How to prepare an income statement | 7 uses for your startup

Running a startup involves taking care of a lot of financial details. Among the key elements entrepreneurs need to master is the income statement. It’s an essential financial document that provides a snapshot of a company’s profitability over a specific period. 

An accurate and informative income statement helps you understand your business’s fiscal health and performance. It can also be indispensable in making well-informed business decisions and attracting potential investors.

Keep reading for a comprehensive guide on how to prepare an income statement. We’ll also look at seven critical uses for your startup, from analyzing internal finances to attracting potential investors and tracking business growth. You’ll learn how an accurately constructed income statement can be a powerful tool in navigating your startup’s financial journey.

What is an income statement?

Income statements, also known as income-expense statements or profit-and-loss statements, are a kind of financial report. They provide a summary of your company’s revenues, costs, and expenses over a specific period. An income statement can show a company’s profitability by presenting a clear picture of how revenues are transformed into net income.

Income statements cover three major areas. These are:

1. Revenue (or sales), which shows a company’s net income over time
2. Expenses, which is everything the company had to pay to conduct business
3. Profits or losses, which are calculated by subtracting expenses from revenue

Purpose and importance of an income statement

Your income statements are pivotal to your business’s financial management, and they serve multiple purposes. They’re essential documents for business owners, investors, and stakeholders alike. They offer insight into your company’s operational performance, financial health, and cash flow trends.

While a balance sheet shows a company’s total value, an income statement provides a detailed look at your company’s profitability. An income statement delivers a clear snapshot of profit or loss by assessing the revenues versus the costs and expenses over a period of time. This enables you to gauge your business’s financial health and operational performance.

An income statement can also reflect the outcome of business decisions and strategies. The impact of any activity, like price changes, marketing campaigns, or cost-cutting initiatives, will show their effectiveness in your income statement.

Income statements are also fundamental in communicating with outside parties and financial institutions. Investors, lenders, and creditors often use a company’s income statement to decide on their involvement. They can assess risk, measure return on investment, and evaluate the company’s overall financial strength through an income statement.

Components of an income statement

An income statement structure is built on several key elements that present an overview of a company’s financial performance. The exact format and details can vary depending on the complexity of a business or regulatory obligations. In general, these are the primary elements covered in an income statement:

1. Revenue: This represents the total amount of money the company earns through its operations. It includes all sales revenue and other business and interest revenue income statement details. Often, it’s broken down into operating revenue (regular business activities) and non-operating revenue (one-time sales, income from investments, and so on).
2. Cost of Sales or Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): This reflects the direct costs attributed to the production of the goods or services the company provides. This can be things such as raw material costs and direct labor costs.
3. Gross Profit: This is the residual income after subtracting COGS from revenue. Gross profit measures a company’s efficiency using resources like raw materials, labor, and manufacturing budgets.
4. Operating Expenses: These are the costs related to the company’s primary activities outside direct production costs (COGS). They can include salaries, rent, utilities, depreciation, and marketing and administrative expenses.
5. Operating Profit: This is calculated by subtracting operating expenses from gross profit. It shows how much a company makes from its primary business operations before paying interest and taxes.
6. Non-Operating Items: These are the revenues or non-operating expenses from activities unrelated to a company’s core operations. This can take the form of things such as interest paid or received and gains or losses from the sale of capital assets.
7. Net Income: This is the final line of an income statement, representing the company’s total earnings. It’s the basic expression of the income statement formula, which is revenues minus expenses equals net income. This is calculated by subtracting all costs, including taxes and interest, from all forms of revenue. It’s often called the “bottom line” and shows how profitable a company is during the reporting period of the income statement.

How to create an income statement for your startup

Launching a startup can be exhilarating, but it also comes with its share of responsibilities, including understanding and managing your financials. An income statement plays an essential role in this process. Here’s a closer look at how to create an income statement for your startup.

Gather financial data

The first part of creating an income statement involves gathering all of your relevant financial data. This includes all revenues, such as sales and other income, as well as all your costs and expenses, both direct and indirect. Make sure to collect accurate and precise data. Any discrepancies can lead to inaccurate financial reports and mismatched balances.

Choose a format

There are different types of income statements, and you have a few options for formatting. Traditional income statements can be single-step or multi-step. With a single-step income statement, you subtract all expenses from total revenues during the same step to calculate your company’s net income. With a multi-step income statement, you calculate gross profit and operating income before determining net income.

A preliminary income statement shows all revenues and expenses of your company for the accounting period covered. You can also opt for a contribution income statement, which separates variable costs like payroll and utilities from fixed costs like loan repayments and insurance.

You can differentiate expense line items, which are costs like rent or office supplies, from item line items, which are net sales on income statements related to goods or services bought or sold over reporting periods.

You may also show a broader picture with a statement of comprehensive income, which includes only those incomes and expenses that affect your company’s financial health over time. Another kind of income statement, a variable costing income statement, can show a product’s potential profit margin by subtracting variable costs from revenue.

Organize the statement

Once you’ve gathered your data and chosen your format, it’s time to organize your income statement. Start by listing your revenues at the top, followed by the cost of goods sold and operating expenses. Then, calculate your operating pre-tax income, non-operating income and expenses, and your net income.

Calculate key metrics

In this step, you’ll calculate key financial performance metrics. These can provide vital insights into your startup’s financial health. Key metrics can include your gross profit margin (your gross profit divided by your total revenue), operating profit margin, and net profit margin.

Review and finalize

Once you’ve completed your income statement, take the time to review it thoroughly. Double-check all your calculations and be sure all the information has been accurately recorded. After your review, finalize and save your document.

Uses of income statements for your startup

An income statement is much more than a reflection of your startup’s profitability. It’s a vital toolkit serving multiple uses in both managing and growing your business.

Comparing revenue against expenses gives you a complete picture of your company’s operations, and an income statement can ultimately show where you’re making and losing money.

But it’s not all about numbers and figures. With the insights gleaned from an income statement, you can identify areas where cost management is essential. This can help you make more effective business strategies and inform solid decision-making.

1. Internal financial analysis

Your income statement helps you gauge your startup’s profitability by thoroughly comparing revenue with expenses. It’s like a financial photograph of your business operations over an accounting period.

It offers a detailed view of the profits or losses your company experienced over a specified period, which will give you a good look at the health and profitability of your business. This information enables you to identify areas where you need to manage spending. You’ll be able to spot where costs can be cut without affecting performance and where to allocate funds for the biggest impact.

This in-depth financial analysis can help you make critical decisions that influence your startup’s profitability and guide it toward sustained growth and stability.

2. Attracting investors

Along with financial documents like balance sheet reports, prospective investors typically rely on income statements to gauge a startup’s profitability. The information in a basic income statement can help them estimate the possible return on their investment and influence their decision to back your company.

Your income statement can be persuasive, particularly if it shows you generate consistent revenue and manage costs effectively. With such an income statement, it’s safe for investors to assume you’re keeping a close watch on critical aspects of your business.

A well-crafted income statement is more than just a cash flow statement; it can stand as a testament to your financial diligence. Even a pro forma income statement showing your company’s income minus some costs can demonstrate to potential investors that you’re serious about viability and growth. You disclose your startup’s financial health by highlighting revenue streams and controlled expenses thoroughly, which can provide investors with the assurance they need to invest.

3. Securing loans and financing

Lenders and creditors often use income statements to measure a startup’s ability to repay loans. Among other basic financial statements, an income statement provides them a clear picture of your business’s financial health, showcasing your income streams and where your money is going. Your income statement is like a report card grading your company’s fiscal responsibility.

A track record of reliable profitability, as illustrated through your income statement, can instill confidence in lenders. This can significantly boost your chances of securing the necessary financing. Whether you’re looking for financing to expand your business or take care of operational needs, a well-documented and consistent income statement can unlock the financial resources your startup requires.

4. Budgeting and forecasting

Your income statement plays a pivotal role in budgeting and forecasting. With a careful look at previous income and financial statements, you can identify patterns, trends, and potential pitfalls. Reviewing revenue figures and the nuts and bolts of your income and expenses can allow you to predict better where those numbers might lead.

5. Tax reporting and compliance

Income statements are essential when it comes to tax preparation and compliance. You can use your income statement’s bottom line, or net income, to calculate your startup’s income tax liability. The gross profit on your income statement shows your income before taxes, while many operating expenses on an income statement can often be tax deductible.

You see more than just revenue on an income statement. They take the guesswork out of determining your taxable profits — helping you avoid potential penalties — and play a crucial role in maintaining your startup’s good standing with tax authorities.

6. Tracking business growth

Comparing income statements from various periods allows you to trace growth trends, seize opportunities, and spot potential snags in your startup’s journey. This insight is vital for making strategic tweaks and charting the course for your startup’s future.

The ability to anticipate and tackle potential issues head-on or capitalize on newly identified opportunities can significantly affect your business growth. By regularly reviewing and comparing income statements, you can ensure your startup stays profitable.

7. Evaluating marketing campaigns

You can track the impact of your marketing efforts by carefully examining your income statement. It’s like your business’s scoreboard, giving you a clear picture of how your marketing plays could turn into revenue gains.

If a marketing campaign hits the mark, it’s typically reflected in increased revenue line items and a boost in your earnings. A revenue dip might indicate that you need to revisit your marketing plans.

Master your startup’s finances and keep track of your data

Your startup’s financial health is grounded in understanding and effectively utilizing your income statement. This financial document serves far more than just an indicator of profitability; it’s a vital tool for growth, lending, taxation, budgeting, forecasting, and strategic decision-making.

Without a detailed review and analysis of your income statement, it may be challenging to identify issues, track growth trends, or assess the success of your strategies. However, when used correctly, it provides valuable data and insights about your startup’s financial standing, helping you streamline operations, optimize costs, guide investments, and attract potential investors.

Keep reading to learn more about how income statements can help your startup, or call in the experts if you’re ready to take your finances (and your organization) to the next level.