FAQs

We begin the project upon receipt of a 50% deposit of the project amount. Unless otherwise agreed, the final project result will only be handed over or delivered after full payment of the entire project amount. The remaining balance (project amount minus deposit) is due before project completion. In any case, the remaining balance must be settled no later than 6 months after the project begins.

The processing time depends on your response time (to our information requests) and our team’s workload, as well as the project’s size. Creating a business plan typically takes about 2 to 3 weeks after receiving all the necessary information. For larger projects, it may take longer. Keep in mind that there may be multiple follow-up questions, for example, with incomplete information or if there are issues with liquidity in the financial projections.

We typically start the creation process when we receive a deposit in our account. In situations where our capacity is limited due to high demand, we prioritize business plans where the deposit is received first.

We will send you several information requests in stages that you should fill out. An overview of our process with detailed steps is provided here: Procedure

Please plan enough time for this stage! The information requests are relatively detailed (more detailed for larger business plans). The request for the financial plan, in particular, may include points that you may not have considered before.

When we start working on your business plan, we will request all available financial information, including annual financial statements. We will combine these financial statements with the information provided in the completed information request to create the financial projections.

For existing companies, it’s usually advisable to choose the “modular business plan” option, as the compact version may not offer enough flexibility in the financial projections when historical financial data is involved.

We prioritise modern digital communication channels and use electronic communication wherever possible (Skype, email, conference calls, etc.) as it allows for faster and more efficient project management. This process has been optimised over the years and works very well.

We do not offer physical meetings before the actual order confirmation since we consider communication as part of the project. After order confirmation, we offer in-person meetings at an additional cost. However, based on several years of experience, initial meetings at the start of the project often may not be very fruitful. It’s more meaningful, if necessary, to have a meeting to discuss the results or for further consultation regarding financing.

We can, however, discuss the proposal with you over the phone. Please feel free to contact us for that.

Once we receive the completed information requests, we develop a financial model and the corresponding business plan. If we receive the information early, it can be implemented without any issues. However, as the business plan creation progresses, making changes can become more challenging and may involve additional charges.

This additional effort should not be underestimated. If, for example, an input factor in the financial plan is adjusted, many numbers in the financial plan change, affecting all future years. Graphics may change, and in extreme cases, even the conclusions may change. For these reasons, we recommend bringing any potential changes early or indicating uncertain inputs that may change (in which case we would wait to create that part).

If conditions change over time, and you need to make adjustments to the business plan that we have already created, you can always contact us even after the project is completed to update the business plan with the latest information. The cost for this will be based on the actual time required. If you are proficient in using InDesign and have received the original file from us, you can also make the adjustments yourself.

The name “Modular Business Plan” comes from the fact that various parts (“modules”) can be assembled modularly. You are completely free in terms of scope and content. The difference between the Compact offering and the modular offering includes the following:

1. In the qualitative part of the modular business plan, the business concept is presented in more detail.
2. In the modular business plan, we present the assumptions for the financial part in more detail, while the Compact offering only presents the most important assumptions in the form of an infographic.
3. The financial model of the modular business plan is created in more detail, and it can be tailored to individual special situations more precisely.
4. For a Compact offering, we have developed a standardized design. For a modular business plan, we always create a unique design.

When creating the financial projections, we simultaneously establish the basis for the Free Cash Flows, which can be used for a DCF (Discounted Cash Flow) valuation. However, a company valuation itself is not included in the standard offerings because it requires additional analysis and determining the cost of capital. Upon request, we are happy to create a company valuation. You can have this company valuation either in addition to the business plan or separately from us.

You will receive your business plan in digital format (PDF file). This PDF is also suitable for printing. We create the business plan in InDesign. For clients who are proficient in using InDesign, we provide the original file for download. The financial model, unless otherwise agreed upon, remains with us and is not handed over. There is an option to receive the (partially locked) financial model (see the offer).

We also offer our clients the option to create the business plan in English. In this case, we typically add a 15% surcharge to the price as we have the business plan professionally corrected or translated by a professional.

It is a fixed price. The cost estimate in the offer is provided on an hourly basis (also to give you an impression of the effort per item), but the final price is typically fixed. There are certain options where items (e.g., in the modular business plan, the “Communication Expenses” item) are calculated based on actual effort. The reason for this is that more extensive business plans may require more intensive communication, and this approach offers greater flexibility. The estimated effort for the “Communication Expenses” item is generally sufficient.

1. Our processes are innovative and efficient in several ways. For example, we consistently use digital communication methods, allowing us to minimize downtime and split individual work processes more effectively.
2. Another cost factor is customer acquisition. Every customer meeting that does not lead to a project incurs costs—costs that need to be passed on to paying customers. By keeping these costs low and consistently avoiding customer meetings before the project begins, we can better focus our efforts on existing customers.

Yes, we do have such contacts. However, we do not actively broker these connections. We create over a hundred business plans each year, which would exceed our capacity for direct matchmaking. Our specialisation is in business plan creation, and simultaneously acting as a financing intermediary would jeopardise our independence. Combining financing and business plan creation is not optimal because the purpose of the business plan is to persuade those who provide financing. By acting in the best interests of our clients (rather than those of financiers), an honest exchange can occur during the business plan creation.

We believe you may be underestimating the financing needs of your future business and strongly advise you to first build up a financial cushion. If you don’t have the funds for a business plan, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to sustain your business. We do not generally accept equity stakes in customer projects.

We create business plans and do not participate in financing in any form. Accordingly, we are at most advisory in financing processes. The costs of our work are based on the estimated effort for creating the business plan. Furthermore, we support you to the best of our knowledge and abilities on the path to success. We generally reject contracts with success-based compensation (or as payments in company shares).