Revenue is stated net of pass-through media spend. Cost of sales covers freelance talent, production and studio costs directly attributable to client work.
01 · Sales
Monthly sales trend
Revenue by service line for each month of the year. The shape of the year matters more than the total: a clear trough through July–August and a peak in November.
02 · Sales
Revenue mix
Where the year's revenue came from, and how dependable each stream is.
Reading the mix
Retainer Services is only 24% of revenue but arrives every month regardless of season — it covers roughly half of fixed overhead.
Brand Strategy is the largest line and the most volatile; it drives both the August trough and the November peak.
Concentration risk sits in project work: 76% of revenue has to be won again each year.
03 · Expenses
Monthly expenses breakdown
Cost of sales moves with revenue; everything below it is largely fixed. That gap is what makes the quiet months expensive.
Annual cost structure
Cost observations
Salaries are 35% of revenue and do not flex with the season — the single biggest lever on profitability.
Cost of sales holds between 29% and 34%; the July–August rise reflects a heavier freelance mix on thinner volume.
Fixed overhead runs about $78,500 a month including depreciation. At a 66% contribution margin, roughly $119,000 of revenue a month is needed to break even — which is why August, at $121,600 but on a weaker cost mix, still made a loss.
04 · Profitability
Monthly margin trend
Gross margin is stable all year; net margin is not. The distance between the two lines is the fixed cost base working against a seasonal revenue line.
Net profit by month
05 · Statements
Income statement — full year
Quarterly columns with the full-year position. The chart view traces how revenue becomes net profit.
06 · Statements
Balance sheet & cash
The studio is debt-free. Cash dips in September on a capital purchase, then rebuilds through the strong final quarter.
Balance sheet at 31 Dec
07 · KPIs
Ratios & indicators
08 · Conclusions
Strategic insights
Revenue
Grow retainers — a further $10,000 of monthly retainer would have carried August out of loss and into roughly $2,700 of net profit.
Build a summer offer priced for the quiet months rather than discounting peak work.
Package strategy with production to lift the average project value.
Cost
Shift part of the freelance base to variable engagement so cost of sales tracks the season.
Review software licences against actual seats — 3.2% of revenue for tooling is high.
Hold headcount flat until monthly revenue clears $150,000 consistently.
Cash & working capital
Receivables sit at 45 days; pulling this to 35 releases about $55,000 of cash.
Stage capital purchases outside the Q3 trough.
Hold three months of fixed cost — about $235,000 — as a cash floor.