Traditional business plans are backwards for solopreneurs.

(If you’re short on time, just read the highlights)

You have spent years mastering your craft.

Maybe you are the marketing manager who quietly doubles revenue for your employer. Maybe you are the therapist who transforms lives, or the developer building the systems that keep the lights on.

At some point, you started wondering: "Could I do this on my own?"

The dream is real. You could turn your expertise into a coaching, consulting, or freelance business. You could set your own hours and choose your own clients. But then comes the fear that stops most people in their tracks: Can I actually afford to leave my job?

Naturally, most people turn to Google. They download a business plan template or ask an AI for a strategy. But here is the problem: Traditional business planning gets the process completely backwards because it was designed for startups, not for you.

The trap of "Business First"

Traditional business planning starts with the entity. It asks for revenue projections, market analysis, and growth forecasts. It is a document built for startups seeking venture capital or corporations planning their next quarter.

But you aren't building a unicorn to sell in five years. You are building a life.

You aren't trying to satisfy a board of directors; you are trying to answer a deeply personal question: "How much do I need to earn to replace my paycheck and live the life I want?"

Standard business templates don't answer that question, which is why so many talented people stay stuck in jobs they have outgrown. They can't see the bridge from where they are to where they want to be.

What you actually need (before the business plan)

Before you worry about your logo or your marketing funnel, you need to understand your personal financial reality. This isn't about complicated corporate finance; it is about knowing your own household math.

1. Your Complete Monthly Picture

Most people dramatically underestimate what they spend. They remember the rent and the car payment, but they forget the subscriptions, the coffee, the gifts, and the kids' activities.

And then there is the silent killer of new businesses: taxes. When you have an employer, taxes are invisible—they vanish before the money hits your account. As a solopreneur, you are responsible for all of it, including the portion your employer used to cover. You cannot build a realistic business model until you understand your complete personal financial picture, including the invisible costs like self-employment taxes.

2. Your Freedom Number

This is the gap you need to fill. Your "Freedom Number" is the exact amount of additional income your business needs to generate for you to comfortably leave your job.

It isn't just about matching your current salary. It accounts for your actual living expenses, your new tax obligations, your health insurance, and your retirement savings.

This number is different for everyone—someone with a paid-off house needs a very different business model than someone with a mortgage and kids in college.

3. Your Financial Foundation

You also need to look at what you already have. Do you have a spouse who works? Do you have rental income or dividends? Any income sources that will continue after you quit your job directly reduce the pressure on your new business from day one.

Then you design the business

Once you know your Freedom Number, business planning stops being a guessing game and starts being a design challenge. You aren't just "trying to make money." You are reverse-engineering a specific target.

This is where it gets fun!

You can finally account for the real costs of doing business—software, legal fees, equipment—and see what is left over for you. You can model different scenarios. Should you charge $150 per hour or $300? Is it better to have two retainer clients or ten project-based clients?

When you connect your personal goals to your business model, you can test different strategies to see which one actually gets you to freedom.

The Roadmap

The result isn't a 40-page document that gathers dust. It is a timeline. It answers the question, "How long until I can make the leap?"

Some people realize they are closer than they thought. Others realize they need to save a little more runway. Both outcomes are wins because the worst place to be is stuck in uncertainty.

Why we built Occam's Model

We created Occam's Model because the standard tools were failing people like us. Financial advisors focus on your personal portfolio but can't help you build a business. Business planning tools ignore your personal life entirely.

We connected the two.

Our approach is simple: First, calculate the income you actually need to survive and thrive; second, design a business capable of hitting that number.

You don't need a finance degree. You just need clear answers.

If you are ready to stop guessing and start planning, you can create your free account and calculate your Freedom Number right now. It takes about 15 minutes, and you'll walk away knowing exactly what your future business needs to achieve.

Your expertise deserves to work for you. Let's build the plan to make it happen.