If you have a periodic preventive maintenance contract on equipment, you can budget based on the monthly cost of your contract. If you have purchased an extended warranty, you can spread the cost over the expected useful life of the related equipment, or the duration of the contract. Repairs are generally an unforeseen expense and are more difficult to predict and budget, but they should not be overlooked. You should probably estimate repair expenses based on your own knowledge and experience, and based on the age and general working condition of your equipment and facilities.

Utilities, such as electricity and gas, can be calculated as usage times rate, if you have an idea of how much you will use. You may be able to estimate usage based on a reference point, such as a similar business or facility, and multiply by the going rates in your area for electricity and gas.

Budgeted telephone expense can be based on the plan you have for your cell phone, for example. The base monthly rate and installation cost for a new land-based line can be obtained from your local telephone company. The expense for long-distance calls will depend on the nature of your business, and here you will have to estimate based on your judgement and personal experience.

If you use your vehicle in your business, you can estimate the average number of miles or kilometers you expect to drive each day or month. Then take this and multiply by the appropriate factor based on how many miles or kilometers your vehicle gets per gallon or liter, and the expected price of fuel. You may be able to budget travel expenses by estimating how many trips you plan to take to what places, and find out the going airfares and hotel rates.

You probably know what types of insurance coverage your business will need, and you may be able to get quotes on-line. Or you could go to an insurance agent and inquire.

Depreciation expense is based on the cost or basis of your depreciable property and equipment, and the depreciation method you use. This may be straight-line depreciation over the useful life of your property. Or you may elect to use another method, such as the accelerated recovery system used for income tax purposes. Your budgeted depreciation should coincide with the depreciation method you intend to use for book purposes.

Finally, interest expense will depend on the loans your business carries. At the outset, you may not yet know what these will be, since this will depend on the financing you are able to obtain. Your initial budget for interest expense could be based on the amount of financing you need, times the applicable interest rate for each particular type of financing. For example, financing with your credit card will generally carry a higher interest rate than a mortgage loan, secured by real property.

As mentioned above, these are just some examples and ideas, and you will need to adapt them to your own particular circumstances. The important thing is to analyze your expenses, and break them down into pieces of data that can be identified.