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Track III — Operations · Module 3D 2.5 hrs

About this module

Many early-stage entrepreneurs price based on intuition rather than real cost structure — and it leads to hidden losses, underpricing, and unsustainable growth. This module teaches you how to calculate your true cost per unit or service hour using real business inputs in an Ontario context.

Participants will break down real scenarios including rent, labour at Ontario wage realities, materials, overhead, and platform fees. You will learn how fixed, variable, and hidden costs shape profitability and where most small businesses are quietly bleeding margin without realizing it.

The session is focused on financial reality, not accounting theory. By the end, every participant will be able to confidently answer the question that matters most: am I actually making money on each sale?

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

  • Differentiate fixed, variable, and semi-variable costs in real business scenarios
  • Calculate the true cost per product unit or service hour
  • Identify hidden and commonly overlooked business costs that erode profitability
  • Build a basic cost structure model for pricing and decision-making
  • Understand break-even thresholds in simple, operational terms
  • Apply costing logic to pricing, hiring, and investment decisions

What you'll walk away with

Participants will leave with a complete set of costing tools they can populate with their own numbers and use immediately:

  • True Cost Per Unit Calculator (Excel & Google Sheets template)
  • Break-Even Analysis Worksheet
  • Cost Categorization Checklist (Fixed vs. Variable Mapping Tool)
  • Service Costing Hourly Rate Calculator
  • Product Margin Analysis Sheet
  • Hidden Cost Audit Checklist

Who should enroll

Entrepreneurs who set prices based on feeling or competitor rates rather than actual cost data
Small business owners whose revenue is growing but profits aren't following
Ontario operators who have never built a full cost structure model for their business
Founders unsure whether they're actually profitable on each individual sale or service
Product and service businesses that want to stress-test their margins before scaling
Anyone who wants financial clarity without needing an accountant in the room to get it

This 2.5-hour workshop is structured around six teaching blocks, each grounded in Ontario business realities with live calculation exercises you complete using your own numbers.

01
Why Entrepreneurs Get Their Numbers Wrong
Why so many growing businesses look profitable but aren't, how pricing confusion is almost always costing confusion, and what a true cost structure actually looks like for an Ontario small business operating today.
02
The Three Types of Costs
A clear breakdown of fixed costs (rent, insurance, software), variable costs (materials, shipping, payment processing fees), and semi-variable costs (labour, utilities). Real Ontario examples including commercial rent ranges, Stripe fees, and minimum wage employer burden.
03
The True Cost Formula
How to allocate fixed costs across units sold and add variable costs to arrive at a true cost per unit or service hour. Participants work through the formula using their own business inputs during the session, with the True Cost Per Unit Calculator as their guide.
04
Labour Is Not Just the Wage
The real cost of an Ontario employee — base wage, CPP and EI employer contributions, training time, onboarding cost, and the efficiency factor most businesses forget. How to cost your own time as a founder when calculating service-based pricing.
05
Hidden Costs & Break-Even Analysis
The costs most entrepreneurs forget — platform commissions, refunds and returns, waste and spoilage, credit card fees, and unpaid administrative time. How to calculate your break-even point in units and revenue, and what it means for your pricing and sales targets.
06
Applying Costing to Pricing & Business Decisions
How to use your cost structure to set prices with confidence, evaluate whether to hire, take on a new product line, or accept a large order at a discount. Participants leave with a completed cost model and a clear picture of what each sale is actually worth to their business.

This module runs as a single 2.5-hour interactive workshop. Choose the format that works best for you.

Live In-Person Workshop

Held at our Richmond Hill facility. You'll work alongside other Ontario entrepreneurs in a hands-on environment with direct access to your instructor. Maximum group size ensures personal attention.

Live Online Workshop

Instructor-led via video with the same interactive calculation exercises, group discussions, and real-time implementation. Participate from anywhere in Ontario without missing any content.

Workshop Structure

Every session follows the same proven format: 20 minutes of context and objectives, focused teaching blocks with live costing exercises, two Ontario-based case studies, and a 30-minute cost model build-out close.

What's included with every session

Full slide deck
6 calculators & tools
2 Ontario case studies
True cost per unit calculator
Hidden cost audit checklist
25-question assessment

Operations · Module 3D

Costing: Understanding Your True Numbers

$250.00

Duration 2.5 hours
Format In-person or Online
Track Track III — Operations
Assessment 25-question quiz