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Business Plan Deep-Dive
Advisor Tool

Business Plan Deep-Dive

A structured advisor-facing facilitation tool for building a complete business plan with any owner. Work through all eight modules, then generate a plan and readiness report written to the specific goals and funding context of this business.

Module 1 of 8 0%

Module 1 — Current Business Foundation

Client name First name or business name for the report header

What does the business do? Describe the service or product, who it is for, and how it is delivered

Years in business

Current annual revenue

Business entity type

Current employees or contractors

Primary revenue model Select all that apply

Hourly / time and materials

Project-based / fixed fee

Monthly retainer

Productized service

Annual contract

Product / physical goods

Subscription / SaaS

Mixed

Describe the revenue mix Percentage or proportion from each model and the direction of travel

Who are the primary customers? Industry, size, geography, buyer type

What is the competitive differentiation? Why do clients choose this business over alternatives?

Rate each dimension 1 (weak) to 5 (strong)

Client base stabilityRecurring revenue vs. one-off, client concentration risk

Service or product clarityHow clearly defined is the offering?

Process documentationHow much lives in the owner's head vs. written down and repeatable?

Market position strengthHow clearly does this business stand for something in its market?

Module 2 — Goals and Planning Horizon

Define where the business is headed at each time horizon. These goals shape every section of the plan output. Leave any horizon blank if it is not yet defined.

Short Term — Next 90 Days

What is the primary focus in the next 90 days? The one or two things that must happen before anything else moves

Revenue target at 90 days

Headcount or capacity target at 90 days

What would make the next 90 days a clear success?

Medium Term — 6 to 12 Months

What does the business look like at 12 months? Revenue, team structure, market position, operational state

Revenue target at 12 months

Team size target at 12 months

What is the biggest risk to hitting the 12-month target?

Long Term — 3 to 5 Years

What is the long-term vision for the business? Scale, structure, owner role, exit or continuity intention

Revenue target at 3-5 years

Exit or continuity intention

What does the owner's role look like in 3-5 years? How involved, doing what, and on whose terms

Are there any non-negotiables or hard constraints the plan must respect? Geography, industry focus, values, lifestyle requirements, financial limits

Module 3 — Growth Trigger and Expansion Rationale

What is driving the decision to expand now? What has changed, what pressure or opportunity is forcing the issue, and why now

What specific expansion is being planned? New hires, space, new service lines, new markets, equipment, or combinations

What does this expansion need to generate to justify itself?Think in three parts: (1) additional revenue needed to cover new overhead and improve owner take-home, (2) capacity unlocked that the business cannot capture today, and (3) what this expansion makes possible at 12 months and 3-5 years that is currently out of reach

What is the expansion timeline? Key milestones and dates

What has already been decided vs. what is still being evaluated?

What would cause the owner to pause or cancel this expansion? Honest answer only

Rate each dimension 1 (weak) to 5 (strong)

Demand clarityIs the work justifying this expansion real and committed, or projected?

Expansion rationale strengthIs the case for expanding now clear, specific, and grounded?

Runway confidenceCan the business absorb new overhead if growth is delayed 90 days?

Module 4 — People and Capacity Plan

Current Team

Describe the current team structure Who is on the team today, what they do, classification, and compensation

How is work currently organized and tracked? Project management, task assignment, client communication, file storage

Where are the current capacity constraints? What is the owner doing that someone else should be doing?

Planned Hires and Additions

Who is being added and in what capacity? Employee, intern, contractor, fractional, part-time. Include number, classification, and hours per week if known.

What roles and responsibilities will each person own? Be specific about what moves off the owner's plate

What does the reporting and supervision structure look like? Who reports to whom, how often, what oversight looks like day to day

What does the onboarding plan look like for new team members? First week, first 30 days, how they get productive

People Plan at Each Horizon

90 Days

12 Months

3-5 Years

Talent Pipeline and Risk

Where will future hires come from?

Are there any key person dependencies or single points of failure?

Rate each dimension 1 (weak) to 5 (strong)

Role clarityAre new roles well-defined with clear ownership and success criteria?

Delegation readinessDoes the owner have work ready to hand off, or does it need to be documented first?

Onboarding preparednessIs there a plan to get new people productive, or will it be ad hoc?

Management capacityDoes the owner have realistic time and skill to manage additional people?

Module 5 — Space and Operations

Current Operations

Where is the business currently operating from?

Home office

Leased office

Coworking / shared space

Client sites

Fully remote

Retail or storefront

Warehouse or industrial

Other

Describe the current space arrangement

What operational systems and tools are in place today? Project management, CRM, invoicing, file storage, communications, scheduling

What are the current operational gaps or friction points? Where does the business break down, slow down, or rely on manual workarounds?

Space Plan at Each Horizon

Short Term — 90 Days

Medium Term — 12 Months

Long Term — 3-5 Years

Near-Term Space Details

What type of space is the owner considering in the next 12 months?

Dedicated lease

Shared / coworking

Executive suite

Home office + meeting space

Sublease from another business

Not yet decided / Other

Describe the space situation or what is being evaluated

Estimated monthly space cost

Target location or market

What equipment, technology, or infrastructure is needed? Hardware, software, phones, furniture, vehicles, specialized equipment

Operational Plan at Each Horizon

Short Term — 90 Days

Medium Term — 12 Months

Long Term — 3-5 Years

Rate each dimension 1 (weak) to 5 (strong)

Space decision clarityIs the near-term space plan defined or still exploratory?

Operational infrastructureCan current systems support more volume and more people without breaking?

Long-term ops visionIs there a clear picture of what the business looks like operationally in 3-5 years?

Module 6 — Financial Plan and Reality Check

Current Financial State

Current annual revenue

Average monthly revenue

Current total monthly overhead

Owner's current monthly draw or salary

Describe the current cost structure Major overhead categories and any variable costs tied to revenue

How does the business get paid and how quickly? Payment terms, collections history, invoice-to-cash timeline

Expansion Costs and New Overhead

What new costs will the expansion add monthly? List each new cost category and estimated amount

Total estimated monthly overhead after expansion

One-time startup or setup costs

How will new team members be compensated? Salary, hourly, stipend, commission, equity, benefits

Financial Targets and Runway

Revenue targets at each planning horizon

90-day target

12-month target

3-5 year target

What cash reserves does the business have available? How many months of post-expansion overhead could the business cover if revenue growth is delayed?

Is there any existing debt or financing? Current loans, lines of credit, credit card balances, personal investment already in the business

Pricing and Revenue Growth Strategy

Are there any pricing changes planned as part of this growth phase? Rate increases, new service tiers, packaging changes, minimum engagement sizes

What is the revenue growth strategy? How does the business plan to get from current revenue to the 12-month and long-term targets?

Rate each dimension 1 (weak) to 5 (strong)

Financial visibilityDoes the owner know their real numbers: margins, overhead, take-home, and breakeven?

Breakeven confidenceIs there a clear picture of when new overhead is covered by new revenue?

Revenue growth plan strengthIs the path to hitting revenue targets specific and credible?

Financial risk exposureHow exposed is the business if growth is slower than planned?

Module 7 — Funding Strategy

Complete this module if the business plan will be used to pursue outside funding of any kind. Leave blank if the expansion is self-funded and no capital is being sought.

Purpose and Funding Need

What is this business plan being used for? Select all that apply

Internal roadmap only

Bank or SBA loan application

Business line of credit

Equipment financing

Angel or seed investment

Venture capital

CDFI or community lender

Grant application

Strategic partner or investor

Other

Describe the other funding purpose or use case

Total capital being sought

Target timeline to secure funding

What will the funds be used for? Be specific. Lenders and investors want to see a clear use of proceeds.

SBA and Traditional Lending

Has the owner explored SBA loan programs? SBA 7(a) for general working capital and expansion, SBA 504 for real estate and equipment, SBA Microloan for smaller amounts under $50K

SBA 7(a) — general expansion

SBA 504 — real estate / equipment

SBA Microloan — under $50K

Conventional bank loan

Business line of credit

None explored yet

What collateral is available? Business assets, personal assets, real estate, equipment, receivables

Owner's estimated personal credit score range

Owner's planned equity contribution or cash injection

Equity and Investment

Is the owner open to giving up equity in exchange for capital?

Yes, open to equity investors

Only for the right strategic partner

Prefer debt over equity

Not sure / want to discuss

Notes on equity openness or concerns

What would an ideal investor or lender bring beyond capital? Network, industry expertise, operational support, credibility

Funding Readiness

Are financial statements current and organized? P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statements typically required for any formal application

Yes, CPA-prepared statements available

Yes, owner-prepared, can be compiled

Partial, need to be organized

Not yet, significant work needed

What is the current state of the business plan narrative? Lenders and investors require a written narrative alongside financial projections

This session is the starting point

Draft exists, needs refinement

Complete, needs formatting

No plan exists yet

Have any lenders or investors already been contacted?

Additional funding context or constraints Timing pressures, geographic preferences for lenders, previous rejections, any other relevant context

Rate each dimension 1 (weak) to 5 (strong)

Funding readinessHow prepared is the business to submit a formal funding application today?

Use of funds clarityIs the use of capital specific, defensible, and tied to a clear return?

Creditworthiness and collateralHow strong is the owner's overall lending profile?

Module 8 — Owner Role and Transition Plan

Current Owner Role

How does the owner currently spend their time? Rough percentage breakdown across delivery, sales, operations, admin, and strategic work

What should the owner stop doing personally for the business to grow? Work that could or should be done by someone else

What should the owner start doing that they are not doing today?

Owner Role at Each Horizon

90 Days

12 Months

3-5 Years

Transition Challenges and Quality Control

What is the owner most nervous or uncertain about in this transition?

What is the quality control plan? How does the business maintain standards as more work passes through other people?

Has the owner managed or supervised people before?

What does success look like for the owner personally at 12 months? Not just the business metrics, but how the owner feels about how they are spending their time

Additional advisor notes Observations, concerns, or follow-up items not captured elsewhere

Rate each dimension 1 (weak) to 5 (strong)

Identity readinessHas the owner mentally made the shift from practitioner to manager and employer?

Quality control planIs there a system to maintain standards as others touch the work?

Vision clarityDoes the owner have a specific, grounded picture of where the business and their role are in 3-5 years?

Analyzing business foundation

Business Plan & Readiness Report

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