Consulting business plan for going solo with a clear niche
A consulting business sells your time and expertise, so the plan has to answer three questions: who exactly you help, what you charge per package, and how many paid days you can really fill. This prompt has your todo.is agent research consultants in your niche, design productized offers and forecast income from a realistic pipeline.
The prompt
- Write a business plan for my consulting business, [YOUR NICHE AND EXPERTISE], for [IDEAL CLIENT]. It is for [WHO WILL READ IT]. My situation: [EXPERIENCE, NETWORK AND INCOME GOAL]. Research 6 consultants or small firms in this niche with links: how they position themselves, their services, case studies and any published rates. Write: summary, niche and positioning, client problems I solve, 3 service packages (diagnostic, project, retainer) with scope, deliverables and prices, my day rate and how I chose it, competitors, how I will find clients (referrals, LinkedIn content, partnerships, speaking), sales process from first call to proposal, contracts and insurance to check, when to add associates, risks, and financials. Build an Excel forecast with billable days per month, utilization, deals by package, pipeline conversion, tools and travel costs, taxes set aside at [TAX RATE ESTIMATE] and take-home pay for 2 years. Mark assumptions. Send a Word plan and the Excel file.
What to change
- [YOUR NICHE AND EXPERTISE]: E.g. "supply chain consulting for mid-size food manufacturers, 15 years in operations".
- [IDEAL CLIENT]: E.g. "food companies with 50 to 500 staff in the Midwest".
- [WHO WILL READ IT]: E.g. "my spouse and me", "a bank" or "a business partner".
- [EXPERIENCE, NETWORK AND INCOME GOAL]: Your background, people who could hire you or refer you, and how much you want to earn in year 1.
- [TAX RATE ESTIMATE]: A rough percentage to set aside for taxes, e.g. "30%". Ask an accountant for your real rate.
Example result
- Summary
- Northbound Ops helps mid-size food manufacturers in the Midwest cut waste and late deliveries in their supply chain. Founder: 15 years in operations, including 6 as plant operations director. The model is a solo practice for year 1, adding one associate in year 2.
- Positioning
- • For: food companies with 50 to 500 staff, growing faster than their planning systems
- • Problem: stock-outs, overtime and spoilage from planning in spreadsheets
- • Promise: a working planning rhythm in 90 days, measured in on-time delivery and waste
- Service packages (illustrative prices)
- • Supply chain diagnostic: 2 weeks, site visit, data review, report with 10 priorities, $9,500 fixed
- • 90-day planning reset: weekly sessions, new planning process, team training, $38,000
- • Advisory retainer: 2 days a month, monthly review meeting, $6,000 a month, 6-month minimum
- Day rate
- • Based on a target of $180,000 in year-1 fees with 100 billable days
- • Implied day rate: $1,800; packages priced on value, not hours
- Finding clients
- • Personal network: 40 former colleagues and suppliers contacted in month 1
- • One LinkedIn post a week on real planning problems (no client names)
- • Partnerships with 2 software resellers who need implementation help
- • Talk at a regional food manufacturers' meeting in month 4
- Pipeline (assumptions)
- • 8 discovery calls a month, 30% become proposals, 50% of proposals close
- • Diagnostics lead to a 90-day reset about 40% of the time
- Utilization
- • Year 1: 55% of working days billable, the rest on sales and admin
- • Year 2: an associate takes delivery days so the founder can sell
- Financial summary (illustrative assumptions)
- • Year 1 fees: $184,000, Year 2: $290,000 with an associate
- • Costs: insurance, accounting, software, travel, about 12% of fees
- • Taxes set aside: 30%
- • Take-home pay year 1: about $114,000
- Contracts and risks
- • Statement of work for every project with scope, deliverables and payment terms
- • Professional liability insurance: check what clients require
- • One client over 40% of income is a risk: keep 3 active clients minimum
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill the [brackets] with your niche, ideal client, experience and goals.
- Paste it into todo.is or send it to your agent on WhatsApp, Telegram or Slack.
- Your agent studies consultants in your niche and sends a Word plan and a 2-year Excel forecast.
- Ask next for a one-page offer sheet as a PDF or a proposal template that matches your packages.
Tips for a better result
- Pick a narrow niche you can explain in one sentence. "Supply chain for food manufacturers" wins more work than "operations consulting".
- Plan for 50% to 60% billable time in year 1. Sales, admin and travel take the rest, and most new consultants overestimate paid days.
- Sell a small paid diagnostic first. It is an easy yes for clients and leads naturally to a bigger project.
- Tell your agent to remember your packages and prices, so future proposals and follow-up emails match them.
consulting business plan: FAQ
- How much should I charge as a consultant? Start from your income goal, realistic billable days and costs, then check what similar consultants charge. Packages priced on outcomes often earn more than hourly billing.
- What should a consulting business plan include? A clear niche and client, service packages with prices, how you will find clients, your sales process, contracts and insurance, and a forecast based on billable days and pipeline.
- Do I need insurance as a consultant? Many consultants carry professional liability insurance, and some clients require it in contracts. Check with a broker in your country.
- Can todo.is find consulting clients for me? It can research companies that fit your ideal client, find public contact details and draft outreach emails. It never sends anything without your OK.
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