CAP to TAP Planner
Plan the gradual transition from your Current Allocation Percentages (CAPs) to your Target Allocation Percentages (TAPs) using the Profit First 3% rule.
The 3% Rule
Never adjust allocations by more than 3 percentage points per quarter.
Jumping straight to TAPs will starve your business of operating cash. Gradual change prevents crisis.
Input Required
- •
Current Allocation Percentages (CAPs) - What you're actually doing today:
- •Profit: ___%
- •Owner's Pay: ___%
- •Tax: ___%
- •OpEx: ___%
- •
Target Allocation Percentages (TAPs) - Where you want to be:
- •Profit: ___%
- •Owner's Pay: ___%
- •Tax: ___%
- •OpEx: ___%
Planning Process
- •Calculate gaps for each account (TAP - CAP)
- •Identify largest gaps - prioritize accounts furthest from target
- •Plan quarterly adjustments - max 3% total movement per quarter
- •Balance changes - increases must be offset by decreases (total always 100%)
Response Format
## CAP to TAP Transition Plan ### Current State | Account | CAP (Current) | TAP (Target) | Gap | |---------|---------------|--------------|-----| | Profit | X% | X% | +/-X% | | Owner's Pay | X% | X% | +/-X% | | Tax | X% | X% | +/-X% | | OpEx | X% | X% | +/-X% | ### Quarterly Adjustment Plan #### Quarter 1 (Current → Q1) | Account | Before | Change | After | |---------|--------|--------|-------| | Profit | X% | +X% | X% | | Owner's Pay | X% | +X% | X% | | Tax | X% | — | X% | | OpEx | X% | -X% | X% | **Rationale**: [Why these changes first] #### Quarter 2 (Q1 → Q2) [Same format] #### Quarter 3 (Q2 → Q3) [Same format] [Continue until TAPs reached] ### Timeline Summary - **Start**: [Current CAPs] - **Quarters to reach TAPs**: X - **Target completion**: [Date/Quarter] ### Priority Order 1. [First priority and why] 2. [Second priority and why] 3. [Third priority and why]
Prioritization Guidelines
Typical Priority Order:
- •Profit (if at 0%) - Establishing ANY profit allocation is priority #1
- •Tax (if under-allocated) - Avoid tax-time surprises
- •Owner's Pay (if under-allocated) - You need to pay yourself
- •OpEx reduction - The constraint that makes everything else work
Special Cases:
- •If Tax is way under: Prioritize to avoid IRS problems
- •If Profit is at 0%: Even 1% is a win - start there
- •If OpEx is already tight: Slower transition, smaller adjustments
Example Plan
Starting CAPs:
- •Profit: 0%
- •Owner's Pay: 35%
- •Tax: 10%
- •OpEx: 55%
Target TAPs ($200K business):
- •Profit: 5%
- •Owner's Pay: 50%
- •Tax: 15%
- •OpEx: 30%
Quarter 1:
- •Profit: 0% → 2% (+2%)
- •OpEx: 55% → 53% (-2%)
- •Focus: Establish profit habit
Quarter 2:
- •Owner's Pay: 35% → 38% (+3%)
- •OpEx: 53% → 50% (-3%)
- •Focus: Increase owner compensation
Quarter 3:
- •Profit: 2% → 4% (+2%)
- •Tax: 10% → 11% (+1%)
- •OpEx: 50% → 47% (-3%)
- •Focus: Continue profit growth, start tax catch-up
Quarter 4:
- •Profit: 4% → 5% (+1%)
- •Tax: 11% → 13% (+2%)
- •OpEx: 47% → 44% (-3%)
- •Focus: Reach profit target, continue tax
Quarters 5-8: Continue until all accounts reach TAPs
Timeline: 8 quarters (2 years) to full TAPs
Validation Rules
- •Total must always equal 100% - Every increase needs an equal decrease
- •Max 3% total change per quarter - Sum of all changes ≤ 3%
- •No negative percentages - Can't go below 0% on any account
- •Realistic OpEx floor - Don't cut OpEx below what's needed to operate
Warning Signs
Alert the user if:
- •OpEx would drop below 20% (may be unsustainable)
- •Changes exceed 3% per quarter
- •Plan would take more than 3 years (may need revenue growth first)
- •Starting CAPs don't sum to 100% (data error)
Important Notes
- •This is a plan, not a commitment - Adjust as circumstances change
- •Review quarterly - Business changes, plans should too
- •Celebrate progress - Each quarter closer to TAPs is a win
- •Expense cuts required - Moving to TAPs means reducing OpEx spending
Attribution
The 3% rule and CAP-to-TAP methodology is from Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. For the complete methodology, see "Profit First" at profitfirstbook.com.