Bsbcon comes up regularly when UK founders search for a business plan writer, partly because it ranks well and partly because it serves clients internationally. Founders ask me how SGI compares, and as with any honest comparison, the answer has two sides. Bsbcon is a capable, well-regarded firm that writes strong, custom business plans and, for the right client, is an excellent choice. The question is whether you are that client, and for most UK businesses raising UK funding, the answer points elsewhere for two specific reasons.
Here is the distinction that matters. Bsbcon, whose full name is Black Sheep Business Consulting Corp, is a Canada-based management consultancy serving small and medium-sized businesses internationally, and its core deliverable is the business plan [5]. SGI is a UK consultancy that writes the plan and then facilitates the funding through to completion. For a UK business approaching UK lenders and investors, the combination of a UK-native practice and a funding facilitation layer usually determines the outcome. For a Canadian business, the jurisdiction advantage runs the other way.
In this comparison, I will set out what each firm does, how pricing and jurisdiction differ, where the funding facilitation layer changes the picture, and when Bsbcon is genuinely the better choice. The aim is to help you choose well.
What does each firm actually do?
Bsbcon presents itself as a management consulting firm specialising in support for small and medium businesses worldwide, with a team of business consultants and a core service in custom business plan writing that avoids generic templates [5]. Its published pricing for business plans typically runs in the region of 1,900 to 7,900 US dollars, depending on scope, and its work is heavily oriented to the Canadian market: Canadian lenders, the Business Development Bank of Canada, programmes such as Futurpreneur, Canadian government loan schemes, and Canadian immigration routes including provincial nominee programmes. It serves clients beyond Canada, but its centre of gravity is North American.
SGI Consultants is a UK consultancy founded in 2014. We write business plans for UK founders across the full range of funding purposes, priced by deliverables in pounds with fixed fees. The structural difference is the funding service alongside the plan. We do not deliver the document and leave you to raise the money. We facilitate the funding itself, identifying and approaching funders, managing the process, and coordinating through to completion.
Both firms write serious plans without relying on templates. The divergence is in jurisdiction and what happens after the document is finished.
How do pricing and jurisdiction compare?
On pricing, Bsbcon sits in the mid-market, with US dollar pricing that reflects its Canadian base. That is a reasonable position, and for many founders, the value is clear. SGI prices in pounds by deliverable, with fixed fees that scale from accessible Start Up Loan applications through to institutional investor plans, giving UK founders certainty in their own currency without converting from dollars or accounting for exchange risk.
Jurisdiction is where the practical difference becomes significant. A UK funding case rests on UK foundations: British Business Bank schemes and Start Up Loans [6], the expectations of UK banks and alternative lenders, the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme and Enterprise Investment Scheme administered by HMRC, and UK visa routes such as the Innovator Founder visa. A Canada-based firm can write a competent UK plan, but it is doing so outside its home system. Its deepest expertise, in Canadian lenders, the BDC, Futurpreneur, and Canadian provincial immigration, is precisely the expertise a UK founder does not need.
For a UK business, then, the question is not whether Bsbcon writes a good plan. It is whether you want your plan and funding strategy built by a firm whose native market is your funding market, or one whose native market is somewhere else.
Why does the funding facilitation layer change the comparison?
The most underweighted factor in choosing a business plan partner is what happens after the plan is written. The document is the beginning of the funding journey. Someone still has to find the right funders, approach them, manage the process, refine the materials based on feedback, and carry it to completion, and that second phase is where most raises either succeed or stall.
Bsbcon’s model, like most business plan firms, centres on delivering an excellent document. The founder then runs the raise. SGI’s model extends into that second phase. Our business funding service facilitates debt funding at zero cost to the business, compensated by the lending partner, and facilitates equity on a success-only basis with an 18-month no-win, no-fee guarantee. Across managed engagements, SGI reports a 90% funding success rate and has facilitated more than 250 million pounds for clients since 2014.
That changes the nature of the relationship. With a plan-only provider, the document is the entire value, and the raise is yours to execute. With a facilitation model, the document is the opening move, and the firm is invested in the funding closing, because, on equity, it is paid only on success. A founder who wants a partner through the raise, rather than a high-quality document and then a solo effort, is choosing between two genuinely different propositions.
When is Bsbcon the better choice?
In the interest of an honest comparison, here is where Bsbcon is the stronger fit. If you are a Canadian business raising Canadian funding, Bsbcon operates in its home market, which should weigh heavily. If you need a plan structured for Canadian lenders, the Business Development Bank of Canada, or programmes such as Futurpreneur, BSBcon’s familiarity with those is a real advantage. If your need is a Canadian immigration plan, including a provincial nominee programme application, a Canada-oriented firm is the right kind of partner. And if your business is North American in its centre of gravity, Bsbcon’s positioning may suit you better than a UK-native firm.
In each of those cases the jurisdiction advantage favours Bsbcon, and SGI’s funding facilitation is less relevant because our facilitation network is built around UK funders rather than Canadian ones.
How to decide
Three questions resolve the choice. First, where are you raising? The UK points to a UK-native partner; Canada points to a Canada-native one. Second, what currency and funding system are you in? Pounds, UK lenders, Start Up Loans, and SEIS or EIS point one way; Canadian dollars, the BDC, and Canadian schemes point the other. Third, do you want a plan or a partner through the raise. If you will run the funding process yourself and want a strong document, a plan-only firm serves you; if you want the funding facilitated to completion, the facilitation model is built for that.
For a UK business raising UK capital, these questions align with a UK-native partner with a funding service. For a Canadian raise, they align toward Bsbcon. The right answer genuinely depends on where you sit, which is why we assess fit, honestly and without charge, before anyone commits.
Conclusion
Bsbcon and SGI both write serious, custom business plans, and Bsbcon is a sound choice for Canadian founders, Canadian lenders, and Canadian immigration plans. For a UK business seeking UK funding, the comparison turns on two things that quality alone does not capture: a partner whose home market is the UK, and a partner who facilitates the funding rather than stopping at the documents. If you are raising funds from UK funders, those differences tend to decide it. If you are raising in Canadian dollars, weigh the jurisdiction the other way. Choose the firm whose home market is your funding market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SGI Consultants a UK alternative to Bsbcon? Yes, for UK businesses raising funds in the UK. SGI works natively in pounds, around British lenders, Start Up Loans, SEIS and EIS, and UK visa routes, and additionally facilitates the funding rather than only writing the plan. Bsbcon remains a strong choice for Canadian raises and Canadian immigration plans.
What is the main difference between SGI and Bsbcon? Bsbcon is a Canada-based firm whose core deliverable is a business plan that you then take to market yourself. SGI is a UK firm that writes the plan and then facilitates the funding to completion, including debt at zero cost to the business and equity on a success-only basis.
How does pricing compare? Bsbcon publishes mid-market business plan pricing in US dollars, reflecting its Canadian base. SGI prices in pounds per deliverable, with fixed fees that scale from accessible Start Up Loan applications to institutional investor plans, removing currency conversion and exchange risk for UK founders.
Which is better for an immigration business plan? It depends on the country. Bsbcon is oriented to Canadian immigration, including provincial nominee programmes, while SGI is built around UK visa routes such as the Innovator Founder visa. Choose the firm aligned with the country whose system you are applying under.
Does SGI help raise the money or just write the plan? Both. SGI writes the plan and then facilitates the raise, approaching funders, managing the process, and coordinating to completion. SGI reports a 90% funding success rate across managed engagements and has facilitated more than 250 million pounds for clients since 2014.
References
- British Business Bank, Start Up Loans. https://www.startuploans.co.uk/
- British Business Bank, Small Business Finance Markets report. https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/about/research-and-publications
- HMRC / GOV.UK, Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme and Enterprise Investment Scheme. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/seed-enterprise-investment-scheme-background
- GOV.UK, Innovator Founder visa. https://www.gov.uk/innovator-founder-visa
- Bsbcon (Black Sheep Business Consulting Corp), business plan writing services and pricing (publicly published positioning). https://www.bsbcon.com/services/business-plan-writers/
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Kurt Graver is the founder and CEO of SGI Consultants, a business consultancy that has helped over 2,000 entrepreneurs establish successful startups using systematic business development methodologies. An accountant with an MBA and 25 years of commerce and consultancy experience, Kurt specialises in strategic planning, market analysis, and sustainable business growth