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Startup Cost Calculator for a Small Business

Add up what it costs to open your doors and to stay open each month. Start from a cleaning, lawn care, vending machine or food truck example, then type in your own quotes.

Startup Cost Calculator for a Small Business
Pick a business to start from
Amounts are examples, replace them with your own quotes.

One-time startup costs

Monthly costs

Total startup cost-
Monthly costs-
Cash left after startup-
Months of runway-How long the cash left covers your monthly costs with no sales at all.

Runs on your device. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

How it works

Total startup cost is every one-time cost added together: licenses, equipment, first stock, signs and so on.

Monthly costs are the bills you pay every month whether or not you have customers yet.

Months of runway = (starting cash minus total startup cost) divided by monthly costs, rounded down. It assumes no sales, so it shows how long you can keep going while you find your first customers.

The example amounts are only a starting point. Prices change a lot by city, by state and by new or used equipment, so get real quotes before you decide.

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to start a small business?

It depends on the trade. A cleaning business can start with a few hundred to a few thousand dollars of supplies and fees, while a food truck usually needs tens of thousands for the truck and kitchen. Add your own quotes to the calculator to see your number.

What counts as a startup cost?

Anything you pay once before or at opening: registration and licenses, equipment, tools, a vehicle or trailer, opening stock, a website, signs and business cards.

What is runway?

The number of months your cash lasts if no money comes in. More runway gives you more time to find customers.

Are the example amounts real prices?

They are rough examples to show the kind of costs a business has. Replace every line with quotes from your own suppliers and your local licensing office.

More free tools

Tools for this

Plan the launch, then track the real numbers

Startup kits and planners for the first months, and a bookkeeping spreadsheet for your trade once the money starts moving.

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