Business Plan Consulting in Atlanta, GA

Choose the purpose before choosing a consultant

Write a short brief naming the decision you need to make. You might need to test a startup idea, fund equipment, acquire premises, or explain an expansion to an investor. Name the intended reader and request that reader’s document checklist before the consultant begins.

For an internal plan, ask for sales assumptions, operating costs, cash needs, and actions you can update as you learn. For financing, ask the consultant to connect the proposed use of funds to your business figures and the recipient’s requirements. Define whether you need a narrative, financial projections, or both.

UGA SBDC lists business-plan development, capital-source identification, specialized research, and financial-record analysis among its consulting services. Use an initial conversation to identify gaps in your preparation and decide what outside work you want to purchase. [1]

Try no-cost guidance before commissioning a full plan

UGA SBDC tells owners to contact a local office to get started. It may require a Business Development Questionnaire. Its guidance directs established businesses to call the local office’s Program Coordinator or Administrative Assistant and identifies its Starting a Business course as the quickest contact route for a new business. [1]

Bring your draft, unresolved questions, and funding requirements. Ask what the consultant can help you develop, what you must prepare yourself, and how appointments fit your deadline. Clarify the assistance available before treating an advisory appointment as a commissioned writing project.

Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs directs owners needing a business plan or three years of financial pro forma to UGA SBDC for free technical assistance. If you are exploring SSBCI financing, use that referral to prepare your financial questions before discussing a paid engagement. [3]

Match the plan to the financing route

Invest Atlanta’s programs have different purposes and conditions. Its Atlanta Forward Loan Fund serves businesses and startups in city accelerators, incubators, and co-working spaces. Its Community Loan Fund requires applicants to be attending or to have recently graduated from a technical assistance program. Ask the program team which route fits before requesting a consultant’s proposal. [2]

The Atlanta Startup Growth Loan Program requires a startup incorporated within the last five years, an active City of Atlanta business license, and a scalable technology solution with high impact, among other criteria. The program limits loan terms to the lease term. Ask your consultant to address your proposed asset purchases and lease assumptions if this is your intended route. [2]

For Georgia SSBCI loan participation or credit guaranty financing, the participating lender handles customer interaction and negotiates interest, maturity, collateral, and other terms with the borrower. Ask that lender what it needs before commissioning projections. Avoid framing your brief as an SSBCI grant application because the state says the program does not offer grants. [3]

Request a quote you can compare

Ask each consultant to quote the same written brief. Separate narrative writing, market research, financial modeling, and meetings. Require the consultant to identify any information you must supply and any work outside the quoted scope. Request a fixed fee or an hourly estimate with a spending cap.

Ask for an anonymized sample with a similar purpose. During the interview, have the consultant explain how they would test your revenue assumptions, document research sources, and reconcile the narrative with the financial model. Request editable documents and a spreadsheet you can update.

Agree on milestones, revision rounds, payment dates, confidentiality, and ownership of the final files. Clarify whether the consultant will answer lender questions after delivery and what additional work would cost. Define your deadline by the date you need a reviewed submission, leaving time for your own corrections.

Review the numbers before accepting delivery

Ask the consultant to walk you through the model using your records and assumptions. Check starting cash, owner contributions, funding requests, sales volumes, payroll, occupancy costs, and proposed purchases. Ask for an explanation of the cash shortfall if sales start later or expenses rise.

Compare the funding request and intended purchases across the narrative and spreadsheet. Have the consultant label assumptions and identify the source of research figures. Accept the work after you can explain the main assumptions, edit the files, and identify the questions that still need an answer from your funding contact.

Selected Invest Atlanta published loan amount ranges

Choose your next planning step

Your hiring checklist

1. Name the plan’s intended reader and obtain their document requirements.
2. Confirm the business address and target program’s eligibility before commissioning an application plan.
3. Gather existing accounts, sales records, startup costs, proposed purchases, and lease information.
4. Ask UGA SBDC about intake, available assistance, and scheduling.
5. Send each paid consultant the same brief and request itemized scope and fees.
6. Agree on editable files, assumptions, milestones, revisions, and post-delivery support.
7. Review the narrative and spreadsheet together before accepting the final work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get business-plan help without paying a consultant?

UGA SBDC offers confidential, no-cost consulting to Georgia small-business owners, including help developing and updating business plans. Contact a local office and ask about intake and the assistance available for your project. [1]

How much should I budget for a paid consultant?

Set the scope before choosing a budget. Request quotes that distinguish writing, research, financial modeling, and submission support. Ask for a fixed fee or capped hourly estimate, and confirm what triggers additional charges.

Does an Atlanta mailing address establish Invest Atlanta eligibility?

Use Invest Atlanta’s address check to confirm the location. Its small-business loan checklist requires a business within Atlanta city limits, and individual programs have additional conditions. [2]

Should I ask a consultant to prepare an SSBCI grant application?

Georgia DCA says its SSBCI program does not offer grants. Identify the relevant financing route first. For loan participation and credit guaranty programs, discuss requirements and terms with the participating lender before commissioning the plan. [3]