Buchanan & Associates

What Buchanan & Associates does

Buchanan & Associates, founded in May 2006 by Gilbert Buchanan and headquartered in Alhambra, California, is a private supplier diversity consulting firm that helps micro, small, women-owned, minority-owned, and veteran-owned business enterprises become business-ready, contract-ready, and bank loan-ready. The firm also serves non-profits and public works agencies on contract and labor compliance. According to company materials, since 1999 the founder has assisted DBEs, MBEs, and SBEs in securing over $90 million in contract awards, with a stated 98% successful approval rate for government certification applications across SBA 8(a), DBE, MBE, SBE, WOSB, DVBE, and HUBZone programs.

The company's core technology is SmallBizPro™, a patent-pending cloud-based subscription platform that centralizes back-office operations, document management, compliance, procurement assistance, and market research. A second proprietary tool, the Knowing Your Personnel (KYP) behavioral assessment, is also patent-pending and analyzes business owner and team behaviors. These platforms complement a service portfolio that includes government certification packaging, business plan development ($1,500–$2,500), contract and labor compliance oversight, one-on-one consulting ($85/hour), coaching ($45/40 minutes promotional for micro businesses), and workshop facilitation.

The revenue model is hybrid: one-time professional service fees ranging from $29.99 (basic capability statement) to $5,000 (business infrastructure development), plus recurring SmallBizPro subscriptions and event-driven coaching/training income. Go-to-market is sales-led (toll-free phone, website e-commerce) and community-led through partnerships with LA Urban League, Omniworks, Refuge Christian Center, VEDC, and various trade associations and chambers of commerce. The team consists of 12 associates with 100+ years of combined experience; revenue is disclosed at under $1 million annually. The operating footprint is concentrated in Southern California, with a workshop and training location in Altadena.

Name

Buchanan & Associates

Legal name

Buchanan & Associates

Website

https://thebuchanangroup.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Buchanan & Associates is a California-based supplier diversity consulting firm that helps small, minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses obtain government certifications, build back-office infrastructure, and compete for public contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Contracting & Supplier Diversity Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Office Administrative Services (56111)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Procurement Helpdesk & Stakeholder Support (BPAAAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Government contracting consulting
• Supplier diversity services
• Business certification preparation
• Small business coaching
• Contract compliance management

Headquarters

HQ city

Alhambra

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services & Consulting: One-on-one consulting and technical assistance for small businesses covering business planning, operations management, and infrastructure development. Charged at $85/hour.
2. Training & Coaching Programs: Business-readiness and contract-readiness training programs, coaching sessions, and workshop facilitation. Coaching at $45/40 mins for micro businesses.
3. Certification Packaging Services: Government certification preparation services including SBA 8(a), DBE, MBE, SBE certifications. Pricing ranges from $850-$2,850.
4. Contract & Labor Compliance Services: Contract compliance monitoring, labor compliance oversight, audits, and reporting for public works contractors.
5. Document & Plan Development: One-time document development including Business Plans ($1,500-$2,500), Statement of Qualifications ($850), Injury & Illness Prevention Programs ($1,000-$1,499), Construction Management Plans ($1,499), Succession Plans ($999).
6. SmallBizPro Subscription: Subscription-based All-in-1 business management, back-office management, compliance, procurement assistance, and market research tool.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Buchanan & Associates is a supplier diversity consulting firm that helps micro, small, minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and women-owned business enterprises become business-ready, contract-ready, and bank loan-ready. It provides hands-on preparation for government certifications (SBA 8(a), DBE, MBE, SBE, WOSB, DVBE, HUBZone), contract and labor compliance monitoring for public works projects, business plan and infrastructure development, coaching/mentorship, and workshop facilitation, supported by its proprietary SmallBizPro™ back-office management platform.

Product overview

Buchanan & Associates is a multiple award-winning supplier diversity consulting firm that operates as a single-entity consulting practice with its primary platform being SmallBizPro, a subscription-based All-in-1 business management and back-office operations tool. The firm offers a portfolio of consulting services including government certification preparation (SBA 8(a), DBE, MBE, SBE, WOSB, DVBE, HUBZone), contract compliance management, labor compliance oversight, business plan development, workshop training facilitation, and one-on-one coaching and mentorship programs. SmallBizPro serves as the core technology platform enabling clients to organize documents and manage compliance, while the service offerings provide hands-on guidance for small businesses seeking government contracts. The company also provides proprietary assessment tools like the Knowing Your Personnel (KYP) behavioral assessment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SmallBizPro: A subscription-based All-in-1 business management, Back-office management, Compliance, procurement assistance, and market research assistance tool that helps organize businesses with their key documents all in one place for quick access.
• SmallBizPro.net

Products and services

• SmallBizPro™ Subscription-based, all-in-one cloud-based business management platform that helps small businesses organize documents and manage back-office operations, compliance, procurement assistance, and market research in one place. Patent-pending proprietary platform created by Gilbert Buchanan.
• Government Certification Preparation Hands-on preparation and packaging of government certification applications including SBA 8(a), DBE, MBE, SBE, WOSB, DVBE, and HUBZone, with package pricing from $850 to $2,850.
• Contract Compliance Services Ongoing oversight and monitoring to ensure contractors adhere to government contracting requirements, including DBE/SBE utilization reporting, monthly compliance submissions, and audit preparation for public works prime contractors.
• Labor Compliance Services Labor compliance oversight, monitoring, audits, and reporting for public works prime contractors, contract providers, and subcontractors, including prevailing wage verification and weekly/monthly report generation.
• Business Plan Development Comprehensive and basic business plan documents covering executive summary, operations, products/services, marketing, financials, and projections; tiers priced $1,500–$2,500. SBA-compliant version available for 8(a) firms.
• Business Coaching & Mentorship Program One-on-one coaching and mentorship services guiding small business owners through the nine building blocks of their business model; promotional rate of $45 per 40 minutes for micro businesses.
• Workshop Training Programs Business-readiness and contract-readiness workshops, assessments, training, and webinars covering capability statement development, SOQ development, government certifications, and procurement, delivered in-person and through partner associations.
• Business Infrastructure Development Development and management of back-office operations across four key areas—business planning, general operations management, business development & marketing, and cash flow management—priced at $5,000 for full infrastructure build-out.
• Knowing Your Personnel (KYP) Assessment Proprietary patent-pending behavioral assessment tool that analyzes the behaviors of business owners and their teams to improve productivity and relationships internally and externally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% successful approval rate for government certification applications
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Oracles of Truth AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntrepreneurial academy focused on business philanthropy led by Dr. Shinshuri. Provides entrepreneurial education and development services.
• Mitchell Business Solutions (MBS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccounting and bookkeeping troubleshooting, coaching services. Augments Buchanan & Associates' financial management offerings.
• #1 Back-Office SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationBusiness Planning, Compliance, Human Resources, Find Contracts, Development, Market Research, Cash Flow Management Platform at SmallBizPro.net
• Refuge Christian CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts Buchanan & Associates workshops on business-readiness, contract-readiness, and certification training at their Altadena facility
• LA Urban League & OmniworkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint workshops on MBE certifications, SOQ/Capabilities, RFPs & Bids, bonding & insurance, contract/labor compliance at East LA College
• Trade Associations and Chambers of CommercecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeliver business-readiness and contract-readiness training programs to members (50-1,500 members). Organizations serving veteran, women-owned, minority-owned, and small business populations.
• Valley Economic Development Center (VEDC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferred Gilbert Buchanan to companies; collaborative small business outreach and development programs
• Various Certifying Agencies (Metro, DGS, County of Los Angeles)coreOthersCertifying agencies where Buchanan & Associates maintains certifications: CBE, DBE, SBE, MBE (Metro, DGS, and County of Los Angeles)

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Nav: Small business credit, financing guidance, and business-building tools platform — comparable as a tech-enabled SMB services platform, though Nav is more focused on financing than government contracting.
• Fundera: Small business resource platform connecting SMBs to financing, software, and education — comparable as a business-readiness and back-office support resource, overlapping with Buchanan's bank-loan readiness positioning.
• LivePlan: Subscription-based business planning and financial forecasting platform — comparable as a recurring-revenue SaaS play in the same SMB planning space Buchanan addresses with both services and SmallBizPro.

Direct peers

• Bplans: Business planning software and templates provider serving the same small business planning niche as Buchanan's $1,500–$2,500 business plan development services, with comparable SBA-targeted content.
• SCORE: National nonprofit providing free small business mentoring, workshops, and consulting — directly comparable to Buchanan's coaching and training offerings, though delivered at larger scale and without proprietary IP.
• APEX Accelerators: DOD-funded program (formerly PTAC) providing government contracting assistance, certification help, and training to small businesses — directly overlaps Buchanan's government contracting and certification services, though funded publicly rather than fee-for-service.
• Women President's Educational Organization (WPEO): WOSB certification assistance and supplier diversity organization for women-owned businesses — directly comparable to Buchanan's WOSB/EDWOSB certification services and women-owned business segment.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO): National membership organization for women business owners offering advocacy, education, and certification support — adjacent to Buchanan's WOSB-focused services but operating as an association rather than a paid consultancy.
• Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Centers: Federal program providing business consulting, contract procurement, and certification assistance to minority-owned firms — overlaps Buchanan's minority-owned SMB services but is publicly funded and free to clients.
• U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce: National chamber providing WOSB certification assistance, advocacy, and contracting support for women-owned firms — comparable in mission and certification focus to Buchanan's women-owned SMB segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwgNBxw9ityTE-LzHFsB7og?feature=watch
• Facebookfacebook.com/BuchananAssociates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/gilbertbuchanan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Buchanan & Associates