Starting a Shopify store: the money side
Ten short articles, in the order we'd read them. Each one ends with something you can do that day: a number worked out, a setting fixed, a question set up. Together they take an evening.
Before you open
- Part 1Is your product worth selling online? Do the math firstWork out profit per order and the monthly order count needed to break even, in about 15 minutes, before spending on a store
- Part 2What a Shopify store really costs in year oneBuild a year-one budget with every recurring line, know which costs to delay, and see how many orders a month cover it
- Part 3How to price products so discounts don't eat your marginSet a price that still pays after your deepest planned discount and free shipping, using a short formula and a worked example
Build the store
Choosing a theme and setting up the storefront is its own topic, and not ours: we make apps for running the store. Start with Shopify's free themes; they're fast, maintained by Shopify and work with every app.
Before the first order
The first 100 orders
- Part 5Find out where your first 100 customers come fromSet up one question that separates people who know you personally from real channels, and read the first 100 answers without overreacting
- Part 6Your first discount: quantity breaks, percent off or a free gift?Compare what each discount type costs on the same order and pick one that fits the product and margin
When you start paying for apps
- Part 7How Shopify app billing works (and how to avoid surprise charges)Read app charges on the Shopify bill, know when charges start and stop, cap usage charges, and get a refund the right way
- Part 8Monthly fee vs pay-per-use apps: which is cheaper for your store?Find the order volume where a usage-based app costs the same as a flat one, and spot the pricing details that change the answer
- Part 9Free Shopify apps: what's the catch?Tell the different kinds of "free" apart, know the realistic risks, and run six checks on any app listing before installing
- Part 10How many apps does a new Shopify store need? (Plus a 30-minute app audit)Know what a lean launch setup looks like, and run an audit that finds apps to remove, their cost, and leftover code