In order to be considered for the opportunity you must provide the following:
1. Where are you located? Northern California - Oroville, CA
2. Provide samples of your work (they can be sanitized)- I don't keep any back that I worked on for security sake. But I have worked on more than 50 business plans over the past 25 years. My work for you would come with a 100% guarantee that you will not pay a cent unless 100% happy with final document.
3. How many 15-20 page plans you could finish in 1 month? Between 2 - 4, depending on the complexity of the business and the financial forecast.
4. What tools do you use to do market research? Market research is a broad term and can encompass many various specific areas, such as: customer analysis, competitor analysis, risk analysis, product research, and marketing mix modeling. Each needs different tools.
Then there are various firms that one can either glean free info from, or get very comprehensive analysis for a fee. One of my favorite firms for technology research is the Gartner Group, but here is a list of many other potential companies to approach for good market data:
Arbitron
BCC Research
C.A. Walker Research Solutions
Decision Analyst
Forrester Research
Gartner Group
Hall & Partners
Harris Interactive
Illuminas
IBISWorld
International Data Corporation
IMS Health
J. D. Power and Associates
Kelton Research
Leo J. Shapiro & Associates
Medimix International
NPD Group
O'Donnell & Associates
Off Madison Ave
Rockbridge Associates, Inc.
SIS International Research
StrategyOne
SymphonyIRI Group
5. Roughly how many plans have you written? Around 50 over a 25 year spectrum. I am 45 yrs old now. I have worked at, or was a consultant for over 10 start-up companies. When I worked at my first CPA firm, I was in the Management Advisory Services side, and did a lot of high level business planning and writing.
6. Do you work on a team or alone?
It is just myself that would consult on this project, but I would hope that everyone on your team would be working with me and we would make up the team.
7. What is your favorite topic to write about? The possibilities, the dream, the positive portions of the report. I don't like writing about competition - but it is very important to include. My second favorite section is the financial forecast and the assumptions that go into creating it.
And now a little bit about myself: (you can also see my profile on linkedin - references are there as well.)
I am a licensed Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years of experience. Finance accounting professional with domestic and international manufacturing, service, internet start-ups, IPOs and nonprofit sector experience. Considerable experience with internal controls and automated accounting procedures, implemented and executed to reach the highest security level while dramatically increasing accounting function speed and management reporting. I have had diverse experience working at all levels of accounting and finance, from small businesses to multi-billion dollar fortune 500 corporations, I have a tremendous base to draw from to assist in nearly every situation I may be faced with.
I am new to freelancer. I am hoping that it will be an avenue to keep my skill level fresh and up to date. I have spent most of my career as a consultant, so I thrive with diverse jobs. I have enough money to live comfortably, but I love to work. Accounting is my passion.
So I am having what I am calling a freelancer "Grand Opening Sale", and I am heavily discounting my hourly fee. Typically a Partner or Senior Manager at a medium sized accounting firm would charge anywhere from $120 - $250 an hour. But for a limited time only, so I can get some freelancer jobs under my belt and start to generate a real presence on this site, I am discounting my fee. For the first three months of the project I will charge minimum wage here in California - $8 an hour. After the third month, if the project is to continues, I will only slightly raise my fee to a still low low rate of $10 per hour. My fixed bid amount is based on myself working with your team over the space of a week to 10 days, and putting in around 80 hours in total. 80 hours X $8/hr = $640 total.
Take advantage of a seasoned accounting executive who is almost selling his services for free. This is a limited time offer. I make it with this proposal, but as I gain more clients, the fee will probably go up.
I also am a big proponent of keeping jobs in the United States, so my motto is Buy American.
I hope that you will contact me if you have any questions, or would like some clarification on anything. I look forward to working with you.
Drew Evans, CPA