Business & Commercial
Valuation, break-even, payroll & profit calculators.
Detailed Metrics
Contribution Metrics
Salary Breakdown
Pay Breakdown
Time Breakdown
Loan Summary
Depreciation Details
Valuation Metrics
SaaS Unit Economics
Coverage Details
The Ultimate Guide to Commercial Finance
Master the mathematics of business. From calculating exact gross margins and understanding break-even points, to amortizing commercial loans, analyzing SaaS metrics, and determining enterprise valuation.
Margin vs. Markup
The most common mathematical error made by new retailers is confusing margin and markup. While both metrics describe gross profit, they calculate it from entirely different perspectives.
The Markup Trap
Markup is profit as a percentage of your COST. If you buy an item for 0 and mark it up by 50%, you sell it for 0. Your profit is .
True Gross Margin
Margin is profit as a percentage of your REVENUE. Using the same 0 sale from above, that profit only represents a 33.3% margin ( / 0). You did not make a 50% margin!
Break-Even Analysis
A break-even analysis determines exactly how many units of a product you must sell to cover all of your business costs. Every unit sold past this point represents pure net profit.
Fixed vs Variable Costs
Fixed Costs are expenses that do not change regardless of how much you sell (e.g., rent, insurance, salary of management). Variable Costs are expenses that scale directly with production (e.g., raw materials, packaging, direct labor).
The Contribution Margin
The selling price minus the variable cost gives you the "Contribution Margin". This is the amount each unit "contributes" toward paying off your fixed costs. Divide your fixed costs by this margin to find your break-even point.
Enterprise Valuation & DSCR
When valuing a business or applying for commercial financing, metrics like EBITDA multiples and DSCR are critical.
EBITDA Multiples
EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) normalizes earnings across companies. Valuations are typically calculated as a multiple of EBITDA, which varies by industry (e.g., 3x-5x for retail, 10x-15x for software).
DSCR (Debt Service Coverage)
DSCR measures a company's ability to pay its debts. A DSCR of 1.25x means the business generates 25% more operating income than needed to cover annual loan payments. Most commercial lenders require a minimum of 1.25x for approval.
SaaS Metrics: LTV to CAC Ratio
For subscription businesses, traditional accounting metrics often fail to capture true growth potential. Unit economics, specifically the ratio between Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), is the ultimate indicator of sustainability.
The 3:1 Benchmark
Venture capitalists generally look for an LTV:CAC ratio of at least 3:1. This means that a customer brings in three times more gross profit over their lifetime than it cost to acquire them. A ratio of 1:1 means you are losing money on every new customer once operating expenses are factored in.
Optimizing the Ratio
You can improve this ratio in three ways: increase ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) through upsells, decrease churn (which lengthens the customer lifetime), or lower your CAC by optimizing marketing channels and organic SEO.
Frequently Asked Questions
Retail Mathematics
Accounting & Finance
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