CANADA
Track and categorize your business expenses. See your expense ratio and identify where your money is going.
Note: Operating expenses don't include cost of goods sold (COGS), interest, taxes, or depreciation. A healthy operating expense ratio varies by industry, but most service businesses aim for 30-50%. Track your expenses monthly to spot trends early. For professional bookkeeping support, contact EpicBooks.
Operating expenses are the costs of running your business day to day. They include rent, utilities, salaries, marketing, insurance, and other overhead costs. Unlike cost of goods sold, operating expenses don’t directly tie to producing your product or service, but they’re essential to keeping the business running.
Enter your revenue and expenses below to calculate your operating expense ratio and see a breakdown by category.
Step 1: Enter Your Revenue
Enter your total revenue for the period. This is used to calculate your operating expense ratio, which shows what percentage of revenue goes to operating costs.
Step 2: Select Your Time Period
Choose whether your figures represent a full year, quarter, or single month. The calculator will show your monthly average.
Step 3: Enter Your Operating Expenses
Fill in each expense category that applies to your business. The expenses are organized into four groups:
Facility and Occupancy includes rent, utilities, internet, and maintenance costs for your workspace.
People and Payroll includes salaries, contractor payments, benefits, and training expenses.
Administrative includes insurance, professional fees like accounting and legal, software subscriptions, and office supplies.
Sales and Marketing includes advertising, travel, entertainment, and other expenses related to acquiring customers.
Leave any field at zero if it doesn’t apply to your business.
Step 4: Review Your Results
The calculator shows your total operating expenses, expense ratio, and operating income. The gauge indicates whether your ratio is healthy for a typical business. The category breakdown helps you see where most of your money goes.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for planning purposes. Actual cash flow depends on timing of payments, deposits, and business activity. Cash flow is not the same as profit. A business can be profitable but still experience cash flow problems if customers pay slowly or expenses come due before revenue arrives. For accurate cash flow tracking and forecasting, consult a professional bookkeeper.
What Are Operating Expenses? Your Guide to Understanding Business Costs
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