what is the difference between operating costs and startup costs 
operating costs are the expenses a business incurs in its normal day to day operations startup costs on the other hand are expenses a startup must pay as part of the process of starting its new business even before a business opens its doors for the first time or begins production of a new product it will have to spend money just to get started for example the business may need to spend money on research and development equipment purchases a lease on office space and employee wages a startup often pays for these costs through business loans or money from private investors this contrasts with operating costs which are paid for through revenue generated from sales 