How to Use the Small Business Monthly Costs Calculator
Here are brief explanations for each cost category in your small business monthly cost calculator:
Mortgage/Rent: Monthly payment for your business space, whether you’re buying (mortgage) or renting. This includes retail space, office, warehouse, or workspace. Example: $2,000 monthly rent for your retail store
Utilities: Monthly costs for electricity, water, gas, heating, and air conditioning. Example: $350 total – $200 for electricity, $100 for gas, $50 for water
Internet: Monthly fee for business internet service, including Wi-Fi and any dedicated internet lines. Example: $90 for high-speed business internet service
Office Supplies: Basic items needed to run your business daily, like paper, pens, printer ink, cleaning supplies, and small equipment. Example: $120 for printer paper, notebooks, sticky notes, and cleaning materials
Wages: Money paid to employees, including your own salary if you take one. Include regular pay, overtime, and any bonuses. Example: $4,800 for two part-time employees at $15/hour working 80 hours each per month
Marketing: Costs to promote your business, including advertising, social media, signs, business cards, and promotional materials. Example: $300 – $200 for social media ads, $100 for printed flyers
Inventory: Cost of products you buy to resell or materials you use to make your products. Example: $2,000 for purchasing products from suppliers to stock your store
Website: Monthly costs for your website hosting, domain name, and any maintenance fees. Example: $25 – $15 for hosting, $10 for domain name (monthly portion of annual fee)
Software: Monthly subscriptions for business programs like accounting software, point-of-sale systems, or design tools. Example: $100 – $30 for accounting software, $70 for inventory management system
Insurance: Monthly premiums for business insurance, including liability, property, and worker’s compensation. Example: $200 for general liability and property insurance combined
Gas/Travel: Fuel costs and travel expenses for business-related trips, deliveries, or meetings. Example: $180 – $150 for delivery van fuel, $30 for parking fees
Shipping: Costs to send products to customers or receive supplies from vendors. Example: $400 for shipping customer orders through USPS and FedEx
Banking Fees: Monthly charges for your business bank account, credit card processing fees, and ATM fees. Example: $150 – $30 bank account fee, $120 in credit card processing fees
Phone Service: Monthly costs for business phone lines and mobile phones. Example: $50 for business phone line with voicemail service
Licenses and Permits: Monthly portion of annual fees for business licenses, health permits, or professional certifications. Example: $40 (monthly portion of $480 annual business license and permits)
Other: Any regular monthly expenses that don’t fit into the above categories. Example: $200 for professional association memberships, subscription services, or miscellaneous expenses
Now that you have your monthly costs, check out our Small Business Profit Margin Calculator!
