Freelance business plan with a rate you can live on and a client pipeline
Going freelance usually fails on two things: a rate set too low and no steady flow of new clients when a project ends. This prompt has your todo.is agent research rates and competitors in your field, then write a plan that works backwards from the income you need to your rate, packages, weekly outreach and a 12-month income forecast.
The prompt
- Write a business plan for my freelance business as a [YOUR SERVICE AND NICHE], based in [CITY OR REMOTE]. My situation: [EXPERIENCE, PORTFOLIO AND CURRENT CLIENTS]. I need to earn [TARGET YEARLY INCOME] before tax and I want to work [HOURS PER WEEK AND WEEKS PER YEAR]. Research with links: 10 freelancers or small studios in my niche (rates and packages) and where my clients look for freelancers. Write: summary, service and niche, ideal clients, competition, rate calculation from my income target (taxes, health insurance, retirement, tools, unpaid admin time), packages and pricing, proposal and contract basics (scope, deposits, revisions, payment terms), client pipeline with weekly outreach targets, referrals, portfolio, tools and costs, a savings buffer, risks, and financials. Build an Excel sheet with the rate calculation, billable utilization, a 12-month income and expense forecast, and how many clients I need per month. Mark assumptions. Send Word and Excel.
What to change
- [YOUR SERVICE AND NICHE]: E.g. "brand designer for craft breweries and food brands" or "Webflow developer for SaaS startups".
- [CITY OR REMOTE]: E.g. "Manchester, UK" or "remote, clients in the US and Europe".
- [EXPERIENCE, PORTFOLIO AND CURRENT CLIENTS]: Years in the field, portfolio link, any clients or side projects you already have.
- [TARGET YEARLY INCOME]: What you want to earn before tax, e.g. "$85,000".
- [HOURS PER WEEK AND WEEKS PER YEAR]: E.g. "35 hours, 46 weeks (6 weeks off)".
Example result
- Summary
- Maya Chen is a brand designer leaving an agency after 7 years to work freelance for craft breweries and independent food brands. She will offer brand identity, packaging and label design. Target: $85,000 before tax in year 1 working 35 hours a week, 46 weeks a year.
- Ideal clients
- • Craft breweries, coffee roasters and small food brands with 5 to 50 staff
- • Launching a new product line or refreshing dated packaging
- • Budget for a real brand project, not a $200 logo
- Rate calculation (illustrative assumptions)
- • Income target $85,000 + self-employment tax and health insurance + retirement savings + tools and software + accountant = about $118,000 to bill
- • 35 hours x 46 weeks = 1,610 hours, but only about 60% is billable after admin, sales and learning = 966 hours
- • Minimum rate: about $92 an hour; project pricing built from that rate
- Packages
- • Label Refresh, $3,500: one product label redesign, 2 rounds of revisions, print-ready files
- • Brand Identity, $7,500: logo system, colors, type, brand guide
- • Launch Package, $12,000: identity plus 4 labels and a social media kit
- Contracts and payment
- • Written scope, 50% deposit before work starts, 2 revision rounds included, extra rounds billed
- • Final files sent after the last payment; payment due in 14 days
- Client pipeline
- • Weekly: 10 personalized emails to breweries and food brands, 2 posts showing work, 1 coffee chat
- • Ask every happy client for a referral and a testimonial
- • Directory listings and 1 industry trade show a year
- • Goal: 2 new clients a month, with 1 retainer client by month 6
- Buffer
- • Save 3 months of expenses before leaving the job; set aside tax money from every payment
- Numbers (illustrative assumptions)
- • Month 1 to 3: $4,000 to $6,000 a month while the pipeline builds
- • Month 6 onward: $9,000 to $11,000 a month
- • Year 1 total: about $98,000 billed
- Risks
- • Feast or famine: outreach every week, even when busy
- • One big client: no client above 40% of income
- • Scope creep: clear scope and change requests in writing
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your service, niche, income goal and hours.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Your agent researches rates and where your clients look, with links, then sends a Word plan and an Excel rate and income sheet.
- Ask follow-ups like "write my first 10 outreach emails" or "add a monthly retainer package".
Tips for a better result
- Work backwards from income. Your rate has to cover taxes, insurance, time off and unpaid admin hours.
- Assume only about 50% to 70% of your working hours are billable when you set your rate.
- Take a deposit before every project. It filters out clients who will not pay.
- Set a recurring to-do: every Monday your agent finds 10 new businesses in your niche and drafts outreach emails in Gmail for you to review.
freelance business plan: FAQ
- Do freelancers need a business plan? Not legally, but a simple plan helps you set the right rate, know how many clients you need, and keep finding work when projects end.
- How do I calculate my freelance rate? Add your target income, taxes, insurance, tools and savings, then divide by your realistic billable hours. The Excel sheet does this for you.
- Should I charge hourly or per project? Many freelancers price by project or package so clients know the cost upfront, using their hourly rate to work out the price.
- Can the agent find clients for me? It can research businesses that fit your niche and draft outreach emails. It does not send them without your OK, and it does not apply to jobs for you.
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