Revenue Needed for Your Profit Goal
Results
Visualization
How It Works
Profit = Revenue x Margin% - Fixed. Solving for revenue: Revenue = (Target Profit + Fixed) / Margin%. The remaining revenue after profit and fixed costs is variable cost. This is the reverse of the standard break-even formula and is the right view when a profit goal is set first.
What Should You Do?
Scenario 1: a studio wanting $15k profit at 40% margin and $6k fixed needs $52.5k revenue. Scenario 2: raising margin from 25% to 35% on the same $18k goal cuts required revenue from $72k to $51.4k. Scenario 3: every $1k of fixed-cost reduction drops required revenue by $1k/margin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why solve for revenue instead of break-even?
Break-even tells you the survival floor; the reverse tells you the sales bar for a specific profit goal, which is what planning and financing actually require.
What if my margin varies by product?
Use a blended (weighted-average) margin, or run the tool per product line. The formula assumes one contribution margin across the revenue base.
How do I raise contribution margin?
Raise price, lower per-unit cost, or shift mix toward higher-margin items. See Markup and Margin calculators for the mechanics.
Authoritative References
- SBA — Break-Even Point — Formula: Fixed Costs / (Price - Variable Costs) = Break-Even Units.
- Investopedia — Break-Even Analysis — Contribution margin and margin of safety.