What’s inside
- 01 Formation and compliancePlus confidentiality and conflict-of-interest checklist.
- 02 Financial workbookProject pricing from estimated hours and your target rate; retainer math and utilization.
- 03 Service menuAssessments, projects, retainers and workshops, with defined deliverables.
- 04 Discovery and proposalDiscovery call guide, proposal outline and pricing options.
- 05 Engagement checklistsKickoff, status reporting, deliverable review and closeout.
- 06 ProceduresChange orders, data handling and confidentiality, handling a stalled client.
- 07 Customer documentsConsulting agreement outline, scope of work, change order, invoice.
- 08 Launch setupGoogle profile, credibility page checklist, inquiry script and follow-ups.
- 09 First hire or subcontractorClassification, subcontractor agreement points, non-solicitation.
- 10 90-day trackerPipeline, proposals won, utilization and effective hourly rate.
What this business requires
- No license for general business consulting; credibility comes from experience, a clear scope and results.
- A written scope of work and change-order process: scope creep is the most common way consultants lose money.
- Professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance: about $66 a month at the median (Insureon).
Typical insurance
- General liability$32 a month
- Professional liability (E&O)$66 a month
- Cyber$82 a month
Median premiums for this profession from Insureon customer data. Yours depend on your state, limits and history.
Built for your area
Business license, home-occupation rules, whether your state taxes consulting services, and workers' comp. Your Groundwork adviser checks these against official sources and sends your State Page the same business day.
The numbers
Startup cost: under $2,000 to start (Entrepreneur). Priced fixed project fees, retainers and day rates. About 46.3% of new businesses in this sector are still open after five years (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What it doesn’t do
The kit doesn’t judge your specific idea, market or competitors. That is the Groundwork Business Blueprint, and your kit price counts toward a Blueprint ordered within 30 days.
Secure checkout by Stripe. After payment you’ll tell us your city and state, and your Groundwork adviser emails your kit and completed State Page the same business day. General information, not legal, tax or insurance advice; agreements are starting drafts to review with an attorney in your state.
