Turn an income goal into a sales plan. Enter the income you want, the average value of a project and how often proposals win, and this free calculator shows how many projects, proposals and clients you need.
| Proposals to send per year | – |
| Proposals per month | – |
| Clients needed per year | – |
| Projects per month | – |
How it works
Projects needed = income goal ÷ average project value. Proposals needed = projects ÷ win rate. Clients needed = projects ÷ projects per client per year. Numbers are rounded up to whole projects.
Worked example
To earn 60,000 with 2,500 projects you need 24 projects a year. At a 30% win rate that means 80 proposals, about 7 a month. If each client gives you 1.5 projects a year, you need 16 clients.
Tips
- A higher average project value cuts the number of clients you need. See how to price freelance projects.
- Repeat clients are cheaper to win than new ones.
- Track your real win rate so the plan is based on facts. If it is low, improve your proposals.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good proposal win rate?
It varies widely by field and how well you qualify leads. Track your own and improve it over time.
How can I need fewer clients?
Raise your prices, sell larger projects or retainers, or get more repeat work.
Does this include time to do the work?
No. Check that the number of projects fits your available hours with the billable hours calculator.
More free tools: Billable hours calculator · Hourly rate calculator · All free tools
This calculator is for general guidance only. Check important figures yourself.