Startup Cost Calculator
Calculate one-time and recurring startup costs.
Inputs
$
$
$
$
$
$
months
Results
Total Startup Capital Needed
$86,000.00
≈ 8 years of state college
One-Time Costs$38,000.00
Operating Cushion$48,000.00
Monthly Burn Rate$8,000.00
Runway (months)10.8
Quarterly Burn$24,000.00
Annual Overhead$96,000.00
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your one-time startup expenses: Equipment & Supplies, Lease Deposit, Initial Inventory, Legal & Professional Fees, and Initial Marketing.
- Enter your Monthly Overhead — recurring costs like rent, utilities, insurance, and payroll.
- Set the Operating Cushion — how many months of overhead you want held in reserve.
- Review the Total Startup Capital Needed, along with the One-Time Costs and Operating Cushion that make it up.
- Check the Monthly Burn Rate, Quarterly Burn, Annual Overhead, and Runway (months) to see how long your startup capital will last.
How the result changes with Monthly Overhead
| Monthly Overhead | Total Startup Capital Needed |
|---|---|
| $100,000.00 | $638,000.00 |
| $350,000.00 | $2,138,000.00 |
| $650,000.00 | $3,938,000.00 |
| $900,000.00 | $5,438,000.00 |
What each input means
- Equipment & Supplies
- Equipment, furniture, technology purchases.
- Lease Deposit
- Security deposit and first/last month rent.
- Initial Inventory
- Initial inventory or supplies purchase.
- Legal & Professional Fees
- Incorporation, licenses, accounting setup.
- Initial Marketing
- Website, branding, launch marketing.
- Monthly Overhead
- Monthly fixed costs (rent, utilities, insurance, payroll).
- Operating Cushion
- Months of operating expenses to have in reserve.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersEquipment & Supplies = 15000, Lease Deposit = 5000, Initial Inventory = 10000, Legal & Professional Fees = 3000 = 7 input(s) provided
- Calculate Total Startup Capital NeededTotal Startup Capital Needed86000 = $86,000
- Calculate One-Time CostsOne-Time Costs38000 = $38,000
- Calculate Operating CushionOperating Cushion48000 = $48,000
Engine last updated . Checked against 1 independently-derived test — how we verify calculators.
Related Calculators
The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.
Business Insurance
Business Insurance Cost Calculator
Estimate total annual business insurance cost across all coverage lines.
Small BusinessBusiness Plan Projections Calculator
Generate 3-year financial projections for your business plan.
Small BusinessBusiness License Fee Calculator
Calculate total required licenses and fees for your business.
Food TruckFood Truck Startup Cost Calculator
Total cost: truck, build-out, equipment, permits, and working capital.
Childcare BusinessDaycare Startup Cost Calculator
Estimate total startup costs for a home-based or center-based daycare including facility, equipment, and licensing.
More in Business & Entrepreneurship.