What a home care startup consultant should deliver
By Scott McKenzie, founder of Home Care Agency Blueprint · Updated
A fair scope names each deliverable, who produces it, when it is due, and how you will know it is done. It also lists what is excluded, such as legal advice or any promised approval. If you cannot find those items in a proposal, ask for them before you pay.
Deliverables worth naming in writing
Every item you are paying for should appear in the written scope with a due date and an owner. If something matters to you and is not on the list, assume it is not included until the consultant adds it in writing.
A startup plan or roadmap
Tailored to your state, with sources you can check yourself.
Policy and procedure documents
With a clear statement of who owns and can edit them.
Application support
What help is given, and what you must submit yourself.
Training or handoff
How you learn to run what was built for you.
Things a consultant usually cannot deliver
Licensing approval, a number of clients and a revenue figure are outside any consultant’s control. Approval belongs to your state agency, and clients choose their own providers. A scope that promises those outcomes is a red flag.
How to check the work
Ask for milestones with dates, review each deliverable against the written scope as it arrives, and keep copies. If something is vague, ask for it to be made specific in writing before the next payment is due.
Fairness to alternatives
Home Care Agency Blueprint offers consulting, so this list applies to us too. If another provider gives you a clearer scope or better terms for your situation, that is useful information, and you should weigh it.
To see how we describe our own packages, read Home Care Agency Blueprint’s packages page.
Watch: how one provider structures its help
What to do next
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the documents a consultant creates?
It depends on the contract. Ask for ownership and the right to edit in writing before you sign.
Should the scope list exclusions?
Yes. A clear list of what is not included prevents most disagreements later.
Want to talk with an advisor?
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