How to Start a WordPress Website Consultant Business

Start a WordPress Website Consultant Business by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your WordPress Website Consultant Business
2. Form your WordPress Website Consultant Business into a Legal Entity
3. Register your WordPress Website Consultant Business for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your WordPress Website Consultant Business
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your WordPress Website Consultant Business
7. Get WordPress Website Consultant Business Insurance
8. Define your WordPress Website Consultant Business Brand
9. Create your WordPress Website Consultant Business Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your WordPress Website Consultant Business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What will you name your business?
• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is very important. Read our detailed guide on how to name your business. We recommend checking if the business name you choose is available as a web domain and securing it early so no one else can take it.

What are the costs involved in opening a WordPress Website Consultant Business?

The cost of starting your own WordPress consulting business does not have to be high – especially if you already have the right training and experience. You can spend a little money creating and hosting your own consultant business website and go from there. However, if you are not well versed in WordPress yet, you will need to read books, take courses, and so on. There are plenty of free resources out there for this, but it may be faster to pay the money to take professional coursework.

What are the ongoing expenses for a WordPress Website Consultant Business?

When you are just starting out, your ongoing expenses are going to be minimal. You will have to pay for web hosting for your site and keep your equipment in good working order. You are probably already paying for a phone and internet service which can be used for your business. Of course, when your business grows, costs will increase. For example, web hosting costs go up when your website traffic increases beyond a certain threshold.  

Advertising is an additional cost that you will need to consider. You may or may not want to pay for advertising, but if you do, you will want to budget for it.

Who is the target market?

The target market for WordPress website consulting businesses is typically other businesses. For individual consultants just starting out, that usually means targeting small businesses that need help with their websites. Target markets can also include subsections beyond just small businesses, such as ecommerce businesses.

How does a WordPress Website Consultant Business make money?

Your business will make money through consulting fees. You can use different billing structures depending on what kind of consulting work you are doing. Some consultants charge a flat fee, others charge an hourly fee, and some use a mix of both. For example, if a client wants help setting up a WordPress site and you know about how long it will take, you could charge a flat fee for the service. However, if a client wants you to take them through the entire process of designing their own theme, it may be harder to estimate how long it will take. In that case, you could charge an hourly fee.

How much can you charge customers?

Some WordPress consultants charge $50 an hour, while others may charge $500 an hour. The rates vary so widely due to experience and the type of services offered. A consultant that serves mom and pop businesses will have a different rate than one that serves large corporations.

If you are unsure what to charge, research competitors that are offering similar consulting services to yours and are targeting a similar market. If you ask, many will tell you their rates.

How much profit can a WordPress Website Consultant Business make?

Just as the rate charged by WordPress consultants varies widely, so too does the profit potential of these businesses. Some consultant businesses that are just starting out may earn $20,000 to $30,000 in a year. Other consultants with a well-established client base of larger businesses may earn $200,000 to $300,000 a year.

How can you make your business more profitable?

The most effective way to make your business more profitable is to draw in more clients and/or better-paying clients. Initially, it is usually most effective to get more clients. Small businesses are not going to be as critical of your credentials as larger businesses will be. However, once you build a good reputation, you can earn more for your time by serving bigger businesses. They have larger budgets and are more willing to pay top dollar for your consulting services.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your WordPress Website Consultant Business is sued.

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

Is this Business Right For You?

WordPress website consulting is right for detail-oriented people who have an in-depth knowledge of the platform (or who are willing to do the deep dive necessary to gain that knowledge). If you already know a lot about how to use WordPress or you are excited to become an expert on the platform – and you like teaching others – then you may be ideal for this business.

What happens during a typical day at a WordPress Website Consultant Business?

A typical day as a WordPress website consultant begins with processing your communications from clients and potential clients. As with all consultant businesses, you have to balance serving current clients with getting new clients – otherwise, you can hit a dry spell without any work. That means that some days you will spend most of your time helping clients solve problems and learn to use WordPress. Other days, you will spend most of your time marketing your services to potential clients.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful WordPress Website Consultant Business?

You need significant WordPress skills and experience to be a consultant. Clients are going to expect you to know the platform inside and out. Many WordPress consultants are also developers who understand the code and systems behind the platform — but not all. Whether you know how to build your own WordPress site from scratch or not, the most important part is that you can teach others how to use the platform and help them solve their problems.

What is the growth potential for a WordPress Website Consultant Business?

There is significant growth potential for a WordPress consulting business. After all, there are millions of WordPress users and the number grows daily. It is the dominant CMS for websites, including business websites, and business website owners are often willing to pay for help. It may take some time to establish yourself as a trusted consultant and to attract bigger clients, but growing your business into a reputable brand can certainly be done.