Best Business Plan Writers

What a good business plan package includes

Business plan gigs range from a short lean plan to a full document with financial model. Check that the package states:

• Purpose and format: bank, investor, grant, visa or internal planning.
• Sections: summary, company, market, competitors, marketing, operations, team and finances.
• Financials: projections, their time span, and the spreadsheet behind them.
• Research: market data with sources.
• Length and file formats, including editable files.
• Revisions and delivery time.
• Confidentiality for your business information.

What to prepare for a business plan writer

1. The reader's requirements: templates, checklists or guidelines from the bank, investor or authority.
2. Your idea: what you sell, to whom, and why they will buy from you.
3. Your numbers: prices, costs, startup budget, funding needed and existing results.
4. Your assumptions: expected sales, growth and hiring, and where they come from.
5. Competitors you know about.
6. Your team: experience and roles.
7. Your deadline for submission.

Go through the financial model line by line with the writer. If you cannot explain a number, change it or remove it. Lenders and investors often ask how figures were calculated, and a plan you cannot defend does more harm than good.

Treat the plan as a working document after it is submitted. Compare real results with the projections every few months, and update the assumptions. It keeps the plan useful for your next loan, investor or decision.

What drives the price

• length and number of sections
• depth of market research
• detailed financial model versus simple projections
• special formats for visas, grants or specific lenders
• pitch deck or summary documents as extras
• the writer's experience in your industry, and rush delivery

Red flags

• Guaranteed approval of a loan, investment or visa.
• Market research with no sources, or copied from other plans.
• Financial projections delivered without the spreadsheet or assumptions.
• Legal or tax advice given as part of the plan without qualifications.
• No questions about your numbers or goals.

If you need a pitch deck or brand materials alongside the plan, our brand style guides page is a useful start. For marketing sections, our SEO and social media marketing guides explain typical services.

Write the executive summary last, even though it appears first. It should give a busy reader the whole case on one page: the problem, your solution, the market, how you make money, what you need and what it will achieve. Many readers decide from the summary alone whether to read the rest. Ask the writer for a version you can also send on its own.

Quick pre-order checklist

• I know who will read the plan and what format they require.
• I have my numbers and assumptions ready.
• I will receive the financial spreadsheet, not only the document.
• I can explain every figure in the plan.
• I will check tax, legal and visa questions with a qualified professional.