How to Calculate Return on Investment (ROI)

Ever wonder if that business idea, stock, or marketing campaign really paid off? That’s where ROI comes in. It’s a quick and easy way to figure out how much you earned compared to how much you spent.

Let’s break it down in a fun and simple way!

📚 What Is ROI?

ROI stands for Return on Investment. It tells you how much profit (or loss) you made from an investment, compared to what you spent.

It’s like asking: “For every dollar I put in, how much did I get back?”

🔢 The Simple ROI Formula

Here’s the basic math:

ROI = (Gain from Investment – Cost of Investment) ÷ Cost of Investment × 100

This gives you a percentage, which is nice because it’s easy to compare different investments.

🧮 Example: A Lemonade Stand

Let’s say you spent $100 to start a lemonade stand. After selling lemonade, you made $150 total.

  • Gain from investment = $150
  • Cost of investment = $100

Plug it into the formula:

ROI = (150 – 100) ÷ 100 × 100 = 50%

🎉 You made a 50% return on your investment!

📉 What If You Lose Money?

If your ROI is negative, that means you lost money. 😬

Let’s say you spent $200 on an ad campaign, but only made $150 from it:

ROI = (150 – 200) ÷ 200 × 100 = -25%

That’s a -25% ROI. Not great—but helpful to know so you can adjust next time.

🛠️ ROI Calculator

Enter the Cost of Investment, Gain and the tool will calculate ROI

✨ Why ROI Is Super Useful

ROI helps you:

  • 💸 See if your money was well spent
  • 📊 Compare different investments or projects
  • 🚀 Make smarter decisions next time

You can use ROI for just about anything—business ideas, real estate, marketing, even buying new tools for your side hustle.

✅ Quick Recap

  • ROI shows how much profit (or loss) you made
  • Use this formula: (Gain – Cost) ÷ Cost × 100
  • Positive ROI = profit 🎉
  • Negative ROI = loss 😬

ROI is like a money scorecard 💳—and now you know how to read it!