BoteamWhat the work is actually costing you.
Australian founders spend a median of 19.5 hours a week on work they could hand over. This tool puts a dollar figure on yours, using published Australian research rather than our own claims.
Your numbers
Five inputs. Nothing is sent anywhere, everything is calculated in your browser.
The band where the founder tax bites hardest.
The median Australian founder reports 19.5 hours. Adjust to your own week.
Your realistic opportunity cost, not your salary. We prefill $100/hr — the published median band runs $100 to $200 for owner-led SMEs.
48 weeks leaves room for leave and public holidays.
Founders in your band report a median of 28.3 hours a week. You are below the median for your band.
Optional. Selecting these breaks your total down by category.
This is a planning model built from published Australian research, not a measurement of your business and not a quote. It values time you could redirect, which is an opportunity cost, not cash that leaves your account. Real results depend on how much of the work can genuinely be handed over in your business.
It never shows up on a P&L.
Nobody invoices you for the hours you spend quoting, chasing and replying. The cost is real but it lands as slower growth and a full calendar rather than a line item, which is why it stays unmanaged for years.
What people ask about the number.
Where do these figures come from?
From published Australian research, not from our own client base. The delegatable-hours and opportunity-cost medians come from Airtasker founder research published in August 2026 covering 254 Australian founders. The category split, payroll and payment-chasing figures come from Scale Suite research published in 2026. The hourly cost modelling method comes from the published 2026 Australian Small Business AI Cost Index. Every source is linked at the foot of the calculator.
Is this a quote?
No. It is a planning model. It puts a figure on time you currently spend on work that could be handed over, valued at your own opportunity cost. It is not a price, not a proposal, and not a measurement of your business.
Why is opportunity cost used instead of salary?
Because the hours you spend on admin, quoting and follow-up are not paid out of a payroll line, they are taken from the work only you can do. Valuing them at the rate your time is genuinely worth shows the real size of the gap, which salary comparisons hide.
Does what I type get sent anywhere?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is submitted, stored or shared, and no email address is required to see your result.
How do I act on the number?
Start with the free AI readiness check: ten questions, about five minutes, and you get a score plus the three areas worth fixing first, with no call required. If you would rather talk it through, a 30-minute AI audit is also free and comes with a written summary.