HBC_Finance_Module_Workbook.xlsx

	A	B	C
1	How to Use This Workbook
2
3	Your Finance Module Companion Guide
4
5	A free Higher Being Collective resource — open to everyone. #CommunityOverCompetition
6
7	This guide walks you through the Finance Module workbook step by step — no finance background needed. If you've never created a spreadsheet for your business before, start here.
8
9	Before You Start
10	Read the companion blog post, “Money Talks: A Beginner's Guide to Business Finance and Pricing Your Products,” first. It explains the ideas behind every tab in this workbook.
11	Make your own copy of the Google Sheet: File > Make a copy. This keeps the original template clean for the next person.
12	Work through the tabs in order: Pricing & Margin → Break-Even → P&L → Cash Flow Forecast. Each one builds on the last.
13	Only type info into the yellow cells. Everything else is a formula that automatically makes calculations for you — see the legend below.
14	Understanding the Color Legend
15	Every tab in the workbook uses the same three cell styles, so once you learn them, you can navigate any sheet with confidence.
16
17	Cell style	What it means	What to do
18	Yellow fill*, blue text	A cell meant for your numbers	Type your own values here
19	White fill, black text	A formula that calculates automatically	Leave it alone — it updates on its own (do not enter any data in these cells)
20	White fill, green text	A number pulled in from another tab	Leave it alone — edit the source tab instead
21
22	*Please note: in this instance, fill refers to the color that fills the background of the cell.
23	Tab 1: Product Pricing & Margin
24	The first tab answers one question: how much should you charge? Add one row per product.
25
26	Field	What it Means/What it Does
27	Materials / Packaging / Labor / Other Costs	Every direct cost of making one unit. Be thorough — forgotten costs are the #1 reason new entrepreneurs underprice. (One unit may be one item, one event, any one product or service)
28	Total Cost (COGS: Cost of Goods Sold)	This cell adds up your four cost columns automatically.
29	Target Margin %	The percentage of the price you want left over after costs. 50–70% is a common starting range for products.
30	Suggested Price	The price that meets your target margin, calculated for you: Cost ÷ (1 − Target Margin).
31	Your Actual Price	What you actually plan to charge — this can match the Suggested Price or differ from it.
32	Actual Margin %	Recalculates automatically based on the price you enter, so you always know your real margin.
33
34	Tip: Delete the example row (Lavender Soap Bar) once you understand the pattern, or leave it as a reference — it won't affect your totals.
35
36	Tab 2: Break-Even
37	This tab tells you how many units — or how much revenue — you need to earn each month before you start making a profit.
38
39	Field	What it Means
40	Monthly fixed costs	Costs that stay the same no matter how much you sell — rent, subscriptions, insurance, etc
41	Price per unit	Take this info from your Pricing & Margin tab — use your Actual Price.
42	Variable cost per unit	Also from your Pricing tab — this is your Total Cost (COGS) per unit.
43	Contribution margin per unit	Price per unit − Variable cost per unit What each sale "contributes" toward paying your fixed costs — and once fixed costs are covered, toward profit.
44	Contribution margin %	Contribution margin % = Contribution margin per unit ÷ Price per unit This is the same idea as above, but expressed as a percentage of the price instead of a dollar amount — useful for comparing products that are priced very differently.
45	Break-even units per month	The number of units you must sell each month just to cover your costs.
46	Break-even revenue per month	The same number, shown in dollars instead of units.
47
48	Tip: Use the “Try different prices” table underneath to see how raising or lowering your price shifts how many units you'd need to sell to break even, and to make a profit. This is a safe space to experiment before you commit to a price.
49
50	Tab 3: P&L (Profit & Loss)
51	This tab shows whether you're actually making money, month by month, across a full year.
52
53	Field	What it Means
54	Sales Revenue	All the money coming in from sales and any other income.
55	COGS (Cost of Goods Sold)	The direct cost of the products you sold that month.
56	Gross Profit / Gross Margin %	What money is left after COGS, presented as a percentage of total revenue.
57	Operating Expenses	All other costs associated with running the business — rent, software, marketing, contractors, office supplies, etc.
58	Net Profit / Net Margin %	Your true bottom line after every cost (both COGS and Operating Expenses) is accounted for
59
60	Tip: The sample numbers in each cell are placeholders — replace the data in every yellow cell with your real figures. The Total column on the far right adds up your full year automatically.
61
62	Tab 4: Cash Flow Forecast
63	Cash and profit are not the same thing. This tab tracks the actual money moving in and out of your bank account, so you're never caught off guard.
64
65	Field	What it means
66	Starting Cash Balance	How much cash you have available at the start of the month. January is the only one you enter — every other month carries forward automatically. For our purposes, you can enter zeros until you launch and establish your starting cash balance.
67	Sales Revenue (from P&L)	This links automatically from your P&L tab (shown in green). It assumes that you are paid during the same month you make the sale — adjust manually if customers pay you later.
68	Cash Out	Everything you must pay for during that month — inventory, rent, payroll, marketing, subscriptions, etc.
69	Net Cash Flow	Total Cash In minus Total Cash Out for the month.
70	Ending Cash Balance	Your cash available at the end of the month — and next month's starting balance.
71	Watch for this If Ending Cash Balance ever becomes a negative number, that's an early warning sign — not a failure. It means it's time to cut a cost, delay a purchase, or bring in cash sooner, before the shortfall actually happens.
72
73	Common Questions
74	“My formulas show $0 or a blank cell — did I break something?”
75
76	Most likely you just haven't entered numbers in the yellow cells yet. Formula cells calculate from your inputs — no inputs, no results.
77
78	“Can I add more rows or products?”
79
80	Yes. Insert a new row inside any of the tabs and copy the formulas from the row above it down into the new one, rather than copying or typing formulas from scratch.
81
82	“Which tab should I revisit most often?”
83
84	Your Cash Flow Forecast. Pricing and break-even are things you set up once and revisit occasionally; cash flow is something to check more regularly; monthly, or weekly if things are tight.
85
86	You've Got This
87	You don't need an accounting degree to run the numbers on your business — you just need a system, and now you have one. Come back to this workbook every month. The more you use it, the more it becomes second nature.
88
89	This resource is shared freely with the community. If it helped you, pass it along. #CommunityOverCompetition
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100