Operating Financials

Companies have operating expenses and non-operating expenses every month. You should calculate each set of expenses to evaluate how well your business is doing financially.

Operating Financials

Operating Costs

This term refers to the ongoing expenses that a business incurs during its regular operations to generate revenue. The reason why operational activities are defined as regular operations is that they are activities carried out day by day to earn money. Also, we can see this term as OPEX. Operating costs include items such as:


· Employee Salaries

· Rent or Lease Payments

· Insurance

· Office Supplies

· Marketing Expenses

· Travel and Entertainment

· Taxes

· Bank Charges and Interest

· Depreciation on Equipment

· Other similar expenses directly related to the core business activities

Also, COGS and SG&A expenses are part of your operating costs.

Moreover, these operating costs may vary from sector to sector. While the bills of a retail store can be very high, in a factory, salaries can cover a large part of the operating costs because there are so many workers.

When managing operations, it is important for the company to find balance in terms of operating expenses because the expenses incurred here also affect the company's profit and loss situation. This situation also affects competition with other companies. In many cases, trying to reduce costs also affects the quality of the resulting product, which reduces the company's reputation. Sometimes, even though cost-cutting may seem good in the short term, it may not be good for the company in the long run. Also, High costs make it difficult for us to compete in the sector.

How To Calculate Operating Expenses

In order to calculate operational expenses, it is necessary to determine which cost is operating or non-operating.

Operating Expense = Revenue – Operating Income – Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

Operating Expense = Salaries + Sales Commissions + Marketing Costs + Rental Expense + Utilities + Research and Development + General and Administrative + Taxes + Insurance + Other Expenses

To understand what the operating expenses is better, let's divide them into components of the operating expense.

Salaries: The money given to employees as pay and benefits.

Sales commissions: Compensation given to salespeople based on their success in closing deals.

Marketing costs: Costs related to marketing initiatives, promotions, and advertisements.

Rental Costs: Costs associated with renting out buildings or offices.

Utilities: Charges for vital utilities including gas, water, and electricity.

Research and Development: Costs associated with product development and innovation.

General and Administrative: Overhead costs for things like office supplies, the wages of administrative workers, and office upkeep.

Taxes: Taxes that apply to businesses, such as payroll taxes and property taxes.

Insurance: Payments made as insurance premiums for certain risks.

Other Expenses: Unspecified expenses that are necessary for day-to-day operations but don't fall under the aforementioned categories.

Types of Operating Expenses

Production costs are divided into two: fixed and variable costs.

  • Fix costs do not change depending on the amount of production. It is constant no matter how much production increases. Fix costs examples include rent, repair costs, insurance, and taxes.
  •  Variable costs vary depending on the amount of product produced. As production increases, costs increase, and as production decreases, costs also decrease. Variable costs are labor, commissions, advertising costs, production costs, and raw materials.

Capital Expenses (CAPEX)

When you hear OPEX, you've probably also heard of capital expenditures, abbreviated as CAPEX. These costs are the sums of money used to buy either tangible or intangible fixed assets.

Physical assets known as tangible assets are essential to a company's daily operations and include things like real estate and automobiles. These resources, which are frequently large investments, serve as the foundation of a company and make it possible to produce things or provide services effectively. They are a visible representation of a business's expansion and progress, and maintaining their management is essential for ongoing operations.

In contrast, intangible assets are a kind of non-physical assets that have high value but no physical presence. These intangibles, such as goodwill associated with a brand, patents, and trademarks. Intellectual property has the extraordinary capacity to distinguish a company in a crowded market. They significantly impact a company's long-term success and market positioning in addition to strengthening its competitive advantage.

Balancing and managing both tangible and intangible assets is a delicate task for businesses aiming for expansion, financial stability, and long-term viability While tangible assets guarantee the smooth operation of the business on a daily basis, intangible assets have the power to take a business to new heights by encouraging innovation, client loyalty, and a distinctive market presence. Consequently, every company seeking to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity in today's dynamic and competitive business environment must adopt a strategic strategy to divide resources among various asset categories.

CAPEX vs OPEX

When you hear the phrase "OPEX" in the realm of business finance, you've undoubtedly also heard its opposite, "CAPEX." While operating expenses (OPEX) represent the ongoing costs incurred by a company in the course of its daily operations, capital expenditures (CAPEX) encompass a different category of expenses. CAPEX involves the allocation of, each with its distinct significance.

Non – Operating Expenses

Within the realm of business finance, non-operating expenses represent a category of costs that diverge from both capital and operating expenses. In essence, these are expenditures a company incurs that do not directly pertain to its core activities, the activities that constitute the primary revenue-generating functions of the business. Non-operating expenses encompass a variety of financial items, each with its unique implications for a company's financial health and reporting. Depreciation, amortization, and interest expenses are the most known examples of non-operating activities.

Operating Income

Operating income is a financial indicator that assesses a company's profitability from its main business operations. It shows the revenue a business brings in from its main operations, minus any income or costs that are not directly tied to those activities. Operating income is an important indicator since it only considers a company's core operations, giving information about its capacity to make money from its main lines of activity. The fact that operating income covers only core activities allows investors, analysts, and management to evaluate the company's operational efficiency and profitability, away from external factors. Operating income, which provides important information about the profitability of the company, does not evaluate the company's tax and interest rates, which can sometimes give misleading information about the company.

How to Calculate Operating Income

Operating income shows the company’s income statement, and it can be calculated as follows:

  • Operating Income = Gross Profit – Operating Expenses – Depreciation – Amortization,
  • Operating Income = Total Revenue – Direct Costs – Indirect Costs
  • Operating Income = Net Earnings + Interest + Taxes

To understand better, the above terms should be considered in detail.

Depreciation and Amortization: n: Amortization refers to the distribution of the cost of intangible assets (such as patents or copyrights) over their useful lives as opposed to depreciation, which applies to tangible assets (such as machinery) during their useful lives. These non-cash outlays over time lower the assets' book value.

Gross Profit: After subtracting the direct costs related to providing goods or services, gross profit is the profit a business makes from its core operations.

The gross profit equation is= Total Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) equals gross profit. Costs for labor, raw materials, and manufacturing are all included in COGS.

EBIT vs. Operating Income

Although they are closely related financial measures, operating income (OI) and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) are not the same. They can both be used to evaluate a company's operational performance because they both show a company's profitability before deducting interest and income taxes.

OI is mostly utilized in accounting and financial reporting. It measures the revenue generated by a business's core operations, such as the sale of goods or providing services. OI can be found on a company's income statement and is derived by deducting all business-related expenses from total revenue. These expenses include the cost of producing items and operational expenses. OI, on the other hand, provides a broader view of profitability from an accounting standpoint.

However, EBIT is more frequently applied in financial and investment research. It's a crucial measure of a business's profitability based only on normal operations, before taking into account interest and income taxes. EBIT is computed by subtracting all operating expenditures from total revenue. It is sometimes referred to as operating profit. OI and EBIT are both crucial instruments for evaluating how successfully a firm is managing its finances and main business. They help investors and stakeholders understand a company's financial health and operational effectiveness by serving several functions in the accounting and finance fields.

For instance, a business might get interest income from credit borrowing, which EBIT would capture while operating income would not. This difference is crucial for evaluating the overall financial health of a company, considering its financing activities.

In conclusion, OI and EBIT are both useful tools for assessing a company's financial performance, but they have different uses and are designed to meet various user demands. While EBIT is preferred in financial and investment research, focusing exclusively on the core business's profitability before interest and taxes, OI is more appropriate for accounting and financial reporting, providing a full perspective of profitability. For a thorough analysis of a company's financial health and operational success, it is crucial to know when and how to use these measures.

At Finsmart, we create a positive and welcoming atmosphere to foster collaboration and creativity. Our team is treated with respect, kindness, and professionalism, leading to increased productivity, innovation, and success.

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