Venture Calculator

Build your numbers

Put in your price, costs and sales, one step at a time. Get your break-even, profit, payback and a report you can print.

Open an example

Four real kinds of small business, already worked out. Open one to see its results, then change anything.

A month counts as 4 weeks. Break-even rounds up to whole sales. Your numbers save in this browser only. Example photos from Unsplash.

An Apollo Phoenix Ventures LLC website

What do you sell?

Name it, set the price, and say how many you expect to sell in a month.

Business name

One sale is oneWhat one sale is called, like a bowl or a walk. We'll use your word everywhere.

Price per

you expect to sell a month

Days you sell a monthOnly if you sell on set days, like a market stand. We'll show how many you need each day.

I sell through a store or distributor

How do I pick a price?

Look at what people already pay for something like yours. That's your starting point. Once your costs are in, this step also shows the lowest price that still pays for everything. Aim above it so you have room to breathe.

What does it cost to start?

What you pay once, before your first sale.

What counts as startup?

Things like filing fees, equipment, your first batch of supplies, signs and printing. Bills that come back every month go in the next step.

What do you pay every month?

Bills that come due even if you sell nothing.

Fixed bills

Paid help

Anyone you pay by the hour, including you if you pay yourself a wage. No helpers yet? Leave it empty.

Fixed or per-sale?

Ask yourself: if I sold nothing this month, would I still pay it? If yes, it goes here. Think rent, insurance, software and set pay. Things each sale uses up go in the next step.

What does each sale use up?

Bought in bulk? Enter the full cost and how many sales it covers.

Materials (COGS)

What goes into the product itself. Finance folks call it COGS, the cost of goods sold.

Other per-sale costs

Things like card fees, mileage, packaging and postage.

How does bulk work?

A $65 case of 100 bowls costs $0.65 per sale. Type 65 as the cost and 100 under "Covers". The per-sale amount fills in for you.

What is your time worth?

Your hours are worth something, even if you don't pay yourself yet. That's called sweat equity. We keep it on its own line, so your cash numbers stay the same.

Hours you put in a week

What an hour of your time is worthWhat you could make at a regular job instead.

Why count my time?

Working for free makes a business look better than it really is. Counting your time adds a second break-even and a profit after your time. That shows whether the business would still work if you paid someone to do your part.

How big is your market?

How many sales a month exist out there, and how many you can win. Work it out from five quick questions, or type in numbers you already have.

Total market (TAM)

Every purchase a month from everyone around you who could buy this.

People in your areaLike students on campus or homes in your town.

Share who fit your customerThe ones it's really for, by age, need or budget.

Times each buys a monthOnce a month is 1. Once a year is 0.08.

Total

Reachable market (SAM)

The part you can actually get to.

Share you can reachWhere you can deliver, and who will see your stand, store or posts.

Reachable

Your share (SOM)

What you can realistically win soon. Ideally it's more than your break-even.

Share of those you can winBe honest and start small. For a new business, 1 to 5% is a fair first guess.

Your share