Capoeira Classes Break Even At About $16K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $10.6K Monthly base

Contribution margin 82% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $12.9K Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 1 Launch month

Break-even calculator

Use this to test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs against break-even for a capoeira school.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue sets the pool that covers variable costs and fixed overhead. $ Lower sales Higher sales Variable expenses These are direct costs that rise with enrollment and sales. $ Lower costs Higher costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $179,917 $211,667 revenue - $31,750 variable expenses

Margin ratio

85%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly overhead the studio must cover. $ Lower overhead Higher overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which capoeira class expenses are fixed, semi-fixed, or variable at break-even?

Cost classification

Break-even gets reliable when stable overhead stays fixed and sales-linked items move with revenue. Here’s the quick math logic: rent belongs in monthly overhead, while card fees, ads, uniforms, and event supplies should scale with sales.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Studio Rent	Fixed	Include $3,800 in monthly overhead before testing member volume.	Treating rent as enrollment-driven.
Utilities and Internet	Fixed	Include $450 in monthly overhead for the planning range.	Ignoring it until bills rise.
Liability Insurance	Fixed	Include $220 in monthly overhead to cover class risk.	Leaving waiver-related risk out.
Head Instructor Mestre	Fixed	Include the $65,000 annual salary as core instructional capacity.	Assuming owner teaching time is free.
Assistant Instructor	Semi-fixed	Add capacity in steps as staffing expands from 0.5 to 2.0 full-time equivalents.	Hiring before enrollment supports classes.
Payment Processing Fees	Variable	Apply 3% of revenue to memberships and other paid sales.	Forgetting card fees on memberships.
Digital Marketing and Social Media Ads	Variable	Apply 8% of first-year revenue, then reduce as the model scales.	Cutting lead flow too soon.
Uniform and Equipment Cost of Sales	Variable	Apply 4% of sales in the first year for merchandise margin.	Pricing merchandise without margin.

How does break-even change across lean, base, and full capoeira class scenarios?

Scenario table

The main swing factor is how much recurring membership revenue lands before extra sales kick in. As billable days, occupancy, and enrollment rise, the business keeps the same Month 1 break-even signal but builds a much wider profit cushion.

Planning cases only; actual results can move with occupancy, pricing, staffing, and sales mix.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean launch	$41,333	$7,440	$13,976	82%	$19,917	Month 1 break-even, but the cushion is thin.
Base operating case	$97,583	$16,589	$16,577	83%	$64,417	Month 1 break-even with a stronger buffer.
Full schedule case	$211,667	$31,750	$20,250	85%	$159,667	Month 1 break-even with the widest cushion.

What breaks first if enrollment slips, rent rises, or discounts get too deep?

Stress test

The plan has room at the current forecast, but the cushion gets thinner fast if enrollment misses, rent rises, or discounts push margin below 82%. The first line to watch is monthly revenue against the roughly $16,226 break-even point.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$16,226	$25,107 cushion	Base plan clears break-even with room to spare.
Revenue shortfall	Year 1 monthly revenue falls 20% to about $33,067.	$16,226	$16,841 cushion	A 20% miss still clears break-even, but the buffer drops fast.
Fixed-cost increase	Studio rent rises 10% from $3,800 to $4,180 a month.	$16,689	$24,644 cushion	Higher rent trims cushion without changing demand.
Margin pressure	Variable load rises from 18% to 21% of revenue.	$16,842	$24,491 cushion	Discounts or fee drag lift the break-even line.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 20%, variable load rises to 21%, and rent rises 10%.	$17,323	$15,744 cushion	The school still clears overhead, but the cushion gets much thinner.

Can a capoeira school prove break-even before it signs the studio lease?

Founder checklist

Test paid trial bookings, class mix, and staffing against the lease before you commit. Month 1 break-even and a 3-month payback only work if booked revenue covers the $5.18K fixed load, near-18% variable costs, and instructor pay.

1Paid trials$16K-$17K/mo

Verify paid trial classes and early memberships can support this monthly revenue before you sign the $3,800 rent commitment.

2Lease load$5.18K/mo

Confirm rent, utilities, insurance, software, janitorial, and accounting/legal stay inside this base monthly load, with liability insurance at $220.

3Price mix$130/$100/$350

Check that adult, youth, and private training pricing at these levels can actually produce the booked revenue you need.

4Margin control82% CM

Keep Year 1 variable costs near 18% of revenue so contribution margin stays high enough to absorb payroll and rent.

5Staffing rampMonth 6 / $65K

Make sure the head instructor role is covered by booked demand, and delay front desk staffing until Month 6 if volume supports it.

6Cash cushion$875K / $31.2K

Hold the model's minimum cash cushion and fund the $31,200 launch capex for flooring, mirrors, instruments, sound, signage, furniture, and hardware.