Start-Up Cost Calculator
What it costs to get started, what it costs to run, and when it pays back.
What you buy once to get started
What it costs to run, per month
Try a cautious number first.
Licences, insurance and registration rules differ by country and place, so check yours before you start.
Type your start-up costs and running costs and the totals appear here. Add what you expect to bring in to see if it pays back.
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Pick the kind of work, fill in the lines that apply, and this adds up your start-up costs and running costs. Add what you expect to bring in to see how long it takes to earn the start-up money back.
Most people starting out remember the big purchase and forget the small ones: insurance, registration, a phone mount, the first batch of stock. Keeping one-off costs apart from the costs that come round every month shows whether an idea can pay for itself, and how much cushion you need before it does.
How it’s worked out
- Start-up total is the one-off costs added together.
- Running costs are the monthly (or yearly) costs added together. Everything is also shown per month.
- Profit per month once running is what you expect to bring in minus the running costs.
- First-year result is a year of that profit minus the start-up total. Payback time is the start-up total divided by the monthly profit.
Start-up costs of $1,800, running costs of $300 a month and $900 a month coming in: profit is $600 a month, the first year is $5,400 up, and the start-up money is back in 3 months.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out insurance, registration and licences. They are easy to forget and sometimes required before you can legally start.
- Counting what you already own as free. If you would have to replace it, it belongs in the start-up costs.
- Using a best-case month for what you bring in. The first months are usually slower, so try a cautious number.
- Forgetting your own pay. Profit here is before you pay yourself, so check it covers what you need to live on.
Questions
What counts as a start-up cost?
Anything you buy once before you can earn: tools, equipment, a vehicle or its conversion, licences, first insurance payment, signage, a website, opening stock. Anything that comes round every month goes in the running costs.
What if my costs are very different from the examples?
The numbers in the boxes are only faint examples. Type your own, and leave empty any line that does not apply.
How is this different from the break-even calculator?
This one starts from what it costs to begin and shows when it pays back. The jobs-to-break-even calculator starts from your monthly costs and shows how much work you need to cover them and pay yourself.
What should I do next?
Check how long your savings would last, work out what to charge, and see how many jobs you need. The links under the result take you through those in order.
Estimates only
These are estimates and general information, not financial, tax, legal or professional advice. Costs, pay, tax and licensing rules vary by country and place, so use your own figures and check the rules where you live.
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