Why do you need a business plan?

Because a great business plan is the foundation of a great company.

First things first-- developing a business plan is not about writing a lengthy document. Rather, it is the process of creating the plan that is so valuable for startups and growth companies. In other words:

business planning = strategic planning.

Essentially, we use the business plan as a framework for defining and honing a startup's strategy. It is a very creative, logical and pragmatic approach to thinking through the various elements that will make your business a success. Further, it is a holistic and highly integrated approach-- we delve into your business from multiple angles, and connect the dots between vision, strategy, tactics, and financials.

Thus, a finely-tuned business plan can be one of the most powerful tools of your business-- both for raising venture capital, and for formalizing strategic plans, tactics, and goals. It brings to life your vision in the form of an actionable roadmap and a compelling presentation.

But don't take our word for it. Click here to read a few thoughts from VCs on the subject.

Why work with a startup business plan consultant?

Good question. I believe we have a few good answers:

Efficiency: The process of developing a business plan (and related materials like a pitch deck and financial model) can take a huge amount of time-- often 100 to 200 hours. Most startup founders are better served by focusing on their core business, and outsourcing this work. In fact, many of our clients are serial entrepreneurs who "did it themselves" the first time, and come to us when they are launching startup #2. They realize it is much more efficient to bring in an expert who does this every day.

Perspective: Founders are often too close to their own businesses to be able to "see the forest for the trees." Working with a business plan consultant-- especially one with deep startup expertise-- helps bring a fresh perspective to problem solving and a fresh voice to pitch development.

Experience: Over the past eight years, we have worked directly with over 100 startups and have had meaningful interactions with probably close to 1000. In addition, we have founded companies, grown companies, and sold companies. We have worked in venture capital and valuation, and served on the Advisory Boards of about a dozen startups.

The point is, we have seen just about every business model and marketing plan known to man. We have seen companies fail, and quite a few succeed wildly. This is largely a pattern recognition business, and we bring this experience to every engagement.

In short, our business plan consulting process delivers results. We specialize in bringing clarity to complex business models and in creating plans and strategies tailored for a sophisticated investor audience. Let's talk about how we can help you.

Do you already have a business plan?

We can still help you launch, grow, and raise capital more efficiently.

For companies that already have a fully developed business plan and model, we offer our innovative Venture Audit service to help fully prepare you for forthcoming capital raise and due diligence efforts. We also offer Pitch Development and interim CFO services.

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for more details on our business planning services. To read what clients are saying, please see our testimonials page. For details on the framework we use for our startup planning work, click here for a sample business plan outline.

For additional ways we can help you build value, please visit our Startup Consulting page and our Venture Capital Consulting page.

We look forward to working with you. Contact us today to learn how we can help.

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