Small Business Revenue | Definition, Formula, & How to Increase (2024)

Revenue is a vital part of your business. Your business needs revenue to survive. So, it’s important that you understand revenue.

Below you will learn what revenue is, why revenue is important, how to calculate it, and how to increase it.

What is revenue?

Revenue is the money your business receives during a certain accounting period.

Revenue is also called the top line because it is the first item listed on your small business income statement. You subtract business expenses from revenue to get your company’s bottom line.

You will determine your revenue differently depending on if you use accrual or cash accounting. In accrual accounting, you include sales made on credit as revenue, as long as you have given the goods or services to the customer. In the cash method of accounting, you only include sales as revenue if the customer has paid you.

The two types of revenue

There are two types of revenue: operating and nonoperating revenue.

Operating revenue is revenue your company earns from its main business activities. For example, sales to customers are operating revenue.

Nonoperating revenue is revenue your company earns from activities that aren’t directly related to your business. For example, you might earn nonoperating revenue from investing or renting your building to another business.

Why is revenue important?

Revenue is what keeps your business alive. Beyond being a lifeline, revenue can give you key insights into your business.

If you want to increase your business profits, you need to increase your revenue. By keeping an eye on your revenue and focusing on increasing it, you can also increase your profits.

By tracking your revenue across consistent accounting periods, you can compare it over time. For example, you can compare your business revenue between years or quarters.

You will also use your revenue for tax reporting. You will subtract your expenses from your revenue to determine your business’s taxable profits.

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Small Business Revenue | Definition, Formula, & How to Increase (1)

Revenue formula

To calculate revenue, you need to know a few numbers.

First, calculate your operating revenue. Multiply the number of goods or services sold by the price you sold them for. For example, if you sell 300 pairs of shoes at $80, your operating revenue would be $24,000 (300 x $80). Do this for all the products or services you sold. Add together all your operating revenue.

Next, calculate your nonoperating revenue. Simply add together all your earnings from non-business activities.

Finally, add together your operating revenue and non-operating revenue.

Total revenue = operating revenue + nonoperating revenue

Ways to increase revenue

You can take steps to increase your business’s revenue.

You might increase the prices of your products or services. Assuming you maintain the same number of sales, your revenue will increase from the price increase. You do need to be careful though because some customers might take their money elsewhere when you increase your prices.

Try increasing the number of new, individual customers you have. You might need to increase your marketing or expand your target market.

You might try to increase the average amount customers spend per transaction. To do this, you have to convince customers to buy more. You need to offer incentives. You might have sales, bundle products, or give free samples when customers spend a certain amount.

Increasing customer frequency can also increase your revenue. When customers purchase more often, you will have a larger and more consistent influx of revenue. Special promotions and sales can encourage more frequent purchases.

You need a way to record your revenue and generate reports. Check out Patriot’s online accounting software. It’s made for small businesses, so you don’t need to be an accountant to use it. Get your free trial.

This article is updated from its original publication date of April 10, 2018.

This is not intended as legal advice; for more information, please click here.

Small Business Revenue | Definition, Formula, & How to Increase (2024)

FAQs

How do small businesses increase revenue? ›

5 Ways to Boost Small Business Revenue
  1. Encourage Repeat Customers. Always give your customers a reason to come back, and the first reason is the great services or products you provide. ...
  2. Offer Coupons or Discounts. ...
  3. Add New Products. ...
  4. Stay Connected through Marketing and Social Media. ...
  5. Cut Down on Expenses.
21 Apr 2022

How do you calculate revenue increase? ›

The formula for revenue growth requires you to subtract the previous period's revenue from the current period's revenue, then divide it by the previous period's revenue. Now, we calculate $80,000 / $820,000 and end up with roughly 0.0975. That means the company's revenue growth from 2020 to 2021 was 9.75%.

What is the formula for revenue in business? ›

Revenue is another word for the amount of money a company generates from its sales. Revenue is most simply calculated as the number of units sold multiplied by the selling price. Because revenues do not account for costs or expenses, a company's profits, or bottom line, will be lower than its revenue.

How do you increase net revenue? ›

You can increase net profit margin by either reducing production costs and business expenses or increasing the sales revenue.
  1. Reduce utilities. ...
  2. Reduce labor costs. ...
  3. Decrease operating costs. ...
  4. Lower your prices. ...
  5. Increase your prices.

What are the 4 methods to increase revenue? ›

What Are The '4 Methods to Increase Revenue'?
  • Increase the number of customers.
  • Increase the average transaction size.
  • Increase the frequency of transactions per customer.
  • Raise your prices.

What are the 3 ways to increase revenue? ›

increasing your prices. finding new customers. selling more to existing customers.

How do you calculate a 12% increase in price? ›

Subtract the original value from the new value, then divide the result by the original value. Multiply the result by 100. The answer is the percent increase.

How much is a good revenue increase? ›

What is good revenue growth? Good revenue growth depends on where you are in your company's life cycle, your overall goals, and what changes your company is undergoing. However, about 5% year over year is a reasonable revenue growth expectation during the most stable period.

What is a 100% increase in revenue? ›

So, if you earned $1 million in revenue last year and $2 million this year, then your growth is 100 percent. This can be calculated annually, quarterly, monthly, etc.

What are 4 examples of revenue? ›

Government revenue: In federal, state and local government, revenue refers to the money an entity receives from fines/penalties, property and sales taxes, income taxes, corporate payroll contributions, rental fees, intergovernmental transfers and securities sales.

What is revenue in a small business? ›

Revenue is the money your business receives during a certain accounting period. Revenue is also called the top line because it is the first item listed on your small business income statement. You subtract business expenses from revenue to get your company's bottom line.

What are the three examples of revenue? ›

The three examples of revenue are: Rent received. Amount received from one time sale of an asset. Interest received from bank accounts.

What are revenue strategies? ›

A revenue strategy is a plan that focuses on increasing company income by maximizing both short- and long-term sales potential. Having a dedicated strategy of this kind is critical, as it is near impossible to grow revenue without a documented plan of action.

How can you increase revenue without increasing prices? ›

Top 5 Ways to Increase Revenue Without Raising Prices
  1. Referrals, referrals, referrals.
  2. Search for issues and solve them.
  3. Get involved with your customer's product development.
  4. Cross sell.
  5. Collaboration throughout the supply chain.

How do you increase revenue per table? ›

This is the number of times that a table is turned over on average (how many different parties are seated at that table during a shift).
...
5 Tips for Increasing Restaurant Revenue Per Seat
  1. Optimize Your Menu. ...
  2. Improve Seat Turnover Time. ...
  3. Upgrade Your Point of Sale. ...
  4. Implement Seating Policies. ...
  5. Experiment with Promotions.

What are the 5 sources of revenue? ›

The 5 major sources of revenue for the Government are Goods and Services Tax (GST), Income tax, corporation tax, non-tax revenues, union excise duties .

What are 7 ways to generate revenue streams? ›

There are several ways to generate Revenue Streams:
  • Asset sale. The most widely understood Revenue Stream derives from selling ownership rights to a physical product. ...
  • Usage fee. ...
  • Subscription fees. ...
  • Lending/Renting/Leasing. ...
  • Licensing. ...
  • Brokerage fees. ...
  • Advertising.

What are the 4 P's of the revenue cycle? ›

The 4Ps of revenue management are: Pricing, Positioning, Pace and Performance.

How do you increase revenue by 30%? ›

3 Strategies to Grow Your Revenue by 30% Without Spending a Dime
  1. Strategy #1: Increase Your Number of Clients by 10%
  2. Strategy #2: Increase Your Transactional Value by 10%
  3. Here are additional ways to increase your transactional value by 10%:
  4. Strategy #3: Increase How Frequently a Client Buys from You by 10%

How do you calculate a 6% increase? ›

To calculate percentage increase, start by writing down the starting value and the current value. Then, subtract the starting value from the current value. Next, divide that number by the starting value. Finally, multiply the number you got by 100 to find out the percentage increase.

How do you calculate 7% increase in price? ›

How to Calculate Percentage Increase
  1. Subtract final value minus starting value.
  2. Divide that amount by the absolute value of the starting value.
  3. Multiply by 100 to get percent increase.
  4. If the percentage is negative, it means there was a decrease and not an increase.

How do you calculate a 10% increase? ›

You divide the new price by the old price: $550,000 / $500,000 = 1.1, then multiply by 100 to get 110, then subtract 100. The final result is that your property value has increased by 10% over that time period via its gain in value to the amount of 50,000 USD.

Is it better to increase revenue or profit? ›

Revenue is about doing more and profitability is more about doing it with less. Growth often requires companies to make significant upfront investments prior to any revenue generation. While this initially impacts profitability, effective execution will generate future sales.

What are the KPI to increase revenue? ›

Revenue Growth is a KPI used to measure how sales are increasing or decreasing over time. It is calculated by dividing revenue generated during one time period by the revenue generated during a subsequent time period, subtracting 1, and then multiplying by 100 to obtain a percentage.

What is a good rate of growth for a small business? ›

Key factors to consider when evaluating your growth rate

However, generally speaking, a healthy growth rate should exceed the overall growth rate of the economy or gross domestic product (GDP). Further to that, Harvard Business Review suggests that most companies should grow at a rate of between 10% and 25% per year.

What is a good profit margin? ›

Net profit margins vary by industry but according to the Corporate Finance Institute, 20% is considered good, 10% average or standard, and 5% is considered low or poor. Good profit margins allow companies to cover their costs and generate a return on their investment.

What is the growth rate formula? ›

The following formula can be used to calculate the growth rate across two periods. Growth Rate = (Ending Value ÷ Beginning Value) – 1. For example, if a company's revenue was $100 million in 2020 and grew to $120 million in 2021, its year-over-year (YoY) growth rate is 20%.

What is difference between revenue and profit? ›

Revenue describes income generated through business operations, while profit describes net income after deducting expenses from earnings. Revenue can take various forms, such as sales, income from fees, and income generated by property.

What is basic revenue? ›

Revenue is the money generated from normal business operations, calculated as the average sales price times the number of units sold. It is the top line (or gross income) figure from which costs are subtracted to determine net income. Revenue is also known as sales on the income statement.

What are common sources of revenue? ›

State and local governments collect tax revenues from three primary sources: income, sales, and property taxes. Income and sales taxes make up the majority of combined state tax revenue, while property taxes are the largest source of tax revenue for local governments, including school districts.

What are the 3 main types of revenue models? ›

Common revenue models include subscription, licensing and markup. The revenue model helps businesses determine their revenue generation strategies such as: which revenue source to prioritize, understanding target customers, and how to price their products.

What are the 4 types of small business? ›

There are 4 main types of business organization: sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and Limited Liability Company, or LLC.

What activities produce revenue? ›

A revenue producing activity (RPA) is established when revenue is generated from the sale of products and/or services provided by the University or University employees. Revenue producing activities can be for both internal and external sales and can be processed on campus or off.

What are 2 examples of revenue? ›

Types of revenue include:

The sale of goods, products, or merchandise. The sale of services, such as consulting. Rental income from a commercial property (notice the use of “income”) The sale of tickets to a concert.

What are the 9 essential strategies for increasing revenue? ›

The basic operational marketing and service tactics below can help small business owners cut their costs and boost their business revenues.
  1. Determine Your Goals. ...
  2. Focus on Repeat Customers. ...
  3. Add Complimentary Services or Products. ...
  4. Hone Your Pricing Strategy. ...
  5. Offer Discounts and Rebates. ...
  6. Use Effective Marketing Strategies.

What is the best revenue model? ›

The Sales Revenue Model is the most common one among the best revenue models for startups. It involves your customer or clients buying your products/services – directly, indirectly, or through the web. Web Sales: A consumer comes to your website and buys your product.

What are the 4 key business strategies? ›

4 Key Strategies For Small Business Leaders Unlocking New Growth
  • Reshape Your Team For Growth. ...
  • Leverage Customer Data. ...
  • Diversify Your Supply Chain. ...
  • Embrace Sustainability.
4 Apr 2022

Does raising prices increase revenue? ›

Revenue increases can be achieved either by increasing price or by increasing quantity, but the problem of growing revenue is made more difficult by the fact that demand curves slope downward.

What is increase in total revenue? ›

In economics, the total revenue test is a means for determining whether demand is elastic or inelastic. If an increase in price causes an increase in total revenue, then demand can be said to be inelastic, since the increase in price does not have a large impact on quantity demanded.

How do you calculate increase in year over year revenue? ›

To calculate YoY, first take your current year's revenue and subtract the previous year's revenue. This gives you a total change in revenue. Then, take that amount and divide it by last year's total revenue. Take that sum and multiply it by 100 to get your YoY percentage.

What happens when there is an increase in revenue? ›

Increasing revenue can result in higher costs and lower profit margins. Cutting costs can result in diminished sales and also lower profit margins if market share is lost over time. Focusing on branding and quality can help sustain higher prices on sales and ensure higher profit margins over the long term.

What does it mean to increase total revenue? ›

For example, total revenue will rise due to an increase in quantity if the percentage increase in quantity is larger than the percentage decrease in price. The percentage change in the price and quantity determine whether the demand for a product is elastic or inelastic.

Is revenue the same as profit? ›

Revenue and profit are both good signs for your business, but they're not interchangeable terms. Both represent an important way to understand your business. Revenue describes income generated through business operations, while profit describes net income after deducting expenses from earnings.

Why is it important to increase revenue? ›

Profitability

You invest your time, energy, and money to make profit. The primary driver of profitability is revenue. The more you grow revenue the more likely you are to grow profits. If you achieve higher levels of revenue and manage costs so they rise at a lower rate, then you maximize profits.

What is total revenue formula? ›

Total Revenue Formula

The formula for Total Revenue is as follows: Number of Products Sold x Price Per Product = Total Revenue. The formula to know your business' revenue is to multiply the total amount of products or services sold by the price of those products or services.

How do you calculate 5% annual increase? ›

When a value grows by 5% from one period to the next you multiply the value by 1.05. If this were to occur for 12 consecutive periods the multiplication pattern would repeat. The simplest way to explain this is to solve for the value that when multiplied by itself 12 times returns (1 + the Annual Growth Rate).

What is revenue strategy? ›

A revenue strategy is a plan that increases revenue by amplifying short-term (e.g., cold calls) and long-term sales initiatives (e.g., marketing and sales alignment). Chief revenue officers (CROs) usually lead revenue strategies.

What is a KPI for revenue growth? ›

Revenue Growth is a KPI used to measure how sales are increasing or decreasing over time. It is calculated by dividing revenue generated during one time period by the revenue generated during a subsequent time period, subtracting 1, and then multiplying by 100 to obtain a percentage.

Does more revenue mean more profit? ›

Revenue sits at the top of a company's income statement, making it the top line. Profit, on the other hand, is referred to as the bottom line. Profit is lower than revenue because expenses and liabilities are deducted.

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