Cost & Revenue Details
How Break-Even Analysis Works
Break-Even Point (units) = Fixed Costs / (Selling Price per Unit - Variable Cost per Unit). The denominator (Price - Variable Cost) is called the Contribution Margin — the amount each sale contributes toward covering fixed costs and eventually generating profit.
Contribution Margin Ratio
Contribution Margin Ratio = (Selling Price - Variable Cost) / Selling Price. A ratio of 60% means 60 cents of every sales dollar goes toward fixed costs and profit.
Margin of Safety
The margin of safety is how far your current sales are above the break-even point. A larger margin of safety means less risk — your business can withstand a larger drop in sales before operating at a loss.
Break-Even for Startups
For new businesses, break-even analysis helps determine: How low can we price? How many customers do we need? What's the minimum viable scale? Running this analysis before launch helps avoid underpricing and undercapitalization.