Financial Planning
This page captures key financial planning considerations for Traxs Group LLC as RoundTrip moves from pre-revenue to a paying customer base.
Not Financial Advice This page captures internal planning thinking only. Consult a licensed accountant or financial advisor before making compensation or business decisions.
The Core Question — When Can We Pay Ourselves?
The honest answer: 25-50 paying customers is the threshold where meaningful compensation becomes sustainable without burning runway.
Monthly Cost Structure
Before compensation, RoundTrip must cover its operating costs:
| Cost | Current | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Azure App Service | ~$15-30/mo | B1 Linux plan |
| Azure SQL Server | ~$15-30/mo | Basic tier |
| Azure Key Vault | ~$5/mo | Standard tier |
| Azure Blob Storage | ~$1-5/mo | Low volume initially |
| SendGrid | Free | Up to 100 emails/day free tier |
| Crisp | Free | 2 agent free tier |
| Cloudflare | Free | Pages + DNS free tier |
| Stripe fees | ~3% of revenue | 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction |
| Total fixed | ~$50-100/mo | Scales slowly with usage |
Revenue Model
Pricing Tiers
| Plan | Price | Target Customer |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $99/month | Solo operator, 1-3 techs |
| Standard | $149/month | Small team, 3-10 techs |
| Professional | $249/month | Growth business, 10+ techs |
Revenue Projections
Assuming a mixed customer base (40% Starter, 45% Standard, 15% Professional):
| Customers | Blended MRR | After Stripe (~3%) | After Hosting | Available for Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | ~$1,300 | ~$1,260 | ~$1,160 | Not yet |
| 25 | ~$3,250 | ~$3,150 | ~$3,050 | Small stipend possible |
| 50 | ~$6,500 | ~$6,305 | ~$6,205 | Part-time salary viable |
| 100 | ~$13,000 | ~$12,610 | ~$12,510 | Full-time salary viable |
| 200 | ~$26,000 | ~$25,220 | ~$25,120 | Team growth possible |
Compensation Planning
Phase 1 — Pre-Revenue to 25 Customers
- No salaries
- Focus entirely on getting to first paying customers
- Robin's marketing push (July 2026) is the catalyst for this phase
Phase 2 — 25 to 50 Customers (~$3K-6K MRR)
- Small stipend for Robin — $500-1,000/month
- Pete continues bootstrapping
- Reinvest remainder into growth
Phase 3 — 50 to 100 Customers (~$6K-13K MRR)
- Part-time salary for Robin — $2,000-3,000/month
- Pete takes first salary — $1,000-2,000/month
- Retain runway buffer of 3-6 months operating costs
Phase 4 — 100+ Customers (~$13K+ MRR)
- Full-time salaries become viable
- First hire consideration (support or sales)
- Apex and Waypoint development accelerates
Founding Customer Strategy
Founding customers who sign up early lock in a permanently lower rate. This is a deliberate strategy to:
- Reward early adopters who take a chance on a new product
- Build a loyal base of advocates who feel invested in RoundTrip's success
- Generate word-of-mouth referrals in the trades community
The founding customer discount does not expire — they keep their rate when prices increase for new customers.
Key Milestones to Track
| Milestone | Target | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| First paying customer | July 2026 | Proof of concept |
| 10 paying customers | Q3 2026 | Product-market fit signal |
| $3K MRR | Q4 2026 | First compensation threshold |
| $6K MRR | Q1 2027 | Sustainable part-time salaries |
| $13K MRR | Q2-Q3 2027 | Full-time salaries viable |
| $26K MRR | 2027-2028 | First hire consideration |
Annual Revenue Targets
| Year | Target MRR | Target ARR | Customers (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (H2) | $3,000 | $18,000 | 20-25 |
| 2027 | $10,000 | $120,000 | 70-80 |
| 2028 | $25,000 | $300,000 | 175-200 |
Notes
- All projections assume monthly billing with ~2% monthly churn
- Annual billing option (discount for paying upfront) could improve cash flow significantly — worth adding to Stripe config
- Enterprise tier pricing ($499+/month) becomes relevant at 100+ customers when larger operations start signing up
- Waypoint and Relay revenue is not included in these projections — each product adds an independent revenue stream
Action Items
- Set up a separate business bank account for Traxs Group LLC revenue
- Consult accountant on LLC tax treatment and payroll setup before first salary
- Consider annual billing option in Stripe — 2 months free equivalent (~17% discount) is the standard SaaS offer
- Track MRR, churn, and customer count monthly — add to ops review cadence
- Revisit founding customer cutoff date/milestone and document it
This is internal planning documentation. Consult a licensed accountant or financial advisor for formal financial and tax advice.