UK small business planning
Use free UK start-up cost calculators for food trucks, mobile car valeting, lash businesses, dog grooming, cleaning, pressure washing, window cleaning, TikTok Shop selling and more.
Popular calculators
Mobile services
mobile car valeting startup cost calculator UK
Plan a mobile car valeting business with editable UK costs for equipment, chemicals, insurance, branding, marketing, transport and working capital.
Profit potential: Good
Best for: Practical founders who can sell locally and work on-site
Food and drink
food truck startup cost calculator UK
Estimate the cost of launching a UK food truck, including the vehicle, catering equipment, food hygiene training, pitch fees, insurance, packaging and opening stock.
Profit potential: High
Best for: Operators comfortable with food safety, events and fast service
Food and drink
kebab van startup cost calculator UK
Build a realistic UK budget for a kebab van, from the van or trailer and grill to refrigeration, gas safety, packaging, food stock and licence checks.
Profit potential: High
Best for: Food operators targeting evening trade, events or fixed pitches
Beauty
lash business startup cost calculator UK
Use this UK lash business calculator to plan training, a lash kit, treatment space, insurance, booking software, marketing and monthly product costs.
Profit potential: Good
Best for: Beauty beginners who can build repeat appointments
Pet services
dog grooming startup cost calculator UK
Estimate the cost of starting a dog grooming business in the UK, covering grooming tables, dryers, clippers, training, insurance, premises or mobile setup.
Profit potential: Good
Best for: Animal lovers with patience, handling skills and repeat demand
Home services
cleaning business startup cost calculator UK
Plan a UK cleaning business budget for domestic, end-of-tenancy or small commercial work, including kit, supplies, insurance, transport and marketing.
Profit potential: Good
Best for: Local founders who can win repeat clients and manage quality
Business categories
1 calculators
Startup examples from £800 to £8,000+, with editable monthly costs and break-even estimates.
2 calculators
Startup examples from £5,000 to £50,000+, with editable monthly costs and break-even estimates.
2 calculators
Startup examples from £300 to £4,000+, with editable monthly costs and break-even estimates.
1 calculators
Startup examples from £1,500 to £20,000+, with editable monthly costs and break-even estimates.
1 calculators
Startup examples from £200 to £3,000+, with editable monthly costs and break-even estimates.
2 calculators
Startup examples from £300 to £6,000+, with editable monthly costs and break-even estimates.
1 calculators
Startup examples from £300 to £5,000+, with editable monthly costs and break-even estimates.
Compare ideas
| Business type | Estimated start-up cost | Monthly running cost | Difficulty | Profit potential | Licence complexity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile car valeting | £800 - £8,000+ | £250 - £1,200+ | Low | Good | Low | Practical founders who can sell locally and work on-site |
| Food truck | £5,000 - £50,000+ | £1,200 - £6,500+ | High | High | High | Operators comfortable with food safety, events and fast service |
| Kebab van | £7,000 - £45,000+ | £1,500 - £7,000+ | High | High | High | Food operators targeting evening trade, events or fixed pitches |
| Lash business | £300 - £3,000+ | £120 - £900+ | Medium | Good | Low | Beauty beginners who can build repeat appointments |
| Dog grooming | £1,500 - £20,000+ | £350 - £3,000+ | Medium | Good | Medium | Animal lovers with patience, handling skills and repeat demand |
| Cleaning business | £200 - £3,000+ | £150 - £1,200+ | Low | Good | Low | Local founders who can win repeat clients and manage quality |
| Pressure washing | £800 - £6,000+ | £200 - £1,500+ | Medium | Good | Low | Outdoor service founders targeting driveways, patios and commercial surfaces |
| Window cleaning | £300 - £5,000+ | £150 - £1,200+ | Medium | Good | Low | Route-based operators who want recurring local rounds |
| Nail tech | £300 - £4,000+ | £120 - £1,100+ | Medium | Good | Low | Beauty founders who can build loyal repeat appointments |
| TikTok Shop seller | £300 - £5,000+ | £250 - £5,000+ | Medium | Variable | Medium | Online sellers who can test products, content and fulfilment quickly |
Each StartCost UK calculator starts with realistic example costs for a specific small business. You can edit equipment, vehicle, stock, training, licence, insurance, website, software, marketing, packaging and emergency buffer costs. You can also edit monthly running costs such as insurance, fuel, rent, stock, ads, accounting, payment fees and maintenance.
Profit estimates use your average price, weekly order or job volume, direct cost, owner labour target and waste rate. The result shows startup cost, monthly revenue, gross profit, net profit, break-even volume, payback period and a suggested minimum price.
Use the results to compare ideas before committing cash. A low startup cost business can still be hard if volume is weak. A higher-cost business can work if margin, demand and capacity are strong enough.
Free template
Use the spreadsheet-style checklist to compare setup costs, monthly costs and break-even targets before you spend.
Most first-time founders underestimate the cost of becoming ready to trade. The obvious equipment is only one part of the budget. You also need enough cash for training, insurance, stock, launch marketing, compliance checks, admin and the first quiet weeks before customers arrive consistently.
StartCost UK is built for long-tail planning searches such as how much it costs to start a food truck in the UK, mobile car valeting equipment list UK, lash business insurance cost UK and TikTok Shop profit calculator UK. The aim is practical planning, not fake guarantees.
Each calculator page is designed as a full planning guide rather than a thin tool. It includes setup ranges, monthly running costs, break-even logic, equipment checklists, licence warnings, insurance considerations, hidden costs, setup examples and next steps.
StartCost UK is a free calculator hub for UK small business startup costs, monthly running costs, break-even jobs and practical planning checklists.
Yes. The calculators use UK-focused planning categories such as local council checks, public liability insurance, Companies House or self-employed setup, VAT planning and supplier quotes.
Yes. Every calculator lets you change startup costs, monthly costs, prices, weekly sales volume, direct cost, owner labour and waste rate.
No. Use it as a planning tool, then check current prices, insurer terms, accountant guidance and official licence rules before trading.
Choose a business calculator, edit the defaults and compare the result with your own quotes before buying equipment or committing to rent.
