Kenelle

As a consultant working as a light entrepreneur, this is how it works: you agree on an assignment with your client, do the expert work, and invoice it through the Truster app without your own Business ID (Y-tunnus). Truster handles invoicing, withholding tax and statutory filings, and your pay is paid straight to your account. The model suits both experienced professionals consulting alongside a salaried job and experts moving into it full-time.

#Consulting assignments and pricing

Typical assignments include strategy and development projects, marketing and sales consulting, HR and leadership coaching, finance and process development, training and workshops, and fixed-term expert roles within a client's team. Clients range from SMEs to public-sector bodies and organisations, often including consulting firms buying in subcontracted expertise.

The most common consulting pricing models are day rates and hourly rates. Well-defined packages, such as an assessment or a training day, are often priced as a fixed project fee. Price should reflect the value your expertise brings to the client, not just time spent: a single day from an experienced expert can save a client weeks of work. Invoicing is typically done monthly, in arrears, based on days or hours worked.

Attach a breakdown of the work done to your invoice: it speeds up approval and cuts down on queries. In the Truster app, creating and sending an invoice takes just a few minutes, and you can see your entire invoicing history in one place.

#Expenses and practicalities for consultants

A consultant's expenses are typically modest: travel to client sites, a computer and phone, subscriptions to presentation and analysis tools, professional literature and training, and possibly workspace costs. Log your expenses and mileage in the Truster app, and they're automatically factored into your pay in line with tax authority guidelines. You can also agree with your client to invoice travel costs separately as a line item on the invoice.

If your consulting work becomes ongoing and your income grows, entrepreneur's pension insurance, YEL, may become relevant: the obligation depends on how long you've been active and your work income, so it's worth checking the current thresholds with a pension provider. Always agree confidentiality terms and use of references in writing at the start of an assignment.

#How much do you actually take home?

Truster's service fee is 3.99% of invoicing or a flat €55/month, which is often the cheaper option for a consultant invoicing regularly. After the service fee, withholding tax is deducted from your pay according to your tax card, and the rest is paid to your account as wages. VAT is generally added to the invoice — the standard rate is 25.5% — and it's paid by the client on top of the invoice amount. Calculate the take-home share of your day rate with our calculators at truster.com/laskurit.

Corporate clients' payment terms can easily stretch out. HetiPalkka pays your wages even before the invoice due date, so your own finances don't have to wait on your client's accounts payable process.

Your assignment finances stay transparent: the app shows you invoice status, wages paid and expenses logged, with no separate spreadsheets needed. For late payments, Maksuvahti sends reminders on your behalf for €1.99/invoice, keeping the client relationship professional even when the client's accounts payable process is slow.

#Start consulting without the bureaucracy

A consultant's most important asset is expertise and network, not a company structure. As a light entrepreneur, you can start selling your expertise right away: download the app, create a free account, and invoice your first assignment with no setup costs and no bookkeeping obligations.

Your first clients are usually found within your own professional network: former colleagues, employers and partners already know what you're capable of. Package your services into clear offerings, such as an assessment, a workshop or monthly sparring sessions, so buying is easy for the client and invoicing is straightforward.

Many consultants start alongside a salaried job and move to full-time only once their client base can support it. Light entrepreneurship makes this transition low-risk: there are no fixed costs, and admin stays light at every stage. All your invoicing, wages and expenses are visible in one app.