Frequently asked questions
Questions answered.
What we hear most often on the discovery call — answered up front so you can decide if Bridge Note is the right partner before you book. Categorized below for skim-reading.
Engagement & pricing
Engagement & pricing.
How much does a Bridge Note plan cost?
It depends on the loan program and the complexity of the file. A standard BDC or CSBFP loan plan sits at one end of the range; an immigration or acquisition plan sits higher. The discovery call confirms a fixed quote — no obligation, 30 minutes.
Is the discovery call really free?
Yes. The discovery call is 30 minutes, free, and confirms scope, lender fit, and a fixed quote. If we're not the right fit for your file, we say so on the call and point you to a better path (BDC's free template, a freelancer, or a different professional).
When do I pay and how?
Payment terms are confirmed on the discovery call after we agree on scope. We do not take payment to scope the engagement.
Is there a deposit?
Confirmed on the discovery call. Bridge Note follows the standard Canadian boutique-advisory structure (deposit at engagement, balance on delivery), with specifics agreed in writing before drafting begins.
Are revisions included?
Yes. One revision round is included in every engagement, turned around within 3 business days of receiving your feedback. Additional rounds or scope changes are scoped separately if needed.
Do you do rush jobs?
Sometimes. Whether we can compress the standard 2-week timeline depends on the file's complexity and our current capacity. Bring the question to the discovery call.
Process & timeline
Process & timeline.
How long does a Bridge Note plan take?
Two weeks from signed scope for a standard loan plan. Three weeks for immigration or acquisition plans. The bottleneck is rarely our drafting speed — it's usually waiting on your financial documents during intake. Clients who arrive at the discovery call with three years of financial statements in hand can compress the timeline by about a week.
What happens between the discovery call and the first draft?
After the discovery call and signed scope, we send a 60–90 minute structured intake covering your business, your loan or program, ownership structure, financials, and the underwriting expectations your specific lender has published. Drafting begins after intake is complete.
Do I need to be incorporated before engaging?
No. Many of our clients are pre-incorporation or in the process of incorporating. We can write the plan with incorporation pending, and adjust the legal structure section once the corporation is established.
What if I don't have financials yet?
For pre-revenue start-ups, we build projected financials from operational assumptions (revenue model, unit economics, cost structure) and validated market data. For existing businesses, we need at minimum the last 2–3 years of financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow) plus year-to-date interim figures.
How long does the lender take after I submit?
After delivery, the lender's underwriting cycle adds another 2–6 weeks depending on the program. BDC Online Financing is fastest (under 10 days). Big-six commercial files take 4–6 weeks. CSBFP-paired files sit between. We stay available during this period to respond to lender follow-up questions.
What's the typical sequence of a Bridge Note engagement?
Discovery call → engagement and intake → 5–7 business days drafting → review and one revision round → final delivery → 30 days available for lender follow-up questions. Full details on the /process page.
Eligibility & fit
Eligibility & fit.
Is Bridge Note the right service for my situation?
Bridge Note is built for Canadian entrepreneurs applying to BDC, CSBFP, big-six bank, credit union, franchise, business-acquisition, or Provincial Nominee Program entrepreneur loans. If you're applying to a non-Canadian lender or a Canadian program we don't cover, we're not the right fit and we'll tell you so on the discovery call.
What loan amounts do you typically write for?
Most engagements are in the $100K–$2M range. Files below $100K often don't justify a custom plan — BDC's free template or a freelance writer is usually the better path. Larger commercial files ($2M+) are also in scope, particularly for acquisitions and real estate.
Which Canadian provinces do you serve?
All provinces and territories. Lender requirements differ provincially (PNP entrepreneur streams, provincial tax considerations, employer health tax in ON/MB/NL/QC), and we tailor the plan to the borrower's province.
Do you write business plans in French?
Not at this time. All plans are written in English. We can prepare a plan supporting a Quebec-based application provided the lender accepts English documentation.
Do you work with brokers, accountants, or immigration consultants?
Yes. Many of our engagements come through bank RMs, mortgage brokers, CPAs, and RCICs referring applicants who need a written plan. There's a referral program — see /partners.
I've been rejected once already. Can you help?
Yes. Previously-rejected applicants are some of the strongest candidates for a custom plan — by then the lender has usually told you specifically what was missing. We rebuild the plan around the gaps the rejection identified.
Deliverables
Deliverables.
What do I receive at the end of the engagement?
A lender-formatted PDF of the complete business plan, an editable Word document of the same, and the underlying Excel financial model (P&L, cash flow, balance sheet, assumptions, sensitivity scenarios).
What's in the plan?
Executive summary, business description, market and competitive analysis, operations, team, 3-year financial projections with assumptions, use-of-funds breakdown, risk and mitigation, and any program-specific sections required by your lender. Immigration plans add settlement and job-creation sections; acquisition plans add valuation methodology and integration plans.
Will the plan be formatted to my specific lender's expectations?
Yes. Each lender program (BDC Small Business Loan, CSBFP, RBC commercial, immigration PNP streams, etc.) has its own published expectations on structure and content. The plan is built to that program's format.
Do you include the financial model as a separate file?
Yes. The Excel financial model is delivered as an editable .xlsx alongside the PDF and Word document, so your accountant or banker can validate assumptions and stress-test scenarios.
Can I get a pitch deck too?
No. Bridge Note writes business plans for loan and immigration applications. For pitch decks (venture, angel, or strategic investor), a different specialist would serve you better.
Confidentiality & policy
Confidentiality & policy.
Is my information confidential?
Yes. Every engagement is treated as confidential by default. Client work — financials, business details, lender targets — is not shared, published, or used as a marketing example without explicit written consent.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes, if requested. Standard mutual confidentiality is the default; a formal NDA can be signed at engagement if you prefer.
How do you publish case studies without breaking confidentiality?
All published case notes are anonymized — industry, lender, loan size, and outcome are factual but business names, owners, and identifying details are removed. The published Case 01 on the homepage is anonymized to the level the client agreed to.
Will my plan get reused for another client?
No. No section, narrative, or financial model is reused between clients. Every plan is written from scratch for one specific business and one specific lender.
Where does my data live?
Client documents are stored in encrypted cloud storage, accessible only to the engagement team. Retention and deletion follow our published privacy policy — see /privacy.
Lender programs we cover
Lender programs we cover.
Do you write for BDC?
Yes. BDC files are among our most common. We work to BDC's published Small Business Loan template, Commercial Real Estate format, Tech Capital criteria, or the LIFT (AI/tech adoption) program structure depending on the file.
Do you write for CSBFP?
Yes. CSBFP files are written to the eligible-asset categories (equipment, leasehold improvements, real estate, intangibles up to $150K). The use-of-funds line item is built to match CSBFP's expected format.
Do you write for the big six banks?
Yes — RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC, National Bank. Each has its own commercial lending preferences (collateral expectations, format conventions, sector appetite), and the plan reflects what the borrower's RM or branch is asking for.
Do you cover credit unions?
Yes. Vancity, Meridian, Coast Capital, Desjardins, and regional Canadian credit unions all fund deals the big six decline. We write plans to credit-union expectations the same way we write for chartered banks.
Do you cover the Start-up Visa?
The Start-up Visa is paused as of January 1, 2026 — IRCC stopped accepting new Commitment Certificates after December 31, 2025. If your application was submitted before the pause, we can still write a plan to support it. Otherwise, Provincial Nominee Program entrepreneur streams (BC, Alberta Rural, Manitoba, New Brunswick, PEI) are the open path now.
Do you write for Provincial Nominee Program entrepreneur streams?
Yes. Each province sets its own investment minimums, net-worth thresholds, and job-creation requirements. We build the plan to the specific stream's published evaluation criteria.
Do you write plans for franchise loans?
Yes. Franchise plans address FDD elements (royalty rate, marketing fund, territory rights, renewal terms), brand-specific cost ranges, and the higher equity injection franchise lenders typically expect (30–50% vs. 15–25% for non-franchise deals).
Do you write plans for buying a business?
Yes. Acquisition plans address the target's historical performance, the buyer's transition strategy, due diligence summary, valuation methodology, sources of funds (buyer equity + bank + vendor takeback), and integration plan.
What we don't do
What we don't do.
Do you guarantee my loan will be approved?
No. No business plan service can — and any service that claims it can is misleading you. What Bridge Note does is build the document around the questions Canadian underwriters publish: use of funds, repayment source, owner contribution, collateral, and cash flow. The plan goes in tight, with no obvious gaps. The approval decision is the lender's.
Do you arrange the loan or broker the deal?
No. Bridge Note is not a lender, broker, or licensed advisor. We write the business plan; the application, broker relationship, and lender negotiation are yours (or your broker's).
Do you give legal, tax, or immigration advice?
No. Bridge Note writes business plans. For legal questions consult a Canadian lawyer; for tax questions a CPA; for immigration questions an RCIC. The plan we write supports your application but does not replace those professional opinions.
Do you write grant applications?
No. Grants (NRC IRAP, SR&ED, regional development programs) have their own application formats. A different specialist would serve you better.
Do you write pitch decks or investor presentations?
No. Bridge Note writes business plans for loan and immigration applications. Pitch decks for venture, angel, or strategic investors are a different document built for a different audience.
Didn't see your question?
Bring it to the discovery call.
30 minutes, free, no obligation. We confirm whether Bridge Note is the right fit for your file — and tell you directly if it's not.
Or email hello@bridgenote.ca
Calendly: calendly.com/kmak-bridgenote/30min