Business plans for consultants

/ Becoming a consultant, Business management, Finance / By

Business plans for consultants – Are you considering starting your own consulting practice or repositioning your current consulting business? Have you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and started outlining your consulting practice in a business plan? If not, this article will help you structure your consultant business plan.

What will a business plan do for you?

Business plans for consultants should do the following:

1. Provide an estimate of costs before you start. Determine how much money you will need for start-up costs and for day-to-day operations. (Generally, I recommend keeping an emergency fund of 6-9 months at all times.)

2. Help you obtain financing. If you require any financing your lender will require a solid business plan before lending you money or establishing a business line of credit.

3. Clarify your business needs. What kind of advertising will you do? How much money do you think you’ll make in the first and second years? Business plans for consultants will provide you with the answers you need to start planning your consultancy.

4. Provide a framework for developing your business. Consultant business plans are roadmaps for you to follow.

5. Increase your chance of success. The time that you put into developing your business plan will pay off in the end. By fully researching your future consultancy business, you will be better prepared for any eventuality.

What’s in a business plan?

Are business plans for consultants different from other business plans? Yes and no.

The general format of business plans for consultants follow a normal business plan outline. Here’s a simple business plan template to get the ball rolling.

However, business plans for consultants also require some specialized sections. Are you putting together a business plan for consultants? To fast-track the completion of your business plan and to ensure you use accurate numbers, check out our guides, workbooks and courses in the Consultant Journal store, including the invaluable guide on consulting fees: Consulting Fees: A Guide for Independent Consultants. You may also want to consider taking small business training to ensure that all your bases are covered.

Business plans for consultants provide a detailed map of future business, reducing your risk of losing track of your goals. By following this map, you greatly increase your chances of success. As long as you’ve done your research, and taken the time to really plot your course, your business plan will be one of the best time investments that you can make.

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