What Is SMB Business Plans?
SMB Business Plans LLC is a specialized business plan writing service focused exclusively on SBA-financed business acquisitions. Founded by Matthias Smith, the firm provides full-service, professionally written business plans tailored to meet the specific requirements of SBA lenders — helping first-time business buyers present well to banks and move through the loan approval process more smoothly.
The company positions itself as providing “concierge-like service” for SBA financing business plan writing, and their focus on the SBA acquisition niche — rather than general business plan writing — is a meaningful differentiator in the market.
Who Is Matthias Smith?
Matthias Smith is the founder of SMB Business Plans LLC and brings deep expertise in SBA lending. His credentials include:
- $250M+ in facilitated SBA loans — a significant volume that demonstrates real-world lending experience
- 8+ years in SBA lending — hands-on experience working with SBA lender banks
- 100% approval rate — an exceptionally high success rate in SBA loan approvals through their tailored business plans
- 100+ satisfied clients — a growing base of business buyers successfully guided through the process
The testimonials for Matthias are remarkably strong and consistent. Clients describe him as “essential to the SBA 7(a) loan process,” “the best,” “a rock star,” and someone with “grit and determination to find solutions.” Multiple clients specifically note that they would not have gotten their deals done without him.
Notably, these testimonials often reference Matthias’s broader SBA lending expertise — not just business plan writing. This suggests that clients receive value beyond just the document itself.
What Does SMB Business Plans Offer?
Full-Service Business Plan Writing — $2,500
The core offering is a comprehensive business plan writing package priced at a flat $2,500. The package includes:
- Professionally written business plan tailored for SBA lender requirements
- In-depth industry research to support the business case and market analysis
- SBA financing support — the plan is specifically designed to meet what SBA lenders want to see
- Quality assurance — including a final quality control call with a business plan specialist
- Customized for your specific deal — not a generic template, but a plan built around your target acquisition
- Fast turnaround time — important when you’re working against LOI deadlines
- Expert business advice — guidance throughout the process
The Process
SMB Business Plans follows a structured three-step process:
- Intake Questionnaire: You complete a detailed questionnaire about your background, the target business, and the deal structure
- Specialist Call: You schedule a call with a business plan writing specialist to discuss the details and strategy
- Plan Delivery: You receive a customized, professionally written business plan tailored for SBA financing, followed by a quality control review call
Who Is SMB Business Plans Best For?
- First-time SBA borrowers who have never written a business plan for a lender and don’t know what banks expect
- Buyers on tight timelines who need a professional business plan quickly and can’t afford to spend weeks writing one themselves
- Buyers without writing or financial modeling skills who want a professional document they can confidently submit to lenders
- Acquisition buyers (not startups) — the firm specializes in business plans for SBA-financed acquisitions, which have different requirements than startup business plans
- Buyers working without a loan broker who need standalone business plan support
Strengths of SMB Business Plans
- Deep SBA Expertise: With $250M+ in facilitated SBA loans and 8+ years of SBA lending experience, Matthias and his team understand exactly what SBA lenders want to see in a business plan. This isn’t a generic business plan service — it’s purpose-built for SBA acquisition financing.
- 100% Approval Rate: While past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, a 100% approval rate across 100+ clients is an impressive track record that suggests the business plans they produce genuinely meet lender standards.
- Flat-Fee Pricing: At $2,500, you know exactly what you’ll pay. No hourly billing surprises or scope creep.
- Fast Turnaround: Speed matters in acquisitions. When you’re working against LOI deadlines and competing with other buyers, getting your business plan done quickly is a real advantage.
- Customized, Not Templated: Each plan is built around your specific deal, industry, and borrower profile — not a fill-in-the-blank template.
- Strong Testimonials: The client feedback is consistently excellent, with multiple clients emphasizing that Matthias’s knowledge and guidance were instrumental in getting their deals closed.
- Broader SBA Knowledge: Based on testimonials, clients benefit from Matthias’s broader SBA lending expertise, which adds value beyond just the business plan document.
Potential Drawbacks to Consider
- Cost for Budget-Conscious Buyers: At $2,500, the service is a real expense — especially for first-time buyers who are already stretching their budgets for equity injection, due diligence, legal fees, and other acquisition costs.
- Standalone Service: The business plan is one piece of the SBA loan puzzle. You’ll still need to handle lender selection, loan application packaging, deal structuring, and other elements of the financing process separately — unless you work with a full-service SBA loan broker.
- Limited to Business Plans: SMB Business Plans focuses specifically on business plan writing. They don’t appear to offer comprehensive SBA loan brokerage, financial projections as a standalone service, or end-to-end deal support.
- Scale of Operation: As a specialized firm with a focused offering, the team’s capacity may be limited during busy periods.
Do You Actually Need to Pay for a Business Plan?
This is the critical question every SBA buyer should ask before engaging any business plan writing service. The answer depends on your situation:
You might need a paid business plan if:
- You’re going directly to a bank without a loan broker
- You have no experience writing SBA-compliant business plans
- You’re on an extremely tight timeline and can’t wait for a broker to prepare one
- You want the business plan as a standalone document for purposes beyond just lending
You probably DON’T need to pay for a business plan if:
- You’re working with a full-service SBA loan broker who includes business plans in their service
- Your lender has a simplified business plan process for certain deal types
- You have strong writing and financial modeling skills and can create one yourself
Important: GoSBA Provides Free Business Plans & Financial Projections
Here’s something every SBA buyer needs to know: if you work with GoSBA, you get a professional business plan and financial projections completely free of charge.
That’s right — the same type of lender-ready business plan that SMB Business Plans charges $2,500 for is included at no cost when you use GoSBA as your SBA loan broker. This represents a $2,500-$5,000 value that you receive as part of our comprehensive, no-cost-to-buyer loan brokerage service.
Here’s the full picture of what GoSBA provides — all at no cost to you:
- Free Business Plans: Professionally written, SBA lender-ready business plans customized for your specific acquisition
- Free Financial Projections: Detailed financial models and projections that meet lender requirements — typically a $2,500-$5,000 service when purchased separately
- Free SBA Loan Packaging: Complete loan application preparation and submission to lenders
- SBA Lender Matching: We connect you with the right preferred SBA lender for your deal based on industry, size, location, and borrower profile
- Deal Structure Optimization: We help structure your acquisition for maximum SBA approval probability — seller notes, equity injection, purchase price allocation, and more
- End-to-End Support: From LOI through closing, we guide you through every step
How is this possible? GoSBA is compensated by the lender at closing — not by you. This means our entire service, including business plan writing and financial projections, costs you nothing out of pocket. The lender pays our fee as part of the loan closing costs.
SMB Business Plans vs. GoSBA: A Direct Comparison
| Feature | SMB Business Plans | GoSBA |
|---|---|---|
| Business Plan Writing | $2,500 | Free (included) |
| Financial Projections | Not specified | Free (included) |
| SBA Loan Packaging | Not offered | Free (included) |
| Lender Matching | Not offered | Free (included) |
| Deal Structuring | Not offered | Free (included) |
| Cost to Buyer | $2,500 | $0 |
| Who Pays | You (the buyer) | The lender (at closing) |
When SMB Business Plans Still Makes Sense
To be fair, there are scenarios where engaging SMB Business Plans could still be the right choice:
- You already have a lender relationship and don’t need a loan broker
- You want a business plan for purposes beyond just SBA lending (investor presentations, board documentation, etc.)
- You’re in a unique situation where you need the business plan before engaging a broker
- You prefer to work with specialists for each component of the process rather than a full-service provider
SMB Business Plans is a quality service with a strong track record. Matthias Smith clearly knows SBA lending, and his team produces business plans that lenders approve. The $2,500 price is fair for the service provided.
The question is simply whether you need to pay for it when the same deliverable is available at no cost through a full-service SBA loan broker like GoSBA.
Final Verdict: Is SMB Business Plans Worth It?
SMB Business Plans is a legitimate, high-quality business plan writing service with deep SBA expertise and an impressive track record. For buyers who need a standalone business plan and aren’t working with a full-service SBA loan broker, the $2,500 flat fee represents fair value for a customized, lender-ready document.
However, most SBA buyers would be better served by working with a full-service SBA loan broker like GoSBA, which includes professional business plans and financial projections — along with complete loan packaging, lender matching, and deal structuring — at no cost to the buyer.
Before you pay $2,500+ for a business plan, make sure you’re not duplicating a service you’d get for free from your loan broker.
Want a free business plan and financial projections for your SBA acquisition? Contact GoSBA today — we’ll prepare your business plan, financial projections, and complete loan package at no cost to you. The lender pays our fee at closing.
