Business costs, advertising and stock planning
An order can contribute money while the business still needs to cover bills or finance stock. Use these guides to connect order calculations with the wider costs and timing of running a shop.
Start with a calculation
Break-Even Calculator
Find the sales needed to cover fixed costs.
Break-Even ROAS Calculator
Find the ad return your contribution can support.
Inventory Holding Cost Calculator
Estimate capital tied up and annual carrying cost.
Target Profit Sales Calculator
Translate a contribution target into an order count.
Understand the costs behind the result
Contribution margin vs net profit for online sellers
See what contribution per order includes, which business costs remain, and how to use seller profit estimates without overstating net profit.
Read the guide →How to calculate break-even sales for a small business
Separate fixed and variable costs, calculate break-even units, and test how price, fees and product mix change the orders you need.
Read the guide →How to calculate break-even ROAS from product costs
Find a break-even ROAS using revenue and non-ad costs, allow for overhead, and understand why revenue return alone does not prove profit.
Read the guide →How to calculate stock value and inventory holding costs
Separate the money tied up in stock from its carrying costs, compare buying quantities and plan for slower sales without inventing demand.
Read the guide →How to calculate product return costs and a return allowance
Compare a returned order with a kept sale, include refunds and recoveries once, and turn that contribution difference into a return allowance.
Read the guide →How to allocate business overhead per product or order
Spread monthly overhead using a clear sales or time assumption, avoid double counting, and see how lower volume changes the cost per order.
Read the guide →How much can you spend to acquire a product order?
Calculate an affordable advertising cost per order from contribution, leave room for overhead and profit, and assess the evidence before scaling.
Read the guide →Cash flow vs profit: why a product can tie up cash
Understand the timing of stock purchases, payouts and bills, keep cash movements separate from order contribution, and test a slower-sales scenario.
Read the guide →How to review small-business costs each month
Compare like-for-like monthly expenses, identify recurring changes and update product pricing assumptions without confusing forecasts with actual sales.
Read the guide →How to price and plan a busy selling season
Compare order contribution with making, packing and dispatch capacity, test a realistic product mix, and avoid discount targets you cannot fulfil.
Read the guide →