What to brief a consultant so the projections stand up

You've decided to hire a consultant to build projections for your business plan. Before they start, you're wondering what you actually need to hand over — and whether you've got enough detail yourself to make their work stick. The real worry isn't the spreadsheets: it's whether the numbers will hold up when a lender, investor or grant body scrutinises them.

Good consultants don't just take a vague brief and invent a financial story. They ask hard questions upfront because weak input means weak output. What you brief them with shapes whether the projections land as credible or get picked apart.

The operating details they'll need to dig into

Consultants building projections need to understand how your business actually works, not just your vision for it. That means cost structures, staffing patterns, and the rhythm of your revenue. If you're a service business, they'll want to know your hourly rate or project fees, how many billable hours you can realistically staff per week, and what your overheads are. If you're retail or product-based, they'll need your unit costs, supplier terms, inventory turnover, and how you price.

They'll also ask about your sales pipeline — not optimistic guesses, but what conversations are actually happening, what timelines look like, and what your conversion rate has been (even if it's from a previous role or a pilot). If you're bootstrapped, they need to see your current bank statements and P&L to anchor projections in reality. If you've been trading, they want at least two years of actuals. This isn't nosiness; it's the only way to sense-check whether year-one growth targets are ambitious or fantasy.

Bring evidence of anything that locks in your costs: lease agreements, employment letters, supplier quotes, insurance quotes, software subscriptions. The more concrete the underlying assumptions, the less room there is for a funder to say the numbers are made up.

The market and competitive context that makes numbers believable

Projections don't float in a vacuum. A consultant worth their fee will ask how big your addressable market is, who else is doing what you do, and why customers will pick you. They're not doing market research for you — they're testing whether your sales assumptions are grounded.

If you're claiming you'll capture 5% of a segment, they'll want to know what that means in real customer count, whether there's evidence similar businesses have achieved that penetration, and how you'll actually reach those customers. Be specific: "Our target is small manufacturers in the Western Cape needing logistics optimisation" is infinitely more useful than "we're going after SMEs."

Bring any customer feedback, letters of intent, pre-sales conversations, or market research you've done. If you've run pilots, launched a minimum viable product, or surveyed potential buyers, that's gold. Consultants will use it to make your revenue ramp credible instead of theoretical. They'll also ask what you know about pricing in your market — what competitors charge, what customers currently pay for alternatives, and where you sit.

Your role in making the numbers defensible

A consultant's job is to turn your reality into a financial forecast. Your job is to be honest and thorough in what you hand over. If your sales forecast depends on hiring a sales manager in month three, you need to have actually thought about salary, recruitment timeline, and ramp-up. If your projections show you'll need working capital in month six, you need to be clear about why — is it seasonal inventory? Invoice delays? A planned acquisition of equipment?

Don't pad the brief with wishful thinking. Consultants will spot inconsistencies (projected headcount doesn't match revenue, gross margin assumptions are unrealistic for your industry, growth rate outpaces comparable businesses). A funder will spot them faster. If there's something you're unsure about, say so. A good consultant will help you work out realistic assumptions together, not just accept whatever you offer.

The cleanest engagements start with a tight one-page summary of your business model, your current position (if trading), and what you're raising money for. Attach your evidence: bank statements, quotes, contracts, customer feedback. A consultant who asks for all of this before quoting is someone who takes the credibility of your projections seriously. That matters when your plan hits a lender's desk. On Strove, you can find consultants with proven track records in business plan development and ask them directly what they need from you to build projections that stand up.