Example: Wavendon Plumbing

Table 22.2    Wavendon Plumbing: 6-month financial projection

1

Calculate your gross profit

Project sales

£/$/€75,000

– Direct costs:

Purchases (material costs)

£/$/€32,500

Labour costs

£/$/€20,000

= Gross profit

£/$/€22,500(A)

2

Calculate your gross profit margin

image

= Gross profit margin

30% (B)

Note: For simplicity all figures shown are exclusive of VAT.

3

Calculate your overheads

Indirect costs:

Business salaries

(including your own drawings)

£/$/€ 6,000

+ Rent

£/$/€ 2,000

+ Rates

£/$/€ 2,500

+ Light/heating

£/$/€ 2,500

+ Telephone/postage

£/$/€ 2,500

+ Insurance

£/$/€ 2,500

+ Repairs

£/$/€ 2,000

+ Advertising

£/$/€ 1,500

+ Bank interest/HP

£/$/€ 1,500

+ Other expenses

£/$/€ 1,500

(eg depreciation of fixed assets)

£/$/€

£/$/€

£/$/€

£/$/€

£/$/€

= Overheads

£/$/€16,500 (C)

4

Calculate your actual turnover required to break even

image

5

Profits accumulate in favour of the business once the break-even point has been reached. As overhead costs have been provided for in the break-even calculation, profits accumulate at a rate of 30 per cent (ie the gross margin percentage) on projected sales over and above the break-even figure.

In the case of the example, this is:

Projected sales

£/$/€75,000

– Break-even sales (D)

£/$/€55,000

× Gross profit margin (B)

30%

= Profit (for 6 months)

£/$/€6,000

These figures can be affected by:

actual level of sales achieved;

increase/decrease in gross margin;

increase/decrease in overheads.

Suggested further reading

Barrow, C (2011) Practical Financial Management: A guide to budget, balance sheets and business finance, 8th edn, Kogan Page, London

Barrow, C (2012) Business Accounting for Dummies, 3rd edn, Wiley, New York