Doula Break-Even Analysis: $86K Monthly Revenue By Month 8

Fixed costs $925/mo Core overhead

Contribution margin 73.5% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $8.1K/mo Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 8 Modeled payback

Break-even calculator

Use this calculator to see if monthly revenue covers variable expenses and fixed costs, then how far you are from break-even.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue is the cash brought in from client work each month. $ Slow month Busy month Variable expenses These are direct costs that rise as client volume grows, like service support and marketing spend. $ Light costs Heavy costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $9,000 $12,000 revenue - $3,000 variable expenses

Margin ratio

75%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs These are monthly costs that stay on even when bookings dip. $ Lean overhead Heavy overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which doula service expenses stay fixed, and which move with bookings?

Cost classification

Break-even is reliable only when fixed overhead and booking-linked expenses are split cleanly. Here, Month 8 break-even depends on not treating direct doula hours, stipends, and performance marketing like flat monthly bills.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Professional & Liability Insurance	Fixed	Use $350/month as recurring overhead from Month 1 through Month 60.	Spreading it per client and hiding the true monthly nut.
Website Hosting & Maintenance	Fixed	Use $100/month as baseline overhead before any bookings.	Leaving it out because it feels small.
Billing & client relationship management (CRM) Software	Fixed	Use $150/month unless the subscription tier changes with volume.	Modeling it as a per-booking fee without evidence.
Legal & Accounting Fees	Fixed	Use $200/month as recurring operating support.	Treating it as a one-time setup item only.
Doula Compensation (Direct Service Hours)	Variable	Apply 20.0% of revenue in the first year, declining to 16.0% by the fifth year.	Putting direct service pay in fixed payroll and overstating margin.
Doula On-Call Stipends & Benefits	Variable	Apply 2.0% of revenue in the first year, declining to 1.2% by the fifth year.	Forgetting on-call coverage when package volume rises.
Marketing & Advertising (Performance-based)	Variable	Apply 3.0% of revenue in the first year, declining to 2.0% by the fifth year.	Using customer acquisition cost alone and missing revenue-based spend.
Annual Marketing Budget	Semi-fixed	Treat the first-year $5,000 plan as committed spend that steps up in later years.	Assuming all marketing stops when bookings slow.

How does break-even change from a lean start to a full doula schedule?

Scenario table

As the mix shifts toward higher-value support, revenue grows faster than variable cost, so break-even improves. Once founder pay is in place, the fixed load stays heavy, so the cushion still depends on enough monthly bookings.

Planning cases only; actual break-even will move with mix, pricing, and staffing.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean opening mix	$2,126	$563	$1,342	73.5%	$221	Covers overhead and marketing, but founder pay stays uncovered.
Base core mix	$9,036	$2,394	$6,342	73.5%	$300	Just clears the fixed load, so the break-even cushion is thin.
Full capacity mix	$10,630	$2,817	$6,342	73.5%	$1,471	Builds a real cushion and leaves room before taxes and debt.

What pushes this doula break-even plan past its cushion?

Stress test

Here’s the quick math: Year 1 variable load is 26.5%, so every revenue dollar keeps 73.5 cents. A missed booking, added admin time, or paid leads can push break-even past Month 8.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$8,629	$0 cushion	The base plan only works with a thin monthly cushion.
Revenue shortfall	One normalized-mix booking drops out, cutting about $532 of monthly revenue.	$9,161	$532 gap	One lost booking can wipe out the cushion fast.
Fixed-cost pressure	Year 2 adds 0.5 Administrative Assistant FTE and marketing spend rises to about $667 a month.	$10,953	$2,324 gap	Payroll and marketing creep raise the bar fast.
Margin pressure	Paid leads replace referrals, lifting acquisition spend to about $2,550 a month.	$11,531	$2,902 gap	Lead buying costs more than the current budget run-rate.
Combined pressure	A lost booking, 0.5 Assistant FTE, and paid leads all hit together.	$14,387	$5,759 gap	Slower consult conversion and more backup coverage make the gap much wider.

Can this doula service clear break-even before you lock in hiring and marketing spend?

Founder checklist

Confirm the calendar can fill about 17 bookings a month at the $450 birth, $810 postpartum, $780 combined, and $135 consult prices. Break-even lands in Month 8, but only if cash survives the Month 2 dip and you keep early hiring off the table.

1Booking Load17/mo

Confirm the calendar can fill about 17 bookings a month at the $450 birth, $810 postpartum, $780 combined, and $135 consult prices, because that is the pace the model needs to break even.

2Founder Burn$5.9K/mo

Keep the $60,000 founder salary plus the $925 monthly overhead covered, or the business stays cash hungry even before marketing starts.

3Contribution72.5%-73.5%

Verify each booking leaves about 72.5% to 73.5% after direct service pay, on-call stipends, ads, and client tools, or Month 8 break-even slips.

4Admin HireMonth 19

Delay the administrative assistant until Month 19 unless bookings are already strong, because extra payroll can wipe out the early margin.

5Cash Floor$883K

Hold at least the modeled $883K cash floor, since the lowest cash point hits in Month 2 before the payoff phase starts.

6Launch Demand$5.0K / $150

Check that paid marketing can support the ramp, because $5,000 at a $150 CAC only buys about 33 customers in Year 1 and will not fill 17 bookings a month by itself.