Business Math Lab

Business Math: Free Step-by-Step Solvers, Examples and Worksheets

Written by Ivan Daniel · Published · Updated · How we check the math

Business math is the arithmetic of buying, selling, pricing, paying people and borrowing money: discounts, markup, payroll, interest, notes and more. This section works through it the way a business math course does. For each topic you get a solver that shows every step with your own numbers, worked examples with solutions, and a printable worksheet with an answer key. Everything is free and needs no account.

How each topic works

  • Step-by-step solver. Type the numbers from your problem. The solver writes the formula, puts your numbers in, shows each calculation and rounds the answer the way the course does. A “check my answer” box tells you whether your own answer is right and, if not, where it most likely went wrong.
  • Worked examples with solutions. Word problems in textbook style, from basic to exam level, each solved in full.
  • Worksheet with answers. New practice problems on a printable page, with the answer key on a separate page.

It is written for college business math students first, and the same methods apply in high school business math and consumer math courses. Every answer is checked by automated tests against a hand-worked solution.

Course outline

Topics in a typical course order. Topics that already have pages are linked. The others are listed so you can see where each topic fits, and the formulas for many of them are on the cheat sheet.

  1. Whole numbers, fractions and decimals

    Rounding, fraction-decimal conversion, estimating

  2. Percents

    Portion, base and rate; percent increase and decrease

  3. Trade discounts and series discounts

    List price, net price, chain discounts, single equivalent discount rate

  4. Cash discounts and invoice terms

    Terms such as 2/10, n/30; due dates; EOM and ROG dating; partial payments

  5. Markup and markdown

    Markup on cost and on selling price, markdown percent, breakeven price

  6. Payroll

    Gross pay, overtime, commissions, deductions

  7. Simple interest

    Exact and ordinary interest, maturity value

  8. Promissory notes and bank discount

    Proceeds, discounting a note

  9. Compound interest and present value

    Compounding periods, future and present value

  10. Annuities and sinking funds

    Ordinary annuities, annuities due

  11. Installment buying and consumer credit

    Finance charges, APR, payments

  12. Depreciation

    Straight-line, units of production, declining balance

  13. Inventory

    Inventory valuation, turnover, reorder point, carrying cost

    Related business tools: Inventory Carrying Cost Calculator, Reorder Point Calculator, Safety Stock Calculator, Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) Calculator

  14. Financial statements and ratios

    Gross profit, profit margin, common ratios

    Related business tools: Gross Margin Calculator, Profit Margin Calculator

  15. Break-even analysis

    Fixed and variable costs, contribution margin

Business math formulas cheat sheet

Percents, trade and chain discounts, cash discounts, markup and markdown on cost and on selling price, simple interest (exact and ordinary), maturity value and bank discount on one printable page, with a short example for each formula.

Open the formulas cheat sheet

Business tools

Calculators for working decisions rather than homework: costs, inventory, customer economics and profitability. Each shows its formula, assumptions and a worked example.

Inventory & Operations

Workforce Costs

SaaS & Customer Economics

Business Costs & Profitability

Created and maintained by Ivan Daniel using documented methodology and editorial standards.