:: 12.01.11 :: South African Business Plan Consultants...How to Choose One?

You may need to interview a number of different Business Plan Consultants prior to making a decision of who to work with.  In Gauteng alone there are approximately 4 reputable Business Plan Consultancies and a considerable number of firms that merely offers a generic/template/software-generated business plan service with no guidance, support, strategic advice or consultation.  It is more important at this stage to ensure you have positive answers to the following three questions.  Merely deciding on the cheapest Business Plan Consultant may cost you much more in the long run.

1. Do they listen to your questions carefully and answer them clearly and convincingly?

If you find the Business Plan Consultants you speak with are more interested in selling their services than listening to you describe where you are with the business idea and the specific help you will need, this situation will not likely change as you move forward. Furthermore, the Business Plan Consultant’s answers to your questions should be clear to you. Any industry jargon used by the Business Plan Consultant should be clearly explained to you.

2.  Do they explain their process to you?

Certainly, any business plan development process will start with the Business Plan Consultant interviewing the entrepreneur to learn all they can about the research the entrepreneur has done, the business idea, their strategy and vision.  Be sure that the process will include at least another opportunity after the initiation phase for you to receive a draft of the completed work and provide feedback on the direction it is taking so that adjustments can be made.  Without these opportunities for your input, the final business plan can run away from you and become a description of a business you do not want to, or are incapable of starting.

3.  Is it important to you that the Business Plan Consultant be local?

With video conferencing, Skype and e-mail widely available, there is no reason to limit your search to local Business Plan Consultants. If you have no fear of throwing a wider net in search of the best Business Plan Consultant for you, you can use this technology to connect with individuals you may never meet in person during the process. When you for example put a Cape Town based Business Plan Consultant in competition with a Gauteng based Business Plan Consultant you will find the best leverage to negotiate prices, as long as you are comfortable with virtual collaboration methods (Skype, telephone, e-mail, etc.).

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