Here are some questions that prospective clients have asked me about my services. If you don’t see your question answered here, please feel free to contact me.

Q.  What does it cost to have you write or re-write my business plan?

A.  It depends on a few key factors. Give me a call and I’ll give you a price range for the services you’re interested in. If that’s in your ballpark, then we’ll set up a meeting. If it seems like a good fit, I’ll submit a proposal. As soon as we sign an agreement about the scope, timeline, and costs for the project (and upon receipt of an initial advance payment), I’ll begin.

Q.  How long does it take you to complete a business plan?

A.  It usually takes about a month, maybe longer if your idea needs more research. A re-write can happen faster.

Q.  Do you work  with clients outside the Seattle area?

A.  Yes, I’ve successfully written plans for clients in other locations. I’m willing to travel for meetings as required.

Q.  Can you help our company get funding?

A.  I’m not a venture broker. But I can recommend people who provide those services.

Q.  Why can’t I just use a business plan software package?

A.  You can, but there are obvious limitations. These generic programs can’t offer business insight. They may provide some useful analysis exercises for refining your business model, but they don’t tell a story, which is what you need to get your foot in the door.

Q.  Do you work on the financial spreadsheets?

A.  I provide analysis and recommendations about your financial modeling, but I don’t develop or modify spreadsheets for your plan. Frankly, it’s essential that some member of your management team be intimately familiar with your cost and revenue projections.

Q.  Can I see a sample of your work?

A.  Yes. Contact me via email or phone and I’ll be glad to send you a copy of an Executive Summary I wrote.

Q.  Will a well-written business plan ensure that I get funded?

A.  Well, no, it's not a guarantee. Investors also look for passionate founders, experienced managers with proven success, ideas with huge market potential … and they follow their gut instinct about where to put their money. A good plan gets your foot in the door, and then will actually serve as a foundation for what you hope will be an ongoing conversation with an interested investor. And, hopefully that will lead to a successful funding event.

Successful entrepreneurs will tell you that it’s smart to use skilled professionals to help jump start a business. Give me a call or send me an email, and let’s start talking about how I can help.