7 Things A Business Plan Writer Does to Create a Bulletproof SBA Business Plan

When writing a business plan, it’s always best to learn from the experts.  There are some commonalities between the best advice for all types of business plans.  Yet, each individual type of business plan will be slightly different.  Here are seven things a Business Plan Writer would make sure to include or emphasize in an SBA business plan.

1. Emphasize Personal Finances & Credit History – An SBA Business Plan must do more than just sell the business concept.   It must also sell the business owner(s).  In most cases, they will be personally liable for the business debts, so the SBA and lender need to know that the individual(s) responsible for the loans are likely to be able to pay them back regardless the fate of the business.

2. Provide Well-Supported Market Research – It’s not enough to say the market for your product exists. You have to prove it.   A business plan writer knows how to present Market Research in a compelling way that makes it evident the business concept has a strong likelihood of success and there is a market expressing genuine interest in the product or service.

3. Incorporate Owner’s/Partner’s Experience Throughout – Especially if the business venture has yet to be opened or is still new, the expertise of the owners, partners, or managers needs to be exemplified.  If the business owner does not have the required relatable experience on paper, they should bring on partners or managers that fill those gaps.   The important thing in an SBA business plan is proving how all the main skillsets required to run a business are evident in the combination of owners, partners, and managers.

4. Highlights Past Successes – If the business does have history, being able to show how previous goals or objectives were met successfully is paramount.   You will also rely more heavily on past financials to build the basis of your financial models.  If your sales aren’t aligned with future projections, you will need to be able to adequately explain that gap in your SBA business plan.

5. Tie Financials into Entire Plan - The financial projections may be the last section of the business plan but, a Business Plan Writer understand that your entire plan is laying the foundation for them.  Further, your ultimate goal is to secure bank funding and lenders are notoriously known for being numbers people.  Relating everything back to financials is a way to speak their language while proving that the plan is based on facts and figures, not merely opinion and optimism.

6. Write the Executive Summary Last - Despite being the first part of a business plan, this should be the last thing that is written.  A business plan writer understands the weight of this section.  It sets the tone for the entire SBA business plan.  It is an opportunity to present a summary of the entire plan and highlight the most impressive components.   There are times when this will be the only section that is thoroughly reviewed so, you must make it count!

7. Present a Visually Appealing Business Plan – An SBA Business Plan can be dry.   You need to present an entire business concept with a great deal of supporting information in a limited number of pages.   SBA representatives and lenders are very familiar with business plans, so a little visual appeal can go a long way.  Including appropriately placed stock photography or relevant charts and graphs when discussing numbers may just give your plan the edge it needs to stand out.