In Short
A business plan is a written document that sets out how a business will operate, grow and make money, supported by financial projections, market research and a funding ask. UK lenders and investors use it to decide whether to provide capital. The strongest plans are built around a financial model that is prepared, or reviewed, by a qualified accountant — because the numbers, not the narrative, are what get tested first. Consult EFC’s ICAEW Chartered Accountants write business plans for start-ups and scale-ups raising bank finance, angel or VC investment, SEIS and EIS funding, and Innovate UK grants, with a fixed fee quoted upfront and delivery typically within two to three weeks.
Why most business plans are rejected before page three
Lenders and investors see hundreds of plans each year. The ones that fail share the same flaws — not a bad business idea, but a plan that cannot withstand financial scrutiny.
of business plan rejections cite weak or unrealistic financial projections as the primary reason
raised by plans with no documented assumptions behind the numbers — investors will not guess what you meant
more likely to secure funding when financial projections are prepared or reviewed by a qualified accountant
The most common mistake founders make
Writing the plan themselves, handing it to a marketing agency to make it look good, and then presenting numbers to an investor that a Chartered Accountant would reject in thirty seconds. The financial model is not decoration — it is the document that decides whether you get funded.
What a business plan from Consult EFC includes
Every plan we produce is built from scratch for your business. No templates, no filler. The depth of each section is calibrated to what your specific audience — bank, angel, VC, or grant body — actually reads.
Executive Summary
One to two pages. The most important section — written last, positioned first. Covers the problem, solution, traction, ask, and return. Most investors read only this before deciding whether to continue.
Market Analysis & Competitor Landscape
TAM, SAM, SOM — sized credibly, not aspirationally. Competitor mapping showing where you sit in the market and why your positioning is defensible. We use primary data sources, not Wikipedia.
Business Model & Revenue Streams
How you make money, your pricing model, unit economics, and customer acquisition costs. The section lenders and investors use to assess whether your model is viable at scale.
3-Year Financial Projections
Monthly P&L, cash flow, and balance sheet for years one to three. All assumptions documented and stress-tested against a base, upside, and downside scenario. Built in Excel and presented in the plan.
Funding Requirement & Use of Proceeds
Exactly how much you are raising, what it will be spent on, and what milestones it buys. Investors and lenders want specificity — we provide a line-by-line breakdown tied directly to your projections.
Management Team
Biographies written to highlight the experience that is directly relevant to this business. Gaps in the team acknowledged and addressed — investors respect honesty about what is still being built.
Risk Register & Mitigants
A documented risk register with your mitigation strategy for each risk. Counterintuitively, a well-written risk section builds more confidence than ignoring risks — it shows you have thought the business through.
Standalone Financial Model (Excel)
Delivered alongside the written plan. Investors and bank credit teams will stress-test your numbers independently — we build the model so it holds up under scrutiny and can be updated as your business evolves.
Who we write business plans for
The audience for your plan changes how it should be written. We adjust the depth, tone, and emphasis of each section to match what your specific reader cares about most.
Pre-revenue start-ups seeking investment
You have the idea and the team. What you need is a plan that turns your vision into a credible financial story — one that justifies your valuation and shows the path to returns for an angel or seed investor.
Trading businesses raising their next round
You have revenue and traction. Investors want to see how the next funding round accelerates growth, improves unit economics, and creates a clear path to the outcome they are backing you towards.
Founders approaching a bank or lender
Banks lend against cash flow, not potential. Your plan needs to show DSCR coverage, conservative downside scenarios, and clear repayment capacity — not just a growth story. We write for credit committees, not pitch nights.
Start-ups applying for Innovate UK or grant funding
Grant bodies assess commercial viability alongside the technical case. Your business plan must demonstrate that the project is fundable, the team is credible, and the financial model supports the grant request without over-relying on it.
Why founders choose an ICAEW Chartered Accountant over a generic business plan service
There is no shortage of business plan templates and freelance writers online. What is rare is a plan where the financial model has been built and reviewed by someone qualified to defend it under questioning — because that is exactly what happens once a bank credit team or investor’s adviser starts asking.
Kishen Patel is an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, BFP ACA, with over 12 years of experience across Big Four audit, investment banking, and corporate advisory. He trained at Deloitte and leads every engagement personally — no junior analysts, no outsourced templates.
- Every model built, reviewed and signed off personally, not delegated to a junior team
- Fixed fee agreed before work begins — no hourly billing, no scope creep
- Same DCF, EBITDA and scenario-modelling methodology used by Big Four corporate finance teams
- Ongoing support if a lender or investor comes back with questions on the numbers
How we build your business plan
We work with you — not around you. The plan reflects your thinking, your market knowledge, and your business. We provide the financial structure and professional rigour that makes it credible.
Discovery call — understanding your business and your audience
We start with a 45-minute call covering your business model, market, funding target, and the specific audience for the plan. This shapes every subsequent section — a plan written for a bank credit team is structured very differently from one aimed at an early-stage VC.
Financial model first
We build the financial model before writing a single word of the narrative. The numbers inform the story — not the other way around. Revenue assumptions, cost structure, headcount plan, and cash runway are all built and reviewed with you before we proceed.
First draft — narrative, market analysis & structure
We produce a full first draft of the written plan within five to seven business days. We share it with you for review, and you provide feedback on any sections you want to strengthen, adjust, or expand. Two rounds of revisions are included as standard.
Final delivery — plan, financial model & presentation deck
You receive the completed business plan as a formatted PDF, the financial model as an unlocked Excel file, and — for investor-facing plans — a summary pitch deck in PowerPoint. All three documents are consistent and cross-reference each other correctly.
Ongoing support through your funding process
When investors or lenders respond with questions about the financials, we are available to support you — updating the model, preparing supplementary schedules, or joining a call to walk through the numbers alongside you. Most plans need at least one iteration during the funding process.
UK Coverage
Business Plan Writers Serving Founders Across the United Kingdom
Calls and document review happen remotely, so location is never a barrier to working with us.
Consult EFC writes business plans, financial models and funding narratives for start-ups and SMEs throughout the UK. Our expertise covers plans for bank lending, angel and VC investment, SEIS and EIS fundraises, and Innovate UK grant applications. Every plan is personally reviewed and signed off by an ICAEW Chartered Accountant.
What most start-ups need alongside their business plan
A business plan opens the door. These are the services that typically follow once that door is open — and that investors and lenders will ask about within the first conversation.
SEIS & EIS Advance Assurance
Most UK seed rounds use SEIS or EIS. Advance assurance from HMRC before you approach investors makes your raise significantly more attractive — and it must be in place before shares are issued.
Learn more →Monthly Management Accounts
Once funded, investors expect monthly management accounts as standard. We set up the reporting framework from day one so you can hit the ground running post-close without scrambling for numbers each month.
Learn more →R&D Tax Credits
For tech and deep-science start-ups, R&D tax credits are often the single biggest source of non-dilutive cash in the first two years. Many founders do not claim because they do not know they qualify. We assess this as part of every start-up engagement.
Learn more →Business Plan Questions
Fixed Fee · ICAEW Chartered Accountants · London & UK-Wide
A business plan investors and lenders
take seriously.
Book a free call. We reply within one business day with a clear fixed fee and a timeline for delivery.