Solo business management consultant

Owners of small and mid-sized businesses, family firms, non-profits and start-ups that cannot afford a full-time operations or finance manager.

A day rate, a fixed fee per project (such as an operations review), or a monthly retainer for ongoing support.

• Hands-on experience running or managing a business
• Financial and operations know-how
• Clear communication and listening
• Writing short, useful reports

• Professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance, plus commercial general liability insurance
• Registering for GST/HST once revenue passes the small supplier threshold, check with the Canada Revenue Agency
• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence
• Do not use protected titles such as CPA or P.Eng. unless you hold them, and check your provincial rules
• Uneven income at first, since clients often start with small projects

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $500 to $3,000, depending on your equipment, insurance, website and any licences. Professional liability and commercial general liability insurance are worth pricing early.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on your day rate, niche and how many projects you win. Income can be uneven at first, as clients often start with small projects.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence, and GST/HST registration once revenue passes the small supplier threshold with the Canada Revenue Agency. Do not use protected titles such as CPA or P.Eng. unless you hold them.