Nutrition Consulting Break-Even: $44K Monthly Revenue Needed

Fixed costs $4.4K Monthly overhead

Contribution margin 85% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $5.2K Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 25 Model break point

Break-even calculator

Check whether monthly revenue covers variable expenses and fixed costs, and see where break-even lands.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue sets the pool that can cover costs each month. $ Low sales High sales Variable expenses These are direct costs that rise as client volume grows. $ Low direct cost High direct cost

Money available to cover fixed costs $68,530 $79,500 revenue - $10,970 variable expenses

Margin ratio

86%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly base your margin has to cover. $ Low overhead High overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which nutrition consulting expenses are fixed, and which move with client volume?

Cost classification

Break-even gets cleaner when fixed overhead stays separate from client-linked costs. For this model, rent and admin tools set the monthly hurdle, while assessment tools, meal plan software, ads, and platform fees move with revenue.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Office Rent	Fixed	Include $2,500 in monthly overhead before calculating required revenue.	Spreading rent across each client session and hiding the true monthly hurdle.
Business Insurance	Fixed	Include $300 as recurring monthly overhead, not a per-client charge.	Assigning insurance to each client and overstating variable expense.
Legal & Compliance Retainer	Fixed	Include $500 in overhead from Month 1, even before volume ramps.	Leaving compliance out until revenue starts, which understates early break-even revenue.
CRM Software Subscription	Fixed	Include $200 as monthly overhead within the relevant planning range.	Treating the subscription as usage-based when the model lists a flat monthly amount.
Client Assessment Tools	Variable	Apply as a revenue-linked expense: 2.5% in the first year, falling to 1.5% by the fifth year.	Booking it as fixed overhead and missing margin gains as the percentage declines.
Meal Plan Software Licenses	Variable	Apply as a revenue-linked expense: 3.0% in the first year, falling to 2.0% by the fifth year.	Using one flat dollar amount and losing the link to client volume.
Digital Ad Spend	Variable	Apply as a sales-linked expense: 8.0% in the first year, falling to 5.0% by the fifth year.	Calling ads fixed and overstating contribution margin when growth depends on paid demand.
Clinical Payroll	Semi-fixed	Model salaries as capacity steps; new full-time equivalents raise overhead before sessions fill.	Treating nutritionist pay like a per-session commission instead of a staffing step.

How does break-even shift across lean, base, and full-capacity nutrition consulting?

Scenario table

The model moves from a Year 1 EBITDA loss of $99k to a Year 3 profit of $478k and a Year 5 profit near $1.766m, so each step up in volume and pricing adds more cushion against the fixed team.

Planning assumptions only; actual results will change with fill rates, pricing, and overhead.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean launch	$404k	$63k	$373k	84.5%	-$99k	Still about $38k short of break-even.
Base growth	$1.793m	$217k	$969k	87.9%	$478k	Clear cushion; margin coverage is strong.
Full capacity	$3.815m	$382k	$1.519m	90.0%	$1.766m	Deep cushion; fixed costs are well absorbed.

What breaks the break-even plan for a nutrition consulting launch?

Stress test

The plan is close to break-even at about $404k of revenue, but it still carries about a $38k gap and roughly $32k of monthly operating loss. A 10% sales miss or a 3-point margin drop quickly turns that into much bigger cash burn.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$442k	$38k gap	Bookings need to hold steady to avoid deeper losses.
Revenue shortfall	Revenue falls 10% to $364k.	$442k	$78k gap	A small sales miss widens the cash drain fast.
Fixed-cost pressure	Fixed costs rise by $50k.	$501k	$97k gap	Overhead creep pushes break-even farther out.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise 3 points, cutting margin to 81.5%.	$458k	$54k gap	Higher ad spend or software fees eat cushion fast.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls to $364k, margin drops to 81.5%, and fixed costs rise by $50k.	$520k	$156k gap	This is the failure case: weak demand and cost creep overwhelm the launch.

What should the founder verify before signing the lease and hiring the full nutrition team?

Founder checklist

Before you commit, prove the practice can carry the client load, the fixed costs, and the cash gap. For this plan, the first real test is whether demand holds near 191 monthly sessions at about $231 each.

1Volume test191/mo

Confirm you can book about 191 paid sessions or packages a month at a realized price near $231, because that is the rough volume needed to cover the Year 1 cost base.

2Fixed load$4.4K/mo

Verify office rent, insurance, compliance, CRM, hosting, accounting, supplies, and training really stay at $4.4K a month before payroll so overhead does not outrun early revenue.

3Margin check84.5% CM

Check that contribution margin, the share left after direct and variable costs, stays near 84.5% so each session still helps cover wages and fixed costs.

4Capacity ramp300/mo

Make sure the first clinical team can handle about 300 monthly treatments across the five roles without service delays, because quality slips can cut repeat bookings fast.

5Cash buffer$762K

Hold at least $762K of cash after the $47.5K setup spend and the Year 1 EBITDA loss of $99K, since the model bottoms out in Month 24.

6Workflow gateMonth 25

Do not lock long contracts until referrals, telehealth visits, intake, meal-plan delivery, billing, insurance, and bookkeeping all run cleanly enough to reach break-even in Month 25.