Startup cost calculator
How much opening funding does your entered budget and reserve assumption require?
A teaching example in the units shown below.
These authored example inputs illustrate the calculation. Replace them with your own documented amounts, periods and rates; they are not measured industry averages or available offers.
Applies only to the one-time item subtotal, excluding the operating reserve.
Exclude cash payments already counted in opening items. No future receipts are assumed.
User-selected horizon; fractional months are allowed. This simple allowance does not validate cash adequacy.
Count accessible, committed funding once.
Your entered scenario
Starting exampleCalculation updated using the entered assumptions.
- One-time item subtotal
- $25,000.00
- Opening contingency
- $2,500.00
- Available funding
- $45,000.00
- Funding balance
- −$6,500.00
Formula and interpretation
Opening spend = one-time item subtotal × (1 + contingency fraction)
Operating reserve = future monthly cash spending × reserve months
Funding need = opening spend + operating reserve
Funding balance = available funding − funding need
To reproduce the worked example, choose Hypothetical arithmetic example under Starting example. Business presets have their own inputs; compare the selected values before applying the result.
Opening items describe one-time uses before trading. The reserve is funding held for future spending, not another opening-day expense.
Contingency applies only to opening items. Reserve coverage and contingency are separate author-selected assumptions.
Worked example: $25,000 of one-time items plus a selected 10% contingency is $27,500. Three months of $8,000 future payments adds a $24,000 reserve. Total funding need is $51,500, leaving a $6,500 gap against $45,000 accessible funding.
The Pharmacy case separates opening stock from fit-out and collection-delay cash. This simple no-receipts reserve cannot reproduce its inventory and payer timing; move to a dated monthly cash schedule after identifying each opening use.
Definitions and sources
These references support definitions and calculation boundaries, not the selected amounts. Worked examples below use the hypothetical arithmetic inputs. A selected business preset has its own roster, cost allocation and evidence; its results can differ without a formula error.
- Startup cost planning — U.S. Small Business Administration. Supports separating one-time and ongoing expenses; no reserve horizon or contingency percentage is prescribed here. Accessed October 4, 2026.
Continue with a related calculation
Connect the calculation to a complete operating plan
Review startup uses, staffing, annual results and input evidence alongside the relevant worksheets. A single calculation does not replace local quotes or a dated cash schedule.
Read the Pharmacy operating case →Check the input evidence and limits →
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