If you’re still running your Lagos SME without a proper business plan, I have some bad news: you’re basically flying blind in one of Africa’s most competitive markets!
In this post I’ll walk you through the 7 business planners that actually deliver results for Lagos SMEs, which ones are worth your hard-earned naira, and how to avoid the consultants who’ll take your money and leave you with a fancy PDF that collects digital dust.
Overview
Whether your Lagos SME is a restaurant, tech service, retail shop, manufacturing outfit or any other common type of local business, it’s important to realize you’re far from the only one struggling to make sense of this market.
In that sense, your business is not special.
But in this specific situation, that’s actually good!
You have a huge advantage that so many entrepreneurs waste: hundreds of SMEs in Lagos have already figured out what works. The smart ones used professional planners to navigate the chaos. The failed ones? They kept “winging it.”
Here’s the brutal reality: 70% of Lagos SMEs die within 3 years. Not because of bad products – because of zero planning.
Modern business reality lets you see exactly how the successful ones solved your exact same problems. So here’s the plan:
- Find the planners that consistently deliver for Lagos SMEs
- See what they actually do (beyond the fancy websites)
- Pick the right one for your stage and budget
- Copy their best strategies for your business
This process beats any “figure it out yourself” approach. Plus, it’s simple and saves you the ₦2-5 million most failed businesses lose.
What You Actually Need
Here’s what most SME owners get wrong: they think any business consultant can help them.
Wrong.
Your planner needs to understand that Lekki traffic kills delivery models. That Surulere strategies won’t work in Ikoyi. That ember months mess with cash flow. That LASRRA regulations can derail expansion plans.
You need someone who gets Lagos, not someone reading from foreign textbooks.
So before we dive in, here’s what your planner must have:
- Real Lagos SME wins (not just corporate case studies)
- Knows CAC, tax, permits—the whole regulatory mess
- Gives you action plans, not documents that collect dust
- Has actual connections to suppliers, funders, partners
- Builds plans that scale from Ikeja startups to mainland expansion
So without further ado, here are the top 7 that actually deliver.
The 7 Business Planners That Actually Get Results
1. Astute Business Consult
Astute Business Consult figured out something most consultants miss: African entrepreneurs don’t lack passion; they lack systems. And honestly, that’s dead on for most Lagos SMEs.
Astute Business Consult isn’t your typical consulting firm. And for the most part, they call themselves a “transformation ecosystem,” which sounds fancy but actually makes sense when you see what they do.
They have three divisions working together: Business Academy for training, Market Research Hub for data, and Business Consulting for implementation.
Their whole thing is transforming businesses from “informal hustle to institutional strength”—basically helping you stop running around putting out fires every day.
They focus on building actual systems that work, not just pretty documents. With 15+ years of combined experience and over 18,000 consulting hours, they’ve seen enough businesses to know what actually works.
However, the reality is that this isn’t quick consulting. Their transformation approach takes time and real commitment from you.
2. Phillips Consulting
Phillips has been in operation since the 1980s, which makes them seem ancient by Lagos business standards. But here’s the thing: they’re still standing, and that’s not by accident. These guys have seen every type of business crisis you can imagine and their Victoria Island office has that “we’ve been through this before” energy.
They do old-school strategy work like market analysis, financial projections, and competitive positioning—the boring stuff that actually works.
The only catch, though, is that they’re expensive. We’re talking ₦800K to ₦3M for full planning, payment upfront. Their processes are built for bigger SMEs doing ₦50M+ annually, so if you’re still figuring out basics, you’re probably not ready for Phillips.
But if you need serious financial planning for expansion or investor presentations, these are your people.
3. McTimothy Associates
McTimothy discovered an insight that many consultants overlook: business planning extends beyond just the document. It’s about execution. And execution fails when business owners don’t know how to manage people properly.
That’s why they bundle planning with HR training. You’ll spend 3 to 4 months attending workshops while they build your plan, which costs ₦300K to ₦800K total.
The time commitment is real: if you can’t show up to workshops regularly, don’t bother. Some people hate the group setting and prefer working alone. But if you’re the type of owner who’s drowning in daily operations and can’t delegate, McTimothy will force you to build systems that actually work.
4. DexNova Consulting
DexNova gets something that many consultants don’t. It is that most Lagos SMEs don’t fail because they can’t start. The real reason they fail is because they can’t scale.
You know that painful point where your business is doing okay but you can’t seem to grow without everything falling apart? That’s DexNova’s specialty.
They analyze your operations, find the bottlenecks, and then create process manuals and train your staff.
Expect to pay ₦400K to ₦1.2M over 6 months. Their approach works best for businesses with repeatable processes. This includes retail chains, restaurants, and small manufacturers trying to open a second location.
If you’re a service business or very small operation, their methods might feel too rigid. And you need staff buy-in or nothing will stick.
5. Droidedge Consulting
Finally, someone who understands that Lagos SMEs need technology but don’t want to become tech companies. Most consultants treat software like it’s optional. Most tech people don’t understand business. Droidedge does both.
They handle business planning plus software setup. I mean accounting systems, inventory management, basic CRM and so on.
Pricing ranges from ₦250K to ₦1M depending on what tech you need, but factor in ongoing software costs too. The results largely depend on your willingness to adapt your work approach.
Some older business owners struggle with the technology side, and you might find the ongoing software costs add up. But if you’re still running your business on prayer and Excel spreadsheets, these guys will drag you into the modern world.
6. Business School Netherlands Nigeria
The thing about Business School Netherlands is that they’re not really consultants. In reality, they’re educators who happen to do business planning.
Their Lagos office runs executive programs designed for SME owners who want to learn while they plan. You’re looking at several months of classes, case studies, and group work with other business owners going through the same process.
Expect to pay premium education prices. The good news is that you come out with both a business plan and actual skills. The bad news, however, is that it takes forever and some people find the academic approach too slow when they need results yesterday.
If you’re the type who learns better in a classroom setting and has time to invest, this works. If you want someone to just fix your business planning problems quickly, look elsewhere.
7. Tom Associates Training
Tom Associates figured out that most Lagos SME owners learn better when they’re not alone in a room with a consultant. Their approach is all about workshops and seminars where you learn alongside other business owners facing similar challenges.
They run regular business planning seminars that cost way less than individual consulting—we’re talking workshop pricing, not one-on-one rates.
The trade-off is obvious: less personal attention, more generic advice. Some people love the peer learning aspect and the networking opportunities. Others get frustrated because their specific industry challenges don’t get addressed.
If you’re budget-conscious and don’t mind learning in groups, Tom Associates delivers solid value. However, you shouldn’t expect customized solutions for your unique problems.
The Bottom Line
Look, doing nothing is the most expensive option. While you’re “figuring things out,” your competitors are using professional planners to grab market share, access funding, and scale systematically.
Here’s your next step: pick 2 or 3 planners from this list that seem to match your business stage and budget. Contact them. Ask the hard questions (I’d personally recommend number 1 on the list). Get quotes. Then make a decision and stick with it for the full engagement period.
The biggest mistake Lagos SME owners make isn’t choosing the wrong planner – it’s spending months researching and never actually starting. Your business doesn’t need the perfect plan. It needs a good plan that you actually execute.
Stop overthinking. Pick one. Get started.
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