Catalog ROI Calculator
Tune team size, busywork hours, and your loaded rate to see the hours and dollars the Apex catalog saves you per year — and how fast the $99/yr Insider Pass pays for itself.
How much time + money does the catalog save you?
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The Catalog ROI Calculator estimates the annual hours and dollars saved by using Apex catalogs, and computes the payback period for the $99/year Insider Pass. The core formula is: Annual Hours Saved = (Team Size × Weekly Busywork Hours × 50 Working Weeks) × Catalog Efficiency Factor. Here, Team Size is the number of people using the catalog; Weekly Busywork Hours is the average hours each person spends on tasks that could be replaced by catalog assets (e.g., sourcing, formatting, or creating from scratch); 50 working weeks accounts for typical vacation and holidays. The Catalog Efficiency Factor is set at 0.7 (70% reduction in busywork time) based on internal benchmarks—this reflects the time saved by using pre-built, optimized catalog items versus manual work. Annual Dollars Saved = Annual Hours Saved × Loaded Hourly Rate, where Loaded Rate includes salary, benefits, overhead, and tool costs (e.g., $75/hour). The Insider Pass Payback Period (in years) = $99 / Annual Dollars Saved. If Annual Dollars Saved is $0 or negative, payback is not achieved. This calculation assumes consistent usage and that catalog items directly replace the busywork tasks; it does not account for learning curve or quality improvements, which are additional benefits.
Small Marketing Agency
A 5-person marketing team spends an average of 8 hours per week per person on busywork like sourcing images, formatting templates, and writing repetitive copy. Their loaded hourly rate is $60 (including salary, benefits, and software). Annual busywork hours = 5 × 8 × 50 = 2,000 hours. Annual hours saved = 2,000 × 0.7 = 1,400 hours. Annual dollars saved = 1,400 × $60 = $84,000. Insider Pass payback period = $99 / $84,000 = 0.00118 years, or about 0.43 days. The pass pays for itself in less than a day.
Freelance Graphic Designer
A solo designer spends 5 hours per week on busywork (e.g., searching for stock assets, resizing images, and creating basic layouts). Their loaded rate is $100 per hour. Annual busywork hours = 1 × 5 × 50 = 250 hours. Annual hours saved = 250 × 0.7 = 175 hours. Annual dollars saved = 175 × $100 = $17,500. Payback = $99 / $17,500 = 0.00566 years, or about 2.07 days. The pass pays for itself in roughly 2 days.
Large E-commerce Team
A 20-person product content team spends 12 hours per week per person on busywork like cataloging, writing descriptions, and optimizing images. Loaded rate is $55 per hour. Annual busywork hours = 20 × 12 × 50 = 12,000 hours. Annual hours saved = 12,000 × 0.7 = 8,400 hours. Annual dollars saved = 8,400 × $55 = $462,000. Payback = $99 / $462,000 = 0.000214 years, or about 0.078 days (under 2 hours). The pass pays for itself almost instantly.
A 'good' number for annual hours saved depends on team size and busywork intensity. For a single person with low busywork (e.g., 2 hours/week), savings might be around 70 hours annually—still valuable. For larger teams (10+ people) with moderate busywork (e.g., 10 hours/week), savings can exceed 3,500 hours per year. The payback period for the $99 Insider Pass is typically under a week for most teams; if it exceeds a year, either the busywork hours or loaded rate may be too low. As a principle, if the loaded rate is above $30/hour and weekly busywork is over 3 hours, the pass pays back quickly. Avoid comparing raw dollar savings across industries without normalizing for team size; instead, focus on payback time or hours saved per person. The 70% efficiency factor is a conservative estimate—actual savings may be higher if catalog items eliminate entire workflows. Remember that this calculator assumes the catalog directly replaces manual tasks; it doesn't account for indirect benefits like improved quality or faster time-to-market.
A common mistake is using a loaded hourly rate that is too low, such as only the base salary without benefits, overhead, and tool costs. This underestimates the true cost of employee time and inflates the payback period. Another error is overestimating weekly busywork hours—people often count all work time, but only tasks that catalogs can replace (e.g., searching, formatting, repetitive creation) should be included. Edge cases: if team members work part-time or have seasonal busywork, adjust the 50-week factor accordingly (e.g., use 40 weeks for seasonal roles). Also, the calculator assumes the entire team uses the catalog; if only a subset does, enter only that subset's size. Finally, the 70% efficiency factor may not apply if the team is already highly optimized or if the catalog lacks specific assets—in such cases, reduce the factor manually, but note the calculator uses a fixed 0.7 for simplicity.
- Busywork Hours
- The average hours per week a team member spends on repetitive, non-core tasks that could be replaced by pre-built catalog assets.
- Loaded Hourly Rate
- The total hourly cost to employ a person, including salary, benefits, overhead, and software/tool expenses.
- Catalog Efficiency Factor
- The percentage reduction in busywork time achieved by using a catalog, set at 70% for this calculator.
- Payback Period
- The time it takes for the cost of the Insider Pass ($99) to be recouped through the dollars saved by using the catalog.
- Annual Hours Saved
- The total number of work hours reclaimed per year by replacing manual busywork with catalog assets.
What if my team size is zero or negative?
Enter a positive integer for team size; zero or negative values will break the calculation. If you're a solo user, enter 1.
How do I determine my loaded hourly rate?
Include salary, benefits (typically 30-40% of salary), overhead (office space, equipment), and tool costs. For example, a $50/hour salary might become $70-80 loaded.
Can I use this for a team that works part-time?
Yes, but adjust weekly busywork hours to reflect their actual schedule. The 50-week factor can also be reduced (e.g., 40 weeks for seasonal work).
What if the catalog doesn't save 70% of busywork?
The 70% factor is an estimate based on typical usage. If your savings are lower, you can manually scale the result down, but the calculator uses a fixed 0.7 for consistency.
Is the Insider Pass payback period always less than a year?
For most teams with any meaningful busywork, yes. If busywork is under 1 hour per week or loaded rate is very low, it may take longer—but the pass is still cost-effective.
Do I need to account for the time to learn the catalog?
No, this calculator assumes the catalog is already in use and the team is proficient. Learning time is a one-time cost that may slightly delay initial savings.
What if I only use the catalog occasionally?
Then reduce weekly busywork hours to reflect only the tasks you'd actually replace with catalog assets. The calculator assumes consistent usage.
Can I use this for non-dollar currencies?
Yes, the formula works with any currency. Just use your local loaded rate and the $99 pass cost in that currency (e.g., €99). The payback period remains the same.
If the payback is under a year, the Insider Pass ($99/yr) is the obvious move.
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