Exact financial target
See fractional break-even volume, exact revenue and the minimum practical whole-unit target separately.
FREE INDUSTRY CALCULATOR
Agency and Freelancer Break-Even Calculator
Calculate required retainers, client leads and delivery capacity using contractor costs, software, labor and acquisition assumptions.
Use the free calculatorTRY YOUR OWN NUMBERS · USD
Calculate your agencies break-even point
Replace the example inputs below. Results update in your browser as you type. Enter monthly totals for overhead, owner pay and target profit; enter direct costs per client separately.
Contribution per client$916.20
Whole clients for your target17
Monthly sales at that volume$37,400.00
At these assumptions, estimated delivery capacity is 17 whole clients per month. The estimated capacity covers the required volume. These are planning estimates, not a sales forecast.
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC UNIT ECONOMICS
What this agencies break-even analysis includes
This model calculates contribution per client after delivery labor, contractors, client software, payment fees and sales acquisition. It then determines the exact volume and revenue required to cover monthly operating overhead, owner compensation and an optional target profit.
Because a financial target is useful only when the business can deliver it, MyBreakeven also compares required volume with productive team hours and estimates the customer inquiries needed at your conversion rate.
Operational feasibility
Compare required clients with estimated monthly delivery capacity before committing to the plan.
Private and transparent
Inputs stay in your browser, while the formula trace explains how each result was calculated.
Formula, assumptions and rounding
Contribution per client = average price minus direct materials, labor, other variable costs, acquisition cost and percentage payment fees. Required monthly clients = (operating overhead + owner pay + target profit) divided by contribution per client.
For a traditional operating break-even calculation, set owner pay and target profit to zero. Keep owner pay if you want the business to cover your compensation, and add profit only when calculating a profit target. The example values are illustrative USD inputs, not industry averages.
The example contribution is $916.20 per client. The exact target is 16.59 clients; rounding up gives 17 whole clients and $37,400.00 in monthly sales. Costs entered per client must not also be included in monthly overhead.
Capacity uses team members × weekly hours × 52 / 12 × productive utilization ÷ delivery hours per client. Delivery hours mean total team labor hours per client, including preparation and travel where relevant. Whole-unit capacity rounds down, while required sales round up.
Inquiry estimates use your assumed conversion rate, not a prediction of demand. For recurring work, count existing customers separately from new customer acquisition. The full calculator supports other currency labels; it does not convert exchange rates.
Read the agencies break-even guide
Read the calculation methodology · Browse business planning guides
QUESTIONS THIS MODEL ANSWERS
Agencies break-even questions
How many retainer clients cover agency overhead?
At the example price of $2,200.00, each client contributes $916.20 after direct costs and fees. Covering $15,200.00 in overhead, owner pay and target profit requires 17 whole clients, or $37,400.00 in practical monthly sales. Replace these sample inputs with your figures.
How much delivery capacity does the team have?
The example requires 17 whole clients and estimates capacity for 17 whole clients per month, using 5 team members, 35 hours each per week and 70% productive time. Adjust those inputs to check your own delivery limit.
How many qualified leads are needed to win the target clients?
At the example 20% inquiry-to-client conversion rate, the model estimates 82.95 inquiries for the exact fractional financial target (83 rounded up). Use your measured conversion rate for a more useful demand estimate.