Buy the ability to deliver, then earn the upgrades.
The calculations
Start with essential items. Optional items are included in the selected plan only when you check the option above.
Business base = selected one-time purchases + (selected monthly costs × runway months)
Funding target = business base × (1 + contingency rate) + (monthly personal reserve × runway months)
The contingency applies to business costs only. Additional funds needed = funding target − available cash, with a minimum of zero. Any extra cash appears separately as funds left after this plan.
The comparison calculates both essential-only and all-items scenarios using the same runway, contingency, and personal reserve. No booking revenue is assumed or subtracted.
A hypothetical lean launch
The starter list has $3,200 in essential one-time costs and $92 in essential monthly costs. Three months of recurring expenses adds $276. A 10% contingency on the $3,476 business base adds $347.60.
With no personal living reserve entered, the essential funding target is $3,823.60. Starting with $3,000 leaves a $823.60 gap. Including every optional item raises the target to $6,601.10.
This is an illustration of the method, not a recommended startup budget. A wedding business, a home-based portrait business, and a commercial studio can need very different equipment, insurance, space, and reserves.
Make your first round of decisions today.
- Remove items you already own and can reliably use. Check whether renting a backup meets your initial needs.
- Get actual quotes for your location, specialty, professional support, and insurance. Annual bills may require more cash upfront than their monthly equivalent.
- Move an upgrade to optional unless you can connect it to safety, reliable delivery, an actual requirement, or an offer you can sell.
- Download the plan, choose a review date, and keep your runway reserve available for recurring costs.
This cash-planning worksheet does not calculate depreciation, borrowing costs, income taxes, sales tax, debt repayments, future revenue, or the timing of annual renewals. Add known cash obligations as distinct items and confirm any business or tax requirements with qualified local professionals.
Use the minimum viable photography gear guide to evaluate purchases and the part-time to full-time guide to pressure-test your runway. Session Savvy’s free business tools can reduce your software budget; account for any online payment fees separately when you model bookings.