Consulting: price the work you are responsible for
Use a small, inspectable example before you rely on a larger workflow.
All prefilled examples are synthetic. These tools are original editorial exercises, with arithmetic checked where applicable. No client results or professional endorsement are implied.
Price a defined project
These are cost assumptions for a fictional project. They are not survey estimates of consulting fees. The model includes preparation, delivery, review and handover because you remain responsible for the completed work.
Read the formula before quoting a client
Modeled cost equals labor plus direct costs, multiplied by one plus the contingency fraction. The fee floor equals modeled cost divided by one minus the target contribution margin. A 35% margin is different from a 35% markup.
The default cost is $17,760; the modeled fee floor is about $27,323.08. Company overhead, taxes, sales time and financing are excluded unless you add them to your inputs. Actual profit cannot be inferred from this demonstration.
Keep speed and responsibility separate
If AI reduces drafting time, update the estimate and examine where that capacity goes. Review, acceptance, client access and scope changes can still create work. A project price should be agreed around a defined output and responsibility, with a change process the client understands.
Try a small rollout
The rollout sheet records the preparer's task, the reviewer's burden and the approver's decision separately. Ask each affected person what would make the workflow usable. Document the objection rather than treating every objection as resistance.
Download the working files
- Editable project estimate and rollout workbook
- Blank scope and rollout record, CSV
- Calculated demonstration results, JSON
What supports this approach?
The references support specific principles such as verification, explicit assumptions and measuring review. They do not validate these exact worksheets or certify your results.
- Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework: Generative Artificial Intelligence Profile
- Management Analysts: Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Developing and Managing Program Costs
Read the task guide
