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I need someone to copy edit my business plan...

elsizzle2000elsizzle2000 subscriber Posts: 5
edited September 2006 in Business Planning
Actually I found someone ( http://writing-help.com/ ) to copy edit it for me but I have a couple of concerns; he is a bit pricey ($500 for 15 pages) & he wants the whole paymeny up front. Is this "normal" practice? As far as I was used to with service based businesses you pay a portion up front, then the remainder after the service is finished. Now he is a great writer AND has experience with business plans. Most other copy editors were not experienced with business plans & were not near as thorough with the edit. Although I am a little concerned that if he gets all the money up front, he won`t be motivated to get it right. What do you guys think?

Also anyone know of a good copy editor that has experience with business plans that is less expensive? Thanks!elsizzle20002006-8-29 0:31:4

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    elsizzle2000elsizzle2000 subscriber Posts: 5
    Hey thanks so much. You did not complicate it at all. You only echoed my instincs inititally - do not hire someone to just rewrite it for correct grammar, spelling, etc but hire someone who has a background in business plans who can review & make suggestions re content as well as the editing. Do you think it is right for him to charge the whole fee up front? Where else besides SCORE would you recommend looking for top notch reviewres/ copy editors? I had a negativ experience with SCORE which I am too tired to get into now. Anyway, thanks again for your help!
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    MeanMachineMeanMachine subscriber Posts: 0
    Happy to be of service elsizzle2000,

     

    Well some states, county, chamber of commerce groups offer
    free services. You would need to do search on your areas website to find out
    what type of services they offer.

     

    Alternatively you can go to one of the hundreds of business
    plan review groups out there. You can find them by doing a search on the web. When
    you do your search you will realize there are two types of business plane
    review groups. One they publish there price and do the business plan then walk
    away the other offers full service meaning not only will they do your business
    plan they will help you get funding often times the will get paid on the back
    end a percentage of the total amount raised. (2% to 5%)

     

    I can not recommend one of the other; however I can say that
    getting outside professional help on your business plan is invaluable. I would
    let as many people as possible review your business plan as everyone will view
    it from a different perspective and in the end they will make the plan
    stronger. So give it to your friends, family, etc let them read and take notes
    decided if the point they have is valid and move on.

     

    Paying up front will be the norm for this service. I would
    pay by credit card incase you have any issues. I would read the organizations
    refund policy and make sure they have written successful business plans before
    that have received similar amount of funding you require. A little bit of home
    work goes along way in this arena.

     

    All the best,

     Eric
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    robertjrobertj subscriber Posts: 0 Member
    Dear elsizzle2000,
    As we tell our clients, it is important that the plan is YOUR plan for YOUR business - our role is to guide and support them through the development process. There are several distinct activities involved in completing a business plan including:
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    elsizzle2000elsizzle2000 subscriber Posts: 5
    so robert do you do these service? Also I talked to the guy I may go with & hew will not give any references because his clients didn`t like that. I am really feeling bothered by all of this. He wants full payment up front AND he won`t provide any references AND his website is a bit lacking. Do I have a reason to be worried or am I being paranoid here. He did send a sample page edit & did a bang up job...
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    elsizzle2000elsizzle2000 subscriber Posts: 5
    that is definitel an option but my question is, isn`t it normal business practice to pay a portion up front & the remainder once the job is finished?
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    TeleBoostTeleBoost subscriber Posts: 0
    Yes, elsizzle2000, you are absolutely right. Most of the service
    providers ask for only a certain percentage of the total payment at the
    time of starting the job and the remainder after completion. But, this
    practice is more common when you deal offline. Many providers who offer
    their services online, do insist on getting full payment upfront.

    Nat  
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    robertjrobertj subscriber Posts: 0 Member
    so robert do you do these service? Also I talked to the guy I may go with & hew will not give any references because his clients didn`t like that. I am really feeling bothered by all of this. He wants full payment up front AND he won`t provide any references AND his website is a bit lacking. Do I have a reason to be worried or am I being paranoid here. He did send a sample page edit & did a bang up job...
    We help clientsdevelop their business plan and express it clearly and concisely.
    I understand that some clients may not want to have their business disclosed or be bothered - but I think any professional service provider should be willing and able to provide references as appropriate.
    As for requesting the payment "up front" - every business has to set their own "policy. However, I would think the provider would be flexible to meet their clients wishes.
    Robert Johnson
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    flipitflipit subscriber Posts: 0
    Dear Elsizzle2000,
    I think you should go with your gut feelings on this guy. Just say no and go to your local collage for free help.
    Good luck
     
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    EllayEllay subscriber Posts: 6
    Hi:
    I am totally supportive of the SBA offices because they offer free services. However, those who do not wish to write will only benefit by getting the informatin from them to understand the business planning process and what they need to contribute. My company offers these services but I have had clients who believe that a business plan is just information that business plan writers pull out of a hat. I think that even if you seek out the advice of the SBA or some other free agency, and still find that you want to seek out another perspective with the rough copy, then just make sure you know what goes into the plan so that the business plan pro can have a bit to go on.
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    EditorialExperts4uEditorialExperts4u subscriber Posts: 0



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    Raphael LawrenceRaphael Lawrence subscriber Posts: 1 Member
    edited July 2017
    I have used business plan writing service from Dissertation Bliss ( <a href="http://www.dissertationtbliss.co.uk/">http://www.dissertationtbliss.co.uk/</a> ) to edit my business plan. They charged me 30 Euro to edit each paper.
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