With the illustrative inputs below, the result is 100 per sale.
Try this with your own numbersFormula and worked example
Overhead allocation = fixed costs / completed sales
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| Monthly fixed costs | 6,000 |
| Completed event orders per month | 60 |
| Calculated result | 100 per sale |
Choose reliable inputs
Track purchased quantities, usable yield, labour and waste before deciding on a selling price. For this catering calculation, use recipe sheets, supplier invoices and stock counts and a consistent definition of one event order.
- Ingredients: include the portion belonging to this event order or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
- Staffing: include the portion belonging to this event order or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
- Delivery: include the portion belonging to this event order or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
Use the same currency for every money input. Do not mix weekly costs with monthly revenue, or count the same expense in both an itemised cost and allocated overhead.
What happens when monthly volume falls?
Fixed cost per sale rises when completed volume falls. Test a conservative volume scenario before setting prices.
This simple equal allocation does not capture differences in job duration or resource use.
What if this input changes?
If monthly fixed costs rises by 10%, this example changes by 10 per sale. This shows the effect of one change; it does not predict what will happen.
Open the calculator, save your baseline, then change the input supported by the least reliable estimate in your records. Compare both scenarios before committing to a price or capacity promise.