Executive Assistant Break-Even Analysis: $244K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $38.7K/mo Overhead base

Contribution margin 61% After direct costs

Break-even revenue $63.5K/mo Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 6 Model timing

Break-even calculator

Test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed monthly costs against the break-even point for an executive assistant business.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue is the top line that has to cover direct costs and fixed overhead. $ Low sales High sales Variable expenses These are direct costs that rise as client work and support volume go up. $ Low direct High direct

Money available to cover fixed costs $162,400 $266,200 revenue - $103,800 variable expenses

Margin ratio

61%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly cost base that contribution margin must cover. $ Light overhead Heavy overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which expenses are fixed, semi-fixed, or variable for this assistant service break-even model?

Cost classification

Break-even is only reliable when fixed overhead stays separate from direct service delivery. In the first year, fixed overhead is $38,700/month before payroll, while contractor labor moves at 18.0% of revenue.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Office Rent & Utilities	Fixed	Use $12,000/month as overhead from Month 1 through Month 60.	Treating workspace as client-level spend.
Software Licenses & SaaS Tools	Fixed	Use $8,500/month as recurring overhead in the break-even base.	Adding seats before paid client demand proves out.
Virtual Assistant Contractor Payments	Variable	Model as 18.0% of first-year revenue, falling to 16.0% by Year 5.	Underpricing labor coverage and review time.
Platform Technology & Matching System Costs	Variable	Apply 4.5% of first-year revenue, declining to 3.0% by Year 5.	Ignoring usage-based tools tied to active clients.
Quality Assurance & Training Costs	Variable	Apply 2.5% of first-year revenue, declining to 1.5% by Year 5.	Skipping review time when margin looks tight.
Customer Success & Account Management	Variable	Model at 8.0% of first-year revenue, improving to 6.0% by Year 5.	Burying account work inside general payroll.
Annual Marketing Budget	Semi-fixed	Plan $240,000 in the first year, or $20,000/month, then scale by budget stage.	Locking spend before customer acquisition cost proves out.
Salaried Leadership and Operating Team	Semi-fixed	Use first-year salaries of $1,085,000/year, or about $90,417/month, stepped by headcount.	Hiring ahead of client utilization.

How does break-even move from lean to base to full executive assistant setup?

Scenario table

As fixed costs rise, break-even jumps fast: about $634k in a lean owner-led test, $2.445m in the base staffed model, and $5.071m in the full setup. That’s why payroll and support load matter more than the headline service price.

Planning assumptions only; these figures are not earnings guarantees.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean executive assistant	$634k	$247k	$387k	61%	$0	Best for an owner-led test with low overhead.
Base executive assistant	$2.445m	$954k	$1.491m	61%	$0	Good for a funded launch, but payroll keeps break-even high.
Full executive assistant	$5.071m	$1.546m	$3.525m	69.5%	$0	Needs a larger team load and more client volume to stay safe.

What breaks the break-even plan for an executive assistant business?

Stress test

The base plan clears break-even, but the cushion can shrink fast if bookings slow or delivery costs run hot. Watch contractor overruns, slow client acquisition, unused software seats, and billable hours below 25 per active customer.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$2.44M	$399k cushion	Year 1 EBITDA shows a workable buffer.
Revenue shortfall	Revenue lands 10% below break-even.	$2.44M	$244k gap	A modest booking miss erodes a big part of the cushion.
Fixed-cost pressure	Annual fixed costs rise by $20k to $1.51M.	$2.48M	$33k gap	Overhead creep moves break-even up faster than the plan can absorb.
Margin pressure	Variable costs rise to 44% of revenue, so contribution margin falls to 56%.	$2.66M	$218k gap	Contractor overruns and rework push the break-even line higher.
Combined pressure	Annual fixed costs rise to $1.69M and contribution margin falls to 56%.	$3.02M	$575k gap	Slow sales plus cost creep can pull break-even out of reach.

Can this executive assistant service cover fixed costs before you commit to recurring spend?

Founder checklist

Do not lock recurring spend until pipeline, pricing, and delivery capacity all line up. In Year 1, the model carries about $129.1k in fixed cost a month, so a weak close rate or loose scope can push breakeven out fast.

1Pipeline Proof$240k

Before you lock a $240k first-year marketing budget, verify that qualified pipeline is already forming and that the $1,200 CAC can buy clients fast enough to fill capacity.

2Price Fit$1,495-$12,500

Confirm buyers will take the Essential, Growth, Strategic Partner, travel add-on, and Enterprise prices, or the revenue mix will miss the plan.

3Contribution61% contribution

Here’s the quick math: Year 1 contractor, tech, QA, customer success, payment, and setup costs run about 39% of revenue, so each dollar sold keeps about 61 cents before overhead.

4Scope Control25 hrs/customer

Verify that one active customer really averages 25 billable hours in Year 1, because scope creep turns a good price into a bad margin.

5Fixed Load$129.1k/mo

Do not add a lease or extra software seats until the $12k rent and $8.5k tools sit inside a fixed-cost stack you can cover every month.

6Cash Buffer$166k

Keep reserve planning tied to the Month 6 minimum cash of $166k so a slow close cycle does not force emergency cuts.