How Much Does It Really Cost to Start a Business?
Real cost breakdowns for 100+ business types.
Line items, hidden costs, breakeven timelines.
Featured Cost Guides
Restaurant
How much does it cost to start a restaurant? Expect $175,000-$750,000+. Full breakdown of buildout, equipment, licensing
Food Truck
How much does it cost to start a food truck? Expect $28,000-$114,000. Full breakdown of vehicle, equipment, permits, and
Cleaning Business
How much does it cost to start a cleaning business? Expect $1,500-$15,000. Full cost breakdown for residential and comme
Coffee Shop
How much does it cost to start a coffee shop? Expect $25,000-$300,000. Full breakdown of espresso equipment, buildout, p
Gym
How much does it cost to start a gym? Expect $50,000-$500,000+. Full breakdown of equipment, buildout, insurance, and th
Trucking Company
How much does it cost to start a trucking company? Expect $15,000-$200,000+. Full breakdown of truck costs, authority, i
Pick Your Industry
100+ businesses across 11 categories. Every cost accounted for.
Why trust these numbers?
Most startup cost guides are useless. Not because the writers are lazy — because they're copying each other. Article A cites Article B cites Article C. Somewhere back there, someone made a number up. We got tired of it. Every breakdown here starts from scratch: SBA data, industry reports, conversations with people who actually opened these businesses.
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