SmartHelping / Help before & after buying
Frequently Asked Questions
Find the right financial model, understand what you are buying, and get started with your download. Here are the practical details about software, client use, support, and savings.
Choosing a model and the right software
How do I choose the right financial model?
Start with your business type and the decision you need to make: planning a startup, forecasting an existing business, evaluating an acquisition, or analyzing an investment.
Use the Model Finder or browse all models , then compare the product's assumptions, forecast period, financing options, and outputs with your needs. The templates serve business owners, managers, consultants, finance professionals, and people learning financial modeling.
Unsure whether a feature is included? Ask before purchasing and include the model link and what you need it to do.
Can I see how a model works before buying?
Review the product description, instructional walkthrough, and any screenshots or workbook previews on the product page. These show the model's structure, assumptions, and outputs so you can assess whether it fits your project.
If something important is not clear, send your question before placing an order.
Do I need Microsoft Excel, or can I use Google Sheets?
Use the software and file format listed on the individual product page. Excel products are supplied for use in the stated Excel environment. Products offered in Google Sheets can be used through a Google account.
Do not assume that importing an Excel model into Google Sheets will preserve every formula, chart, or feature. If you need Google Sheets and the product page does not expressly list it, ask about that specific model before buying. The same applies to other spreadsheet applications or software versions.
Are the spreadsheets unlocked and the formulas editable?
Yes. SmartHelping templates are unlocked, with visible, editable formulas. You can inspect the logic, change assumptions, and adapt the workbook to your business or permitted client work.
Save an untouched copy before making changes. Editing a formula can affect other parts of the workbook, so review the results after modifying the structure or calculations.
Are instructions included? What if I am new to spreadsheets?
Templates include instructional videos, and financial models include an Index tab describing the workbook's sections. Begin with the walkthrough, save a backup, and enter your assumptions in the designated input cells.
Work through a simple case first and follow how the inputs affect the outputs. The Financial Model Template Beginner's Guide provides additional context.
Buying and accessing your files
What happens after I purchase a template?
After payment, you are directed to a download page. A download link and receipt are also sent to your purchasing email address. Download the included files and save a backup.
For a step-by-step demonstration, see the template download tutorial .
Can I buy on my phone and download on my computer later?
Yes. Keep the purchase email and open its download link on the computer where you plan to use the model. A desktop or laptop is generally the easiest place to work with a detailed financial model.
Standard download links allow up to five download attempts and remain active for five days, whichever limit is reached first. See the next answer if your link expires.
What if my download link expires or I cannot find my files?
Contact Jason with your order information and purchasing email address to request help or reactivation of the download link.
The download-link expiry is not an expiry of your paid template license. You can continue using the files you downloaded under the applicable license terms. Keep a backup so you do not depend on the original delivery link.
How do I open a template bundle or a Google Sheets product?
Bundles: many arrive as a ZIP file. Download it and extract the contents before opening the spreadsheets. In Windows, use “Extract All.” Some smaller bundles list their files separately on the download page.
Google Sheets products: follow the instructions in your download. Where a Word document containing a Google Sheets link is supplied, open that link while signed in to your Google account, then choose File → Make a copy. Work in your own editable copy.
Is the template purchase a subscription?
No. A paid SmartHelping template license has no recurring license fee. Your purchase covers the model or bundle described on its product page. Optional custom work is a separate service.
Using models in your business or client work
Can I use a model for multiple projects or consulting clients?
Yes. You may reuse a purchased model for your own business, investments, and multiple permitted client engagements.
You may deliver an editable workbook prepared for a specific client's business or project using that client's inputs or assumptions. No separate SmartHelping client license is required for that deliverable. You may charge for your analysis, customization, and consulting services.
The client may retain and update the delivered workbook for its internal business or project use. This does not permit selling or distributing blank templates, general-purpose template copies, or template collections. See the client-use terms .
Can my coworkers, investors, lenders, or advisers use the model?
Your employees and contractors may use it on behalf of the purchasing business for its licensed work. They do not need to purchase separate copies for that work.
You may share reports and projections, and privately provide a business-specific or client-specific workbook to lenders, investors, partners, and advisers who need it to evaluate or support that business or project. Tell recipients that the underlying template cannot be redistributed, resold, or used to serve unrelated clients.
Providing general template access to separate companies, classrooms, membership groups, or franchise networks requires a separate written license. Ask about your intended use .
Can I resell the template or give away a copy?
You may charge for permitted consulting work and deliver the client-specific workbook described above. You may not resell, publicly upload, or give away the underlying template as a general-purpose product, including a modified copy.
Your business data and independently created content remain yours. See the Terms of Service and Template License for the complete permissions and restrictions.
Help, file problems, and custom work
What help is included with a template purchase?
Download assistance and review of suspected errors in the original supplied workbook are included. For a confirmed original-file error, SmartHelping will work to provide a correction, reasonable workaround, or replacement at no additional charge.
New features, custom changes, individual financial advice, and repair of customer modifications are separate services unless included in your purchase. To report a problem, send the model name, software version, affected sheet or cell, and steps to reproduce it . Avoid submitting confidential data through the general contact form.
What if the file does not work? Are refunds available?
Report a material delivery problem or a reproducible error that prevents the original file from substantially functioning as described within 30 days of purchase. Allow a reasonable opportunity to fix it. If SmartHelping cannot resolve the problem within a reasonable time, the purchase price of the affected product or bundle will be refunded.
Otherwise, purchases are nonrefundable once accessed or downloaded. A change of plans or a request for features outside the product description does not by itself qualify. A full refund ends your right to use the refunded Materials; a full bundle refund ends the license to that entire bundle.
This policy does not limit rights required by applicable law. Read the complete delivery, support, and refund terms .
Can Jason customize a template or build a model for me?
Yes. Custom work can adapt a template, build a model around your business, or review an existing workbook. Custom financial modeling is $175 per hour , prepaid on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Send your objective and requirements to discuss the starting scope before buying time. Template purchases do not include a custom build or unlimited consulting.
How is paid custom-work time tracked?
Clients receive a view-only tracking spreadsheet showing time used, work notes, payments, and remaining credit. It updates as work is recorded and can be viewed in a browser.
Hourly work purchases Jason's working time; completion of a particular scope within a fixed number of hours is not guaranteed. Fully unused hours are refunded if necessary under the custom-work terms .
Does a template guarantee financing or a business result?
No. A model helps you understand assumptions, cash flow, and potential outcomes. It does not guarantee a loan, investment return, valuation, or business performance. Review your inputs and results and obtain appropriate professional advice for the decisions you are making.
Bundles, upgrades, and discounts
Should I buy one template or a bundle?
An individual template is a practical starting point when you have one specific need. A bundle can offer better value when you expect to use several models within an industry or financial specialty.
Compare the bundles and their included models . The Super Smart Bundle includes the complete public SmartHelping template collection, with future additions and updates.
Can I start with one template and get credit toward a bundle later?
Yes. If your previously purchased template is included in the bundle you want, you can receive full credit for what you paid for that template toward the bundle price.
Contact Jason before buying the bundle with your previous order details and the bundle you want. The credit is arranged directly; it is not automatically applied by the cart.
What volume discounts are available?
When individual templates are purchased together in the same cart, these volume discounts apply:
| Individual templates in cart | Discount |
|---|---|
| 3–9 | 30% off |
| 10–19 | 40% off |
| 20 or more | 50% off |
Prebuilt bundles have their own discounted prices. The Template Discounts page also lists a further 30% discount when buying three or more bundles together.
Review the discount and final total in your cart before paying. Contact Jason before checkout if an expected discount is missing.
Are future templates and updates included?
Follow the inclusion terms on the product page at purchase. Prebuilt bundles include future templates added to that bundle, and the Super Smart Bundle includes future additions and updates to the public collection.
An individual template purchase does not automatically include other products or the full collection. Keep your receipt and a backup of downloaded files.
AI assistance
Can I use an AI assistant to understand or customize my model?
Yes, for your licensed work. You may use private AI assistance to understand formulas, troubleshoot, or customize a purchased model.
Use a service and settings that do not make SmartHelping Template Content public, share it with other customers, or use it to train or improve the provider's general models. Private project files and saved conversations for that permitted work are allowed.
Training or fine-tuning AI models, creating training or model-evaluation datasets, building a reusable template-retrieval service, or developing a competing automated modeling product requires a separate written AI license. See the AI-use terms or ask about licensing .
Still have a question?
Send the model link and a short description of what you need. For an existing purchase, include your order details so Jason can identify it.
This FAQ summarizes common questions. The Terms of Service and Template License , applicable product description, and any separate signed agreement provide the full terms for your purchase.
