For any business startup a traditional business plan has to be followed
. Whether you do it yourself or hire any professional it depends on the targets you have to achieve. You just need to be clear about your objectives what you want out of the process and what your expectations are.
In the process of learning the whole process of business planning you yourself develop analytical and thinking skills which are necessary to run a business. You get an intimate understanding of your own business model. Going through a business plan is an invaluable business experience.
One of the most important jobs of any businessman is to manage time with the things he is best skilled. One may decide to hire business plan professionals as everyone cannot afford to go through the whole curve of learning and professionals are able to deliver high quality plans at minimal time.
Business plan will be done faster with somebody who knows the process. Planning has to be highly prioritized. The benefit of hiring professionals is that they allow enough space for non emotional projections and expectations for the business. They will project more clear objectives with better assumptions to discard any funding problems.
Remember do not let the professionals to include any information that you are not comfortable with. The business plan is yours and you have to stick to it long after you have paid the consultants bill.
Business plans are intended only to document your strategies for the business in brief and be well enough to get funding. If you have high hopes and expecting that your plan will tell you how to market or how many people you will need to hire, then you will have to start with a deep strategic planning process.
Do not expect miracles, a plan can only highlight your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. It cannot make a lazy business model into a thriving business. So if your plan says that you cannot make enough money out of your business work for the long run, then mark more attention into it.
A good business plan is what that matches your goals and objectives, captures the way you comprehend you business and have the right spirits of your business.