Paper+Spark®
Free plug & play calculator

Start with the paycheck you want. We'll map the business that pays it.

The Pay-Yourself Goal Planner turns the take-home pay you actually want into a clear yearly sales goal and expense budget, then breaks it down month by month around your busy season.

Drag the sliders and watch your number appear.
Try it
What does your shop need to sell to pay you?
Drag the sliders. These start as an example, make them yours.
$36,000
$9,000
25%
Your shop needs to sell
$180,000
Net income goal$45,000
Expense budget$135,000

Now break it down further

See your goal split month by month across the year, adjust it for your busy season, and keep it as your own tool in Google Sheets.
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    Why this works

    Most sellers run the numbers backward

    You watch sales come in, cover your costs, buy some more stuff... and then hope there's something leftover at the end for you. Usually there's not, and you're not getting paid. We've got to flip that script for you, and it starts with this tool. Be intentional & start with what you want to earn... and figure out what your biz needs to look like to get you there.

    Here's what it does

    Your real number

    Enter your take-home goal and a cushion for reinvesting. The planner gives you the exact yearly sales goal and expense budget that produce it.

    Set for your margin

    Add your target profit margin, with suggested benchmarks in the sheet if you're not sure what % to use. The goal fits your business, not a generic template.

    Month by month

    Split your goal across the year, accounting for your busy season and slower periods, so the plan matches how your shop actually sells.

    This is for you if

    • You're selling regularly and you're past the hobby stage.
    • You're tired of hoping there's money left over, and you want a number to aim at.
    • You want to pay yourself on purpose, not by accident.
    Janet LeBlanc of Paper + Spark

    Hi, I'm Janet

    I'm a CPA and the founder of Paper + Spark®. I've spent years helping product and e-commerce sellers, more than 15,000 of them, actually understand their numbers and pay themselves. This planner is the first step I'd walk any of them through.

    See your number

    Free. Five minutes. Yours to play with.

      Paper + Spark®
      Made for product sellers who mean business.