What to include in your costs as a consultant
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Travel to clients
- CRM, proposal and scheduling tools
- Professional memberships and training
How independent consultants usually price their work
Consultants usually charge day rates or value-based project fees. Business development — networking, proposals, follow-ups — takes a large part of the week, so billable utilization is often around half.
Tip: Use your hourly floor as a minimum, but price strategic work on the value it creates for the client, not only on time.
How the calculation works
Your rate = (target take-home ÷ (1 − tax rate) + business expenses) × (1 + buffer) ÷ billable hours. Billable hours are your working weeks × hours per week × the share of time you can actually bill. More about the method →