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Deep, practical reference guides. The reasoning and detail behind the numbers our calculators produce.
Break-Even Analysis Examples: 5 Fully Worked Industries
Coffee shop, restaurant, retail with markdowns, SaaS with the dual break-even most guides miss, and an agency. Every number worked and checked.
Read the guide →123 Sheets vs. Reckon for Bank Reconciliation
They're not actually competing for the same job — what each tool really does, and which one you want.
Read the guide →Break-Even Point vs. Margin of Safety: Which to Watch, and When
Both measure the same underlying risk, but they answer different questions at different moments.
Read the guide →Startup Financial Model Template: Runway + Burn + MRR
A deliberately minimal 3-tab financial model, not an 8-tab investor deck.
Read the guide →Price Elasticity of Demand: Real Examples and Worked Cases
Three real, documented elasticity cases, plus four verified small-business worked examples.
Read the guide →1099 vs. W2 for Workers: What Rate Actually Matches a Salary
A negotiation framework using the employer's fully loaded cost, not the bare salary.
Read the guide →SaaS Metrics for Bootstrapped Founders (Not VC-Backed Ones)
MRR, ARR, churn, LTV, CAC, and the default-alive question, translated for a self-funded founder.
Read the guide →DSCR for Rental Property: How Lenders Actually Calculate It
The real estate DSCR formula uses PITIA, not just principal and interest.
Read the guide →Contribution Margin Income Statement: Format & Free Template
A real traditional income statement reclassified line by line into contribution format.
Read the guide →CVP Analysis Example: A Full Worked Case Study
One business, three connected decisions: a price increase, an automation crossover, a mix shift.
Read the guide →The Free Break-Even Analysis Excel Template
A real, working spreadsheet with live formulas and an auto-updating chart.
Read the guide →The Complete Markup to Margin Conversion Chart (5%–500%)
Every markup and margin percentage converted, and the pricing-software mistake that costs real profit.
Read the guide →How Much Should a Freelancer Set Aside for Taxes?
The real percentage by profit level — why a flat "save 30%" rule overshoots low and undershoots high.
Read the guide →Standard Mileage vs. Actual Expenses: Which Saves More
The same car produces different deductions under each method — worked examples showing when each one wins.
Read the guide →S-Corp Reasonable Salary: What the IRS Actually Looks At
The real multi-factor test from actual case law — there is no official "60/40 rule."
Read the guide →Section 179 vs. Bonus Depreciation: How They Interact
They stack, in a fixed order — the 2026 rules and a full worked example.
Read the guide →eBay Fees Explained: The Full Fee Stack for 2026
Final value fees, per-order fees, insertion fees, Store subscriptions, Promoted Listings — the full stack.
Read the guide →Pre-Money vs. Post-Money Valuation, Explained With Numbers
Which one a term sheet quotes changes your actual dilution — a full worked example.
Read the guide →Standard Costing & Variance Analysis: Worked Examples
Material, labor, and overhead variances calculated in full from one production run.
Read the guide →Employee Turnover Rate Benchmarks by Industry (and Cost)
BLS turnover rates by industry, why "monthly × 12" overstates the real figure, and what a departure costs.
Read the guide →Ideal Food Cost Percentage by Restaurant Type: 2026
Benchmarks by concept, and why prime cost matters more than food cost alone.
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