Choosing a business
Read a national opening guide and its format alternatives, then use the business comparisons to understand customers, work and constraints.
Help using Startup Costs
Get practical help with business guides, state profiles, calculator inputs, downloads and evidence labels.
Find the right starting point.
Planning in a state
Open the state directory for official agency routes and the five formats. The financial profiles show benchmarks and scenarios with the local evidence gaps visible.
Preparing to open
Use the opening library to make a scope, quote ledger, approvals record, roster and first-13-week cash plan.
Use the scenario calculator.
Read the published reference
The opening sections retain their original inputs and calculations. Note the business format, capacity, wage basis and authored price and cost assumptions.
Change one driver at a time
Volume, price, occupancy, variable cost share and the wage factor update the calculator results below the inputs. The published article stays unchanged so you can compare your scenario with it.
Inspect the limits
Sales are capped at the defined capacity. A warning about break-even above capacity calls for a format change, not a larger sales entry. Wage factors change benchmark rates while paid hours stay fixed.
Save the version you tested
Download the scenario JSON for its inputs and results, or the 60-month CSV for the cash schedule. Downloads are generated in the browser; the site has no account-based saved plan.
Common questions.
Why do many states share the same price and rent?
Those commercial inputs are explicit reference assumptions. The current state scenarios mainly vary with wage benchmarks. They are not completed state-specific cost-and-revenue studies.
Why does a wage benchmark say national proxy?
A relevant state observation can be unavailable or suppressed. The Virginia hairstylist case explicitly uses the national May 2025 benchmark. A proxy must not be described as an observed state wage.
Why did my inputs disappear?
Calculator edits are held in the current browser page. Reloading or leaving the page can reset them. Download your scenario before navigating away. There is no server account or automatic restore service.
Why will a number not calculate?
Complete required fields and use the displayed input ranges. Price must be positive and variable costs must stay below 100%. The page explains when the changed format cannot reach break-even within capacity.
What if a source or agency link has moved?
Use the named agency or its government directory to find the current route, then prepare a correction with the old URL and the new official source. An agency directory does not itself verify requirements for your address.
Can I upload a workbook or ask the site to submit a filing?
The current site does not provide file uploads, a document review service, regulatory filing or financing applications. Its tools help you prepare and inspect your own planning inputs.
Can I browse without JavaScript?
The business articles, state links, agency routes and guides are static HTML. Interactive filters, calculator edits and local copy/export controls require JavaScript.
Report a problem.
For site support, policy questions and research corrections, email [email protected]. Include the page URL and enough detail to identify the question or claim.
Prepare a correction or technical report. For a calculator issue include the page, entered values, expected result and actual result. For a broken link include the destination and time checked.
Financial information disclaimer
Published research and calculations support business planning and education. They are not personalized financial, investment, tax or legal advice, and they do not guarantee costs, revenue, profit or financing. Estimates depend on the stated format, location, source periods and assumptions. Check the requirements and commitments that apply to your circumstances.