Retailer's 3-in-1 INTEGRATED Calculator

"Auto-magically" get a projected P&L + Open-to-Buy + Cash Flow – All from the same few inputs 


Retailers: Need Answers for Decisions Like These? 

  • "What will it take to reach break even?"
     
  • "Looks like I should close one of my stores.  Which one?"
     
  • "When can I take more money out of this business?"
     
  • "Is moving the store to get lower rent actually smart?"
     
  • "Our inventory is building up. Should we get a loan? If so, how large?"
     
  • "Cutting prices seems a must. Even if sales go up, will we have a loss?"
     
  • "Remodeling will cost $100K, but our turns will improve.  Does remodeling pencil out?"

Find out for yourself - in minutes! - without having to ask your accountant or bookkeeper!  

The proprietary 3-in-1 INTEGRATED Cash Flow Calculator - an online calculator specifically for retailers who want to know "What would happen if I...?"

With just a few entries...

click each image to enlarge
  • Planned sales, margins & expenses go in quickly
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    Planned sales, margins & expenses go in quickly
  • Just 2 more entries for a buying plan
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    Just 2 more entries for a buying plan
  • And cash flow inputs are quick and easy too!
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    And cash flow inputs are quick and easy too!

Immediately – get a fully-integrated retail financial plan!

click each image to enlarge
  • Immediately! A monthly P&L
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    Immediately! A monthly P&L
  • PLUS - a monthly inventory buying budget, targeted Ending Inventory each month. Even projected GMROI!
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    PLUS - a monthly inventory buying budget, targeted Ending Inventory each month. Even projected GMROI!
  • AND - fully integrated CASH FLOW projection! Automagically!
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    AND - fully integrated CASH FLOW projection! Automagically!
  • Choose your retail segment to compare. It's built in.
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    Choose your retail segment to compare. It's built in.
  • Quick and easy to compare
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    Quick and easy to compare

Quick for Retailers to Use and Understand

Gain peace of mind. Face the future with confidence!

This online 3-in-1 INTEGRATED Calculator enables any retailer, anywhere, to quickly generate a profit plan (budget) for the year, plus an Open-to-Buy plan plus the resulting cash flow projection!  All from the same few inputs!

What does this mean? You know more, in less time!  

When you are pulling together your profit plan (budget), use the 3-in-1 INTEGRATED Calculator.  

With the same few entries for planned sales, margins and expenses, you'll get a projected P&L. Plus much more!

You also will get a monthly inventory buying ("Open-to-Buy") plan based on your goals for sales, margins, and inventory turns.

Plus, you also get the resulting integrated cash flow projection. See whether you will be able to pay your bills on time!

Hmm. Don't like that would turn out? Try some "what if...?" changes. All on your own.

It's a complete, integrated financial plan, exclusively for retailers. Online, 24/7.

 

"Samplers" from Topical Tuesdays Webinars | Cash Flow

See the 3-in-1 Calculator in action in this clip from one of the TOPICAL TUESDAYS Webinars by the Co-Founders

May 4, 2022
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May 4, 2022
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User Guides

Why Expense "Buckets"? 

When projecting, it is easier to group expenses into 5 major categories, or "buckets". Variable expenses, a percent of sales, are grouped together.  Fixed expenses, with essentially the same dollar amount each month, are sorted into 4 other planning categories. 

For each of these 5 expense categories, you make just ONE ENTRY, one time, in the 3-in-1 INTEGRATED Calculator.  (Want to tweak your expense projections? Easy. Just adjust ONE ENTRY.)

Selling Expenses - Variable expense
Examples: Store payroll, including taxes and benefits; Advertising; Bags & boxes; Special events; etc.

Occupancy Expenses - Fixed expense, essentially flat $ amount each month
Examples: Rent; Utilities; Maintenance; Security; CAM charges; etc.

Administrative Expenses - Fixed expense, essentially flat $ amount each month
Examples: Management salaries (Owner; General Manager; Buyer) including taxes and benefits; Support staff/services (bookkeeping; IT; warehouse; marketing); Interest on borrowed money; Professional services (legal, accounting); Training; Travel; All other expenses not included elsewhere.


Taxes - Federal, State, Local taxes not included elsewhere. 

Depreciation/Amortization - Fixed expense, essentially flat $ amount each month.
These are non-cash expenses, and must be kept separate in order to project the Cash Flow.

Profit Planning Inputs

MONTHS - Start with any month of a 12 month period. Select your Start month from the drop-down menu.

SALES - Round all entries to the thousands. Examples: $42,385.22 becomes 42.4;  $5,787.92 becomes 5.8;  $385.33 becomes 0.4

GROSS MARGIN % - Enter estimated Gross Margin (Gross Profit) percent for each month of the 12 month period. (Maintained margin, after markdowns.) Can be up to one decimal place (tenths of percent).
Examples: Enter 44, becomes 44.0%;  enter 38.5, becomes 38.5%

EXPENSES - The Calculator needs just one entry for each expense "bucket".

Variable expenses are entered as a percent of sales. Use whole numbers to one decimal place
Examples: Enter 12.5, becomes 12.5%; enter 10, becomes 10%

Fixed expenses are a flat $ amount for each month. (Take totals for the year and divide by 12 to get an estimate of yours.) Round all $ entries to nearest thousand.
Examples:
  $8,673 becomes 8.7; $12,229 becomes 12.2

(See details in "About Expense Buckets" tab.)

Open-to-Buy Plan Inputs

BEGINNING INVENTORY @COST - Enter the approximate amount of total inventory on hand @cost at the start of your 12 month planning period. Close counts!   Round $ entries to nearest thousand.

TARGETED INVENTORY TURNS - Using the dropdown menu, select your targeted inventory turnover rate.

INVENTORY ON ORDER - Be sure to enter the estimated dollar amounts for inventory on order into the month(s) you expect to receive it. Round $ entries to the nearest thousand.
 


AND THAT'S IT!

The 3-in-1 INTEGRATED Calculator brings over (integrates) all other needed inputs from your Profit Planning Inputs and Projected Profit Plan. 

Change or adjust those entries on the Profits tab. 

The Key: Cash Flow

Current Inventory Payables - Estimate your total Accounts Payable for inventory purchases. Close counts!  Round $ entry to nearest thousand.
Example: Enter $127,835 as 127.8

Long Term Loan Payments - Enter monthly payments (principal only) for any existing Long Term loans.  Round $ entry to nearest thousand.  

Cash on Hand - Estimate of cash available at beginning of the 12 month planning period you are using. Close counts!  May also be a negative entry to reflect payments/checks waiting to clear. Round $ entry to nearest thousand.


AND THAT'S IT!

The 3-in-1 INTEGRATED Calculator brings over (integrates) all other needed entries from your Profit Plan Inputs, Projected P&L, and Projected Open-to-Buy Plan.

Look at Your Projections. Now, Adjust As Needed!

  • Does your projected P&L show you will have a loss? 

  • Does the cash flow projection show cash shortfalls ahead? 

  • Try out some "What if...?" adjustments.  Immediately see the effect!

CHANGE SALES and/or GROSS MARGINS?

On the Profits screen, change Sales in any month(s).  Remember to adjust Gross Margins in those months as needed. Then, go to the Projected Cash Flow to see the effect.

CHANGE EXPENSES?
On the Profits screen, adjust your planned expenses.  Then, return to the Projected Cash Flow to see the effect.

CHANGE INVENTORY TURNS?
On the Inventory screen, enter a higher turnover rate. Then, go back to the Projected Cash Flow to see the effect.

GET DATING FROM VENDORS?
The Projected Cash Flow allows you to show the effect of Dating on your Cash Flow.  Enter the $ amounts to be deferred in the appropriate month(s); ALSO enter the $ amounts due to be paid in the appropriate month(s).  All entries are positive amounts; round all $ entries to nearest thousand.

BORROW MONEY?
The Projected Cash Flow includes inputs for Loans Received and Loan Repayments. (Note: Interest on the borrowed funds must be added into Administrative Expenses on the P&L inputs.) 


CAUSE-EFFECT, CAUSE-EFFECT, CAUSE-EFFECT

Just add your judgment!  The 3-in-1 INTEGRATED "What if...?" Calculator does the number crunching for you.

"Turn on Your Financial Headlights!" 

Adjustments all in? Like what you see? Great!
Now, print it out: Your 3-in-1 INTEGRATED Retail Financial Plan. Just choose the ".pdf file" button.

You will get:

Projected PROFIT & LOSS STATEMENT
Monthly "big picture" operating budget for you.

And Projected INVENTORY BUYING PLAN (Open-to-Buy)
Based on your planned sales, margins, and targeted turnover rate, a monthly buying plan for your total operation. Each month's targeted ending inventory is a key number!

And Projected CASH FLOW
Fully integrated Cash Flow plan specifically for retailers: reflects the effect of inventory purchases, sales, margins and expenses on your cash flow.


"Turn on Your Financial Headlights!"™

Will this save my plans?

The 3-in-1 Calculator works "in the browser.” That means your entries will be retained indefinitely in the browser you used for input (e.g., Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Edge), subject to your settings for clearing its history. No more worries if you are interrupted while working with it.

When you resume, just use the same browser and device, and your plans will be there!

Once you have developed a plan you like, the best way to “save” it is to just print out a hard copy for reference. Do that by using the “PRINT ALL“ button. In fact, depending on your computer and/or browser, you may be able to simply email a pdf copy of the plan.

Then, as you receive the monthly results from your accounting package and POS system, you can easily compare these "actuals" to your plan. 

What about "updating" your plans?

The ROI's calculators are for projecting, not accounting. 

For many retailers, preparing a plan once per quarter that looks ahead to the next 12 months is a good schedule. (Of course, if business conditions change dramatically, or an appealing opportunity arises, those situations would warrant some new "what if...?" thinking.)

To develop an updated plan, reset the starting month, and then simply enter your current best estimates for sales, margins, expenses, etc, for the next 12 months. 

And that's it! The 3-in-1 Calculator immediately generates a new integrated plan for the next 12 months. Of course, you can consider various tweaks and adjustments to that plan; it is called the "What if...?" Calculator for a reason!

 


The Retail Owners Institute® has been empowering retailers since 1999 to "Turn on their financial headlights!"
Our tools and resources are trusted by thousands of store owners to help grow profitable, resilient businesses.