Consulting proposal template

Role variants

The same skeleton works for Independent consultant, Fractional CFO, Fractional CMO, Fractional COO. Change the facts in brackets. Keep the structure.

Filled example

# Consulting proposal template

Filled example first. Copy the blank structure at the end. This is not legal advice.

Role variant in this example: independent consultant. For a fractional seat, swap the container for days per month and a 30/60/90.

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## Filled example (anonymised)

**To:** Priya Shah, founder, North Harbour Goods  
**From:** Alex Reid  
**Date:** 12 March 2026  
**Re:** Operating cadence for a founder-led business that still escalates every serious decision to you

### The situation you described

You said the leadership team still waits for you on anything that might disappoint a customer. You said two senior hires in the last year left because they could not tell where their authority stopped. You asked for a ninety-day container, not a retained therapist.

### What you would step into

Six days a month for three months. I sit in the weekly decision forum, write the one-page operating cadence, and coach the two leads who should own customer exceptions. Out of scope: hiring their replacements, running the warehouse, or becoming the escalation point myself.

### What should be true at day 90

The forum runs without you in the chair. Exceptions have a written rule. You have one travelling story you can send to a peer who is in the same mess.

### Proof I am allowed to repeat

A founder-led wholesaler, similar headcount, same "everything still comes to me" pressure. We installed a weekly forum and a written exception rule. The founder stopped being the night desk. I will not name them here.

### Maths

6 days × 1,100 = 6,600 a month. Three months = 19,800. Extra days only by written agreement at the same day rate.

### Out of scope

Implementation of a new warehouse system. Recruitment retainers. Anything that needs a solicitor.

### Next step

Reply with a yes, a no, or the sentence you would change. If yes, we pick the first forum date in the week of 23 March.

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## Blank structure

- Situation in their words:
- Container (days or project):
- True at the end:
- One travelling story:
- Maths (show the arithmetic):
- Out of scope:
- Next step and date:

Do not send a filled version as a first message to someone you have not spoken with. Use it after a real conversation, or as a draft you edit.