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Startup Cost Calculator

Use this startup cost calculator to estimate how much capital you may need to start a small business, including one-time startup costs, monthly operating expenses, and an initial cash buffer.


This estimate can also serve as a starting point for a business startup budget by showing how much money may be needed to launch the business and support its early operating expenses.


Want to understand how these costs are estimated? Read our guide to calculating startup costs .

Estimate starting capital

Estimate the costs needed to get started and the cash you may need while the business gets established. You do not need exact numbers — use your best reasonable estimate.

Think about what you would actually need to spend if you started this business today.

One-time costs

Expenses you mainly pay to get the business ready to operate.

Monthly costs

Recurring expenses such as wages, owner pay, rent, utilities, supplies, and other costs that continue while the business is running.

Cash buffer

The number of months of operating costs you want available while the business gets established.

Don't worry about being exact. If you do not know a cost yet, use a reasonable estimate. If a category does not apply to your business, enter $0.
What goes here?
Equipment, machinery, computers, tools, furniture, or other items you need to operate. Example: A laptop for an online business, cooking equipment for a food business, or machinery for a small workshop.
What goes here?
Costs required to prepare the place or operating setup before you begin. Example: Renovation, electrical work, installation, signage, or preparing a rented space. If you are running an online business and this does not apply, enter $0.
What goes here?
Products, ingredients, materials, packaging, or supplies you need to have available when you begin. Example: Products you purchase for resale, ingredients for a food business, or materials needed to provide a service. If your business does not require inventory, enter $0.
What goes here?
Business registration, permits, licenses, certifications, or other required setup fees. Example: Registration fees, local permits, licenses, or required certifications.
What goes here?
Money you expect to spend to introduce the business and attract your first customers. Example: Launch advertising, promotional materials, product photography, signage, or an initial online campaign.
What goes here?
One-time startup expenses that do not fit the categories above. Example: Professional fees, deposits, specialized services, or other launch expenses. Do not include recurring monthly expenses here.

Monthly operating costs

Estimate the recurring costs you expect to pay each month to keep the business running.

What goes here?
Regular wages, salaries, or payments for employees and other staff who help operate the business. Example: If you expect to spend $1,500 per month on staff, enter $1,500. If you will operate alone and do not plan to pay staff, enter $0.
What goes here?
The amount you expect to take from the business each month to support yourself while operating the business. Example: If you expect to take $800 per month for your personal needs, enter $800. If you do not plan to take money from the business at first, enter $0.

Why consider this? A business may be able to cover its own expenses but still leave you without enough money to support yourself. Including an owner allowance can give you a more realistic picture of the cash the business may need during its early months.
What goes here?
Recurring rent or lease payments for a shop, office, workspace, storage area, or other business property. Example: Monthly rent for a small retail space or shared office. If you work from home or do not have a separate business space, enter $0.
What goes here?
Recurring electricity, water, gas, waste collection, or similar utility expenses. Example: If your business expects to spend about $200 per month on electricity and water, enter $200.
What goes here?
Business internet, mobile plans, phone services, or other recurring communication costs.
What goes here?
Regular supplies, materials, packaging, ingredients, or other consumable items you expect to purchase during normal operations. Do not include your initial inventory purchase here.
What goes here?
Regular business transportation expenses such as fuel, deliveries, local travel, or transportation services.
What goes here?
Recurring advertising, promotional campaigns, social media ads, or other ongoing marketing expenses. This is separate from your initial marketing budget.
What goes here?
Recurring software, online services, subscriptions, payment tools, accounting software, or other digital services used by the business.
What goes here?
Recurring business insurance premiums or other insurance costs you expect to pay as part of operating the business.
What goes here?
Regular maintenance and a reasonable monthly allowance for repairs to equipment, vehicles, facilities, or other business assets.
What goes here?
Recurring payments for business loans, equipment financing, or other business financing.
What goes here?
Recurring expenses that do not fit the categories above. Example: Cleaning, professional services, bank fees, recurring permits, or other regular costs.
What goes here?
The number of months of monthly operating costs you want to have available while the business gets established. This can include the regular costs of running the business and, if applicable, your planned owner pay / allowance. Example: If your monthly operating cost is $1,000 and you want a 3-month buffer:

$1,000 × 3 = $3,000

A larger buffer gives you more time to handle slower-than-expected sales or unexpected expenses, but it also increases the starting capital you need.

Why Estimate Your Startup Costs?

Starting a business usually requires more than the money needed to buy equipment or open the doors. Separating one-time setup costs from the cash you may need to keep operating helps you see how much funding the business may require before it becomes stable.

A business can have enough money to launch but still run into trouble if it runs short of cash while paying for ongoing expenses. This is why we include both initial costs and an operating cash buffer.

For owner-operated businesses, it can also be important to consider how much the owner needs to take from the business each month. The calculator includes an owner pay / allowance field so this need can be included in the monthly cash estimate.

What Startup Costs Should You Include?

The calculator separates costs into two groups because they behave differently.

  • One-time costs are expenses associated mainly with getting the business ready to operate.
  • Operating costs are recurring expenses such as staff wages, owner pay, rent, utilities, supplies, marketing, and other costs that continue while the business is running.

How to Calculate Startup Costs

Start by estimating your one-time startup expenses, such as equipment, setup, initial inventory, permits, and initial marketing. Then estimate your monthly operating costs and decide how many months of cash you want available while the business gets established.

Your estimated starting capital is the combination of your one-time startup costs and the operating cash buffer you plan to maintain.

How This Startup Cost Calculator Works

We separate starting costs from operating cash because launching a business and keeping it running are two different financial challenges. Monthly operating costs can include both the costs of running the business and, when applicable, the amount the owner expects to take from it each month.

In simple terms:
Starting capital = one-time setup costs + operating cash buffer

What this estimate does not tell you

This is a planning estimate, not a prediction of how much the business will actually need. Actual costs may change because of unexpected expenses, changes in prices, slower-than-expected sales, repairs, taxes, financing costs, or other circumstances.

The calculator also does not determine whether the business is profitable. A business can have enough starting capital and still lose money if its revenue does not cover its ongoing costs.

This tool provides estimates based on the information entered. It is intended to support thinking and planning, not replace professional accounting, tax, legal, financial, or other advice.