Store My Library
About Contact
Toolkit
Are paid social ads right for me yet?

ROAS, Capacity & Hiring Calculator

Before you scale ad spend, check whether you can actually fulfil what it brings in.

A tool to help you gameplan some of the impacts of ads on your business. This is a tool for playing around with so you can try and work out what shape of business you're aiming for. Play round with the capacity figures and see what happens to your profits with and without hiring.
Stage 1 — What does this ROAS (return on ad spend) actually mean in orders?
Translate the money into volume, then check it against your ceiling.
Step 1
Ad spend and expected return
£
×
£
Expected revenue: —
Expected orders/month: —
Step 2
Your ceiling — how many orders could you actually handle a month?
Your ceiling: — orders/month
Fill in the numbers above
Stage 2 — Would a hire pay for itself?
Only relevant if Stage 1 showed you're at or over your ceiling and want to grow past it.
Step 1
What would this hire actually cost?
£
%
17.5% is a reasonable ballpark for UK Employer's National Insurance plus minimum auto-enrolment pension on a modest wage. Adjust if you know your own numbers, or if the Employment Allowance applies to you (it doesn't for single-director companies with no other employees).
Base annual wage: —
Total annual cost: —
Step 2
What's your profit margin per order?
£
What's actually kept per order, not the sale price. And your best honest estimate of what your ceiling becomes once this person is in place.
Fill in Stage 2 above
This gives you a ceiling and a breakeven point, not a target. It doesn't include one-off costs like extra space, equipment, or setup, or costs like Employers' Liability Insurance, recruitment, or training, so the real cost of scaling up may be higher than the ongoing number shown here.
Not financial advice. This tool is a strategy aid, not financial advice. Figures are broad estimates to help you think things through, not a substitute for advice from a licensed accountant, financial advisor, or tax professional. Rates, thresholds, and rules referenced here (tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, etc.) can change and may not reflect your specific circumstances. Always check current figures and get professional advice before making financial decisions for your business.