Tips for choosing a business plan writer

1. Choose a consultant who takes the time up front to understand your project before quoting a price or predicting the duration of the project. During your first or second conversation your prospective planner should tell you something valuable. Examples include their take on how to pitch your company to investors, marketing strategies you haven't considered, or a perspective on your market opportunity.

2. Choose a firm with whom you feel you have a good rapport. Communication is a primary component of successful consulting.

3. Only choose a member of the BBB with link to their BBB record on their web site. If the logo isn't linked to the BBB that consultant is in violation of BBB policy.

4. Consultants should not oversell the length of your plan. Forty pages is probably way too long.

5. Choose a planner that isn't limited by business planning software such as Business Plan Pro or an online product. Your financial model should be built specifically for you in Microsoft Excel and your document should be written in Microsoft Word - allowing you to make any changes you like, email it to whomever you like, create PDF's of the document, etc.

6. Choose a planner that prices each plan based on its unique level of complexity and doesn't lump all business plans into a few categories. Considerations for your business plan are unique. The length, cost, and development time should be evaluated accordingly.

7. Avoid companies won't continue to provide ongoing assistance. Some amount of ongoing consulting and service should be built into the planning price. Even after you get your funding (or whatever you are using your plan for) you should be able to talk to your consultant for advice.

8. Avoid companies that make unethical claims. The BBB link should be provided. Google, MSN, and Yahoo do not rank companies.


9. Choose a firm that uses a combination of employees and contract consultants - for three reasons.
• Full time employees are, by definition, not entrepreneurs. A contract writer deals with many of the same issues that other business people do - marketing, taxes, insurance, corporate structure, and other management decisions.
  
  
• Additionally - firms with access to contract writers can utilize the writer with the perfect experience and expertise for each project. This structure allows input from highly specialized professionals such as attorneys or CPAs in addition to the writing consultant.
  
  
• This structure keeps fixed overhead to a minimum, allowing for more competitive pricing. If a consultant ever produces substandard results - they'll no longer be a part of that team.
  
  
• In line with this - too many people working on one document leads to poor communication and general confusion. Companies should limit the number of consultants per plan to three at a maximum. This allows each to bring his/her area of specialty to the table - but keeps the process simple and efficient.

Contact EPIC to discuss your project. We promise you will get constructive feedback, courteous conversation, and a reasonable quote for your project.

Review our record with the BBB by clicking on our link to the right. We are a working partner with the Small Business Administrations - serving as a Technical Assistance Provider (TAP program).

epicanalyst@epicplanning.com or toll free: 866-718-0092

Copyright 2007 - EPIC Business Planning