ADSX/FREE STORE PLANNING TOOL
Work out what it takes to open your store—and how many orders cover the monthly costs. Adjust an example budget, explore the tradeoffs, and download your worksheet.
Start with the example, then make it yours.
All starting amounts are illustrative, including the subscription and payment rates. They are not Shopify quotes or suggested spending levels.
Currency changes labels only; it does not convert amounts. Use one currency throughout.
Startup + buffer · USD
$2,250.00
UNDERSTAND THE ESTIMATE
Opening inventory + theme, design and setup + other one-time costs. The fixed-cost buffer adds the monthly commitments multiplied by your chosen number of months.
The buffer is money set aside. It is not deducted from monthly operating results.
Product revenue + shipping collected − product cost − packaging and fulfillment − shipping labels − refund/replacement allowance − estimated payment and platform fees.
Percentage fees use product revenue plus shipping. Fee estimates are rounded to cents per order; actual provider rules may differ.
Fixed monthly costs ÷ contribution per order, rounded up. Your operating result is contribution per order × monthly orders − fixed monthly costs.
This covers the month at the entered marketing budget. It does not tell you when you recover your initial investment.
The starting USD example has $1,500 of upfront spending and $250 in fixed monthly costs. A three-month fixed-cost buffer adds $750, for a $2,250 planning amount. Each $54 order, including shipping, contributes $22.08 after the entered variable costs. Twelve orders cover the fixed monthly costs. At 50 orders, the modeled monthly operating result is $854 before income tax.
These numbers explain the example, not a typical merchant outcome. Replace them with quotes and observed costs as your store develops.
Check the Shopify quote for your location and the costs of your chosen apps. The pricing link is an affiliate link; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Shopify distinguishes recurring, usage-based, and one-time charges in its billing documentation. The calculator uses a normal operating month, so keep introductory discounts and annual upfront payments in a separate cash timeline.
Your startup budget depends on inventory, setup work, recurring tools, fulfillment, and the cash buffer you choose. This calculator adds your one-time startup spending to a reserve for fixed monthly costs. Its example amounts are not Shopify prices or a recommended budget. Use actual quotes for your business.
No. The subscription field is an editable example. Enter the normal price quoted for your location and billing term, after any introductory promotion. For annual subscriptions, enter the monthly equivalent for operating costs and separately allow for the actual upfront payment in your cash plan.
Initial inventory is a cash purchase before you sell. Product cost per order is the cost of the items sold. The calculator includes opening inventory in upfront cash and deducts product costs from each order; it does not deduct the entire inventory purchase again from the monthly operating result.
The calculator divides fixed monthly costs, including the entered marketing budget, by contribution per order and rounds up to a whole order. Contribution is product revenue plus customer-paid shipping, less per-order costs and estimated fees. If contribution is zero or negative, sales cannot cover positive fixed costs. With zero fixed costs, zero orders breaks even.
Yes. Use zero for costs that do not apply, such as physical shipping for a download. Add relevant delivery software to monthly app costs and delivery or support charges to the appropriate per-order costs. For print-on-demand, enter the supplier's product and shipping charges separately and allow for the timing of supplier payments.
The model excludes sales tax, duties, financing, income tax, and costs you have not entered. It assumes a representative order, one payment per order, and a fixed monthly marketing budget. Actual payment fee bases and rounding can differ. The buffer covers fixed costs only; annual prepayments, inventory replenishment, and delayed payouts can need additional cash. Owner pay is included only if you add it.
Download a CSV worksheet containing your inputs, results, currency label, and assumptions. No account or email is needed. The numbers stay in this page and the file is created in your browser. Changing currency relabels the amounts; it does not convert them.