# Q1 Financial Plan — Feb-Apr 2026
**Prepared:** 2026-02-20
**Author:** Harper (Finance/Legal)
**Period:** February 20 – April 30, 2026

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## Strategic Context
RateRight is transitioning from pre-revenue build phase to launch + multi-city expansion. This 90-day plan covers launch financial readiness, first revenue tracking, marketing budget discipline, and compliance foundations for interstate operations.

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## 1. Financial Priorities (Ranked)

### P1 — Launch Revenue Capture (Feb 20–Mar 15)
| Task | Owner | Deadline | Status |
|------|-------|----------|--------|
| Verify Stripe → AirWallex payout connected | Michael | Before 1st hire | ⏳ Pending |
| Run test $50 payment end-to-end | Michael + Builder | Before 1st hire | ⏳ Pending |
| Revenue tracking dashboard setup (manual) | Harper | Launch day | 🔜 Ready |
| First hire financial celebration + documentation | Harper | When it happens | Waiting |
| Weekly revenue reports begin | Harper | Week of 1st hire | Waiting |

### P2 — Marketing Budget Controls (Mar 1–ongoing)
| Task | Owner | Deadline | Status |
|------|-------|----------|--------|
| Confirm ramp schedule with Michael ($500→$700→$1K) | Harper → Michael | Mar 1 | 🔜 New |
| Set up spend tracking by city and channel | Harper + Susan | Mar 1 | 🔜 New |
| First monthly marketing ROI report | Harper | Apr 1 | Scheduled |
| Kill/scale criteria documented | Harper | ✅ Done | See marketing-budget-framework.md |

### P3 — Multi-City Compliance (Mar 2026)
| Task | Owner | Deadline | Status |
|------|-------|----------|--------|
| VIC Labour Hire Act assessment | Harper | ✅ Done | Exempt (marketplace model) |
| Document marketplace model distinction | Harper | Mar 15 | 🔜 New |
| Monitor LHA expanded definitions | Harper | Ongoing | Watching |
| State-by-state compliance matrix | Harper | ✅ Done | See expansion analysis |

### P4 — Grant Applications (Mar–Apr 2026)
| Task | Owner | Deadline | Status |
|------|-------|----------|--------|
| MVP Ventures NSW Round 3 — prep application | Harper | Opens Mar 9 | 🔜 Ready |
| MVP Ventures submission (Michael approval needed) | Harper → Michael | TBD (after opening) | Scheduled |
| Industry Growth Program — continue research | Harper | Apr 30 | In progress |
| R&D activity log — begin formal documentation | Harper | Mar 31 | 🔜 New |

### P5 — Tax & R&D Preparation (Ongoing)
| Task | Owner | Deadline | Status |
|------|-------|----------|--------|
| Categorise all expenses as R&D vs non-R&D | Harper | Mar 31 | 🔜 New |
| Track R&D-eligible spend monthly | Harper | Ongoing | In progress |
| Estimate FY2025-26 R&D refund | Harper | Apr 30 | Scheduled |
| Company tax return prep (FY2025-26) | Harper | Post Jun 30 | Future |

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## 2. Key Financial Targets — Next 90 Days

| Metric | Target | Stretch | Why |
|--------|--------|---------|-----|
| First revenue | March 2026 | Week 1 of launch | Proves model works |
| Monthly hires by Apr 30 | 10/month | 20/month | Path to breakeven |
| Marketing CPH | <$50 | <$25 | Marketing is profitable |
| Runway (minimum) | >18 months | >24 months | Safety threshold |
| Cash balance Apr 30 | >$20,000 | >$22,000 | Capital preservation |
| R&D expenses documented | 100% | — | Maximise tax refund |
| MVP Ventures application | Submitted | — | $20-75K potential |

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## 3. Cash Flow Forecast — 90 Days

### Conservative Scenario
| Month | Opening | Revenue | Expenses | Closing | Runway |
|-------|---------|---------|----------|---------|--------|
| Feb (remaining) | $24,408 | $0 | $350* | $24,058 | — |
| Mar | $24,058 | $244 | $1,200 | $23,102 | 19.3 mo |
| Apr | $23,102 | $439 | $1,400 | $22,141 | 17.6 mo |
*Half month remaining at $700/month base

### Optimistic Scenario
| Month | Opening | Revenue | Expenses | Closing | Runway |
|-------|---------|---------|----------|---------|--------|
| Feb (remaining) | $24,408 | $0 | $350 | $24,058 | — |
| Mar | $24,058 | $488 | $1,200 | $23,346 | 19.5 mo |
| Apr | $23,346 | $732 | $1,400 | $22,678 | 24+ mo |

### ⚠️ Runway Watch
Conservative scenario dips to 17.6 months in April — just below the 18-month comfort zone. This assumes $1,400/month burn with minimal revenue. If March generates <5 hires, I'll recommend holding marketing at $500/month in April.

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## 4. Key Decisions Needed from Michael

| # | Decision | Deadline | Harper's Recommendation |
|---|----------|----------|------------------------|
| 1 | Marketing budget ramp: start at $500 or full $1K? | Before Mar 1 | Start at $500, ramp after proving hires |
| 2 | Stripe → AirWallex payout verification | Before first hire | Critical — confirm cash actually flows |
| 3 | MVP Ventures Round 3 application approval | After Mar 9 | Apply — $20-75K for minimal effort |
| 4 | Xero activation for proper bookkeeping | Mar 2026 | Recommend activating once revenue starts |

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## 5. Risk Register

| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|-----------|--------|------------|
| Zero hires Month 1 | Medium | High (morale + runway) | Multi-city gives more shots on goal |
| Marketing spend with no ROI | Medium | Medium ($1K wasted) | Ramp schedule + kill criteria |
| VIC LHA reclassifies platforms | Low | High (licensing cost) | Monitor, maintain marketplace model docs |
| Stripe payout not configured | Medium | High (revenue stuck) | Michael to verify before launch |
| Grant application rejected | Medium | Low (no cost to apply) | Apply to multiple programs |

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*"90 days from now, we're either generating revenue or we know exactly why we're not."*