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Financial Management
12 min
Template: Simplified Business Plan for Freelancers
A business plan isn't just for startups raising funds. It's an essential clarification tool for any independent professional. Without a plan, you're navigating blind. With a plan, you make decisions aligned with your objectives. This simplified template is designed for freelancers and consultants. No complex financial jargon, just the essentials to structure your activity.
1
Vision and positioning
Start by clarifying the "why" and "what" of your activity.
Your mission (1-2 sentences):
Complete: "I help [who] to [do what] through [how]."
Example: "I help B2B startups structure their product strategy through my Product Management expertise and discovery method."
Your 3-year vision:
Where do you want to be in 3 years? • Revenue level • Type of clients • Reputation • Lifestyle
Your positioning:
| Question | Your answer | |----------|-------------| | What is your unique expertise? | ... | | What differentiates you from others? | ... | | Why you rather than someone else? | ... | | What is your client promise? | ... |
Your values (3 max):
Non-negotiable principles that guide your work.
Examples: Excellence, Transparency, Impact, Autonomy, Innovation
Exercise: Write your elevator pitch in 30 seconds.
Your mission (1-2 sentences):
Complete: "I help [who] to [do what] through [how]."
Example: "I help B2B startups structure their product strategy through my Product Management expertise and discovery method."
Your 3-year vision:
Where do you want to be in 3 years? • Revenue level • Type of clients • Reputation • Lifestyle
Your positioning:
| Question | Your answer | |----------|-------------| | What is your unique expertise? | ... | | What differentiates you from others? | ... | | Why you rather than someone else? | ... | | What is your client promise? | ... |
Your values (3 max):
Non-negotiable principles that guide your work.
Examples: Excellence, Transparency, Impact, Autonomy, Innovation
Exercise: Write your elevator pitch in 30 seconds.
2
Service offering
Clearly define what you sell and at what price.
Service catalog:
For each offer, define:
Offer 1: [Name] • Description: ... • Problem solved: ... • Deliverables: ... • Duration: ... • Price: ... • Target margin: ...
Offer 2: [Name] • Description: ... • Problem solved: ... • Deliverables: ... • Duration: ... • Price: ... • Target margin: ...
Recommended offer types:
| Type | Description | Advantage | |------|-------------|-----------| | Time & materials | Daily rate billing | Flexibility | | Fixed price | Fixed price for a deliverable | Predictability | | Subscription | Recurring monthly | Stable revenue | | Training | Knowledge transfer | Scalability | | Product | Template, tool, online course | Passive |
Pricing strategy:
• Target daily rate: €... • Minimum acceptable daily rate: €... • Gross margin objective: ...%
Tip: Start with 2-3 offers maximum. You can diversify later.
Service catalog:
For each offer, define:
Offer 1: [Name] • Description: ... • Problem solved: ... • Deliverables: ... • Duration: ... • Price: ... • Target margin: ...
Offer 2: [Name] • Description: ... • Problem solved: ... • Deliverables: ... • Duration: ... • Price: ... • Target margin: ...
Recommended offer types:
| Type | Description | Advantage | |------|-------------|-----------| | Time & materials | Daily rate billing | Flexibility | | Fixed price | Fixed price for a deliverable | Predictability | | Subscription | Recurring monthly | Stable revenue | | Training | Knowledge transfer | Scalability | | Product | Template, tool, online course | Passive |
Pricing strategy:
• Target daily rate: €... • Minimum acceptable daily rate: €... • Gross margin objective: ...%
Tip: Start with 2-3 offers maximum. You can diversify later.
3
Target and market
Precisely define who your ideal clients are.
Ideal client (persona):
Company profile: • Sector: ... • Size: ... • Location: ... • Typical budget: ...
Decision-maker profile: • Function: ... • Main problems: ... • Objectives: ... • Selection criteria: ...
Where to find them: • Online channels: ... • Events: ... • Networks: ...
Market analysis:
| Question | Answer | |----------|--------| | Target market size | ... | | Trend (growth/decline) | ... | | Seasonality | ... | | Main competitors | ... |
Your competitors:
| Competitor | Strengths | Weaknesses | Your advantage | |------------|-----------|------------|----------------| | Competitor 1 | ... | ... | ... | | Competitor 2 | ... | ... | ... | | Competitor 3 | ... | ... | ... |
Your differentiation:
Complete: "Unlike [typical competitor], I [key difference] which allows my clients to [unique benefit]."
Ideal client (persona):
Company profile: • Sector: ... • Size: ... • Location: ... • Typical budget: ...
Decision-maker profile: • Function: ... • Main problems: ... • Objectives: ... • Selection criteria: ...
Where to find them: • Online channels: ... • Events: ... • Networks: ...
Market analysis:
| Question | Answer | |----------|--------| | Target market size | ... | | Trend (growth/decline) | ... | | Seasonality | ... | | Main competitors | ... |
Your competitors:
| Competitor | Strengths | Weaknesses | Your advantage | |------------|-----------|------------|----------------| | Competitor 1 | ... | ... | ... | | Competitor 2 | ... | ... | ... | | Competitor 3 | ... | ... | ... |
Your differentiation:
Complete: "Unlike [typical competitor], I [key difference] which allows my clients to [unique benefit]."
4
Commercial strategy
How will you find and convert your clients?
Lead sources:
Rank by priority (1 = main):
| Channel | Priority | Planned actions | Budget | |---------|----------|-----------------|--------| | Personal network | ... | ... | ... | | LinkedIn | ... | ... | ... | | Referrals | ... | ... | ... | | Platforms (Upwork, etc.) | ... | ... | ... | | Website / SEO | ... | ... | ... | | Events / Meetups | ... | ... | ... | | Partnerships | ... | ... | ... |
Sales process:
1. Acquisition: How do you attract attention? • ...
2. Qualification: How do you identify good prospects? • ...
3. Proposal: How do you present your offer? • ...
4. Closing: How do you close? • ...
5. Retention: How do you keep your clients? • ...
Commercial objectives:
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |--------|--------|--------|--------| | Number of clients | ... | ... | ... | | Average revenue per client | ... | ... | ... | | Conversion rate | ... | ... | ... | | Recurrence rate | ... | ... | ... |
Tip: Focus on 2-3 channels maximum at the beginning. Dispersion kills efficiency.
Lead sources:
Rank by priority (1 = main):
| Channel | Priority | Planned actions | Budget | |---------|----------|-----------------|--------| | Personal network | ... | ... | ... | | LinkedIn | ... | ... | ... | | Referrals | ... | ... | ... | | Platforms (Upwork, etc.) | ... | ... | ... | | Website / SEO | ... | ... | ... | | Events / Meetups | ... | ... | ... | | Partnerships | ... | ... | ... |
Sales process:
1. Acquisition: How do you attract attention? • ...
2. Qualification: How do you identify good prospects? • ...
3. Proposal: How do you present your offer? • ...
4. Closing: How do you close? • ...
5. Retention: How do you keep your clients? • ...
Commercial objectives:
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |--------|--------|--------|--------| | Number of clients | ... | ... | ... | | Average revenue per client | ... | ... | ... | | Conversion rate | ... | ... | ... | | Recurrence rate | ... | ... | ... |
Tip: Focus on 2-3 channels maximum at the beginning. Dispersion kills efficiency.
5
Financial forecast
Essential numbers to manage your activity.
Basic assumptions:
• Average daily rate: €... • Billable days per month: ... days • Target occupancy rate: ...% • Monthly fixed costs: €...
Revenue forecast calculation:
Monthly revenue = Daily rate × Billable days × Occupancy rate
| | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |--|--------|--------|--------| | Average daily rate | €... | €... | €... | | Days/month | ... | ... | ... | | Occupancy rate | ...% | ...% | ...% | | Monthly revenue | €... | €... | €... | | Annual revenue | €... | €... | €... |
Forecast expenses:
| Item | Monthly | Annual | |------|---------|--------| | Social charges | €... | €... | | Accountant | €... | €... | | Tools / Software | €... | €... | | Coworking / Office | €... | €... | | Travel | €... | €... | | Training | €... | €... | | Marketing | €... | €... | | Insurance | €... | €... | | Miscellaneous | €... | €... | | Total expenses | €... | €... |
Forecast result:
| | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |--|--------|--------|--------| | Revenue | €... | €... | €... | | Expenses | €... | €... | €... | | Gross result | €... | €... | €... | | Estimated taxes | €... | €... | €... | | Net result | €... | €... | €... |
Basic assumptions:
• Average daily rate: €... • Billable days per month: ... days • Target occupancy rate: ...% • Monthly fixed costs: €...
Revenue forecast calculation:
Monthly revenue = Daily rate × Billable days × Occupancy rate
| | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |--|--------|--------|--------| | Average daily rate | €... | €... | €... | | Days/month | ... | ... | ... | | Occupancy rate | ...% | ...% | ...% | | Monthly revenue | €... | €... | €... | | Annual revenue | €... | €... | €... |
Forecast expenses:
| Item | Monthly | Annual | |------|---------|--------| | Social charges | €... | €... | | Accountant | €... | €... | | Tools / Software | €... | €... | | Coworking / Office | €... | €... | | Travel | €... | €... | | Training | €... | €... | | Marketing | €... | €... | | Insurance | €... | €... | | Miscellaneous | €... | €... | | Total expenses | €... | €... |
Forecast result:
| | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |--|--------|--------|--------| | Revenue | €... | €... | €... | | Expenses | €... | €... | €... | | Gross result | €... | €... | €... | | Estimated taxes | €... | €... | €... | | Net result | €... | €... | €... |
6
Action plan and milestones
Transform your plan into concrete actions.
Launch actions (first 3 months):
| Action | Deadline | Status | |--------|----------|--------| | Choose legal status | ... | ☐ | | Create structure | ... | ☐ | | Open business account | ... | ☐ | | Create website / portfolio | ... | ☐ | | LinkedIn optimization | ... | ☐ | | First client signed | ... | ☐ | | Set up accounting | ... | ☐ |
Year 1 milestones:
| Quarter | Revenue target | Client target | Priority | |---------|----------------|---------------|----------| | Q1 | €... | ... | ... | | Q2 | €... | ... | ... | | Q3 | €... | ... | ... | | Q4 | €... | ... | ... |
Tracking indicators (KPIs):
| KPI | Target | Frequency | |-----|--------|-----------| | Monthly revenue | €... | Monthly | | Occupancy rate | ...% | Monthly | | Number of leads | ... | Weekly | | Conversion rate | ...% | Monthly | | Client satisfaction | .../10 | Per mission | | Cash flow | €... | Monthly |
Identified risks and mitigation:
| Risk | Probability | Impact | Mitigation | |------|-------------|--------|------------| | No clients | ... | ... | ... | | Client doesn't pay | ... | ... | ... | | Burnout | ... | ... | ... | | Market evolution | ... | ... | ... |
Plan review: • Monthly review: KPIs and tactical adjustments • Quarterly review: Objectives and strategy • Annual review: Vision and overall plan
Launch actions (first 3 months):
| Action | Deadline | Status | |--------|----------|--------| | Choose legal status | ... | ☐ | | Create structure | ... | ☐ | | Open business account | ... | ☐ | | Create website / portfolio | ... | ☐ | | LinkedIn optimization | ... | ☐ | | First client signed | ... | ☐ | | Set up accounting | ... | ☐ |
Year 1 milestones:
| Quarter | Revenue target | Client target | Priority | |---------|----------------|---------------|----------| | Q1 | €... | ... | ... | | Q2 | €... | ... | ... | | Q3 | €... | ... | ... | | Q4 | €... | ... | ... |
Tracking indicators (KPIs):
| KPI | Target | Frequency | |-----|--------|-----------| | Monthly revenue | €... | Monthly | | Occupancy rate | ...% | Monthly | | Number of leads | ... | Weekly | | Conversion rate | ...% | Monthly | | Client satisfaction | .../10 | Per mission | | Cash flow | €... | Monthly |
Identified risks and mitigation:
| Risk | Probability | Impact | Mitigation | |------|-------------|--------|------------| | No clients | ... | ... | ... | | Client doesn't pay | ... | ... | ... | | Burnout | ... | ... | ... | | Market evolution | ... | ... | ... |
Plan review: • Monthly review: KPIs and tactical adjustments • Quarterly review: Objectives and strategy • Annual review: Vision and overall plan
Conclusion
This business plan is a living document. It doesn't need to be perfect to be useful. The important thing is to create it, then revise it regularly as you learn from your market and clients. Start by filling in sections 1 and 2 this week. You'll complete the rest as you go. An imperfect plan executed is better than a perfect plan never finished.