CM: $115/hr. Break-even: 157 billable hours/mo or $23,478 in revenue.
Break-Even Sensitivity to Pricing
Price
Variable Cost
Contribution Margin
Break-Even Units ($50K Fixed)
$49
$20
$29
1,724 units
$69
$20
$49
1,021 units
$89
$20
$69
725 units
$99
$20
$79
633 units
$129
$20
$109
459 units
Understanding Your Break-Even Point
Why Break-Even Analysis Matters
Every business needs to know its break-even point before launching a product, signing a lease, or hiring staff. It answers the fundamental question: how much do I need to sell to stop losing money? If your break-even requires 2,000 units/month but your market research suggests maximum demand of 1,500, the business model needs to change before you invest.
Lowering Your Break-Even
Three levers reduce break-even: raise prices (increases contribution margin), reduce variable costs (better suppliers, automation), or cut fixed costs (remote work, shared space). A 10% price increase on a product with 50% margin reduces break-even by 17%. Lowering variable costs by 10% has a similar effect. The most powerful strategy is often raising prices, since it has zero additional cost.