Oh boy, I’m excited to talk about one of my favorite financial topics – fixed cost. If you’re wondering what it is, then sit tight and let me break it down.
In simple terms, fixed cost refers to the cost of running a business that does not change with the business’s level of activity or production output. It’s the amount of money that stays the same, regardless of how much money you make from your business.
For instance, let’s say you run a bakery, and you pay rent for the bakery every month, like clockwork, regardless of how many cakes you sell or how much money you make. That rent payment is a fixed cost, my friend.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a person who likes predictability and control. Fixed cost is quite appealing to me because it’s a constant amount that can be accurately estimated and included in your business budget. It makes financial forecasting a whole lot simpler.
We all like to have a rough idea of the amount of money we could make versus the money we put into our businesses. With fixed costs, you have a better understanding of what expenses are compulsory and how much you can spend on variable costs such as inventory or advertisements.
Before we go any further, it's essential to note that there are four categories that fixed cost can fall under. Your fixed costs could fall under any or all of the following categories:
There are several benefits of fixed costs we can look at. Perhaps the most significant advantage is that businesses can calculate the break-even point. Understanding the break-even point is critical when making important business decisions or setting prices for goods or services.
Additionally, fixed costs don’t fluctuate, so they don’t give rise to the same uncertainty and risk as variable costs do. The predictability and stability of fixed costs offer a valuable layer of control and understanding when trying to predict the cash flow of a business.
Variable costs, in contrast, are not constant. They vary depending on the level of output. For instance, if we go back to the bakery example, ingredients are a variable cost as they depend on how many cakes you bake. The more cakes you bake, the higher the ingredient cost will be.
Variable costs could be difficult to predict, but they have the potential to decrease as production levels increase. Basically, it’s the more you “make,” the less you pay per “unit.”
Both fixed costs versus variable costs are important to know and budget for to ensure that a business is profitable. When all costs are considered, a business owner can identify how much to charge for goods and services, how many units must be sold to break even, and what monies would be left over after fixed costs are covered.
And there you have it, folks – the ins, outs, and benefits of fixed costs. Fixed costs might not be glamorous, but they sure are essential. Without them, we’d all be lost in uncertainty and unable to determine how our businesses are performing against our finances.
It’s good to know that there are a few things in life that can be relied upon, don’t change, and are predictable. Fixed costs are one of these things, and their stability offers tremendous comfort for business owners everywhere.
If you’re a business owner, hopefully, this article has given you a comprehensive understanding of fixed costs and why they’re important. If you’re not a business owner, hopefully, you’ve found this article amusing and educational.
Until the next financial topic, keep crunching those numbers.
