Business Startup Cost Calculator

List your one-time launch costs and monthly operating costs, pick how many months of runway you want banked, and see the total cash you need to start — updating live as you type.

📖 How it works & FAQ

One-time startup costs

Business registration & legal ($)

Equipment & tools ($)

Initial inventory ($)

Website & software setup ($)

Marketing & branding launch ($)

Licenses & permits ($)

Deposits — rent & utilities ($)

Other one-time costs ($)

Monthly operating costs

Rent / lease ($/mo)

Payroll & contractors ($/mo)

Software & subscriptions ($/mo)

Ongoing marketing ($/mo)

Insurance ($/mo)

Other monthly costs ($/mo)

Working capital: months of expenses to have banked

One-time costs vs monthly burn

Most new businesses fail because the founder budgeted for the launch and forgot the months after it. Startup costs come in two flavors. One-time costs get the doors open: registration and legal fees, equipment, starting inventory, a website, launch marketing, licenses, and deposits. Monthly operating costs never stop — rent, payroll, software, insurance, and marketing bill you every month whether revenue shows up or not. This calculator keeps the two separate, then combines them into the number that matters: total cash needed on day one.

The math behind the total

Every one-time line item is summed into a launch figure, your monthly burn is totaled, and the burn is multiplied by your working-capital runway: total needed = one-time costs + (monthly costs × months of runway). The runway is the cushion that keeps you alive while sales ramp up. Six months is the common rule of thumb, but the field is fully editable. Every input is optional; add custom rows for anything we missed. It all runs privately in your browser — nothing is uploaded or stored.

How to use it

Fill in the one-time costs that apply, and click + Add one-time cost for extras like signage or a vehicle.
Enter recurring monthly costs the same way — only what repeats each month belongs here.
Set how many months of expenses to bank as working capital (6 is a sensible default).
Read the four cards — one-time total, monthly burn, working-capital cushion, and total cash needed — plus the line-by-line breakdown below.

These figures are planning estimates only, not professional, financial, tax, or legal advice.

FAQ

How many months of working capital should I plan for?: Six months of operating expenses is the classic guideline. Slow-ramp businesses like restaurants and retail should lean toward 9–12 months; service businesses with signed clients can sometimes justify 3.
Do I count my own salary?: If you need the business to pay you to survive, yes — put your owner draw in payroll. Ignoring your own living costs is one of the most common budgeting mistakes.
Do refundable deposits really count?: Yes. Rent and utility deposits may come back later, but you need the cash up front, so they belong in your one-time total.
Is this the same as a break-even analysis?: No — this shows the cash required to launch and survive the ramp-up. Break-even shows the sales needed to cover monthly costs. Use our break-even calculator for that half.