Monday, May 19, 2014

How to calculate the break-even point of your product


This is the volume of sales (the level of product sold) made when the total sales revenue becomes equal to the total cost of product.  The break-even point helps us determine the amount of products needed to be sold in order to recover the fixed and the variable costs.
Any revenue generated beyond this break-even point results into profit.

Graphical representation:

Image from simplestudies.com

Calculating break-even point

Break-even point = Total Fixed Cost per month / (Selling Price per unit - Average Variable Cost per unit )
                                               TFC / (SP - AVC)


A company's total fixed cost for manufacturing a T-shirt is £500 each month and the total variable cost for manufacturing 1000 T-shirts for that month is £2,500. If the company decides to sell each T-Shirt for £7.50 or £5 each. What is their break-even point?

Calculating break-even point if selling price is £5:
Average Variable Cost per unit = Total Variable Cost / Total Number of Units manufactured
AVC = TVC /TNU
AVC = £2500 / 1000
AVC =  £2.50

Break-even point = TFC / (SP - AVC)
Break-even point = £500 / (£5 - £2.50)
Break-even point = £500 / £2.50
Break-even point = 200 units
Total revenue at break-even point will be (200 x £5.00) £1000


Calculating break-even point if selling price is £7.50:
Average Variable Cost per unit = Total Variable Cost / Total Number of Units manufactured
AVC = £2500 / 1000
AVC =  £2.50

Break-even point = TFC / (SP - AVC)
Break-even point = £500 / (£7.50 - £2.50)
Break-even point = £500 / £5.00
Break-even point = 100 units
Total revenue at break-even point will be (100 x £7.50) £750

Analysis
For the first calculation, to sell each T-Shirt at £5.00 each, 200 T-shirts has to be sold for the company to recover its fixed and variable cost. Also for the company to start generating profit, more then 200 T-shirts have to be sold and the sales revenue must be more than £1000

For the second calculation, to sell each T-Shirt at £7.50 each, 100 T-shirts has to be sold for the company to recover its fixed and variable cost.  Also for the company to start generating profit, more then 100 T-shirts have to be sold and the sales revenue must be more than £750

Click to see how to determine your selling price and how to calculate markup percentage








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