๐ผ I've analyzed 12 months of projected financials for Meridian Consulting Group. Here are my key findings for your 6-consultant practice:
๐ง
โ ๏ธ Client Concentration Risk: Your top 3 retainer clients represent 62% of total retainer revenue. Industry best practice is <40%. If your largest client ($14K/mo) churns, you'd lose 15% of retainer revenue overnight. Recommendation: actively prospect 3-4 new retainer clients in the $5-8K range to diversify.
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๐ Utilization Optimization: Your team utilization is 78%. Top-performing consulting firms target 80-85%. Every 1% improvement in utilization adds approximately $2,500/month in revenue. Key opportunity: Consultant #4 is at 68% โ a coaching conversation and better project allocation could close that gap.
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๐ฐ Hiring ROI Analysis: At your current bill rate of $195/hr and 78% utilization, a new consultant generates ~$25K/mo in revenue against ~$14K in fully-loaded costs. ROI-positive in month 2 after a typical 1-month ramp. However, only hire if you have 3+ months of confirmed project pipeline to absorb capacity.
๐ง
๐ก Top 3 Recommendations:
Diversify client base โ reduce top-3 concentration from 62% to <45%
Push utilization to 82% โ adds $120K+ annually
Increase retainer pricing by 5-8% at next renewal โ market supports $8.5-9K avg
Total Filings
10
Filed on Time
5
In Progress
1
โ Overdue
1
๐ Compliance Filing Tracker
Filing
Due Date
Status
Document
Quarterly 941 (Q1 2026)
Apr 30, 2026
Filed โ
State Payroll Tax (Q1)
Apr 30, 2026
In Progress ๐
Business License Renewal
Mar 15, 2026
Filed โ
1099-NEC Filing (2025)
Jan 31, 2026
Filed โ
W-2 Filing (2025)
Jan 31, 2026
Filed โ
Professional Liability Insurance
May 1, 2026
Upcoming โฐ
Annual 940 (2025)
Jan 31, 2026
Filed โ
State Payroll Tax (Q2)
Jul 31, 2026
Upcoming โฐ
Quarterly 941 (Q2 2026)
Jul 31, 2026
Upcoming โฐ
Contractor Agreements Renewal
Apr 1, 2026
Overdue โ
โฐ Upcoming Deadlines
Professional Liability Insurance
May 1, 2026 ยท 64 days
State Payroll Tax (Q2)
Jul 31, 2026 ยท 155 days
Quarterly 941 (Q2 2026)
Jul 31, 2026 ยท 155 days
Total Budget
$165,000
Total Actual
$171,500
Variance
−$6,500
▲ Over budget
% of Budget Used
103.9%
📊 Category Breakdown — Budget vs Actual
Category
Budget
Actual
Variance
Var %
Progress
Consultant Compensation
$66,000
$66,000
— $0
0.0%
Contractor Payments
$45,000
$52,300
▲ $7,300
+16.2%
Office Lease
$15,000
$15,000
— $0
0.0%
Technology & Tools
$6,500
$7,200
▲ $700
+10.8%
Professional Development
$4,000
$2,500
▼ $1,500
-37.5%
Marketing
$8,000
$9,800
▲ $1,800
+22.5%
Insurance
$5,500
$5,500
— $0
0.0%
Travel & Client Entertainment
$7,000
$9,200
▲ $2,200
+31.4%
Recruiting
$5,000
$1,200
▼ $3,800
-76.0%
Miscellaneous
$3,000
$2,800
▼ $200
-6.7%
Total
$165,000
$171,500
▲ $6,500
3.9%
📊 Budget vs Actual by Category
📈 Monthly Budget vs Actual Trend
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