This is an excerpt from the full report, “Business Plan Writers - Get Your Plan Out of Your Mind and On Paper.” Get access to the full length report when you request my Free Business Plan Guide.. Knowing where you are in the business plan process ensures you hire the right type of consultants for your business venture.

But, before you start writing or talking to consultants, it's important to understand the three steps to selling your business idea to investors. They are: have something good to say, say it well, and say it often. Your skills and how much of each step you can complete on your own will tell you how much and what kind of assistance you'll need. Here's how you can use each step to determine the type of business plan writer you'll need.

Have something good to say: discovery. At least 75 percent of the writing effort for your business plan consists of the process of research. You cannot write a business plan that will pulsate with a vital message unless you study your proposition in detail. If you don't have time to do your own research or don't know how to research a business plan you may want to hire business plan writers who can help you gather a mass of evidence - facts, figures and specifications on which to base your arguments - and then help you select the particular talking points that will appeal to your prospective investors. A large part of your research involves evaluating your business plan financially and presenting the numbers clearly to investors. If you don't know how to do this, you'll want to hire a business plan writer who has experience compiling financial projections and estimates.

Say it well: presenting your case. If you've already gathered your evidence, it's now time to prove your case. To do this, write your plan in a concise style that paints a picture of your business, followed by convincing arguments and supporting evidence. Usually accountants and lawyers are not good business plan writers. They typically write in what is called legalese rather than plain English. Plain English business plan writers think and write in a new style. They start with questioning whether the business plan tells investors what they need to know to invest knowledgeably - without using legalese or jargon but with everyday words that communicate complex data clearly. You may want to write the first draft of your business plan then have an experienced editor or business plan writer review it. Conversely, you can give your research to a qualified business plan writer and ask them to write the first draft for your review.

Say it often: communicating with investors. What if you've done your research and have a written business plan? Then, you can move on to step three - communicating your business plan. This step involves developing an "elevator pitch" and preparing for investor meetings. An elevator pitch is a 60-second, to-the-point, verbal pitch for your business and is a great way to introduce you venture to business investors. But in order to have someone to pitch to, you'll need to know how to find potential investors and which investors to contact. Use this step to assess your experience and personal contacts to determine if you'll need someone to help you accomplish this.

If you hire a business writer to help you with your business plan don't be mislead into thinking you get to go on vacation for four weeks and when you return your business plan writer will have your business plan waiting for you. Also, be sure that any business plan writer you hire understands the investment process from the investor's perspective.

To learn more about selecting business plan writers, how to pay for business plan writers when you can't afford them, where to get assistance and more, get this full-length report, “Business Plan Writers - Get Your Plan Out of Your Mind and On Paper,” when you request my Free Business Plan Guide.