Rotaboard
“We charged from the first customer. Paying customers tell you what really matters.”
OMOwen Mercer · Rotaboard · Since 2021
12-mo revenue$342,300+32% vs last yearPaddle
Based on 133 real software businesses worldwide, including 64 that closed.
✓Your budget should cover this.
Bills run about $270 a month (fuel, insurance, rent, phone). Most owners make a profit after about 14 months. Keep this much aside to pay bills until then.
Charge VAT at the customer’s country rate from the first sale and file it through the One Stop Shop. A payment company that collects the tax for you (for example Paddle) can handle it.
GDPR: a privacy policy, and a data processing agreement for business customers.
Clear terms on refunds, cancelling and downtime. Most survivors had a lawyer check them once.
Register with your local trade office or chamber of commerce. Usually €50 to €400.
Free to about €10 a month. Keeps business money apart from yours.
Before costs. Sign-ups peak in January and September.
| Slow | Typical | Strong | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $1.4k | $3.6k | $9.6k |
| Year 3 | $3.6k | $8.6k | $20.6k |
| Year 5 | $4.5k | $11.2k | $27.8k |
Slow: 1 in 4 make less than this. Typical: half make more, half make less. Strong: 1 in 4 make more than this.
“We charged from the first customer. Paying customers tell you what really matters.”
Sets up your books and files your first tax return.
$7.5k
about $116k
Starting costs about $109k less. Buying costs more, but you earn from the first month and skip the risky early years.