Professional Services / Consulting

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Executive Summary

Clearpath Advisors is a consulting company helping small manufacturing and service businesses in our city and the surrounding region with improving operations, cutting costs and building simple systems. We work with clients on projects and monthly retainers, giving practical advice and doing the hard parts with them. Small businesses and organizations often know what they want but not how to get there, and they cannot afford a full-time expert. Many consultants give long reports and little help. We will win clients by being practical, specific and focused on results, and by staying with the client through the work. Here is what our numbers show. We expect sales of about $132,000 in Year 1, growing to about $535,700 by Year 5 as we add associate consultants and more monthly retainer clients. We expect a profit of about $17,900 in Year 1, growing to about $205,900 by Year 5. We need $29,500 in total. That covers $7,500 in startup costs (a laptop and headset, insurance, entity formation and contracts, software, a website and branding) and a cash cushion of about three months of bills. I am putting in $15,000 of my own money, and I am asking for $14,500. I will work from home and at client sites, so no office lease is needed on day one. I am Monique Thompson, the owner. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Clearpath Advisors will be a limited liability company (LLC) in Wisconsin, owned by Monique Thompson. We will work from my home office, with meetings at client sites and cafes. What we believe. Give clear, practical advice, do what we say, tell clients the truth and measure whether it worked. What we offer:
- Project engagements: a defined problem, a scope, a deliverable and a price. - Monthly retainers for ongoing advice and support. - Workshops and training for staff and teams. - Assessments and plans. - Short advisory sessions for founders and owners. Licenses and insurance. Consulting needs few licenses in most places, but rules vary by field. Most places require a business license, and some fields (such as financial, legal, engineering or health consulting) have their own licensing rules. Operations consulting needs only a city business license in our area. We will use a written contract for every engagement, with a clear scope and fee, protect client confidentiality and carry professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance. We do not promise specific results. Where things stand today. I have worked in operations for ten years, I have helped three friends' businesses with their processes, and I have written a sample proposal.

Problem & Opportunity

Small businesses near us need expert help, and few can afford a full-time hire. 1. Cost. Big firms charge too much for small organizations. 2. Reports with no follow-through. Many consultants hand over advice and leave. 3. Unclear scope. Projects drift, and fees grow. 4. Hard to find. Owners do not know who to trust. How we know people want this. Four business owners asked me to help them last year, and an accountant said she would refer clients.

Products & Services

What we sell. 1. Project engagements. A defined project with a scope, a deliverable and a fixed price. Our plan assumes an average of about $12,000 per project in Year 1, rising to about $14,000 by Year 5. Direct costs, such as subcontractors and travel, run about $2,000 per project. We expect about 6 projects in Year 1, growing to about 19 a year by Year 5. 2. Monthly retainers. Ongoing advice and support for a set monthly fee. Our plan assumes an average of about $2,500 per month in Year 1, rising to about $2,900. Direct costs run about $300 per month. We expect about 24 retainer months in Year 1 (about two clients on retainer at a time), growing to about 93 retainer months a year by Year 5. Our prices. Project from $6,000. Monthly retainer from $2,000. Workshop $1,500. Advisory session $200. How it works for the customer:
1. A free first call to understand the problem and the goal. 2. A written proposal with the scope, deliverables, timeline and fee. 3. Regular check-ins and clear progress updates. 4. A final summary of what was done, what changed and what comes next. Gross margin, explained. "Gross margin" is the share of each sale left after paying for materials and direct job costs. Our plan shows about 85% in Year 1. That money pays the owner and crew, vehicle costs, insurance and other bills.

Market Analysis

Who will hire us:
- Small business owners who need expert help but not a full-time hire. - Nonprofits and community groups. - Startups and founders with a specific problem. - Larger companies that need a specialist for a project. Where we will work. Clients in our city and the surrounding region and nearby, with a focus first on small manufacturing and service businesses in our region, and remote clients where the work allows. Season. Consulting is steady all year, with busy periods at the start of the year and fiscal year-end. Retainers give steady income, and projects are scheduled to fill the gaps. Our plan is careful on purpose. About 6 projects and two retainer clients in Year 1 is a workload one consultant can handle well.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices customers have:
1. Larger consulting firms. Summit Consulting (a made-up name) charges about $200 an hour; known for large firms' experience, but pricey for small clients. 2. Other independent consultants. Many are generalists, so a clear specialty helps. 3. In-house hires or freelancers. Cheaper for some tasks, but without the same experience. How we will win customers: a clear specialty, practical advice, clear scopes and prices, and follow-through.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How people will find us. - A simple website with clear services, case studies and testimonials. - A strong LinkedIn presence, sharing useful ideas. - Referrals from past colleagues, clients and partners such as accountants and attorneys. - Speaking and workshops at business groups and chambers of commerce. - Asking every happy client for a testimonial and an introduction. Marketing budget. About $8,000 a year for marketing and business development. The website and brand are paid for from startup costs.

The first 90 days. Days 1 to 30: set up the business, write a one-page offer and update the website and profile. Days 31 to 60: talk to 20 past contacts and ask for introductions. Days 61 to 90: close the first project and the first monthly retainer.

Operations Plan

How the business runs day to day. Clients and projects. The owner meets clients, writes proposals, delivers the work and manages the schedule. In Year 1 the owner works alone, with subcontractors for specialty tasks. We add one associate consultant in Year 2 and grow to two by Year 5. Each engagement has a signed contract, a scope and a fee schedule. Equipment. About $1,500 to start: laptop and second monitor; headset and webcam. We set aside about $500 to $1,000 a year for repairs and replacements. Upkeep. Client files organized and backed up, templates and methods updated and skills kept current through reading and training. Safety. Careful protection of client data and confidentiality, written scopes to avoid disputes, secure file sharing and regular backups. Running costs in Year 1: marketing and business development about $8,000, software and tools about $3,600, admin and insurance about $5,200. Scheduling and billing. An online invoicing system, with project fees billed half at the start and half at delivery, and retainers billed monthly.

Risks and how we plan for them:
- Feast and famine. We keep a monthly pipeline review and sell retainers that smooth out project gaps.
- Depending on one or two large clients. We aim for no client above one quarter of sales.
- Scope creep. Every project has a written scope, price, timeline and change process.
- Late payment. We bill a deposit up front and invoice monthly.
- Founder burnout. We limit work hours and add an associate in Year 2.

Management & Organization

Who runs the business. Monique Thompson, owner. As owner I will do the consulting work, write proposals, find clients, manage projects and handle the money side of the business. I plan to pay myself $70,000 a year in salary in Year 1. Crew. Associate consultants at about $48,000 a year each (or part-time pay): none in Year 1, one in Year 2, two in Year 3, two in Year 4 and two in Year 5. People who will help us: a bookkeeper or tax preparer, an insurance agent, and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Jamal Russell serves as a key volunteer advisor.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them. - Before starting: register the business, get insurance, set up contracts, build the website and line up the first clients. Target start: February 2027. - First year: deliver about 6 projects and keep about two clients on monthly retainer, for about $132,000 in sales. - Year 2: add an associate consultant, about $219,100 in sales, and a profit of about $38,400. - Years 3 to 5: grow to two associate consultants and about $535,700 in sales by Year 5. Growth depends on hiring good people and winning the work, so treat the later years as goals, not promises. What we check every week: proposals out, projects on schedule, invoices paid, new leads, and cash in the bank.

What the plan's numbers say. Year 1: sales about $132,000, profit about $17,900; Year 2: sales about $219,100, profit about $38,400; Year 3: sales about $325,600, profit about $70,100; Year 4: sales about $428,800, profit about $137,900; Year 5: sales about $535,700, profit about $205,900. The lowest year-end cash is about $26,700.

How we will keep score. Every month we compare real sales to the plan, check the cash in the bank, review the direct cost of each job or product, and look at what customers say. If sales are behind plan for two months in a row, we slow spending and delay hiring until the numbers catch up.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total needed: $29,500. This number comes from the Funding Need Calculator in this plan. It adds up: - Startup costs of $7,500, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section (about $1,500 for the laptop, monitor, headset and webcam, $200 for the business license, $1,800 for first-year insurance and software, $1,500 for entity formation, contracts and bookkeeping, and $2,500 for the brand, website and business cards). - A cash cushion of about $22,000: the deepest cash dip in the early months plus about three months of bills, so slow weeks do not put the business at risk. Lenders call this "working capital." - Together that comes to about $29,500 (rounded up to the nearest $500), which is the total we are planning for. Where the money comes from: - My own money: $15,000. - Amount requested: $14,500. Kind of funding we are looking for: an SBA microloan through a local community lender. How we will pay it back. We expect a profit of about $17,900 in Year 1, growing to about $205,900 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank every year of the plan. The loan is planned at 13% interest over 6 years, the top of the usual range for SBA microloans, so payments of about $291 a month are already included in our cash flow. What we are offering the lender: my personal guarantee and my equipment A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan: - Phase 1: start with one or two small projects a month alongside your current job, using your laptop and phone. Startup can be under $1,500. - Phase 2: once you have more work than you can handle part-time, go full time, add retainers and follow this plan. To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match. All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

What if sales are slower? We also tested a cautious case where sales come in 20 percent lower every year. In that case the plan shows a profit of about $1,700 in Year 1, a profit of about $23,900 in Year 3 and the lowest year-end cash is about $26,700, so the business still has money in the bank every year.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume (one page is fine) and any licenses or certificates. - A personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form). - Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov). - Proof of insurance, or a quote. - Your resume and a short summary of your experience and results. - A sample proposal and contract. - A list of references, if you have them. If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue. The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Project Engagements: about $12,000 per project in Year 1, rising to $14,000; about $2,000 per project in direct costs; about 6 projects in Year 1, growing to 19. - Monthly Retainers: about $2,500 per retainer month in Year 1, rising to $2,900; about $300 per retainer month in direct costs; about 24 retainer months in Year 1, growing to 93. - Owner salary: $70,000 a year. Crew: $48,000 a year each, from none in Year 1 to two in Year 5. - Other yearly costs in Year 1: marketing and business development about $8,000, software and tools about $3,600, admin and insurance about $5,200. - Tax rate: 25%. - Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Plain words used in this plan:
- Retainer: a monthly fee for a set amount of advice or work.
- Scope: a written list of what the project includes.
- Pipeline: the list of possible clients and where each stands.
- Engagement: one consulting project for one client.
- Cash cushion: money kept on hand to pay bills while sales build.

Startup Costs