Glossary

Overheads

Overheads are the indirect running costs of a business — rent, salaries, admin — that you carry regardless of sales volume.

2 min read

IndirectNot per-sale
Fixed-ishRent, admin

Definition

Overheads are the ongoing costs of running a business that are not tied directly to producing a specific product or sale — rent, salaries, insurance, utilities, software and administration.

In plain terms

They are the costs you carry whether you sell one unit or a thousand. Take them off gross profit and you reach operating profit — the profit from actually running the business.

Why it matters for your company

Overhead creep is a silent killer: costs that rise quietly while revenue flatlines squeeze profit. Watching overheads as a share of revenue in your management accounts catches the drift early.

Funding for UK limited companies

Credicorp lends to your company, not to you personally — short-term working capital with no personal guarantee. See what your business could access.