A d d u c e n t

SCORE and the SBDC (Small Business Development Centers) are great resources for entrepreneurs who want to start a business and for small business owners of established businesses that need counseling.  They can give you guidance on how to write a business plan, review your plan once you've written it and give you feedback and guidance, but one important thing to understand is that they will not write your business plan for you.  That being said they can be a great help to entrepreneurs/business owners in writing their own business plan.

Here's just a few Q&A's that you will see on many SCORE chapter websites about how they can help you with your business plan:

Q: Will SCORE help me write and complete my business plan?

A: We will take you through the steps outlining the procedures to prepare the plan. However, it is important that you put your own thoughts in detail on paper of how you plan to structure and operate your business. This will help you walk through your thoughts and ideas about your business. When you have completed your draft, we can then go over it with you to "fine tune" it if it is necessary. For additional help, attend a SCORE workshop about writing a Business Plan

Question: Where Can I Find Help in Developing My Business Plan?

Answer: SCORE/SBDC can also provide individualized counseling. In these counseling sessions, we will help you decide what to put in your business plan. Once you have started your business, we can help you improve and expand your business plan.

Question: I have heard that I must have a business plan to borrow money from the bank. Can SCORE help me to write such a plan or recommend someone to prepare it for me?

Answer: SCORE can provide you with a business plan format and will critique the plan if you wish, but will not recommend anyone else to write it for you.

Q. Who can write my business plan?

A. The SBDC strongly advises prospective and existing business owners to prepare their own business plans. Neither the SBDC nor SCORE will write a client's business plan. However, either will provide feedback on a completed business plan before it is presented to a lender.

I agree with SCORE/SBDC that it is best if the entrepreneur/business owner write their own business plan or at least get it through a rough draft.  There is a lot that they will learn in the process.  And if they do need to have someone help them write or finish it, the work they have done should go a long way towards lowering the cost to have someone help finish and polish their business plan to make it presentation ready to a bank or investor prospects.

So a very good starting point is to visit your local SCORE or SBDC office, take the free seminar/courses that they have available.  And begin to do some front-end work to develop your business plan.