Find out whether the project pays before you commit to it
For a new site, a conversion, a second branch or a new venture. Demand, planning and regulation, capital cost, funding and returns, ending in a verdict: go, go with conditions, or not yet.
When you need one
- A building or site you could convert. A barn, a bank branch, a unit on an estate: does the use work there, and will planning allow it?
- A second branch or a new venture. Is there enough demand that is not already served, and at what price?
- A capital project with debt. Can the project service the loan in year one, when occupancy is still building?
- A decision you want tested by someone independent. The study is written for you, not for a lender. If the answer is no, it says so.
What's in the document
- Demand analysis from published data, competitor mapping and local pricing
- Planning, licensing and regulatory checks for the specific site and use
- Capital cost build-up with contingency, and the funding structure
- Ten-year projections: revenue, EBITDA, debt service cover and cash
- NPV, IRR and payback, with a tornado chart of which assumptions matter most
- Scenarios and options: smaller, larger, phased
- A clear recommendation, the conditions attached to it, and what I would spend money on next
- The Excel model behind it, unlocked
What it costs
Christmas price until 31 January 2027, then from £1,500.
Every quote is fixed in writing before I start, after a short brief. You pay nothing up front. Drafts come as PDFs; when the final version is ready I invoice, payable within 7 days, and send the final files and the Excel workbook once it's paid.
What takes it above the "from" price: Several sites compared, a project above about £2 million, primary research such as a demand survey or footfall counts, or coordinating quotes from your surveyor, planner and suppliers.
How it works
A free 10-minute call if you want one, or straight to the brief by email. Ten essential questions, a fixed quote within 24 hours of your answers, the first draft within five working days, then two rounds of changes.
No one can guarantee a funding decision, and I won't pretend to.
Three complete feasibility studies
Full documents for made-up businesses in real Surrey and London towns, every page included. The format, depth and tone you would receive.
Indoor padel centre, near Dorking
Four courts in a converted farm building. Verdict: not yet. 11 pages · PDF 240 KB
Open the sample →
Farm glamping cabins, near Guildford
Six eco-cabins with hot tubs in the Surrey Hills. Verdict: test demand first. 14 pages · PDF 285 KB
Open the sample →
Children's day nursery, Redhill
60 places in a converted bank branch. Verdict: go. 12 pages · PDF 245 KB
Open the sample →I spent years on the other side of the table
As an equity analyst and fund manager, my job was to read forecasts and decide which ones to believe. That's how I build yours.
Assumptions you can defend
Every number traces back to a stated assumption and a source. When a lender asks "where does this come from?", the answer is already on the page.
The downside, shown honestly
Credit teams run their own stress tests. I run them first, so you can show how the business copes if sales are slower or customers pay late.
Numbers that tie out
The balance sheet balances, the cash flow reconciles, and the charts match the tables. Six years in audit makes that a habit, not a hope.
What the credit team checks first
I spent six years reading other people's forecasts for a living. These are the things that decide whether yours gets read past page two.
Occupancy or utilisation
It is usually the one assumption that decides the project. I show what happens at ten points either side.
Year-one debt cover
Projects fail in the ramp-up, not at maturity. The funding has to survive year one.
The planning gate
Permission, licences and conditions, and what each costs in time and money.
Capital cost realism
Allowances per square metre are a start, not a budget. The study says which figures need a quantity surveyor before anyone signs.
What "worth it" means to you
Payback, return target or a strategic reason. The verdict is measured against your test, stated up front.
About this service
Will you tell me if it does not stack up?
Yes. One of the three samples on this page recommends not proceeding. A study that always says yes is not worth paying for.
Do I need a feasibility study and a business plan?
Often, and in that order. The study decides whether to proceed. The business plan then makes the case to the lender. If you go on to the plan, the research carries over and the plan is quoted accordingly.
Do you visit the site?
No. I work remotely from plans, photos, your surveyor's and planner's reports and published data. For most projects that is where the answer lies. Where a site visit matters, I say so.
What does Stage 2 mean in your samples?
The low-cost work that comes after a desk study and before anyone commits capital: a demand test, pre-application planning advice, a quantity surveyor's estimate. The study sets out what to spend and what would change the verdict.
Do you offer a charity rate?
Yes. Registered charities (including CIOs) and community interest companies pay half my standard fee all year round, so £750 for this service. Same work and the same Excel model. Just give me your charity or company number when you ask for a quote.
More questions, including fees, confidentiality and timing, in the main FAQ.
Let's talk about your plan
Book a free 10-minute call. There's no obligation. You'll get a short brief to fill in, then a fixed quote within 24 hours.