Auto repair Working Capital Gap
Surplus after buffer = current assets − current liabilities − desired buffer
Gather repair orders, parts invoices and technician time logs. Include parts, technician time, and shop overhead. The starting figures are examples. Replace them with your own records.
Formula and worked example
Surplus after buffer = current assets − current liabilities − desired buffer
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| Current assets | 75,000 |
| Current liabilities | 45,000 |
| Desired additional liquidity buffer | 20,000 |
| Calculated result | 10,000 |
Choose reliable inputs
Separate parts, technician time and bay availability for each repair order. For this auto repair calculation, use repair orders, parts invoices and technician time logs and a consistent definition of one repair order.
- Parts: include the portion belonging to this repair order or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
- Technician time: include the portion belonging to this repair order or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
- Shop overhead: include the portion belonging to this repair 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.
Is working capital equivalent to money in the bank?
Inventory and receivables need conversion into cash. Review asset quality and payment timing separately.
Current assets may include illiquid stock or disputed receivables; this is not available cash.
What if this input changes?
If current assets rises by 10%, this example changes by 7,500 . 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.