really going to send out spam templates and A/B test them, but they WILL appreciate knowing when their emails have been read, so they can decide when or whether they should follow upA product that I wish existed:A tool that gives me an email alert every time a Linkedin connection with a certain title (founder, CEO, VP of Sales, VP of Engineering, iOS Engineer) leaves his/her company. Recruiting is obviously a key value-add that VCs are expected to bring, and it's always good to know when people might be open to conversations (or at least might want to catch up and tell me about his/her next company!)

Before we embark, remember these 3 sourcing principles…(1) It’s a numbers game. More quotes = more information = better decisions.(2) Don’t be afraid to walk away. As the buyer, you hold all the cards.(3) Compile your data. Seeing supplier quotes side-by-side can help you reach a quick conclusion. We’ll show you how to do this later on.So let’s take action, get quotes, and find our new best-seller!There are 2 ways to get quotes on Alibaba: Buying Requests and direct messaging (we’re talking about Alibaba today, but these ideas apply everywhere).Post a Buying Request first. It helps you articulate what you’re looking for and starts working on your behalf while you actively message suppliers.POST A BUYING REQUESTAlibaba has a big blue button on its homepage that says “Get Quotations Now”. Ok.“Get Quotations Now” takes us to the Buying Request form.Product Name: stuff the “Product Name” section with keywords like it’s Amazon in 2012. It helps suppliers find the request. Jump into the Google Keyword Planner tool if you need more ways to refer to your product.Quantity: if you don’t know the cost per unit, it’s hard to say. You don’t want to set expectations too high, and you don’t want them to pass you by. “500” usually garners ample replies.Details: when sourcing, never portray yourself as the final decision maker (e.g. CEO, President, Founder). Be a Buyer, Purchasing Director, VP of Product Development. Why? It removes the awkwardness of negotiation. Since you’re an employee, you must adhere to a budget. You have no choice. You must have the product specs a certain way. You have no choice. If they’re not talking with the sole decision maker, they can’t control some variables. That plays to your advantage. It also gives you more time to decide (“let me consult with the department”).Upload Photos: upload many photos for reference. If you product doesn’t exist yet, graft a few different images together. Nothing fancy, but be sure to convey the idea.Here’s a Buying Request template to save you some time:Hello! This is [name] from the [company] Buying Department.I’m interested in buying an initial order of [product]. If you can manufacture them, please send me an email:[email address][note: you can’t actually include emails in the request, so write something like name [at] domain [dot] com]In your email, please include:(1) PICTURES: a detailed set of pictures of your product(2) PRODUCT: what is your preferred price per unit/set?(3) MOQ: what is your preferred minimum order quantity?(4) [SPECIAL MODIFICATION]: what is the price of [custom change you want to make to the product]?(5) AIR SHIPPING: what’s the shipping cost to the USA by express courier (e.g. UPS, DHL, FedEx)?”Why is this template the way it is?- Use email. Ask them to email you instead of chatting on Alibaba. Why? To get their email address and to start screening suppliers. If you ask for an email and they only send you a message on the platform, they didn’t follow instructions. That’s not an immediate “no”, but be wary.- Numbered questions. School systems condition people to answer a list of numbered questions in their entirety. Unnumbered or long-winded messages invite unfinished responses, and drag out the conversation. We capitalize the main idea for each point for simplicity.- Say “preferred”. Say “preferred price” and “preferred MOQ” instead of just “price” and “MOQ” in case it’s high and you need to negotiate it. By being framed as “preferred” they are less fixed payments and more fluid figures. This tip alone saves you thousands of dollars in the long run.- Air ship. If your product is small and light, air shipping is fine. If it’s heavier and larger, you might consider the sea shipping/freight forwarding combo. If it’s done by express (UPS, DHL, FedEx), then they’ll clear customs for you, and you don’t need a freight forwarder. Ship by air if at all possible. While it’s more expensive than sea on paper, it’s much faster which gives you more time to sell.- It’s long. Messages with all of your questions saves time in back-and-forth, and only the most diligent and thorough suppliers will take time to answer them.Now, post the request. As you wait for replies to roll in, search your product on Alibaba and scroll for gold.SEND DIRECT MESSAGESHow do you guarantee replies? Write to suppliers with a history of replying. Foolproof.On the right side of the screen, you’ll see a supplier’s Response Rate. Also, Alibaba Trade Assurance now shows sales numbers. Generally, suppliers with transactions are more trustworthy. Sellers without transactions may also be great, though. Don’t rule them out.Let’s source “flea collar.” It’s small, appeals to a specific niche, lightweight, brandable, customizable.Scrolling down…This pink collar has 2 transactions worth $10,000 and a response time over 72 hours. That’s a slow time, but the sales add legitimacy. “Yes” to a message. Why not, right?This blue flea collar has no Trade Assurance sales and a 72 hour response time. I’d be less inclined to send a message.I’d be very inclined to message these guys. Great sales, great response time, great photo. 100% “Yes”.Let’s save you some more time. When you find a supplier that you like, use this template. It’s similar to the Buying Request, but this time we can include our email address:Hello! This is [name] from the [company] Buying Department.I’m interested in buying an initial order of [product]. If you can manufacture them, please send me an email:[email address]In your email, please include:(1) PICTURES: a detailed set of pictures of your product(2) PRODUCT: what is your preferred price per unit/set?(3) MOQ: what is your preferred minimum order quantity?(4) [SPECIAL MODIFICATION]: what is the price of [custom change you want to make to the product]?(5) AIR SHIPPING: what’s the shipping cost to the USA by express courier (e.g. UPS, DHL, FedEx)?”Look forward to hearing from you,[Name][Buying Department, Company]And when you’re sending them a message, change the subject line. There will be a template line in there… but don’t use it!Use something short; “Order of [Product]” or “I’m interested in [Product]”, or even type the supplier’s first name in it. It stands out in their inbox and gets a reply before the mass of other private labelers. It’s best to send messages at the beginning of the Chinese business day. For California, 6pm UTC. For New York, 9pm EST. Too early in the morning and it gets buried; too late in the day and they’re working on other things.Send messages to at least 10–15 suppliers. You have nothing to lose.Now, you’ve posted the Buying Request and you’ve messaged your top picks. The responses start to roll in. The results? Eclectic.The good: some suppliers will send you an email (not an Alibaba message) answering each of the 5 questions point-for-point are shoe-ins. Treat them well. Tell them you appreciate the prompt response.The not-as-good: some suppliers will send you an Alibaba message with a generic email response, or will ask how they can help. Don’t discard them yet. This phase is all about getting as much information as possible. Simply re-send the original email or engage them on the platform.The bad: some suppliers won’t respond, or will respond days later. Maybe they were at a trade show? Don’t discard yet.ORGANIZE THE RESPONSESWe need a place to organize everything. A home base.The goal is to get a lot of different quotes. An average will emerge. That way, it’s easy to compare and find red flags. You don’t want red flags.Unless you’re private labelling red flags.Anyways, crack open a fresh spreadsheet and let’s get going.Make an Excel doc with 11 different columns. PCs can press Alt+Tab to flash back and forth from this window to your Excel. Mac users can press Command+ Tab. It’s a nifty little trick.A1: Name of the supplierB1: Email of the supplier (you’ll have this if you don’t go through Alibaba; and even if you do go through Alibaba, it may be on the supplier’s profile)C1: Website of the supplier (either web or en.alibaba site)D1: MOQ of the product, or the quantity you’re looking to orderE1: CPU (cost per unit of the product)F1: Sample fee of the product (normally, this isn’t in the first template as to prevent confusion, so sort this out later)G1: Product CostH1: Shipping fee (the Air Shipping cost to your place, or Amazon warehouse)I1: TOTALJ1: Price per unitK1: Notes (your personal impression of the communication as a whole)Now, add these 3 formulas in the 2nd row:G2: click the G2 cell and then write this formula: =D2*E2. MOQ multiplied by Cost per Unit = your product cost.I2: click the I2 cell and then write this formula: =G2+H2. This adds the Product Cost and Shipping Fee together for our grand total.J2: click the J2 cell and then write this formula: =I2/D2. This divides the total cost paid for product and shipping by the number of units you’ll be getting — your true price per unit, with everything accounted for (except for things you need to pay for when the inventory hits Amazon like Amazon’s referral and storage fees, PPC, duties etc.). More on that another time.We’re done!Congratulations, you now own a universal sourcing template. This makes lifeSO much easier. Now, you can punch supplier quotes into the spreadsheet and see the total instantly. A lot of sourcing is about how the suppliers’ data sets compare to eachother. Feel free to add or subtract columns from this sheet. You may need to account for more costs than shown here.And if you’re sourcing this product for sale on Amazon, you can get a sense of how much of your margin Amazon will take using the Amazon Revenue Calculator. Even if you don’t have a listing of your own yet, pop a competitor’s listing in there, and get a sense of the fees.https://sellercentral.amazon.com/hz/fba/profitabilitycalculator/index?lang=en_USBut, numbers are only half the equation.Now that we’ve got the technical side down, it’s time to learn how to spot a good supplier using street smarts.A GOOD SUPPLIER…Is a manufacturer, not a re-seller.You may have noticed that the exact same product is offered by different sellers on Alibaba. How can this be? Re-sellers. They (through no fault of their own) need to make money on the re-sale, so they’ll charge a mark-up. Every dollar cuts into your profit, and ends up costing thousands in the long run. Here’s how to screen out re-sellers:- PHOTOS. Ask for factory and facility photos.- EMAILS. Emails like “[email protected]” indicate a factory as opposed to “[email protected]”. Not always true, but you should be talking to a member of a dedicated sales department, not a 1-person production. Once you get a good prospect, move to Skype, WeChat, or WhatsApp for faster chats.- TOUR. Tell them your sourcing agent in China is conducting facility tours this month, and would like to stop by (you don’t even need to follow through on this; just see how the supplier reacts). Or, you can do this for real.- SKYPE. Ask them to video Skype you from the factory in an hour. Are they ready?- TRADE SHOWS. Upcoming trade show listings on their site and on Alibaba. If they are willing to appear in person, that’s a good sign.- DOCUMENTS. Does your supplier have source documents that only the original factory would have? These include quality control docs that vary by industry (CE, FDA, ISO9001, RoHS, MSDS reports, material test results, etc.) and Adobe Illustrator (.ai, .eps) or Photoshop (.psd) files for their packaging and instruction manuals.- BRANDING. Look at the version of the product everyone’s selling on Alibaba. Zoom in. Is there a visible brand or logo engraved anywhere? Search that brand name online, and you’ve found the original.- PRICING. When you’re comparing prices in the Excel doc, who has the highest prices? This may indicate who re-sells, since they need to make margin on the sale.- CUSTOMIZATION. Factories own the machinery used to make the product, so they can customize more easily than a re-seller can. If you ask a supplier to make a custom physical change and they can’t, is it because their machinery can’t do it? Or, is it because they don’t have any machines to begin with?- PRODUCT LINE. Re-sellers often offer expansive lines of materially different products. Ask yourself: does it make sense for these items to be manufactured in the same factory? If a supplier sells flea collars but also selfie sticks, they’re a re-seller. True factories have depth in a specific area of expertise.For example, here’s the collar supplier who was a definite “yes” earlier. As you can see, they’re all about paracord stuff. That’s all they do.Plus, they can offer footage from the factory floor. Another good sign.Anyways, where were we? Right. A good supplier…Is thorough.- INSTRUCTIONS. Use instructions to screen. Professional reps read your instructions and follow them. For example, if you’re chatting on Alibaba and ask them to email you instead and include their company website, pay attention to who follows the instructions and who doesn’t. Pay attention to who answers the 5 sourcing questions point-for-point. Those suppliers are trying hard and deserve your attention.- PAYMENT. Good suppliers connect with payment methods like PayPal and Alibaba Trade Assurance. These 2 methods in particular have some hoops and fees on their end, so it’s a good trust indicator. However, good suppliers may not have Trade Assurance set-up yet and prefer T/T wire transfers, so it’s not a hard-and-fast rule. You can pay for order #1 via PayPal or Trade Assurance, then move to wire transfers once you’ve confirmed the quality.Doesn’t need good English or a good website.Factories are notoriously bad at marketing. Don’t discard a supplier based on their English or the look of their site. More important than perfect English is their attention to detail, the effort they make to answer your questions, and the area of expertise of the factory.Can supply you with a product line.Source with the future in mind. Does the supplier you’re considering have an extensive line of products in the same area? In the case of the paracord supplier, order #1 is a flea collar. Once that does well, you can buy collars for cats, paracord leashes, paracord chewtoys, etc. Finding a good supplier the first time saves from having to do this process over again.NEGOTIATIONSKeep the tone friendly.Tips to come to win-win agreements with suppliers:- THE ‘HOLD THE BOX’ TRICK. You’re building a brand and want a custom box. Some suppliers may have an MOQ of 500 products, but and MOQ of 1000 custom boxes (because their packaging guy set an MOQ on it). 1000 boxes means you need to make 1000 units, right? No. Make 1000 boxes, ask them to hold 500 with them in China for your next order, and make 500 units as planned. They meet their packaging minimums, and you order the right amount.- THE SAMPLE REFUND. Pay for samples with PayPal, and ask if the amount can be refunded if you end up placing a mass order. Affirm that they won’t lose any money in the process, and that it will incentivize the Buying Department to go through with the order. You get your sample payment back, and they get more business.- THE ‘LONG TERM’ APPEAL. If you can’t seem to agree on the price, appeal to future orders. “It may seem that this order is worth only $3000,” you say, “but we’re a growing company, and a successful order today may lead to easy repeat business for you: $5000, 10,000, $20,000. What’s the best price that you can offer me?” You get lower prices, and they win a long-term partner.- DON’T SAY ANYTHING. If you stay quiet for a few days, they will follow up. After a few messages, they’ll be more receptive to lower prices. In the end, you are the buyer and hold all the cards. The best negotiation tactic is being willing to walk away from the deal.- PRAISE. If someone does something we don’t like, we tell them. If someone does something good, we say nothing. Break the trend. Praise sales reps for following up, fast responses, good product certifications, quality, service. When negotiations hit, you’ll be glad you’ve set a friendly tone.- HAVE A BUDGET. Set a definitive amount you’d like to spend on the order, and stick to it. With MOQs, modifications, packaging, and shipping, it can be easy to exceed your budget. If anything, share your budget with your supplier and ask how you can work together to make it fit.SAMPLINGYou’ve found suppliers, compiled their information, and negotiated the price of the mass order. Now, you need a sample unit to test the quality. Going into a mass order without a sample is… risky. Always sample.Here’s the anatomy of a sample order:- sampling fee = the fee for the product. It’s usually free, unless you make a custom sample.- custom work fees = fees for custom logo printing, set-up, stitching, mold fees (which can get pricey)- shipping fee = most likely by air (DHL, UPS, FedEx), and will comprise a good chunk of the sample fee. It’s normal for the buyer to pay for it.How much should you pay? Expect anything from $30-$200, depending on the complexity of the product.What do you do with a sample once it arrives?- photography (photography first, while it’s still unscratched)- durability testing (drop test, waterproof, material)- compare against other samples receivedPAYMENTFor the sample, use PayPal. It’s instant and favors the buyer (PayPal disputes are buyer-centric), in the event that something isn’t right with the sample.For the mass order, you’ve got options!- Western Union: don’t. If a supplier only takes Western Union, don’t deal with them. No buyer protection; once the money’s gone it’s gone. Takes 3–5 days.- PayPal: you can, but the fees on the receiving end are high, so most suppliers will be against it. You can offer to split the PayPal fees for order #1, and think of it as a sort of “insurance policy” on the first purchase. Instant. Free to send.- T/T Wire Transfer: the payment method of choice for most suppliers. It’s done from bank to bank, and is fairly reliable. But like Western Union, there’s no buyer protection. Unless receipt fails, you’re never getting the funds back. Takes 3–5 days. The bank will charge about $30 for processing.- Alibaba Trade Assurance: Alibaba’s escrow service. All payments are based on an online contract. It’s a T/T wire transfer, but the money is sent to an Alibaba-owned account, and then transferred to the seller. Some buyer protection. Takes 3–5 days. The bank will charge about $30 for processing.Or, do a hybrid. Use PayPal or Alibaba Trade Assurance for your first order to get the buyer protection, and then switch to wire transfers after a successful first batch.There you go!In this piece, we:- took our idea- sourced it on Alibaba using a Buying Request and direct messaging- collected and analysed the pricing in a spreadsheet- separated re-sellers from factories- negotiated win-wins- sampled- paid for the mass order.