Business plans

In most cases, IBC clients will not need a separate business plan when raising finance. This is because we prepare a detailed funding proposal as part of our work.

Exceptions would normally be for business start-ups, acquisitions, or management buy-outs.

When they are used, it is important that business plans are prepared properly:

• The business case must be fundamentally sound. Plans that are prepared without any external input can be fatally flawed from the outset. Fresh eyes that are able to analyse and then constructively challenge key assumptions can be worth their weight in gold.
• The content must be presented properly. This is especially important when dealing with banks. Not understanding how they assess risk, or how their lending decisions are made, are the single biggest causes of failure to secure finance.

Summary of benefits

Whatever the circumstances, IBC have the right skills and experience to add value.

Clients benefit from our years of training and practical experience in both commercial lending, and in the identification, analysis and management of business risks:

• We know what banks look for and how they think. This means we can present much more effective plans to lenders, in a way that has so far resulted in a successful outcome in virtually every case
• We can often highlight unforeseen risks & opportunities, to help validate a business case
• Our lenders are able to share their own sources of information with us – for example economic and industry reports, which identify success criteria, and common causes of failure. Such quality information helps clients to plan better, and reduce the chances of business failure
• Preparation of parts of a plan can be delegated to us, thereby saving time and resources

To find out more either Contact Us, go to Frequently Asked Questions, or visit the Case Studies section.