Business plan template
Management consulting
B2B consulting delivered by the founder from home or a shared office, without employees or recurring subcontracting.
The project
What this template helps you prepare
The practice helps SME managers address a defined problem: organisation, sales management or process improvement. Each assignment specifies deliverables, contacts and days required. The plan must describe the consultant’s relevant experience and examples of verifiable results.
Assess demand
Define the target by industry, size and decision-maker. A platform rate provides a comparison but does not measure accessible demand. Document interviews, specialist competitors and budgets discussed with prospects.
The figures
A fictional case to explain the calculations. The amounts below are neither industry averages nor profitability targets.
- Sales over 12 months
- €73,450
- Profit over 12 months
- €15,476
- Lowest cash balance over 36 months, before the deposit reserve
- €6,719
The director’s planned remuneration
The result in this example assumes lower remuneration at startup, followed by increases according to the schedule below.
- Months 1 to 3
- €1,800 gross per month
- Months 4 to 6
- €2,200 gross per month
- Months 7 to 36
- €2,500 gross per month
Year 1: €27,000 gross paid to the director, costing the business €39,150 with the assumed employer contributions.
These amounts are before employee contributions and personal income tax. The director’s personal budget and the resources to cover it during startup must be planned separately; no benefits are assumed.
Choose a specialism clients can understand
“Management consulting” covers very different needs. A manager who wants to structure a sales team is not buying the same assignment as a manufacturer facing production delays. In the business plan, describe the problem, the decision-maker and the expected deliverable: a diagnosis, an action plan or implementation support. A specialism makes the sales message more precise; it does not prove that enough clients are accessible. Interviews and initial proposals still need to confirm demand.
Move from contacts to first assignments
A professional network is a starting point, not an order book. Distinguish contacts, businesses with an identified need, proposals sent and signed assignments. For each opportunity, record the decision-maker, timing and budget discussed. This helps explain the example’s ramp-up: six billable days at launch must not be presented as secured unless assignments cover them. An encouraging meeting alone cannot fund the first months.
Balance selling and delivering assignments
Available time does not translate entirely into billable days. Preparing proposals, defining scope, travelling and chasing invoices also take time. Filling the delivery schedule can leave too little time to find subsequent work. Review sales and delivery calendars together. A fixed fee can help sell a defined outcome, but track actual days and additional requests: scope overruns can reduce the margin without increasing the invoiced price.
Check the resilience of the launch
A positive annual result does not guarantee sufficient cash every month. The founder may need remuneration while an assignment starts later than expected or a client pays late. Initial funding therefore also covers timing gaps, not just equipment. Test fewer billable days and delayed collections separately, then together. The full dossier lets you follow monthly effects and compare scenarios; it does not replace signed orders or a financing offer.
Build the financial forecast
The assumptions behind the figures
Pricing and average sale
EUR 650 excluding VAT per day is a positioning choice for an experienced consultant, compared with EUR 743 displayed by Malt. Validate the price through three real proposals; add any platform commission separately.
Volume and ramp-up
The case starts at six billable days and reaches twelve. August and December are reduced. This is a hypothetical sales calendar to replace with orders and pipeline data, with no automatic growth after year one.
Sales-related costs
EUR 25 per day is reserved for direct expenses not recharged to clients. Rebuild this fictional budget from travel and assignment purchases; the case assumes no deductible VAT on this cost.
Time and production capacity
A delivered day uses seven hours. Production capacity is capped at 126 hours per month, or eighteen days; the twelve-day peak uses 84 hours. Reduce this limit if selling takes more time than reserved.
The parameters that matter
Before using the template figures, check how these points apply to your project.
Which assignments are already signed, for how many days and on which dates?
What rate, net of discounts and commissions, has been accepted by comparable clients?
How many days remain after prospecting, administration and holidays?
Scope to keep in mind
The calculation covers direct sales. Add commissions for work obtained through a platform; deposits and assignments spanning several months require a specific invoicing schedule.
Sources and references
Template last revised: 25 October 2026
- Baromètre des consultants en stratégie
Page dynamique consultée le 15 octobre 2026 ; activité sur les trois derniers mois. Profils expérimentés actifs de la plateforme en France. Prix affichés ; ni contrats garantis, ni enquête exhaustive sur les créations. Comparaison du positionnement tarifaire seulement. Le tarif de 650 euros du cas reste une hypothèse.
- Simulateur de revenus du dirigeant de SASU
Simulateur consulté le 15 octobre 2026 ; paramètres réglementaires selon l'année choisie. SASU à l'IS ; décomposition employeur et salarié. Les paramètres individuels et les exonérations changent le coût. Méthode de remplacement du taux forfaitaire du cas. Aucune simulation nominative n'a été produite ; 45 % n'est pas un taux certifié par cette page.
- Délais de paiement les règles à connaître
Règles consultées le 15 octobre 2026. Règles générales B2B, exceptions sectorielles et factures périodiques à vérifier. Le décalage d'un mois est une convention du cas, pas une observation du recouvrement réel ni un calendrier de 45 jours fin de mois.
- Tout savoir sur la TVA
Dossier officiel actualisé en mars 2019, consulté le 15 octobre 2026 ; taux normal également recoupé avec le résultat de recherche de l’article 278 du CGI. Taux normal ; les dix cas sont limités à des opérations intérieures au taux normal. Règle du profil France existant ; les taxes et taux futurs doivent être revérifiés avant utilisation.
- Impôt sur les sociétés taux déclaration paiement
Règles consultées le 15 octobre 2026. Taux normal ; éligibilité au taux réduit soumise à conditions. Les cas n'activent pas le taux réduit faute de vérification du capital et de la détention. Le calcul utilise le paquet France existant.
- Tout savoir sur la cotisation foncière des entreprises
Règles et barèmes 2026. Exonération l'année civile de création ; montant ultérieur dépendant notamment de la commune et de la base. Charge explicite en décembre des années suivantes. Les 600 ou 1 200 euros des cas sont des budgets fictifs, pas des montants tirés du barème de base minimum.
- Rémunération du mandat du président de SAS
Fiche consultée le 25 octobre 2026. Mandat social du président de SAS, éventuellement exercé à titre gratuit, avec rémunération fixe ou variable décidée selon les règles de la société. Ne décrit pas un contrat de travail salarié. Cadre de la rémunération progressive du mandat. Aucun montant, taux de cotisations ou besoin personnel du dirigeant n’est confirmé par cette source.
Template version : 1.0.0-draft.2