15 Tips for Creating a Realistic Budget for Your Startup
Crafting a realistic startup budget is both an art and a science, as revealed by the diverse experiences of founders and CEOs who have navigated these waters. From the importance of simplicity and adaptability to the critical balance of frugality with necessary outsourcing, we’ve compiled the top fifteen answers to guide you through the budgeting maze and help you sidestep common pitfalls.
- Keep Startup Budgets Simple and Adaptable
- Strategize Customer Acquisition in Budgeting
- Regularly Review and Adjust Startup Budgets
- Combine Idealism with Pragmatic Budgeting
- Anticipate Financial Needs for Long-Term Success
- Forecast Appointments to Manage Resources
- Allocate Income into Spending Categories
- Adjust Hiring Budgets for Quality Talent
- Align Budget with Strategic Objectives
- Plan for Unforeseen Challenges in Budgeting
- Budget with Growth and City-Specific Strategies
- Amplify Worst-Case Scenarios for Safety
- Use Long-Term Planning for Budget Vision
- Forecast Accurately with Dynamic Financial Models
- Balance Frugality with Necessary Outsourcing
Keep Startup Budgets Simple and Adaptable
As a startup, you have to assume your budget is just a goal because you don’t know all the answers yet. The business isn’t going to grow just because you spent tons of time on the budget. It will grow when you’re out there adding value, or doing what you need to do to make money. So, keep the budget basic.
From my experience, the best solution is to create a simple Profit and Loss type budget, by month, with a spreadsheet.
Estimate your revenue in maybe 2-4 major categories; if it’s a yoga studio, that might be individual classes, monthly, or annual memberships. Again, keep it simple.
Then, break your expenses into bigger categories: payroll, rent, inventory, taxes, telephone, internet, office expenses, website, etc. Then, start digging into other expenses: startup expenses, consultants, HVAC, utilities, etc. Again, keep it simple but try to continually add in the expenses that you didn’t realize when you first started.
I’ve used this same model on two startups, and when consulting other business owners. The process itself is part of the learning. Things cost more than you might think, and revenue in different categories might not prove as easy as forecasted.
The budget is a tool to learn from, so update it, and learn what you need to do to get to profitability, or that next step.
Jonathan Duarte, Founder and CEO, GoHire, Inc
Strategize Customer Acquisition in Budgeting
Budgeting for a startup is all about nailing the essentials and avoiding underestimating key costs, especially customer acquisition. We got it right by itemizing every necessary tool and service, and then adding a healthy slice for acquiring customers. This wasn’t just caution; it was strategy.
The result? Our launch exceeded expectations, proving that a well-fed budget in the right areas can turn a startup’s aspirations into solid achievements. Don’t make it impossible to grow by not giving yourself the budget to acquire customers!
Justin Silverman, Founder and CEO, Merchynt
Regularly Review and Adjust Startup Budgets
Creating a realistic budget for a startup hinges on thorough research and realistic assumptions. It starts with detailing all potential expenses, including both fixed costs like rent and variable costs, such as marketing. Revenue projections should be conservative, considering market research and industry benchmarks. A critical aspect is to regularly review and adjust the budget as the business evolves.
A common mistake to avoid is underestimating expenses. Startups often overlook hidden costs like insurance, legal fees, or unplanned contingencies. This oversight can lead to cash flow problems, which are a leading cause of startup failure.
An illustrative example of successful budgeting is a tech startup I worked with. Initially, their focus was solely on product development, underestimating marketing and sales costs. By revising their budget to allocate funds for a robust marketing strategy, they significantly increased their customer base and revenue, leading to a successful funding round. This outcome was a direct result of adaptable and realistic budgeting.
Anup Kayastha, Founder, Serpnest
Combine Idealism with Pragmatic Budgeting
Budgeting a startup demands balancing idealism with pragmatism—an ever-evolving puzzle requiring flexibility. In our early hustle, I often overestimated profits and underestimated costs. Yet, realistic budgets connect present trade-offs with future goals through transparency—they crystallize visions into accountable steps.
Core to this is open communication, collectively mapping assets available before projects are imagined. I’ve learned you unlock potential by uplifting teams’ strengths rather than dwelling on flaws alone. Therein lies realistic budgeting—not rigid austerity, but creatively working within our means, aligned by a common purpose more than strict finances. It spotlights unity in progress, a mindset shift from numbers fixed to progress as a perpetual work-in-progress.
Lou Reverchuk, Co-Founder and CEO, EchoGlobal
Anticipate Financial Needs for Long-Term Success
Creating a realistic budget for a startup involves a comprehensive approach that considers both short-term and long-term financial needs. One effective method is to start by identifying all potential expenses, including fixed costs like rent and salaries, as well as variable costs like marketing and operational expenses. It’s crucial to conduct thorough market research to understand industry benchmarks and pricing norms.
One common mistake to avoid is underestimating expenses or failing to account for unforeseen circumstances. It’s essential to build in a contingency fund to handle unexpected costs that may arise during the course of your startup journey.
In a specific instance at Fat Agent, our budgeting process played a pivotal role in a successful outcome. We carefully projected the costs associated with scaling our insurtech platform, accounting for technology upgrades, marketing initiatives, and talent acquisition.
By accurately anticipating our financial needs, we ensured that we had the resources to execute our growth strategy seamlessly. This disciplined budgeting approach contributed significantly to the success of our expansion efforts.
Brad Cummins, Founder, Insurance Geek
Forecast Appointments to Manage Resources
To help us budget for each month, we used our appointment schedule. By forecasting the number of appointments, we were able to allocate resources effectively and keep our cash flow steady. So, when creating your budget, make sure to consider not only your costs but also the needs and preferences of your clients!
Diane Howard, RN and Founder, Esthetic Finesse
Allocate Income into Spending Categories
To create a realistic budget for your startup, a basic rule of thumb is to divide your monthly after-tax income into three spending categories: allocate 50% for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for paying off debt or savings. These breakouts create a balance for when you are managing finances and prioritizing essential expenses.
One common mistake to avoid is not having a budget at all. Without a budget, it becomes challenging to track and manage expenses effectively. The worst-case scenario, which can lead to financial instability and potential setbacks for your startup, is not being prepared.
An example I can share is that using activity-based budgeting is invaluable when we have a revenue target to achieve. By allocating resources specifically for marketing activities, we were able to make informed decisions about where to allocate funds to drive revenue growth. We were able to identify areas for cost optimization, track the effectiveness of different marketing activities, and make adjustments to the budget. Through closely monitoring performance, we maximized our chances of achieving our revenue target.
Rubens Basso, Chief Technology Officer, FieldRoutes
Adjust Hiring Budgets for Quality Talent
As a recruiter, I know that one of the most common budgeting mistakes startups make is not properly costing their hires.
When you’re developing a new business, especially in today’s optimistic tech sphere, it’s normal to think what you’re doing is groundbreaking. In fact, this kind of hubris is often necessary for success.
But startups must understand that new hires won’t see their concept through the same lens, and put aside the expectation that workers will apply based on a compelling idea. Undercutting your salary offerings because you think people will be lucky to work for you is a bad way to begin hiring. You won’t get the most passionate people, as you might expect, but lesser talent.
That’s why I often recommend startups increase their hiring budget. Doing so might sting at first, but will pay dividends in the long term, and you’ll look back and be glad you were realistic about the market.
Travis Hann, Partner, Pender & Howe
Align Budget with Strategic Objectives
In the ever-evolving landscape of seed-stage startups, it is crucial to synchronize your budget with your strategic objectives. I often advise everyone that their budget essentially represents their strategy, and vice versa. Simply put, the budgeting process goes beyond mere numbers; it mirrors your company’s overarching strategy and objectives.
In my role as a startup consultant, I’ve encountered numerous scenarios where budgeting played a pivotal role in the success or challenges faced by startups. One particular instance stands out where a tech startup initially allocated minimal resources for marketing, assuming organic growth would suffice.
However, after a few months, it became evident that user acquisition was slower than anticipated. Realizing the need for a course correction, the startup adjusted the budget to allocate more funds to targeted marketing campaigns, social media advertising, and influencer partnerships. This strategic shift resulted in a significant increase in user acquisition and engagement, exceeding the initial projections.
Nimrod Vromen, Startup Consultant and Host, CTech
Plan for Unforeseen Challenges in Budgeting
Establishing a realistic budget for a startup involves a detailed analysis of anticipated expenses and revenue projections. One key aspect is accounting for unforeseen costs by building a contingency fund. A common mistake to avoid is underestimating expenses or neglecting to factor in potential challenges.
An illustrative success from our budgeting process occurred when launching a new product. Thorough budget planning allowed us to allocate resources efficiently, ensuring sufficient funds for marketing, development, and unforeseen challenges. This strategic approach contributed to a successful product launch, exceeding expectations and reinforcing the importance of comprehensive budgeting.
Khurram Mir, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Kualitee
Budget with Growth and City-Specific Strategies
One of the most important aspects of budgeting for your small business is budgeting with growth in mind. You generally need to spend more money to make more money, so it’s important to know when to up your spending and when you can expect a payoff on that spending.
We got really good at this by taking a city-by-city approach to growth. Every city needed a marketing push, anchored by a website and social media accounts, and a logistical push with trucks, workers, and dispatch facilities ready to go to meet demand. We use each city as a case study to refine our per-city budget, which helps us better gauge our ability to turn a profit in a new market.
Nick Valentino, VP of Market Operations, Bellhop
Amplify Worst-Case Scenarios for Safety
Start-ups often stumble on common budgeting pitfalls like underestimating expenses, neglecting irregular costs, and being overly optimistic regarding revenue forecasts.
My advice: Envision the worst-case scenario, then amplify it by 10%. This provides a solid foundation for a capital strategy, signaling when fundraising or alternative capital is crucial. Another mistake is underestimating the ramp-up time of new sales hires. A new Account Executive typically requires 90 to 180 days to generate consistent revenue.
Even with experienced hires, allowing ample time for process assimilation is key. Overestimating ramp-up time has safeguarded our revenue projections while empowering our sales team to succeed.
Keith Harrington, Co-Founder and COO, Novel Capital
Use Long-Term Planning for Budget Vision
The big picture. Most of the time, we generate a budget based on current projects, but we are not looking at the vision of where we are going to be in 12 months. You need to generate long-term planning, at least 5 years, where you define your goals, tasks, and KPIs.
In my case, I like to use a Hoshin Kanri tool. With this vision, you can visualize the complete picture of the money you will need, as defined by the user. From this step, every penny not used is savings for the company.
Rodrigo Garcia Rojas Celorio, Operations Manager, Garoce
Forecast Accurately with Dynamic Financial Models
Creating a realistic budget for my startup involves developing a comprehensive financial model that enables me to forecast both revenue and expenses accurately. Having a robust and dynamic financial model was one of the key drivers of our budgeting process, as we were able to foresee potential cash inflows and outflows of the company, which successfully prevented a disruption in our liquidity.
Meanwhile, one common mistake to avoid in budgeting is giving unnecessary importance to the sunk costs of the company. Sunk costs are expenses that have already been incurred and cannot be recovered. It’s extremely important to focus on future costs and revenue rather than dwelling on irreversible past expenses. Making decisions that are more relevant to the success of the firm in the future is made easier with this shift in perspective.
James McNally, Managing Director, SDVH [Self Drive Vehicle Hire]
Balance Frugality with Necessary Outsourcing
Spend as little as possible—that’s the budget. Every dollar that is saved today can create a runway for the business to exist tomorrow.
Also, and completely opposite of that advice, is not to be frugal to a fault. Assess what you are able to do well, and do that work. Understand what you don’t do well, and determine whether you should learn the skill or outsource it. In that continuum of spending as little as possible and spending on the work you can’t do, is where your budget gets defined.
In more concrete terms, determine everything you’ll need to do to grow your business. Budget for those expenses, and the less familiar you are with the work, build in an extra buffer for the possibility of additional costs.
Robert Brill, CEO, Brill Media
