What Are 5 Common Startup Costs?

  • Startup

Five typical startup expenses are: business registration and licensing (a few hundred to a few thousand); initial inventory or product development (varies widely); marketing and customer acquisition (budget 15-20% of revenue); office space or equipment (rent or home office setup); and payroll for founders and early team members. Professional services—accounting; legal; tax preparation—also add up. Many founders underestimate these costs. Track expenses carefully from day one using accounting software to avoid cash flow surprises.

R&D Offer Quiz

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Answer to find out if you're eligible for R&D tax credits.

Do the activities performed relate to a new or improved business component’s function, performance, reliability, quality, or composition?(Required)
For Example: A mid-sized packaging company develops a slightly modified cardboard box design to improve its stacking strength (reliability) for warehouse storage, involving minor adjustments to the corrugation pattern to reduce collapse under standard weight loads.
Is your company trying to discover information to eliminate uncertainty concerning the capability or method for developing or improving a business component?(Required)
For Example: A furniture manufacturer investigates whether a cheaper wood adhesive can hold joints as effectively as the current one during assembly, testing bond strength to resolve doubts about its capability in standard production lines.
Do the activities performed constitute a process of experimentation?(Required)
For Example: An auto parts supplier runs a series of bench tests on different lubricant formulations to find one that reduces friction in engine bearings more effectively, systematically comparing wear rates over simulated operating cycles.