Canadian small-business advisory
We help Canadian business owners write plans that investors and lenders take seriously, build cashflow projections that survive scrutiny, and shortlist the funding programs most likely to say yes.
If we take on your Canada Small Business Financing Program application and it isn't approved, our work is free. Full refund of the engagement retainer, with no fine print and no carve-outs for our deliverables.
The only exception is a denial based on your personal circumstances (credit score, net worth, prior history). We screen for those on the free discovery call before either of us commits.
Core programs we know inside-out
+ advisory on most federal & provincial funding programs. The structure and information they ask for is largely the same.
Services
A 20–30 page document written in plain English, structured the way lenders and investors actually evaluate. Market, model, team, use of funds: no filler, no jargon for jargon's sake.
A 36-month model in a spreadsheet you can drive yourself. Revenue, COGS, opex, hiring, taxes, working capital, scenarios. Numbers that tie out, every time someone asks "where does this come from?"
We shortlist the right capital sources, draft the applications, prep you for lender and investor conversations, and stay in the room through diligence. Government programs, debt, and equity.
Process
Most engagements run on a fixed timeline so you can plan around them. We move faster when capital is time-sensitive, and slower when the answer is "not yet."
A 30-minute call, then a written brief. We confirm scope, fit, and whether you actually need what you think you need.
Week 1We pull your numbers, map the business, and identify which capital sources are realistic, and which are a waste of your time.
Week 1–2Plan and model drafted, reviewed with you, revised once. You own the files; we don't paywall the source spreadsheet.
Week 2–5Applications submitted. Lender and investor calls prepped and attended with you. We stay in the room until decisions land.
Week 5–6+About
Before advising businesses on financing and growth strategy, I was trying to secure capital for my own business endeavours.
I saw just how difficult the process is. Complex financing applications, unclear expectations of what to include and what not to include, extensive market research requirements, and cashflow projections that need to withstand scrutiny from experts. In addition to this process, you deal with the constant pressure of keeping your business moving forward.
This is where I hope to help. I have spent years dealing directly with financial institutions and I know exactly what they want and how to present it in the way they understand best. Taking one less responsibility off your shoulders.
Additionally, our financial plans and documents will not only help you secure funding from government and banking sources, but they will also give you information that helps you operate and grow your business further. Things like financial targets that make sense, budgets that are calculated, and data you can confidently use to make decisions for your business.
Approach
A business plan isn't a creative writing exercise. A cashflow model isn't a vanity dashboard. They're tools that determine whether someone with money trusts you with theirs.
We've sat on both sides of the table, building businesses from the inside and reviewing files from the outside. The output of an engagement with us looks the way it looks because that's what works when the file lands on a credit adjudicator's desk or a partner's screen at 9pm.
No PowerPoint theatre. No 90-page plans nobody reads. The plan is as short as it can be. The model is as detailed as it must be. The funding shortlist contains only sources we believe you can actually win.
FAQ
We charge a 50% retainer at the start of the engagement, with the balance due on delivery. If your application is denied or revoked because of an issue with the documents we wrote or the information we supplied, you get the full retainer back. We guarantee approval. The only thing outside our control is your personal profile (net worth, credit score, prior history), and we screen for those on the free discovery call before either of us commits.
No. We charge fixed fees. Success-based fees create incentives to push deals that don't fit. We'd rather tell you the truth and keep the engagement clean.
Three: BDC's full product set, the Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP), and Futurpreneur. We can also advise on most other federal and provincial programs. The structure and the information they ask for is largely the same, so the work we do for our core three transfers cleanly.
Yes. We hand you the editable source files (Word, Excel, Sheets, whatever you use). You should be able to update the model yourself the morning after a board meeting.
We'll tell you on the discovery call. If the right answer is "wait six months and de-risk these three things first," that's what you'll hear. We'd rather have you back when you're ready than take on a file we can't move.
Our specialty is Canadian capital: federal, provincial, regional, and the lenders and investors who operate inside it. We're not the right team for a UK or US raise.
Book a call
A free 30-minute discovery call by Google Meet or Zoom. Book at least one week ahead. Weekdays only. All times Eastern.
Hover or tap an available day to see times. Click a time to send a request.
Prefer email?
If none of the calendar times work, or you'd rather kick things off in writing, send us an email and we'll come back to you within one business day.
Book a call
Free 30-minute discovery call by Google Meet or Zoom.
A confirmation has been emailed to you. Ricardo will follow up shortly with a meeting link.
