I offer two services. I either write plans or review plans. If you attempted to write your own plan, I am perfectly happy to use what you wrote (assuming it makes sense) and add to it. You only pay for the work I need to do.
I don’t play games with pricing. Here’s what I charge.
Let’s start with writing and editing plans. Plans are segregated into Executive Summaries and Complete Business Plans.
Complete Business Plan
Whether you started a plan and didn’t finish or you need a plan written from the ground up, here’s what you can expect.
I charge by the page.
A typical plan is 35 to 45 billable pages, though some are longer and some shorter. About 8 to 10 of the pages are financials, although some plans are financial intensive depending on the subject and the level of detail required.
Text Pages
If you wrote the page and it needs just a few minor corrections – no charge
If you wrote the page and it needs a reasonable amount of editing - $30/page
If you wrote the page and it’s, well, not very good and I have to rewrite most or all of it - $60/page
If I write it - $60/page
Page of Pictures
(Note: there are few things more painful in the world of finance than reading a business plan that is nothing but thirty-something pages of text and numbers. Pictures, charts, diagrams, etc. go a long way in making a plan more readable.)
If I have to find the pictures and format them - $20/page
If you supply the pictures and they require only minor editing – no charge
If you supply the pictures and they need work - $20/page
Financials – Pro Formas, Graphs, and Charts Based on the Financial Model
If you wrote it and it needs minor corrections - $30/page
(It takes time to understand someone else’s spreadsheets and logic train)
If you wrote it and it needs major work - $90/page
If I write it - $90/page
Executive Summaries
I write an executive summary using the same format I have employed in several business plan competitions. It covers the key issues in a strict two page format with one additional page of presentation – usually financials. This format is considerably tougher to write than a standard plan. It just takes more time to do a good job. - 3 pages @ $125 each
Pricing - Business Plan Reviews
Full Plans (>25 pages) - $295
You supply me with the plan, the guidelines for the plan, and background on the plan, any technical issues I need to understand, the company history, etc. and I will provide you with a 2-3 page critique that covers the following:
· An overview of the plan assessing how it addresses the key issues, readability, and internal consistency.
· A description of problem areas within the plan.
· A description of areas requiring more detail or emphasis.
· Suggestions for other changes and improvements.
Smaller Plans (<25 pages) - $175
Same as full plan. Less material means less time to read it, so I can charge you less.
Executive Summaries (2-3 pages) - $69
These plans are a popular format in business plan competitions and initial project presentations to prospective investors. When restricted to a specific length by competition rules, these plans can be very challenging to write.
I require the same information needed to review a full plan. My response to you will generally be more concerned with evaluating plan effectiveness than identifying details for improvement. In a competition setting, judges are looking for more than specific items that must be addressed. They are looking for a concept or product they can envision becoming a potentially substantial factor in whatever marketplace the product is targeted. Some plans are weak competition candidates just due to the product or service being presented. Some deficiencies can be mitigated, while others cannot.
In the case where the summary is used to promote a business concept for prospective investors, we can lighten up on the strict format and make recommendations to make the summary more readable and comprehendible.
