Business Planning for Owner-Led Businesses
A plan built on your numbers and the life you want
Is this right for you?
This project suits owners who:
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Feel like they're reacting to their business rather than leading it
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Are working hard but not moving forward in the way they want
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Want a clear and honest picture of where things stand and what to focus on
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Are considering growth or a change in direction
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Are thinking about selling , not as an immediate exit, but as a longer-term process of building a business that works better now and becomes more attractive to a buyer over time
Most business plans start in the wrong place
Most business owners start the planning process with vision and strategy. For owner-led businesses, that's the wrong place to begin.
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If you don't understand what your numbers are already telling you, where profit is coming from, where cash is leaking out, what's been driving results, you're making decisions without evidence. The financials aren't something you add at the end to make the plan look credible. They're the starting point.
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Every business plan I facilitate starts with financial analysis. Once you can see where you've been and what's been driving performance, you can confidently set your destination and map the way forward.
The business exists to support your life
Most business plans treat the business as if it exists separately from the person running it. For an owner-led business, that's a critical gap.
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A plan isn't complete if it doesn't account for your situation. What are you doing in the business day to day? What should you be doing? Is the business generating enough to fund your personal commitments, mortgage, family, lifestyle? What does the business need to look like for it to genuinely work for you?
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These aren't soft questions. They're the foundation of everything that follows. Without them, a plan is just an operational document. With them, it becomes a genuine picture of where you want to go and why it matters.
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"I wish we had started this process a year ago." M.M., Director, $5M business
How the process works
Your business planning project follows a clear sequence across four or five working sessions, typically spread over a similar number of weeks. That spacing is deliberate. It gives you time to reflect on what's emerged from each session before moving to the next, and keeps the process from becoming another thing competing with the day-to-day demands of running your business.
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Stage 1 — Financial analysis. 24 to 36 months of financial history, analysed for patterns, ratios, trends, and the gap between profit and cash. Presented visually so the numbers tell their own story. A scenario planning tool is built alongside it so you can model the impact of different decisions before you commit. This stage is available as a standalone project. ​
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Stage 2 — The owner conversation. Before looking at the rest of the business, we look at you. What you're doing, what you should be doing, how your time is spent, what your business needs to pay you, and what you want your life to look like. This grounds the plan in reality and makes sure what follows is built around what matters most to you.
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Stage 3 — Now. A structured assessment of your business. We've already covered you and the financial analysis, so now we'll work through the other key parts: services, customers, sales, marketing, people, technology etc. This builds a realistic picture of where your business stands, not your best-case view, but what's actually happening, so we know what we're dealing with before clarifying the future.
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Stage 4 — Where. A clear picture of success. A specific, practical vision of where your business needs to be across the same dimensions. Not an aspirational statement, but a concrete description of what it looks like when it's running the way you want it to. We finish by revisiting your initial financial targets to make sure everything looks feasible.
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Stage 5 — How. Priorities and actions. The gap between Now and Where becomes a prioritised action plan: a 24 to 36-month roadmap that will be broken into rolling 90-day plans. Three to four actions per quarter, reviewed monthly, reprioritised as things get done. We'll develop your first 90-day plan so you can start immediately.
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By this point, most owners feel they finally have a clear, realistic picture of what they're working towards and how to get there.
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“The plan has provided us with great insight and a closer understanding of our business operations with a keen eye on where we are, where we want to be and how we are going to get there” Liza P – business owner annual sales +$1m
What you receive
A complete planning document including the financial model and scenario tool, SWOT analysis, Now-Where-How roadmap, and your first 90-day action plan to get started immediately.
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What it costs
Business planning projects start from $5,500 incl GST for a complete, facilitated planning process. The total investment depends on the size and complexity of your business, and whether the financial analysis has already been completed as a stand-alone project. We agree on scope and price before any work begins, no surprises.
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If you're based in the Northern Territory, you may be eligible for an NTG Business Growth Grant that can subsidise up to 50% of the fee. The project can be delivered remotely for clients anywhere in Australia.
Common questions
What does a business plan include for a small business?
A complete business plan for an owner-led business covers financial analysis, a structured assessment of where the business stands now, a clear picture of where it needs to be, and a prioritised roadmap to close the gap. It includes a financial model and scenario tool, SWOT analysis, Now-Where-How roadmap, and a 90-day action plan. The financials are the starting point, not something added at the end.
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How is business planning different for owner-led businesses?
For owner-led businesses, the plan has to account for the owner as well as the business. That means being honest about what you're doing day to day, what the business needs to pay you, and what you want your life to look like. A plan that doesn't address those questions isn't complete. It also means starting with the numbers rather than vision and strategy, because without financial clarity, a plan isn't grounded in reality.
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How long does business planning take?
The process runs across four or five working sessions typically spread over a similar number of weeks. The spacing is deliberate. It gives you time to reflect between sessions rather than compressing everything into a short period. From first session to completed plan, most projects take four to six weeks.
Do I need to have my financials in order before starting?
Not necessarily. If your accounts are reasonably maintained, that's usually enough to start. The financial analysis stage works with what you have and identifies what the numbers are telling you. If significant cleanup is needed, that becomes clear early and can be addressed as part of the process.
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Am I eligible for the NTG Business Growth Grant?
If your business is based in the Northern Territory you may be eligible for an NTG Business Growth Grant that can subsidise up to 50% of the project fee. 5P Consulting is a registered provider under the program. Get in touch to discuss eligibility.
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What is the difference between business planning and business coaching?
Business planning produces a clear direction and roadmap. Coaching and implementation is what keeps you moving along that roadmap over time. Many owners do both. The plan sets the destination, coaching maintains the focus and accountability to get there. They work well together but each stands on its own.
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Can I do the financial analysis first before committing to the full planning project?
Yes. The financial analysis is available as a standalone project at $1,750 incl GST. If you later proceed with a full business plan, the fee is credited and the analysis carries over.
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Get in Touch
If this sounds like the right process for your business, the next step is a straightforward conversation. No obligation, no hard sell.
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Email: colin@5pconsulting.com.au Phone: 0422 916 212
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Or use the contact form.