Import/Export Company Break-Even Analysis: $101K/Month

Fixed costs $12.0K/mo Core overhead base

Contribution margin 92.5% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $13.0K/mo Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 6 Model breakeven

Break-even calculator

Use this to test whether monthly trade revenue covers variable deal costs and the fixed overhead base.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue This is the monthly trade income the calculator tests against margin. $ Low sales High sales Variable expenses These are the costs that rise with each deal, like commissions and processing. $ Low direct cost High direct cost

Money available to cover fixed costs $112,500 $120,000 revenue - $7,500 variable expenses

Margin ratio

94%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly overhead the business must cover before profit starts. $ Low overhead High overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which expenses are fixed and which move with sales in this import/export break-even model?

Cost classification

Classification drives break-even because fixed costs set the monthly hurdle, while variable and semi-variable costs reduce contribution margin. If acquisition spend, payroll, or compliance retainers are modeled per shipment, Month 6 break-even can look cleaner than cash really feels.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Office Rent	Fixed	Use $5,000 per month as baseline overhead from Month 1 through Month 60.	Allocating rent to each shipment instead of the monthly break-even hurdle.
Legal & Compliance Fees	Fixed	Use $2,000 per month as recurring compliance overhead across the planning range.	Treating compliance retainers as shipment-level charges.
Payment Processing Fees (Net)	Variable	Deduct 1.5% of revenue in the first operating year, falling to 1.0% by Year 5.	Putting processing fees in fixed overhead and overstating contribution margin.
Sales Team Commissions	Variable	Deduct 3.0% of revenue in the first operating year, falling to 2.0% by Year 5.	Mixing commissions into base payroll instead of tying them to sales volume.
Business Verification Services	Variable	Deduct 1.0% of revenue in the first operating year, falling to 0.5% by Year 5.	Spreading verification evenly across months when it should move with activity.
Platform Hosting & Software Licenses	Semi-variable	Model as a platform usage drag: 2.0% of revenue in the first operating year, falling to 1.5% by Year 5.	Combining usage-linked hosting with fixed software subscriptions.
Seller and Buyer Acquisition Spend	Semi-fixed	Budget in planned steps: $250,000 total in the first operating year, rising as acquisition targets expand.	Treating CAC spend as a direct charge on every shipment.
Payroll for Management, Engineering, Sales, Support, and Marketing	Semi-fixed	Model salaries in hiring steps, including the marketing specialist starting in Month 13 and added team capacity in later years.	Forcing payroll into variable shipment economics instead of capacity planning.

How does break-even change from a lean launch to a funded base case and a full-scale trade platform?

Scenario table

Month 6 is the cash low point, and the model needs about $434k of minimum cash to get there. Year 1 EBITDA is about $70k, so the opening ramp is tight until seller and buyer volume builds.

Planning assumptions only; actual break-even will move with deal mix, timing, and how fast the platform ramps.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean founder-led launch	$787k	$59k	$728k	92.5%	$0	Break-even is reachable, but the cushion is thin.
Base funded launch	$1.013M	$76k	$937k	92.5%	$0	Month 6 break-even lands here, but cash still dips to about $434k.
Full scaled platform build	$1.481M	$102k	$1.378M	93.1%	$0	Scale works only if volume ramps fast enough to cover the heavier payroll.

What breaks the break-even plan for an import/export company?

Stress test

The plan breaks fastest if revenue slips, fixed overhead rises, or variable costs move up. Watch slower seller acquisition above the $500 CAC plan, buyer CAC above $150, and support hiring before volume proves out.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change. Revenue and cost mix stay at plan.	$1.013M/month	$0 gap	Break-even is met, but the cushion is thin.
Revenue shortfall	Revenue runs 10% below plan.	$1.013M/month	$94k gap	Lower seller or buyer activity quickly opens a cash hole.
Fixed-cost increase	Fixed overhead rises 10%.	$1.114M/month	$101k gap	Rent, compliance, and staffing creep can erase the cushion fast.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise 2 points to 95%.	$1.035M/month	$22k gap	Commissions, verification, and processing fees squeeze contribution.
Combined pressure	Revenue is 10% lower, variable expenses hit 95%, and fixed overhead rises 10%.	$1.218M/month	$205k gap	Late volume and cost creep can create a six-figure monthly gap.

Can this import/export company clear break-even before you lock in the lease, hiring, and scale spend?

Founder checklist

Treat Month 6 as the gate. With a $434K cash low point and break-even also at Month 6, don’t commit to overhead until the seller and buyer pipelines, pricing, and repeat orders all line up.

1Pipeline proof200 sellers / 1,000 buyers

Confirm the Year 1 budgets can buy that many qualified leads, or launch demand will not feed break-even.

2Pricing stack$49/$149/$499 and $29/$99/$299

Check the seller and buyer tiers still clear the $10 fixed commission and 3.0% variable commission after processing and sales costs.

3Fixed load$12.0K/mo

Make sure rent, legal and compliance, accounting, software, utilities, insurance, and cybersecurity can run every month before you sign any long-term contract.

4Staff ramp6 FTEs

Verify the six Year 1 roles can handle opening volume and that the Year 2 move to 8 FTEs, then Year 4 to 13, will not outrun cash.

5Cash floor$434K, Month 6

Keep enough cash for the Month 6 low point, because breakeven is also at Month 6 and the model still needs a reserve.

6Repeat demand1.5x / 2.0x / 1.0x

Check that Year 1 repeat orders hold for small retailers, wholesalers, and distributors; if they lag, do not add overhead.