Blog
For people running a small Shopify store: what things really cost, how apps charge, and the checklists we use ourselves. No fluff, and worked numbers wherever we can.
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Starting a Shopify store: the money side
A series in reading order, from “is this worth selling?” to “which apps are worth paying for?”.
- Is your product worth selling online? Do the math firstPart 1Before you build a Shopify store, check three numbers: what one order leaves you, what the store costs a month, and how many orders close the gap.
- What a Shopify store really costs in year onePart 2The plan, theme, domain, apps, email and card fees for a new Shopify store, as three real-world budgets, plus which costs can wait until you have sales.
- How to price products so discounts don't eat your marginPart 3A pricing method for small Shopify stores: start from cost, check the market, and leave room for the sales and free shipping you'll offer.
- Checkout settings to fix before your first orderPart 4A 30-minute checklist of Shopify payment, shipping, checkout and policy settings to check before your first order, plus a test order.
- Find out where your first 100 customers come fromPart 5How to ask new customers where they found you, keep friends and family out of the numbers, and what to do with your first 100 answers.
- Your first discount: quantity breaks, percent off or a free gift?Part 6Three ways to run your first promotion on Shopify, what each costs you on the same order, and which kinds of products each one suits.
- How Shopify app billing works (and how to avoid surprise charges)Part 7Monthly app fees, usage charges, spending limits, refunds and what really happens when you uninstall. Where to see every app charge.
- Monthly fee vs pay-per-use apps: which is cheaper for your store?Part 8Shopify apps charge a monthly fee, per use, or by the revenue they help create. How to work out which is cheaper at your order volume.
- Free Shopify apps: what's the catch?Part 9Free plans, free trials and free during launch mean different things. How free Shopify apps make money, the real risks, and six checks.
- How many apps does a new Shopify store need? (Plus a 30-minute app audit)Part 10Which kinds of apps a new Shopify store needs at launch, which can wait, and a 30-minute audit to find apps that cost money or speed without earning it.
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Latest
- Black Friday 2026 checklist for small Shopify storesNov 14, 2026A day-by-day Black Friday and Cyber Monday checklist for small Shopify stores: margins, stock limits, test orders and what to ask buyers.
- Three small Shopify apps, one job eachNov 14, 2026Volumo, HearAbout and OrderCap are now on the Shopify App Store. What each one does, why we keep them small, and what's coming next.
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