Last Updated: August, 3, 2020
Are you planning on starting or expanding a company and need investment? Investors are likely to request a business plan or investor presentation of some kind.
As more companies work to raise investment, the importance of having quality investment materials continues to rise from startups to mature companies, investors will want to be informed.
Whether you?re building a startup from the ground up and seeking your first investment round or have a mature company and need a plan in place to garner new insights, having a professional to help conduct research and outline the model is imperative.
It?s important to know that the quality of the service provider is very important because it will shape the quality of the work. There are many unqualified writers in the market, but also once must consider the balance between price and quality.
Fortunately, we have prepared this review of the top business plan writers and service providers in the market to aid your search.
We?ve compiled a list of the top business plan writers based on a review of their quality, credentials, and expertise.
Here are the Top 5 Business Plan Writers
Pro Business Plans Homepage
1. Pro Business Plans ? Business Plan Writers
Located in: New York City | Tel: (646) 956?3033
Pitch: The best value with Pro Business Plans is that most of its team members come from Big 4 accounting firms or have prior experience working in venture capital or investment banks, so you end up getting top-notch talent without the price tag of a major corporation. They also have a lot of expertise and relationships that help business owners tremendously.
Specialty: Investor business plans, bank loan plans, strategic planning, financial projections, market research
Review Case Studies: business-plans.com
2. Growthink ? Los Angeles Consulting Firm
Growthink Home Page
Located in: Los Angeles | Tel: (800) 506?5728
Pitch: With many years of experience, Growthink has worked with many companies and assists in not only business plans, but also business consulting in many aspects. They also provide many other services such as business analytics, banking, products, and other services geared towards helping business owners.
Specialty: Business Plans, Business Consulting, Analytics, Products & Services
Review Case Studies: growthink.com
3. Master Plans ? Business Plan Specialists
Mater Plans Homepage
Located in: Portland | Tel: (503)226?4400
Pitch: Before Master Plans changed hands, it was a powerhouse and leader in the space. Post-acquisition customers are claiming it is not quite as focused, but still a top notch provider that is recommended for those particularly also seeking franchise support and related services.
Specialty: Immigration Business Plans, Investor Business Plans, Franchise, Legal Attorney Matching
Visit portfolio: masterplans.com
5 minute break: Do you want to learn how investor business plans are structured? Take a look at this slide show.
Business Model Canvas Review
4. Cayenne Consulting ? Business Plan Consultants
Cayenne Consulting Homepage
Located in: San Clemente
Pitch: Cayenne has been around for a long time and is another good provider of business plan writing and consulting services. They have a good senior management team that has a lot of case experience which can be helpful to startup and growth stage companies of all kinds. They also can prepare additional investment related materials such as private placements and more.
Specialty: Business Plan Preparation, Pitch Deck, Financial Forecasting, Franchises, Turnaround Consulting
Visit portfolio: caycon.com
5. UpWork ? Freelancer Platform
Business Plan Freelancers
Sometimes you cannot always afford a top agency to assist with the plan and would prefer to work with a freelancer. While we cannot recommend any specific freelancer, there are many websites, UpWork being the most notable which feature many freelancers that can assist with the plan. This may be the best option for those that cannot afford agency fees.
Check it out here: upwork.com
Business Plan Creation FAQ:
How much do business plan writers cost?
There?s no fixed cost here, it depends on several factors such as the qualifications of the team, complexity of the business, stage, and type of capital you are raising. Generally, custom business plan writing services change anywhere between $1,500?6,000, but plans can easily run more than $10,000.
Of course there are always freelancers available to do it cheaper, but this can be risky and time consuming, as there is usually not a project manager or structure in place that would be at an established firm or agency.
How long does it take to develop a business plan?
This really varies depending on the type of plan being created but most agencies will get you a draft within 2?4 weeks, after which you would collaborate on that draft to completion with the average engagement wrapping up within 4- 8 weeks. Every project is unique, and it often depends on how engaged you are as an end client in providing feedback.
The typical business planning process
There a structure that most business plan writers follow, we can?t say that every company?s method falls under this process, but it can help you to get a general idea of what to expect.
Interview / Materials Gathering: During this period, you may have an in-person or over the phone meeting for the business plan writers to gather all pertinent information for your business including historical financials, understanding your concept, business strategy, management bios and more. The amount of information your business will have ranges depending on the stage and business size.
Research stage: At the research stage, the firm you hire will be involved with researching the industry, competitors, market sector financials, and more that is most closely aligned with your business and will help them to not only outline your strengths in the market but also more effectively form the marketing plan and ultimately inform your potential investors.
Drafting / Creation: The drafting and creation process takes anywhere between 5- 7 days and is the longest period of time spent actually preparing the business plan and making the financial model based on the information gathered so far. This may be the period in which the company is least responsive as it works to deliver the draft quickly.
Review / Modifications: Once the drat is complete, the business plan writer will typically deliver a draft to you and/or your business for review. They will also answer any questions you have on it and take a grace period, usually 30 days to make any changes that you require. If you are needing to expedite the plan most can usually accommodate you with this.
What things should I look for when hiring a company?
When hiring a business plan writing company, we usually recommend considering a few key points that will help you screen out who is best, we?ve listed them in order of importance.
1. Team Qualifications ? You really want someone that has experience working for a big company doing exactly what you are hiring them to, so if you?re looking to raise money, make sure the team has worked for an investment group or investment bank.
2. Previous Experience ? Ideally, the firm you hire will have experience writing business plans for your industry and similar situations (E.g. foreign expansion), this is a pretty important consideration.
3. Work Product ? It?s always important to review their samples and see what format or layout they follow. Is it outdated? Does it provide too much ?fluff? and is poorly constructed? Does it contain grammatical or financial errors? These are things that ultimately need to be sifted out.
