A simple ledger is enough to make that effort visible.
Define the boundary first
Choose a period and decide what belongs in the record. You might include account research, first conversations, proposal work and the follow-up needed to reach a buying decision.
Keep client delivery separate. Do not count the same workshop as both paid delivery and acquisition effort. If an activity serves both purposes, record the split you used.
Your own hourly cost is an internal planning assumption, not a market rate or necessarily the amount you invoice.
Build a monthly ledger
All figures below are hypothetical.
| Activity | Hours | Internal hourly cost | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account research | 4 | €60 | €240 |
| First conversations | 5 | €60 | €300 |
| Proposals | 6 | €60 | €360 |
| Agreed follow-up | 2 | €60 | €120 |
| Relevant software | — | — | €80 |
| Total | 17 | — | €1,100 |
This example values the founder’s time explicitly. A second view could show cash expenditure only, but label it clearly so the two totals are not confused.
Connect the cost to actual outcomes
Suppose two new clients signed paid assignments during the example period. Dividing €1,100 by two gives €550 per new signed client.
That calculation is a useful snapshot, but the work and decisions may span several months. A proposal written this month might close next month. Keep the cohort or timing rule consistent when comparing periods.
You can also calculate the cost per substantive opportunity if you define that stage. Do not substitute every reply or booked call for a real assignment discussion.
The worksheet does not estimate profit. Delivery costs, overheads, tax and later client value belong in other records.
Use the ledger to choose what to change
Look for avoidable effort rather than simply cutting the largest row. Six hours on two well-scoped proposals may be sensible. Six hours on proposals where no buyer can explain the assignment suggests an earlier qualification issue.
If research consumes time, compare the actual task and output before buying more data. If proposals stall, examine the decision record. A new tool should address the part of the work that needs improvement.
For that research-specific decision, use the buying-versus-building worksheet.
Keep the calculation honest enough to use
Write down the period, included activities, time-cost assumption and outcome definition. Review the same view again before treating a change as a trend.
The aim is a better allocation decision: which work deserves the founder’s time, which can be handed over and which should stop. A single cost-per-client figure cannot make that decision for you.