DaltonPlan

What DaltonPlan does

DaltonPlan® is a privately held business consulting firm founded in 2000 by Dean and Jo Dalton in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, operating as a two-person delivery team (Head Consultant and Creative Director). The firm targets small and medium-sized business owners across New Zealand across verticals including plumbing, building, hospitality, logistics, electrical, and health/wellness, and is organized around four service tiers: STArt (new business planning), BUILD (12-month existing business development), MENTOR (ongoing consultancy acting as a stand-in general manager), and SELL (NZ$15,000 + GST business sale preparation with 12-month phone support).

The underlying technology is the proprietary DaltonPlan Business Plan methodology developed by Dean Dalton over 20+ years, shaped from Harvard Business School models and codified into four published guidebooks ("Work Smarter Not Harder," "Turn Your Ideas Into Gold," "Success Factors in Business," "Plan Your Profit for Growth") plus a bundled "Great Bundle" (NZ$200). An adjacent sub-brand, StayPut®, sells a beach umbrella holder (NZ$99), and the firm runs a weekly podcast on Buzzsprout and an active LinkedIn presence to drive inbound leads. The website is a Squarespace-based e-commerce and content platform.

DaltonPlan generates revenue through professional services (multi-year consulting contracts, project-based engagements) and one-time product sales (digital guidebooks, physical StayPut units). Distribution is direct, predominantly sales-led, beginning with a free 15-minute consultation, supported by referral associations with partners such as Fergus Software. There are no external investors, no disclosed revenue figures, and no enterprise-scale contracts; the firm operates as a founder-owned, domestic-only SMB advisory practice with a modest consumer product side-business.

Name

DaltonPlan

Legal name

DaltonPlan

Website

https://daltonplan.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DaltonPlan is a New Zealand-based business consulting firm founded in 2000 by Dean and Jo Dalton, serving SMB owners with a proprietary four-tier methodology (STArt, BUILD, MENTOR, SELL), supported by digital guidebooks and the StayPut consumer sub-brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Maunganui

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Business Consulting Services: Core revenue from business consulting services across four service lines: START (new business planning), BUILD (existing business development), MENTOR (ongoing consulting support), and SELL (business sale preparation). Services are delivered through three-day intensive planning sessions followed by implementation support over 12-month periods.
2. Digital Guidebooks and Products: Sale of digital business guidebooks covering topics like operations planning, business success factors, profit planning, and idea development. Also includes physical product (StayPut beach umbrella holder). Guidebooks sold individually at NZ$50 or as a bundle at NZ$200.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DaltonPlan is a New Zealand business consulting firm that partners with SMB owners across the full business lifecycle — from starting a new venture (STArt), through growing an existing business (BUILD), to ongoing operational mentorship (MENTOR) and preparing a business for sale (SELL). Each engagement centers on the firm's proprietary DaltonPlan Business Plan methodology and is delivered through intensive planning sessions supplemented by ongoing phone and on-site support.

Product overview

DaltonPlan is a business consulting firm operating in New Zealand for over 20 years, offering a portfolio of consulting services and digital products. The core offering consists of four consulting service tiers: STArt (new business planning), BUILD (existing business development over 12 months), MENTOR (ongoing consulting with weekly support), and SELL (business exit preparation). These services are supported by a suite of four digital guidebooks available individually or as a bundle (The Great Bundle) covering business planning, operations, profit planning, and success factors. Additionally, the company offers the StayPut beach umbrella holder as a separate consumer product line, sold as a kit or pole-only replacement. The consulting services and guidebooks form an integrated business development ecosystem designed to take businesses from ideation through growth to eventual sale.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• StayPut®: Beach umbrella holder product - a Kiwi invention designed to keep sun umbrellas secure on windy beaches.

Products and services

• STArt - New Business Planning Service Three-day comprehensive DaltonPlan business plan development service for entrepreneurs with a new business idea, helping turn ideas into reality and secure funding from banks or investors.
• BUILD - Existing Business Development Service 12-month consulting engagement for existing business owners looking to take their business to the next level or overcome operational challenges, covering stocktake, flowcharts, and training programmes.
• MENTOR - Ongoing Business Consulting Service Ongoing business mentorship providing weekly support with an expert consultant acting as a stand-in General Manager for medium-to-large businesses, covering operations, finance, and human resources.
• SELL - Business Exit Planning Service Business sale preparation service including a three-day comprehensive DaltonPlan business plan and 12-month phone support, designed to position businesses more attractively for buyers with a claimed outcome of potentially doubling sale price.
• Turn Your Ideas Into Gold Guidebook Digital guidebook focused on ensuring the success of new businesses, products, services, or inventions through market research techniques and proven business practices, priced at NZ$50.
• Work Smarter Not Harder Guidebook Digital guidebook covering operations planning and flow chart development to help business owners take control of their business, increase income, reduce costs, and improve exit outcomes.
• Success Factors in Business Guidebook Digital guidebook providing proven business success factors for both start-up and existing businesses, offering tips on factors to monitor and prevent problems arising.
• Plan Your Profit for Growth Guidebook Digital guidebook covering design of Profit & Loss Statements to enhance strategic planning, focusing on sustainable growth through effective pricing and differentiation.
• The Great Bundle - All Four Guidebooks Comprehensive bundle combining all four DaltonPlan guidebooks (Work Smarter Not Harder, Turn Your Ideas Into Gold, Success Factors in Business, Plan Your Profit for Growth), priced at NZ$200.
• StayPut Pole Beach Umbrella Holder Kit Kiwi-invention beach umbrella holder product designed to keep sun umbrellas secure in windy beach conditions, available as a complete kit, priced at NZ$99.

Quantifiable outcome

• Potential to double the original estimated sale price of a business with proper DaltonPlan implementation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Fergus SoftwareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFergus Software is featured in the Associates section of the DaltonPlan website. DaltonPlan appears to refer clients to Fergus Software, likely for job management or business software purposes. Refer: 'Fergus Software' with signup referral link.
• Corys ElectricalminorOthersCorys Electrical is featured in the Associates section of the DaltonPlan website. This appears to be a client relationship where DaltonPlan has provided consulting services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• LivePlan: Software platform for writing and managing business plans, used globally by SMB owners and advisors. Competes with the DIY segment of DaltonPlan's guidebook business and could be a substitute lower-cost option for the STArt customer.
• Mentorloop: Software-enabled mentoring platform that connects business owners with mentors for ongoing guidance. Adjacent to DaltonPlan's MENTOR offering but delivered through a scalable SaaS model rather than bespoke consultancy hours.

Others

• Fergus Software: Job management SaaS for trades businesses (plumbing, electrical, building) that DaltonPlan refers clients to and features as an Associate. Not a direct competitor but a complementary ecosystem partner serving the same NZ SMB trades segment.

Direct peers

• The Icehouse: New Zealand business growth advisory and founder support organization backed by the University of Auckland Business School. Targets NZ SMB and growth-stage owners with structured advisory programs, directly comparable in mission and customer to DaltonPlan's founder-focused services.
• ActionCOACH New Zealand: Global business coaching franchise with an active NZ presence, providing structured coaching engagements to SMB owners across strategy, sales, and operations. Closely comparable to DaltonPlan's Start/Build/Mentor/Sell lifecycle of services to NZ SMBs.
• The Alternative Board (TAB): Peer-advisory and executive coaching franchise serving SMB owners through monthly board-style meetings and one-on-one coaching. Overlaps directly with DaltonPlan's MENTOR and BUILD packages, where Dean acts as a stand-in general manager and facilitates monthly management meetings.
• Oxygen Consulting (New Zealand): New Zealand-based business advisory firm working with owner-operators on growth, strategy, and performance improvement. Shares DaltonPlan's SMB-focused, New Zealand-domiciled, owner-operator engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• BDO New Zealand — Advisory: Mid-tier accounting and advisory network with substantial NZ presence serving owner-managed businesses on business planning, performance improvement, and transaction support. Comparable on advisory depth for NZ SMBs though broader in scope than DaltonPlan.
• PwC New Zealand — Private Business: Big Four firm with a dedicated private business and family business advisory practice in NZ, providing strategic, succession, and exit planning services. Overlaps with DaltonPlan's SELL and MENTOR packages but at typically larger deal sizes and as part of a broader advisory portfolio.
• Deloitte New Zealand — Private Enterprise: Big Four firm offering NZ private-company advisory including succession, exit, and growth consulting. Competes for the same business owner wallet on exit and growth engagements as DaltonPlan, with broader advisory and accountancy capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubebuzzsprout.com/2158218/episodes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/daltonplan-business-action-planning-limited
• Facebookfacebook.com/DaltonPlan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 DaltonPlan