Business Plan Consulting in Burlington, VT

Choose advising or a defined consulting project

Consider an advising conversation before buying a complete written plan. VtSBDC supports businesses from startup through growth and transition, and provides advising at no cost. Existing business owners can begin intake by providing business information and the topics they want to discuss. [1]

For an internal planning project, identify the decisions you need help making: pricing, staffing, opening cash, or expansion spending. Ask a consultant to explain which questions they will investigate and which assumptions you must supply. Request a written plan only if you need that document alongside the analysis.

For an investor discussion, specify whether you need a business plan, pitch deck, financial model, or a combination. Ask who will substantiate customer demand and explain sales assumptions. Include responsibility for checking those assumptions in the agreement.

Prepare a financing plan around lender requirements

VtSBDC can help identify financing sources and prepare business-planning documents for a loan application. It does not lend money or guarantee approval. You must apply through the usual loan process and supply the records the lender requires. [1]

Ask the intended lender for its checklist before agreeing on paid deliverables. Share that checklist with the consultant and identify who will prepare each item. Clarify whether the fee includes responding to lender questions and revising projections after feedback.

Request a model you can explain yourself. Ask the consultant to walk through revenue assumptions, operating expenses, owner contributions, borrowing, and repayment. Test a downside case with lower sales or a delayed opening, then discuss the cash you would need and spending you could postpone.

Compare quotes and prepare your records

Use VtSBDC’s no-cost advising as one option when deciding what paid help to commission. The organization charges nominal fees for some seminars and workshops. Its advising offer does not establish a private consultant’s price or scope. [1]

Obtain project-specific quotes after sharing your records and intended deliverables. Ask each consultant to distinguish writing, research, modeling, meetings, and additional revisions. Agree on whether they will charge a fixed fee or bill for time, and how they will price changes to the scope.

Bring your draft, proposed prices, funding target, ownership information, and deadline. For an operating business, gather available financial statements, debt details, and sales records. For a startup, prepare supplier quotes, equipment costs, staffing assumptions, and notes from customer conversations. Label figures you have yet to confirm.

For a premises-based business, use the proposed lease terms and actual fit-out quotes. Define the customer area you intend to serve and explain how customers will buy. Request a relevant redacted sample from the consultant, then ask how they would connect your evidence to the forecast.

Sequence Vermont formation and final delivery

The Vermont Secretary of State recommends discussing business structure with an attorney, accountant, or business advisor. In its LLC guidance, it advises waiting for a certificate confirming name availability and ownership before investing in websites, signs, business cards, or other marketing materials. Follow that sequence when planning branded launch spending. [3]

Budget the applicable state charges as separate expenses. Vermont lists formation at $155 for either a domestic LLC or domestic business corporation. It lists annual report fees of $45 for a domestic LLC and $60 for a domestic business corporation. These selected filing fees do not represent total startup costs. [2]

Agree on a consulting delivery schedule after reviewing records and deliverables. Set milestones for approving assumptions, reviewing the draft, returning feedback, and receiving final files. Before accepting the work, check that the narrative and spreadsheet agree on funding uses, staffing, debt payments, and opening dates.

Vermont formation and annual report fees

Choose your planning route

Your hiring checklist

1. Name the intended reader and the decision or application your plan must support.
2. Obtain the lender’s or investor’s requested format before agreeing on deliverables.
3. Gather financial records or startup quotes and mark unconfirmed assumptions.
4. Request a relevant redacted sample and discuss how the consultant develops projections.
5. Agree in writing on fees, milestones, revisions, and your responsibilities.
6. Require editable documents, visible spreadsheet formulas, and a handoff meeting.
7. Clarify confidentiality, access to records, and permission to share files with others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get business-planning help at no cost?

VtSBDC provides no-cost advising and charges nominal fees for some seminars and workshops. Startup applicants attend its no-cost Starting Your Own Business workshop, answer venture questions, and review part 2 of its startup FAQ. Existing owners can begin intake by providing business information and advising topics. [1]

Will an advisor secure my loan?

VtSBDC helps with financing options and planning documents, but it does not lend money or guarantee approval. You must follow the lender’s application process and supply its required records. For paid consulting, agree on the work you will receive and the support available after submission. [1]

How much time should I allow for consulting?

Agree on a delivery schedule after the consultant reviews your records and deliverables. Set dates for intake, assumptions approval, draft review, feedback, and final handoff. Ask how missing information or changes requested by your lender will affect the schedule and fee.

Will VtSBDC keep my information confidential?

VtSBDC says it keeps client information confidential and does not release it without client consent. Clients sign a document containing its confidentiality commitment. For a private consultant, request written confidentiality terms and identify anyone else who will receive your records. [1]