Income Goal Planner
Set the goal, and see the weekly pipeline that produces it. Then watch what happens to the pitch count when you raise your average project value.
Your numbers
Win rate
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The assumptions
3 leads reviewed produce one pitch worth sending, and a month is 4.3 weeks. Retainer income is treated as certain and subtracted from the goal first, because that is what makes it valuable — it is the part of the year you do not have to sell twice.
Try one experiment before you close the tab: leave everything else alone and drag the average project value up by half. The weekly pitch count drops further than any amount of extra prospecting would move it. That is the argument for pricing properly, made arithmetically.
Quick answers
How much do I need to pitch to hit my income goal?
It depends on three numbers: your goal, your average project value, and your win rate. The planner works backwards from the goal to the weekly pitch and lead count that produces it — usually a much smaller number than people fear.
What is a realistic freelance win rate?
One in ten while you are new and pitching broadly. One in five once your filtering and pitch structure are working. One in three if you are pitching warm leads in a niche you own.
Why do retainers reduce the pitching so much?
Because retainer income arrives whether or not you pitched that month. Every thousand a month of retainer removes twelve thousand a year from the amount your pipeline has to produce, which compounds directly into fewer pitches.
Should I raise my rate or take more clients?
Raise the average project value first. Move the average up and the required pitch count falls faster than it does from any amount of extra hustle — that is the whole point of this calculator.