Best answer:

Answer by theoriginalnevaaflaw
If the junkie is a politician, that is a great analogy.

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Expertise on What Funders Want

Having gone through the process before, consultants know what funders (and specific types of funders) will look for in the plan, and can offer specific feedback to help target your plan. Even before offering this feedback, they can check that you are going after the right type of funding for your business opportunity. If not, they may recommend you switch your target to another funder class more likely to be interested. This can stop you from wasting time chasing deals which aren’t just going to happen because your business offers the wrong mix of risk and return for the funder.

Strategies That Work

Having worked with entrepreneurs many times before, consultants will be able to tell you whether your strategy is likely to work. They also generally have access to case studies and other research. With this they can offer ideas for other strategies to break into the customer markets you are targeting based on past successful businesses. They can also look at businesses that have entered into similar competitive situations and suggest how to carve out your own positioning in a crowded market.

Financial and Legal Advice

Business plan consultants have a legal, financial, and accounting understanding of startup businesses, allowing you to use their advice in all of these areas rather than seeing multiple professionals. They can be a bit of a one-stop-shop in this respect, saving you money and a great deal of time. Good consultants will also know when your questions or needs exceed their expertise in these areas and to refer you to a lawyer or accountant at this point.

Customization Needed

For any template or sample plan there is a need to customize the plan to your specific business. This can be a much longer process if you are starting from a lower quality template or sample plan. You are more likely to find a better quality plan by paying for it, even if it is only $50-100.

Additional Guidance

Generally, the creators of a free plan will not have an organization behind them able to give additional consulting and recommendations on how to craft your beauty salon’s plan. Getting help like this is very important for all small business owners. It can prevent you from choosing the wrong strategy or opening in a location without a large enough customer market for your salon. A business plan consultant can help answer these types of questions if you are unable to, but you cannot get that kind of help for free.

Reputation, Not Price

When choosing a sample or template plan to work off of, you should consider the reputation and credentials of the creator of the plan first, before the price that is being charged. A free plan can potentially hurt your chances of success if it shows you an incorrect business plan model. If you use a plan with basic mistakes in its format, style, or content to show funders, you will generally not get a second chance. They will not want to work with someone whose plan is not clear, concise and convincing, regardless of whether it is because of the entrepreneur’s own ideas or the business plan template they used.