Create a break even analysis chart in Excel by Chris Menard

Posted on:  05/31/2017
Create a break even analysis chart in Excel by Chris Menard

To find the break-even, you need to take your variable expenses and subtract them from your revenue or sales. This is knows as the Contribution Margin. Variable expenses are:

  1. Direct material
  2. Commission per unit
  3. Hourly production wages
  4. Shipping cost
  5. Packaging

Variable expenses are those expenses that are directly related to volume. The more you produce the higher your variable cost.

Next, we are going to take our fixed expenses, and divide by the Contribution Margin per unit. Fixed expenses do not fluctuate. They include such expenses:

  1. rent
  2. insurance
  3. Security
  4. dues and subscriptions
  5. equipment leases
  6. payments on loans
  7. depreciation
  8. management salaries
  9. advertising

Dividing your fixed expenses by the Contribution margin per unit will give you the break-even in units. Anything above that number is profit and below that number will be a loss.

YouTube Video of creating a break-even analysis chart

Chris Menard

Chris Menard is a certified Microsoft Trainer (MCT) and works as a full-time Trainer at BakerHostetler - one of the largest law firms in the US. He runs a YouTube channel with 900+ technology videos that cover various tools such as Excel, Word, Zoom, Teams, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Outlook. To date, the channel has helped over 20 million viewers. Menard also does 2 to 3 public speaking events every year, presenting at the Administrative Professional Conference (APC), the EA Ignite Conference, the Support Staff Conference, the University of Georgia, and CPA conferences. You can connect with him on LinkedIn at chrismenardtraining.com/linked or watch his videos on YouTube at chrismenardtraining.com/youtube.

Categories