Sometimes you are too close to your own industry and business to see it clearly, and what appears obvious to an outsider with a “bird’s eyes view” can elude your perception and scrutiny as you are “too close to the trees to see the forest”. This is why,  having an experienced business plan consultant by your side can be of tremendous value to help you gain clarity about your unique value proposition and structure your hypothesis and assumptions in a logical way.

If your business idea is about solving a problem you experienced yourself, and you feel the weight of the pain points and are confident that your solution is the “best way” to solve said problem,  make sure this becomes apparent to outside parties as well, and take your proof of concept through a rigorous process that helps support your assumptions.

Consider the most common objections and current existing alternatives for your proposed solution, and identify their merits, so that you can develop a clear perspective as to what objections need to be overcome for your solution to prevail and in the process convince potential business partners and investors of the soundness of your vision.

SCOPE:  The first step of the project was to review Sadie’s existing draft Business Plan and identify areas of improvement.

Next, we outlined several improvement suggestions that we included in an Executive Summary sheet for Sadie to review.

The third step was to rewrite & redesign the existing draft Business Plan and include the suggested recommendations and new aesthetic direction to match the company’s branding and identity.

Finally, Sadie had the chance to review and suggest amendments to the content and design of the Business Plan before receiving the final version.

This is what Sadie had to say after working with us:

 

” The team at StartupHQ did a great job with the review & redesign of my Business Plan.

 They identified key areas where clarity and context were missing and suggested several ways to improve my Business Plan accordingly.

They went above and beyond with the design elements and helped me create a cohesive and internally consistent Business Plan.

I am so happy I chose to work with them to edit and redesign my Business Plan before an important investor presentation!”.

We were contacted by Sadie Smith to review & redesign her draft Business Plan before an important investor presentation.

* Disclaimer: The names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals and comply with non-disclosure agreements.

Sadie: In my day-to-day work as an independent ESG financial advisor, I got increasingly frustrated by the lack of resources and the time I wasted to create a professional-looking market research report for my customers and prospects. Having previously worked at a larger investment firm, I knew that a higher standard was possible but I wasn’t able to hire collaborators and cover the costs from my client fees.

I tried searching for a platform or tool where ESG financial advisors could get such a service at a competitive cost but couldn’t find anything alike. Then it dawned on me that I could set out and create such a solution for my fellow independent ESG investment advisors. This is how the idea for MK IQ came about.

Sadie: Being your own “target market” has many advantages but also significant drawbacks. In hindsight I realized I was too close to my industry to understand how it is seen from the outside and test my assumptions and hypothesis before drawing conclusions. I needed a well-informed external perspective to give me the clarity and direction I needed to move forward with confidence with my Business Plan.

Sadie: I got stuck while writing my Business Plan and was unsure if my work so far was clear enough to someone outside my industry. I asked a few friends to review it and when they said my Business Plan lacked clarity, I knew I needed professional help to move forward. I eventually discovered StartupHQ while researching online and immediately scheduled a discovery call for a Review & Redesign service. I ended up booking the service and it proved to be a great investment. I found a strategic investor and got the funding I needed to start developing the platform of tools for independent ESG financial advisors like myself.

ESG Investing is a key tool to drive the adoption of sustainability practices in companies.  Asset holders are not only interested in financial returns but also in the environmental and social impact of the companies they invest in.

ESG Investors advocate for more transparency in environmental emissions, renewable energy usage, reduction of exposure to toxic chemicals as well as decreasing the environmental footprint of major industries such as petrochemicals, agriculture, travel, construction etc.

 

Sadie was always passionate about environmental protection and human rights. After her studies, she got an internship with a leading ESG Asset Manager in London and learned first hand about ESG Investment best practices.

With her background in Computer Science and Product Development, she was inspired to create a technology platform for the independent ESG Advisors to drive adoption of best practices in the industry and take advantage of the booming market.