Strategic advising is a specific type of small business advising service. It focuses on lean business planning, financial forecasting, and monthly financial performance tracking. In the accounting profession, it fits within the umbrella of client advisory services (CAS).

What differentiates strategic advising from other client advisory services is its focus on planning and iterative forecasting as the primary means of measuring and driving small business growth.

The notion of planning, and adjusting our plan, is a fundamental part of all of our lives. We do it daily, sometimes without even realizing it, on things both big and small. Planning for retirement? Planning a vacation? Planning for next month’s grocery bill?

Implementing a process to manage the work of Strategic Advising is the key to making it happen in a profitable, seamless way. The LivePlan Method is a business process and pricing model for strategic advising services.

“Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

This modest sentence is powerful. It’s only in the difficult places that we grow, so the more we can get comfortable with things that make us uncomfortable, the stronger we become.

As a Strategic Advisor, you’re a critical partner for your small business owner clients. The work you do and the expertise you offer helps your clients establish business goals, and guides their growth.

Your work should cover questions such as these:

New entrepreneurs frequently ask me for advice about forecasting their sales. These entrepreneurs are always optimistic about the future of their new company, but when it comes to talking about the details, most aren’t sure how to predict future sales and how much money they’re going to make.

To understand the overall health and performance of a business, the three main financial statements—income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet—tell a vivid story.

Running your business takes more than just a passion for your customers and the products and services you sell. You also need to keep a close eye on your business financials so you can track performance and know how your business is doing.

In the public accounting industry, the practice of client advisory services involves much more than compliance-based work—it’s a relationship business. To grow and scale your Strategic Advising practice, your efforts need to be aimed at nurturing your clients and developing a personal connection that will set you up for repeat business.

In May 2019, Fortune 500 title insurance company First American became the latest high-profile victim of a cyber blunder when its website leaked more than 8.8 million documents related to mortgage deals.

If I’ve learned anything during my two-plus decades of marketing leadership, it’s that trust is the backbone of the seller-buyer relationship.

Millions of small business owners have used LivePlan products to start their businesses. Every week, we hear stories from small business owners thanking us for helping them develop a business plan and secure funding.

This past month, I used the LivePlan Dashboard for the first time at a board meeting for a nonprofit that I volunteer at. We reviewed our budget and how we were performing compared to our plan.

Palo Alto Software does more than build LivePlan, the world's best business planning software. We also run Bplans, a website dedicated to original and curated business planning and business management content.

The LivePlan Pitch has always been a great way to create a quick overview of your business.

As an alternative to the Business Model Canvas, the LivePlan Pitch helps you summarize your business opportunity, target market, competition, and business model—quickly and easily.