Startup Cost Calculator
Breakdown of one-time and recurring startup costs by category.
Launching a business requires both one-time setup costs and ongoing expenses before revenue flows. This calculator helps you itemize legal fees, equipment, marketing, software, and more. Use industry presets for common business types or enter your own estimates. Understanding your true startup costs helps you secure funding, set realistic timelines, and avoid cash crunches in the first month.
One-time Costs
Monthly Recurring (first 6 mo)
Summary
One-time total: $5,500
6-month recurring: $2,100
Total to launch (6 mo): $7,600
Insights
Formula
One-time = legal + equipment + website + inventory + marketing + other Recurring 6mo = (software + rent + insurance) * 6 Total = One-time + Recurring
Input Definitions
What does each input mean?
- Legal/registration
- LLC formation, business licenses, permits, legal fees.
- Equipment/tools
- Computers, machinery, specialized tools, point-of-sale.
- Website/design
- Web design, development, logo, branding, hosting setup.
- Initial inventory
- Stock or materials for product-based businesses.
- Marketing launch
- Launch campaigns, ads, promotional materials.
- Other one-time
- Miscellaneous setup costs not in other categories.
- Software/subscriptions
- Monthly SaaS, apps, and software subscriptions.
- Rent/utilities
- Office, retail space, or workspace monthly cost.
- Insurance
- Liability, property, workers comp, etc.
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Building a Realistic Budget Before You Spend a Dollar
Most startups underestimate their initial costs — not because they miss the obvious expenses, but because they miss the second-order ones: the LLC formation fee, the first month’s software stack, the professional photos for the website, the initial inventory buffer. This calculator helps you build a comprehensive pre-launch budget by walking through all the cost categories a new business typically faces.
Use it when you’re deciding how much capital to raise or save before launching, building a business plan for investors or lenders, or simply trying to avoid the cash crunch that happens when founders underestimate setup costs. Getting an honest startup number is the first financial decision every new business owner needs to make.