LivePlan Review

Introduction

Turn your business idea into a lender-ready plan—without spreadsheet stress. LivePlan guides you step by step to clarify your model, forecast cash flow, and present professionally to banks or partners.

Developed by Palo Alto Software, LivePlan is a cloud-based business planning and management platform that targets small business owners, consultants, and solopreneurs who need structured planning tools without the complexity of enterprise software.

For retirepreneurs transitioning from corporate careers into consulting or launching retirement businesses, LivePlan offers a guided approach to business planning. Its step-by-step templates help you articulate your business model, validate financial projections, and create lender-ready documents—essential whether you're pitching investors, applying for an SBA loan, or simply organizing your thoughts for a successful launch.

 

Key Features & Benefits

• Guided clarity, fast: AI assistance + 550+ industry plans reduce guesswork and blank-page anxiety. You'll see real examples of successful businesses similar to yours, making the planning process manageable even if you've never written a business plan before.

• Lender-ready numbers: Auto-built P&L, balance sheet, cash flow in the formats banks expect. Banks and investors require specific financial statement formats—LivePlan produces them automatically so you present with confidence.

• Stay on track: Real-time dashboards compare actuals to plan via QuickBooks/Xero sync (Premium). You'll know immediately if you're on track or need to adjust your strategy, helping you make informed decisions quickly.

• Plan for uncertainty: What-if scenarios test pricing, growth, and costs before you commit (Premium). This helps you prepare for various outcomes and make strategic decisions with less risk.

• Collaborate easily: Invite 5 contributors + unlimited viewers for reviews and comments in app. Your accountant, business partner, or mentor can review and comment directly within the platform, streamlining the feedback process.

• Pitch with polish: Built-in pitch deck mode turns your plan into professional slides in seconds. You'll look polished whether presenting to banks, partners, or potential clients—no design skills required.

Draft your executive summary today—export a lender-ready PDF this week.

 

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Cost	Annual Cost	Best For
Standard	$20/month	$15/month ($180/year)	Solo consultants and service businesses in planning phase
Premium	$40/month	$30/month ($360/year)	Established businesses needing ongoing performance tracking

What's Included

Standard Plan provides business plan builder, financial forecasting tools, 550+ sample plans, AI writing assistance, email and chat support, and collaboration for 5 team members.

Premium Plan adds scenario planning, live performance dashboards, real-time cash flow forecasting, milestone tracking, QuickBooks/Xero integration, and industry benchmark comparisons.

ROI Snapshot: Securing a $25,000 SBA microloan or avoiding one pricing error can return 10×+ the Standard plan's annual cost.

Money-Back Guarantee: There's no free trial, but the 35-day money-back guarantee lets you test the platform risk-free.

Recommendation by Business Stage

Starting out? The Standard plan ($15/month annual) gives you everything needed to create a solid business plan for lender presentations or personal clarity.

Already operating? Premium ($30/month annual) justifies its cost if you want to track actual vs. projected performance and optimize based on real data.

 

Pros & Cons

 

How It Works

1. Choose your starting point.
   Select from 550+ sample plans in your industry, or start with a blank template if your business is unique. The system guides you through customization.

2. Complete guided sections.
   Answer specific questions about your business model, target market, operations, and team. AI assistance helps draft professional content from your responses.

3. Build lender-ready forecasts.
   Enter pricing, volume, and costs; LivePlan auto-creates 3-year statements and cash flow you can hand to a banker.

4. Review and refine with collaborators.
   Invite your accountant, mentor, or partners to review specific sections. They can comment directly, and you'll receive notifications when feedback arrives.

5. Export or present with confidence.
   Download a polished PDF for lenders or present via Pitch mode to investors and partners.

 

Comparison with Competition

Feature	LivePlan	Upmetrics	Bizplan
Monthly Cost (Annual)	$15-30	$7-15	$15-30
AI Writing Assistance	✅ LivePlan Assistant	✅ AI Business Plan Writer	❌
Live Performance Tracking	✅ Premium tier	❌	❌
Accounting Integration	✅ QuickBooks, Xero	❌	❌
Sample Plans Library	✅ 550+ templates	✅ 400+ templates	✅ Limited library
Industry Benchmarks	✅ Premium tier	❌	❌

Bottom line: Choose LivePlan for the best blend of guided writing, lender-ready forecasting, and ongoing performance tracking. Pick Upmetrics to save money on the planning phase only. Choose Bizplan if you're comfortable without accounting integrations or live dashboards.

 

Testimonials

"LivePlan helped me create a professional business plan in two weeks that secured my SBA loan. The financial projections looked exactly like what my banker expected, and the step-by-step process kept me from getting overwhelmed."
— Jennifer Martinez, Business Consultant

"I've used several planning tools, but LivePlan's dashboard feature is what keeps me coming back. I check my actual vs. projected numbers every month, which has helped me make better decisions about when to hire and how to price services."
— Robert Chen, Marketing Agency Owner

 

Final Verdict

LivePlan delivers professional business planning tools with exceptional guidance for non-technical users. Its combination of AI assistance, industry benchmarks, and ongoing performance tracking makes it valuable beyond the initial planning phase. The platform transforms complex financial forecasting into manageable steps.

Security: Encrypted data, role-based sharing for collaborators, and export options—your plan remains yours.

Why Retirepreneur Recommends LivePlan: For second-act businesses, LivePlan turns planning into a guided process and keeps delivering value after launch via dashboards and benchmarks.

✅ Best for: Retirees launching consulting practices or service businesses who need professional plans for lenders, want to validate financial assumptions, and plan to use ongoing performance tracking.

❌ Not ideal for: Very simple businesses that only need basic planning, or those on extremely tight budgets who can accomplish similar goals with free templates and spreadsheets.

💡 7-Day Plan: Day 1 pick a sample plan → Day 2–3 outline sections with AI → Day 4 build forecasts → Day 5 share with advisor/CPA → Day 6 revise with benchmarks → Day 7 export PDF + create Pitch deck.

👉 Start with LivePlan's 35-Day Money-Back Guarantee

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✅ Frequently Asked Questions

Is LivePlan worth the cost for retirees on a fixed income?

LivePlan's value depends on your business goals. If you need a professional plan for loan applications or investor presentations, the $180 annual Standard plan often pays for itself by improving your chances of securing funding. However, if you're launching a simple consulting practice without external funding needs, free templates may suffice. The 35-day guarantee lets you test whether the guided approach justifies the expense for your situation.

How tech-savvy do I need to be to use LivePlan effectively?

If you can browse the web and use email, you can use LivePlan. The interface guides you in plain English and avoids spreadsheet formulas. That said, some users report that certain features require multiple clicks to access, which may feel cumbersome initially. Customer support offers personalized onboarding to help new users get oriented.

How much time does it take to complete a business plan in LivePlan?

Most users create a complete first draft in 8-15 hours spread over 1-2 weeks. The step-by-step format lets you work in short sessions, saving your progress automatically. Financial sections typically take longest, especially if you're refining revenue assumptions and cost structures. The AI writing assistant speeds up content creation significantly compared to starting from scratch.

How does LivePlan compare to just using Word and Excel?

LivePlan's primary advantages are guided structure, automated financial calculations, and professional formatting. Word and Excel require you to know what sections to include and how to format lender-ready statements—knowledge most first-time business owners lack. LivePlan also offers collaboration features and performance tracking that spreadsheets can't match. Use Excel only if you need bespoke models; LivePlan wins for speed, lender formatting, collaboration, and tracking actuals.

Can I access my LivePlan business plan after my subscription ends?

You can export your plan as PDF at any time, which you keep permanently even after canceling. However, you lose access to editing features, performance dashboards, and the online version once your subscription lapses. For this reason, many users maintain annual subscriptions during active business operations but cancel once their business stabilizes.

Does LivePlan integrate with my accounting software?

Premium plan subscribers can sync with QuickBooks Online and Xero, allowing real-time comparison of actual vs. projected financials. This integration automatically updates your performance dashboard with current revenue, expenses, and cash flow data. Standard plan users must manually input actuals if they want to track performance. The integration requires Premium tier ($30/month annual), which may influence your plan choice.

What kind of customer support does LivePlan provide for new users?

LivePlan offers email and live chat support for all subscribers, with personalized onboarding assistance available. Response times are typically within 24 hours for email and faster for chat during business hours. The platform also includes extensive help documentation, video tutorials, and sample plans showing completed examples. Most users find support helpful, though some report occasional delays during peak periods.

Can LivePlan help with SBA-specific requirements?

Yes—templates and financials align with standard lender expectations, so your banker gets the statements they're used to seeing. This is particularly valuable for SBA loan applications where format and detail matter as much as content.

Can I model multiple revenue streams (consulting + digital products)?

Yes—set up separate revenue lines and assumptions, then compare scenarios in Premium. This flexibility makes LivePlan suitable for hybrid business models common among retirees combining consulting with courses, products, or other income streams.

How many plans can I create?

You can create multiple plans in one account—useful for testing different business ideas or locations. This is valuable if you're exploring several retirement business options simultaneously.

Does LivePlan handle multi-year ramp-ups and seasonality?

Yes—set monthly assumptions to reflect seasonality and staged growth. This allows realistic forecasting for businesses with predictable busy and slow periods or gradual scaling over time.