Have you ever considered the possibility of running your own business? Would having your own tutor help? Maybe you should write a business plan. Business plan writing scares the heck out of most people because of the uncertainty of knowing what to do. Don’t fear, help is at hand.

There are only two effective ways to write a business plan. One is by writing it yourself and the other, to get it done quickly and properly, is to hire a professional.

How do you identify a business plan writer [BPW]?

Before you engage a BPW you have to be aware of what a BPW is. Don’t believe that someone who advertises this service will actually know what they are doing. You will need someone who not only understands business very well but can effectively write a properly understood plan. They should show you how easy it is to understand what they have written and what is going to happen.

Let’s take a look at what you should expect from someone who is going to write the plan for you.

What you don’t want is a BPW to take what you want and document it for an easy read. What you should seek is a BPW that works with you in developing the plan from the idea through to the finished workable document.

The amount of work involved is enormous and depending on the depth of the business plan can easily take up to 200 hours. However, for the small business it most likely will take less time.

So where do you find a BPW?

There are a number of options available to you. First you can look in your local newspaper. This will allow you to access a BPW quickly and cost effectively. Or you can go to the professional organizations and get a referral from them for a suitable candidate. Alternatively if you can’t find a suitable BPW you can always fall back on the Internet for help. Simply complete a search for business plan writers and make your pick based on a pre thought out criteria. Be careful in your selection. The document has to be well written and one that will give you the option of presenting it to future financiers.

A great way to sort out the wheat from the chaff is to ask for referrals of any work they have completed previously. Ensure you get value for your money. Ask if the plan costs includes any future updates and a number of copies when needed over the next 12 months. Unlimited editions would be great or enough drafts at no extra charge until you are happy with the document.

Check to see if you are charged for the completion of the document by the number of words or pages? At any rate make sure you know exactly what you are being charged for.

Why not do it yourself?

This is the final option available to you. Even though there are many reasons why you should give the job to a professional BPW there are just as many reasons why you should do it yourself. As this article is a about business advice, the fors and againsts for doing it yourself is for another article.