Break-evencalculator.
Break-Even Calculator: How Many Sales to Cover Your Costs
Move the sliders to find how many sales you need each month before you make a dollar of profit, and how much room you have if sales slip.
How it works
Margin of safety = (expected sales − break-even sales) ÷ expected sales
Each sale contributes its price minus its variable cost toward fixed costs like rent and salaries. Once enough sales have covered the fixed costs, every extra sale is profit. The full guide, with a worked café example, is break-even point: formula and examples.
Common questions
What is a good margin of safety?
Many owners aim for at least 20%, meaning sales could fall by a fifth before the business loses money. Under 10% is fragile.
What counts as a fixed cost?
Costs that stay the same whatever you sell in the month: rent, salaried wages, insurance, software and loan payments. Ingredients, packaging, card fees and shipping are variable costs.