ecommerce business plan excel

How to Make an Ecommerce Business Plan for Your Startup

Darren DeMatas

February 28, 2024

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So you’ve decided that you want to quit your day job and start your very own ecommerce empire. That’s great!

But before you become the next Jeff Bezos  (and definitely before you quit your job!), it’s worth spending some time thinking about a business plan. In this article, we’ll dive into the key elements of an ecommerce business plan, which is very different than writing traditional business plans.

Why You Should Create a Business Plan

We know that starting an ecommerce business is exciting, and it can be tempting to jump right in without constructing a business plan. READ: PLEASE DON’T DO THIS.

If you haven’t put your ideas, questions and concerns on paper, then you haven’t given your business model enough thought .

Taking the time to write a business plan might seem like a lot of work, but it can save you a lot of time and money in the long run by better preparing you for potential challenges and opportunities that you’ll face as a first-time entrepreneur. Think of it as a roadmap for your new business venture.

It’s exciting to start your own ecommerce business. However, you want to be well prepared and not jump into anything without having a solid, foolproof ecommerce business plan in place.

After all, you wouldn’t jump out of a plane without a parachute, so why start a business without a safety device in place? That safety device is your business plan.

The business plan is the brainstorming process that ensures your concept and goals are realistic.

This is more than just mental notes. True business plans take your ideas , questions, and concerns and put those in writing.

As you start creating your business plan, you’ll soon understand that it’s more than a single piece of paper with handwritten details on it. It’s a clearly constructed format of how your business will be created, how it will operate, and what you hope the future holds in terms of a successful ecommerce business.

When you write your business plan, be sure to have a target audience in mind. Are you going to look for investors or put a Kickstarter campaign into motion and use this as your descriptive platform? If so, make sure that your business plan contains everything the audience would want to know about your business (and more!). Many traditional funding solutions require a business plan in order to give you capital. However, there are alternative solutions, such as  Payability  that specialize in ecommerce and don’t require credit checks, a business plan, or any complicated paperwork. They can also get you approved in as little as 24 hours.

When your business plan is completed, you should have achieved the following goals:

• Knowledge:  A greater sense of knowledge of the business aspects.
• Resources:  The resources you’re going to need to make your business successful, such as partners, money, employees, etc.
• Road Map: Have clear set goals to take you from the very beginning of your business and onward.
• Viability: In other words, is your business possible? Will you have enough profit margins to keep the doors open long-term?

Now that you know why you should create a business plan, it’s time to move on to how you can create your business plan and get started putting your ecommerce business into motion.

How to Start an Ecommerce Business Plan

At the very beginning of the planning stages, it’s a good idea to develop a framework for your business model. This business model will continue to evolve as you create each section of your ecommerce business plan, so don’t strive for a perfect completed plan on the first try. You will be making tweaks to the plan of certain steps along the way.

There are many ways to sell products online and different business models  to pursue. Research and learn from successful ecommerce business examples in the market. The exact business model you follow will be one that makes the most sense with your resources, skills, and interests.

In order to create the best online business plan with your product in mind, you need to figure out the following things:

What are you selling?

The first step to creating an online business is to learn the absolute basics of what you can sell.

• Physical products: Clothing , shoes, home goods
• Digital products: Software as a Service products, ecourses, ebooks
• Services: Consulting services, home cleaning

Who are you selling to?

• Business-to-Business (B2B): You are selling to organizations, corporations, and non-profits rather than individual customers
• Business to Consumer (B2C): This means you are selling to individual consumers rather than businesses
• Marketplace: You are acting as a middleman by bringing businesses and (B2B or B2C) customers to one website.

How are you sourcing your product?

• Manufacture in-house: You make your product or service in-house
• Third-party manufacturer: You outsource the manufacturing of your product or service to a third-party manufacturer
• Dropship: You partner with a dropship manufacturer. Basically, this means that they make your product, package it and ship it directly to your customer while your company handles the entire customer relationship.
• Wholesale : You buy goods or services from other companies in bulk and re-sell those products on your online store

Additional References

• Entrepreneurship: Business & Marketing Plans
• Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurship Resources
• Business Plan Resources

Executive Summary

The executive summary will be written according to your goals, and it’s recommended that this is done at the very end of your business plan completion. This will ensure that you include all of the important factors about your business and present your ideas in a concise and complete way.

Some of the features you’ll include in the executive summary include information showing that you’ve done your research, you have concrete sales forecasts, and the main details about your brand.

Business Model

When you’re figuring out your business model, you have to consider four different areas:

• Monetization strategy
• Product/industry
• Target market
• Sales channel

Monetization Strategy

The monetization strategy delves into the methods you are going to use to sell your products.

This strategy will look at different product monetization methods, including white label, private label , affiliate marketing, wholesale, dropshipping, and even selling ads.

Product/Industry

The product industry section is where you summarize your main niche.

For example, “Vegan Skincare Products.”

Target Market

In the target market section, you will write a sentence or so on who your target market, or ideal customer, is in the community.

If you’re selling vegan skincare products, your target customers might be women who embrace the vegan lifestyle and use natural skincare products in their daily beauty regimen.

Sales Channel

The sales channel refers to where you’re going to sell your products.

For example, you might be selling your products on your own website, and this should be entered in this section.

Business Overview

This next section covers your company overview.

This section of your business plan will cover various features of your company, including the following:

• Company type
• Domain name
• Value proposition
• Brand traits

The brand name section lists your business name or brand name.

This is an extremely important aspect of your business plan as it’s what will set the tone for everything that follows.

Pick a brand name that’s simple yet unique and is something that can be used in a wordplay manner, if desired, but not pun-worthy.

Company Type

The company is how your business operates. For example, you might label your business as an LLC , S-corporation, sole proprietor, or some other type of business organization.

The best way to determine how you should categorize your company is to speak to your accountant. There are various tax and legal aspects to forming your business in a certain way.

Speak with the professionals in the company and corporation formation field to determine how to label your company and which company type best benefits your business in a variety of ways.

Domain Name

This section is where you list your domain name.

Choose a domain name that is memorable and embraces the overall traits and features of your business.

And, when choosing a domain name, be sure to think of SEO aspects when doing so. You’ll find out just how much all of these things tie together and ensure a frequently-visited website is the end result.

Keep in mind that with ecommerce, the domain name is just as important as the brand name. Maybe even more so!

Value Proposition

A value proposition is a short, crisp statement that will gauge how clear your idea is. Write this section as if you had one minute to explain your business to a potential investor or customer and then practice it over and over again.

The value proposition can be used on your ecommerce store as your company description.

Here’s a good example: Say you’re looking to start a hiking company called Atlas Hiking Co. which sells premium performance hiking shirts. A possible company description could be the following:

Atlas Hiking Co. is a lifestyle hiking company that produces high-performance hiking shirts for outdoor lovers. Our proprietary SPF40 fabric is one of the lightest fabrics on the market, providing mountain lovers with maximum comfort, both from a breathability and sun-protection standpoint. Our product is made in the U.S.A. and a portion of our profits are donated to preserve national parks around the country.

Pay special attention to all the sensory words !

The mission statement in your business plan is the “why” of it all.

For example, why you started the business, why you are selling the products you are selling, etc., can all be added to this section of your business plan.

You can make this portion as simple or detailed as you like. Just make sure to properly and clearly explain your business mission.

The vision part of the business plan is your “how” in the grand scheme of things. It is the dream you have for your company and the path you’re going to take to realize that dream.

When you write the vision portion of the business plan, think long-term. What are you hoping to achieve, not just in the near future but for the long haul of the life of your business?

Look into the future and plan out where you see your business in 5, 10, even 20 years from now.

This will help you construct the rest of your business plan if you know where you want your business to head, now and in the future.

Brand Traits

The brand traits section is a short section in your company overview.

Basically, in the brand traits section you’re going to want to list three to five words that describe your brand.

Think of your brand personality and describe it using a few separate powerful words.

The personnel section lists all individuals, including yourself, who will be involved in the daily operations of your business. You can create a separate section for a full operations plan or add that later.

Some business owners choose to handle all duties on their own or with a partner, while others will hire individuals to fill the following roles:

• CEO (usually the business owner)
• Management team
• Customer service/logistics
• PR/Social media specialist
• SEO manager
• Advertising manager

Competitive Market Analysis

Here’s a fact you can bank on: there has never been a successful e-commerce entrepreneur that didn’t understand his/her target market cold.

That’s why this section is one of the most important in the entire business plan. It will force you to understand the industry in which you operate, the overall industry analysis and outlook, the existing competition, and your target customer demographic.

Market Segment

The market segment portion of the business plan will help you to put your ideas down on paper, make them more focused, and get your team together.

This area will include your niche selection, target market, and competitive analysis.

Niche Selection

The niche section  provides an overview of your niche, why you selected it, whether there’s a micro niche included, and the type of niche you’ve chosen.

The purpose of this section is to crystalize the ideas that you have and make sure they are understandable and viable.

The target market section covers an overview of your target market plus describes your market segments.

Ask yourself who your  target customer  is (population size, age, geography, education, ethnicity, income level) and consider whether consumers are comfortable with buying your product category online.

When listing the target market information, make sure to mention your target audience size as this is important for ensuring that your audience will be adequately covered.

Competitive Analysis

With the competitive analysis portion of your market analysis, you want to list your market leader and direct and indirect competitors.

After you mention who these entities are, you need to list the characteristics of each one, such as domain name, business model, monthly traffic, and pricing range.

However, before you even get started in writing this section, you need to spend several hours researching your target market.

Here are some of the most efficient ways to research a particular market:

Industry reports

Google is your best friend. Look for any recent industry reports on your market of choice. This will give you a good sense of how much growth the industry is experiencing, why this growth is happening, and what are the largest customer segments. In our example of Atlas Hiking Co., we should research the outdoor apparel market.

Let’s say that through our research of the outdoor apparel industry, we discovered that there was a huge boom in youth hiking apparel. Perhaps parents were increasingly concerned about their kids’ exposure to UV rays while hiking, so they began to spend more money on their kids. We could use this valuable information to guide our business strategy.

There’s only so much you can read online. Go to a nearby store that sells similar products to yours and interview the store representative. The store rep has interacted with hundreds of interested customers, which can lead to thousands of valuable insights! It’s amazing how these insights can translate into a meaningful business opportunity.

Here’s an example:

If I were going into Billy’s Outdoor Store to research the outdoor apparel market, I would probably ask Billy the following:

• What are your best-selling products?
• What are your worst-selling products?
• Find products similar to yours and ask the representative his/her favorite features on products similar to yours.
• How much are customers generally willing to spend on these types of products?
• Do customers make repeat orders of any of these products?
• Do you get a lot of customers that are looking to buy last-minute hiking gear before they go on a hike?

Competition

Create an Excel spreadsheet of all of your competitors. In your spreadsheet, you should have the following columns:

• Competitor Name
• Price point
• Product Description
• Key Features (e.g., fabric, waterproof, slim fit, etc.)

What is the competition missing? Is there a gap in the offering? Where you can add some additional value?

After conducting the competitor analysis, Atlas Hiking Co. might find that the competition’s hiking shirts offer very few features at a low price point, but no one offers a luxury hiking shirt with additional features at a higher price point.

This is just an example of the types of insights one can gain from market research which can drastically alter your business model.

Keyword Research

By using Google’s keyword planner  and trends pages, you can get a good sense of how in demand your product is and whether it’s trending upward or downward. Google is great for a general idea, just don’t bank on it.

Some other keyword tools you can use for keyword research include Ahrefs, JungleScout, and Viral Launch. Check out this list  for more ideas.

Trade shows

Are there nearby trade shows that you can go to? Again, creating connections with other people in your industry is a surefire shortcut to countless hours of reading on the internet. Trade shows are also a great opportunity to talk to competitors, meet manufacturers, and better understand where things are heading in your industry.

Once you finish researching the relevant industry, you should summarize your findings by answering the following questions:

General Industry

• How big is the overall industry?
• How big is the specific sub-industry in which you intend to operate?
• Where has most of the historic growth in the market come from?
• Why is this the right time to enter this market?
• What are the sub-segments that are poised for future growth (e.g., youth apparel)?
• How crowded is the product category with competition?
• How is your competition distributing its product (online, retail, wholesale, etc.)?
• What’s missing from the competition’s product offering?

Products and Offers

So we know we want to sell hiking shirts, but how do you research specific products?

But for some of us, we’re not quite sure what we should sell. To succeed in online retail, you need a product that is trending upwards in a growing niche.

Different types of products

Some of the different types of products include the following:

• Convenience products: Frequent purchase products, little effort on buying
• Shopping products: Less frequently purchased in between purchases, little more effort and planning, shop around
• Specialty products: Strong brand preference and loyalty, will buy no matter what the price

The various types of niches include the following:

• Hobby niches
• Lifestyle niches
• Problem niches
• Weird/embarrassing niches

Existing products

Come up with detailed specifications for each product or service you intend to sell. If it’s a hiking shirt we’re selling, we would want to have:

• Detailed sketches of the shirt
• Fabric weight, materials, type
• Key features (e.g., pre-shrunk, water-proof, SPF 40)

Future product pipeline

What are other products that you have in the pipeline? Perhaps once you’ve successfully sold hiking shirts, you’re able to leverage your manufacturing relationships to provide hiking socks and shorts. Include that information in this section.

The products and services section will cover the various selling categories of items.

These product offerings will include the following:

• Core product

Each product group will have its own purpose in your sales catalog. For example, tripwire is the product that brings customers to your ecommerce store or online marketplaces  while the core product is your main seller.

Knowing what products you’ll include within each section allows you to have a firm grasp on what your main product will be and how the other types of products will work alongside your main product.

This section will also cover the search volume and Amazon pricing range.

You’ll need to calculate your true costs. You have to make sure you don’t overestimate your margins.

To tabulate your total true costs, you need to write down the costs in the following areas:

• Target price
• Supplier cost of the product
• Total cost per unit
• Net profit per unit
• Profit margin per unit

Once you complete the pricing portion, you’ll have everything on one sheet and readily accessible whenever you need it.

Marketing Plan and Operations

So, now you’ve concluded that you have a great business idea, and it’s in a growing market. That’s fantastic – but how are you going to drive traffic to your ecommerce website and get customers to buy it ? And how much can you afford to spend on your product?

Marketing  is everything. It’s important that your marketing efforts match your business model.

If you have a website and no marketing, your site won’t have any visitors. With no visitors, you will make no sales. Then how do you grow and sell your ecommerce business (if that’s your long-term goal)? Even with the best possible products, nobody will buy them if they aren’t directed to them in some way.

In order to come up with a marketing strategy, you need to first know your customer inside out. You should be able to answer such questions as:

• How old is your customer?
• Where does your customer live?
• What is the population of your customer base?
• What is their education level?
• What is their income level?
• What are your customer’s pain points?

With so many channels to reach your customer, which one is best for you?

Once we know pretty much everything there is to know about our target customer, we can shift focus to our marketing strategy. You want to choose marketing strategies that equal positive conversion rates. What channels should you use to grab the attention of your customer demographic? Some of the key marketing channels include:

Paid Marketing

• Pay-per-click – this online marketing typically involves using Google Shopping campaigns  and managing a product data feed.
• Affiliate sales networks – Allowing other blogs and websites to sell your product for a cut of the revenue. List the different affiliate sale networks that you plan to promote through.
• Facebook ads ⎯ Ads posted on Facebook to draw in buyers through social media means.
• Influencer marketing ⎯ Hiring industry influencers to get the word out about your product through their social media platforms and contacts.

Organic Marketing

• Social media (Facebook, Instagram , Pinterest, etc.): What is your strategy for social media, and where will you dedicate your attention?
• Search Engine Optimization : Create and promote awesome content so people find your product organically through search.
• Content marketing: Figure out how you’ll use content marketing in your business. Consider various article topics that will persuade your target audience to buy your products.
• Blogger networks: could be organic or paid through affiliate sale programs.
• Key bloggers: Develop a list of the key bloggers in your product category. For Atlas Hiking Co., this might be an influencer that blogs about the best hiking trails in America.

Finding the optimal mix of these advertising tools depends 100% on your customer segment as well as your product type. For example, a SaaS product targeting millennials will require an entirely different marketing strategy than an e-commerce physical product targeting baby boomers. Perhaps that should be a post on its own for another day!

How much should you spend to acquire a customer?

In order to understand this, we need first to discuss a concept known as customer lifetime value or LTV. In essence, this is a formula that helps you better understand how much an average customer will spend over time.

Here’s  a good read on how to calculate LTV.

It’s important to remember that for new businesses, you don’t have a lot of data on customer purchase habits so it’s a good idea to be more conservative with your assumptions in calculating LTV.

Let’s say, for Atlas Hiking Co., I determine that the average LTV per customer is $300. This means that over time, the average customer will spend $300. Let’s say, on average, if I receive $300 in revenue, $100 of that will translate to gross profit before I factor in my marketing costs (basically, I’m just subtracting the cost of making the shirts).

Knowing that my gross profit is $100 per shirt is a critical piece of information because it tells me that I can spend up to $100 in marketing to acquire a customer and still be profitable!

Some of the marketing options include social media marketing and content marketing.

Think about your business model and then line up your marketing budget. Your marketing budget may include the following items:

• Sales/branded content
• SEO/blog content
• Facebook/Instagram ads
• Influencer marketing
• Marketing tools
• Niche advertising

Choosing The Right Technology

With so much technology and SaaS products out there, it’s important to understand the various moving parts and diagram how they all integrate with one another.

Some of the different elements include:

• Shopping Cart Platforms  – e.g., Shopify , BigCommerce , WooCommerce , or any open-source platform
• Hosting – Nexcess , BigScoots , Kinsta , WPX
• Payment Processo r – e.g., Stripe, Paypal
• Fulfillment Center – e.g., Amazon, ShipBob
• Apps – e.g., Zipify, BuildWooFunnels, Gelato
• Accounting & Taxes  – e.g., Quicken, Xero
• Marketing Automation – e.g., Klaviyo , Mailchimp
• Marketing Tools – e.g.  Buzzstream, Ahrefs
• Customer Loyalty Programs  – e.g., Antavo, Smile

Come up with a detailed list of the different products and services you need to run your business as well as the monthly and per-transaction cost of each of them. This will be important in understanding the impact of these services on your margins.

Matching your business model to your technology is essential, too. Certain website platforms are better suited for specific sales models.

Email marketing is another type of technology that should be carefully considered and matched up correctly with your business model.

Keep in mind that it takes, on average, 6-7 interactions with a brand before someone makes a purchase, so you need to keep using technology to get them back to your website.

As you explore the technology options and find out ways to draw potential customers in and keep them happy while they’re there, here are some key points to keep in mind:

• What you say about yourself and your products with your website content
• How you respond to questions on live chat and email support
• How to make use of chatbots
• How you connect on social media
• The information you send through email marketing
• What bloggers and influencers say about your brand
• How existing customers review your company
• How you advertise
• How you establish loyalty beyond sales

After you figure out your technology methods, you have to come up with a technology budget.

The business plan must also include the operations side of things. Determine who will be your manufacturer, secondary manufacturer, and shipping and fulfillment  provider.

When looking at supply chain costs and options, ShipBob  is an ecommerce fulfillment provider you can consider.

Financial Plan

When figuring out your financial plan, evaluating and pinpointing your startup costs  is essential.

The focus of the financial plan is how long it will take for you to make your money back. You also need to figure out if you need a business loan .

Traffic and conversion rates will help you determine how long it will be until you start making money back.

You’ll also want to use an income statement to detail financial information.

This section is used for financial projections, such as forecasting sales, expenses, and net income of the business. Ideally, you’ll want to create a monthly Excel balance sheet showing the following:

• Projected revenue:  First, come up with your projected number of units sold and then come up with your projected revenue (Projected Revenue = # of Units Sold * Average Sales Price).
• Fixed expenses:   these are expenses that are fixed no matter how much you sell. Typically, these relate to monthly SaaS subscriptions, employee salaries, or rent.
• Variable expenses  – these expenses change in direct proportion to how much you sell. Common examples include the cost of goods sold and credit card payment processing fees.

This helps business owners better understand what they need to achieve to hit their profit goals. In reality, projections are usually always off the mark, but it’s good to give yourself some measurable goals to strive for.

This section should aim to answer the following questions about your product offering:

• How much product do you need to sell per year to meet your income goals for the business?
• What are the margins on your product? If you sell one hiking shirt for $50, how much do you make after paying your supplier, employees, and marketing costs?
• What is the lifetime value of a customer?
• How much can you spend to acquire customers? If you conservatively project that the average customer will spend $300 over time on your shirts, then you can afford to spend an amount less than $300 to acquire that customer using the paid marketing channels described previously.
• Do you have any big capital expenditures early on that would require you to need to bring in investors?
• Can you improve gross margins by making bigger orders from your suppliers?

There are various acquisition channels that will help your traffic to convert including:

Your revenue plan will contain a 12-month revenue forecast plan to help you map out each month of earnings.

There are different business earning models you can go through to determine how much you can make with your business.

You want to calculate how much traffic costs. This all depends on the methods you use to gain traffic to your site.

As you determine what your profit might be with your ecommerce business  or ecommerce businesses, there are certain math formulas to use:

• The profit equation
• Break-even analysis
• Units needed to achieve the profit target

You should also consider how you will use fintech companies in your ecommerce business.

What are the key elements of an ecommerce business plan?

The main components of an eCommerce business plan include the executive summary, company description, market analysis, organization and management structure, product line or service, marketing and sales strategy, financial projections, and funding request, if applicable.

How do I create a budget for my ecommerce business?

Start by estimating your initial startup costs and ongoing expenses. Consider costs like website development, inventory, marketing, shipping, taxes, and any necessary licenses or permits. It’s also important to factor in a contingency plan for unexpected costs.

How do I find the right product to sell?

Research is fundamental. Look at market trends, customer needs, and competitor products. Use tools like Google Trends or social media platforms to understand what customers are currently interested in. Always consider your passion and knowledge about the product too, as this can drive your business forward.

How can I differentiate my product from competitors?

Differentiation can come from unique product features, superior customer service, better pricing, or a compelling brand story. Understand what your competitors offer and how you can do it differently or better.

Wrapping Up Your Business Plan

Careful planning is crucial to get your e-commerce business from the planning phase to the launch phase and to ensure its successful future.

Going through the exercise of writing a business plan will cement your own understanding of your business and your market. It will also position you to take advantage of lucrative opportunities while mitigating harmful threats to your business down the line.

Your turn! Have you written a business plan for your online store? Do you have anything to add? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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As the saying goes, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” So, if you wish to build your own eCommerce empire, having an eCommerce business plan is crucial to your success.

Why Should You Continue Reading This Article?

But maybe you have no idea where to start. Of course, you don’t want to leave out something important. In this article, we’ll show you how to build an eCommerce business plan and discuss how to write it in a well-crafted, simple way from scratch, for your eCommerce small business and what are the key elements that should be included in it.

Let’s get started!

Why You Need an eCommerce Business Plan

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe” So, planning is almost everything you should start with.

Although it can be hard work to put together a comprehensive eCommerce business plan, it’s such an important step for the below-mentioned four reasons:

• Establishing a Clear Roadmap:  Well-written strategic planning will help you set clear goals and set an action plan to reach them. It will also help you to set priorities and realistically estimate the time and effort needed to achieve them.
• Being Ready for Any Sudden Changes:  Change in the eCommerce business world is happening quicker than ever before. And this increases the value of planning. Having a data-driven business plan gave managers a dashboard to work with navigated sudden change.
• Securing Funding: If you are looking for a loan or an equity investment for your startup, getting a business plan document right is essential because an organization that will provide the money wants to make sure that you know what you are doing and have a clear path to profit.
• Avoiding Costly Mistakes: If you are considering setting up a small business with limited resources, having a startup business plan helps you know exactly what resources are needed to avoid wasting resources down the drain and to make the most of them.

Before You Start Planning: 3 Key Questions to Answer

To build a well-written online business plan sample, you need to answer the following questions:

• What Are You Selling?  Are you selling physical products (i.e apparel, home appliances, etc.), digital products (i.e online courses, ebooks, software, etc.), or services (i.e marketing services, consulting, car repair, etc.)?
• For Whom?  Do you sell to individuals (B2C) or organizations, corporations, and non-profits (B2B) or are you are a part of a marketplace acting as a broker just like affiliate marketing?.
• Who Are Your Suppliers? Do you manufacture your products in-house, or outsource a third-party manufacturer? Do you partner with a dropshipping manufacturer or do you depend on wholesale?

With great data comes a great business plan. Answering this line of questioning will give you an initial overview of what your business is and it’ll be like a starting point.

How to Structure a Business Plan for Your Online Store

Let’s agree from the start that the business plan will not be perfectly completed on the first try. It will continue to evolve as you create each of the planning stages and you’ll be making edits along the way.

For an eCommerce business plan example, there are six basic sections it should include, Let’s delve deeper…

Let’s delve deeper…

1. Executive Summary

Any e-Commerce business plan should start with an executive summary of just one sheet summarizing each section of your business plan. Although it is placed at the beginning, it should be the last section to be written.

The executive summary is the first thing your prospect investors would read, and it creates the first impression of your project. So, make it simple, easy to understand, and attractive.

The executive summary should include:

• Business ideas presentation
• Business model
• Products and services
• Target audience and target market
• Management team
• Success factors or the points that differentiate your company
• Financial strategy

2.  Company Overview

This is the next section that includes detailed information about your business and identified the competitive advantage of your online store. It covers some features such as:

• Brand Name and Founder’s Name: Your online store name and who is behind it.
• Brand Traits: List just 3 to 5 words that describe the brand that you want your online store to be identified with.
• Domain Name: It’s the URL. It should be short, simple, memorable, and doesn’t include numbers.
• Company Type: How your business operates.
• Value Proposition: It’s a brief statement that shows how clear your idea is.
• Mission Statement: The reasons behind your business’ existence.
• Vision: The goals that you want to reach long term. They must be realistic and ambitious so they can be motivating.

3. Market  Analysis

Conducting market research around your eCommerce small business idea is essential. It tells you whether or not people will buy what you’re selling.

Market analysis is broken down into 3 main sections:

A. industry analysis:.

Industry analysis outlines the industry size facts and statistics bode well for your eCommerce business. It answers questions like:

• What does the market look like for your industry overall?
• Has it grown or changed over the years?
• Are there any expectations of growing up or slipping down in the future?
• Are there factors that could impact its growth?

Industry analysis is likely to be one of the toughest parts of your eCommerce business plan, but fortunately, research and white papers are abundant in almost all industries, besides free tools like Google Trends .

B . Market Segment:

The market segment or audience segmentation helps you to create your “Buyer Persona” which represents your target audiences’ various demographic sets (gender, age, geography, education, income level, ethnicity, etc.). The market segment includes both your target market and niche selection.

It’s important to provide an overview of your niche, whether there’s a micro-niche included, and why you chose it.

C. Competitive Analysis:

Competitive Analysis provides an overview of who is your market leaders are and direct, indirect, and potential competitors. It also identifies your competitors’ key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, focusing particularly on where you can defeat the competition or add unique value to your business.

Creating a comprehensive competitive analysis includes 4 key phrases that are:

• Identify Your Competitors
• Select a Competitive Analysis Framework
• Collect Data on Your Competitors
• Write Your Competitive Analysis Report

4.  Marketing Plan

By now, you’ve covered almost all your company-related aspects, your customers, and your competitors as well. It’s time to talk about how you’re going to reach your customers and drive traffic to your eCommerce website.

The marketing plan describes the planned promotion strategies, business growth strategies, pricing strategies , sales strategies, and how much can you afford to spend on your marketing efforts. To come up with a well-defined marketing strategy, you need to deeply know your customer inside out.

It’s important to keep in mind that every potential customer is different, and there are many organic and paid marketing techniques that you can use to reach each of them. From SEO, social media, content marketing, and email marketing to influencers, these proven techniques will surely  acquire customers and drive traffic to your online store .

So, this stage is all about defining:

• Which marketing channels are best for you to reach your customer?
• How much can you afford to acquire customers to your online store?

5. Operations Plan

Operational planning reflects the task flow of your eCommerce store and how they’ll be divided. It includes your daily tasks as an online store owner. Some basic things should be established, such as your work schedule, your daily tasks timetable, your location, and your product stock.

Your tasks will include:

• Offering support
• Managing the stock
• Managing returns
• Negotiating with suppliers
• Dealing with unforeseen events
• Promoting your store
• And much more

List all of your daily tasks and how your routine will be to make sure that everything in your business plan will be under control. If you are a startup and you’re the only person in charge, it’d be hard to manage all tasks. So, it’s important to have initial planning on paper, and then make small modifications down the line to hire a staff and management team.

6. Financial Plan

For many people, this is the most difficult part of a business plan. However, it’s extremely important. It outlines the major costs for an eCommerce business that include the cost of goods, internet connection fees, salaries of the staff, etc.

If you’re seeking to get outside funding, your financial statement should contain the following documents:

• Summary of Funding Requirement: It’s an outline showing why you are applying for a loan, the cost for raw materials and operational machines, and how much money you need.
• Use of Funds Statement / Income Statement: It shows how profitable your business would be during a given period and describes how you plan to use the funds you’ll get.
• Business Budget: This displays cash inflow and outflow statements over a specific period of time.
• 3-Year Profit and Loss Projection: It’s assumptions that are stated clearly and in detail to communicate your vision of the company’s future and how you anticipate achieving that vision.

5 eCommerce Business Plans’ Mistakes to Avoid in 2022

As for eCommerce owners ( whether it was for fashion, services, etc.), there are some methodologies they use to approximately estimate future turnover, profitability, and more.  But unfortunately, most of these estimations and expectations are frequently distant from market reality.

ExpandCart gathers the most common mistakes that usually happen when you put an eCommerce marketing plan into work, Let’s show you around! 

Mistake #1  |  Selecting the Improper eCommerce Platform

Whether you’re just getting started with your eCommerce shop or have been running one for a while, a not-suitable eCommerce platform can boost your eCommerce business plan or awfully put it to an end! 

After you’ve created a sample business plan for an eCommerce startup, you’ll need to think about several things when selecting an eCommerce platform, including:

• Your financial situation
• Whether you prefer a template or bespoke design, we can help.
• What type of experience do your consumers want?
• What items do you intend to sell?
• How do you intend to grow your company?
• What tools your platform needs to integrate with?
• How much control do you desire over your website?

The last thing you want is to pick a platform that restricts your company’s development, doesn’t interact with your existing systems, or doesn’t provide the amount of control and flexibility you want.

An improper eCommerce platform can result in a variety of problems, including income loss, decreased conversions, less traffic, security difficulties, bad design, and more. This major error might force you to spend even more time, money, and effort modernizing your platform or moving to a new one entirely.

Take your time while deciding on the best eCommerce platform for your online eCommerce as this will affect the whole performance of your eCommerce business plan. 

Mistake #2  |Skipping Environment Check

Before drafting an eCommerce business plan to launch or boost your e-commerce website, it’s a crucial step to start assessing the viability of your ideas before anything!

And here, we don’t mean broad market studies, but rather a comprehensive test using a limited version of your site, that will assist in ensuring in the field that you are gaining traction in your market. You must be able to tie your business strategy to the fact that you have already made your first sales even before you daft your eCommerce business plan. 

Aside from the checking and validation component, an initial test will help you to get useful feedback from your consumers and discover for yourself the major roadblocks or places for progress in your business.

You’ll be in a better position to carry out your company plan and generate realistic and plausible financial projections once you’ve completed it.

Mistake #3 | No Clear Brand Message or Identity

A good product alone won’t perform as good branding! 

Don’t fall into the trap of believing that your things will sell themselves. To build a successful business, you’ll need to develop a strong brand identity that is both approachable to your target audience and favorable to viral brand awareness. If you’ve done your research, you should have a good notion of what your target audience wants and how to communicate with them. Then it’s only a matter of maintaining a consistent and firm message.

A strong brand identity boosts client loyalty and your chances of gaining global brand recognition.

Mistake #4 | Shallow Website Content 

If your eCommerce business relies on organic traffic to attract clients, then the material on your website should be crafted with the user and SEO in mind.

Many organizations make the mistake of considering content as an afterthought, failing to see that each piece of content represents a chance to increase traffic and convert clients.

You need to provide content that is relevant to your target audience, optimized for search engine traffic, and entices consumers to buy your items, from your homepage to your product descriptions.

Investing in SEO and CRO-friendly content is worthwhile, whether you engage with an SEO service or do it yourself. This entails using the correct high-quality keywords for your niche and crafting material that is designed to convert.

Mistake #5 | Mistargeted Audience 

What else could you possibly require? You have items, a company strategy, and a website. Unfortunately, having an offer and a venue to pitch it isn’t enough to be a true eCommerce success.

One of the most common blunders a business owner can make is failing to precisely define their target demographic and spend time learning what makes them tick. You’ll need to do some serious market research to make sure that:

• Your target audience has a genuine necessity for your product. 
• You know how to express your offer in a way that they will comprehend. 
• You may create a marketing plan that prioritizes your target audience.

Identifying and specifying your target audience can help you develop an atmosphere that they will remember and a brand message that will tempt them to buy and re-buy, and hence, a successful eCommerce business plan! 

Final Notes

We are living in a world of fast-paced digital transformation. Almost all businesses are thinking of building a strong online presence. Being prepared and having a well-crafted business plan for your dream eCommerce website helps you focus on what exactly you want your business to be in the future and provides a map of how to get there in no time.

Remember! Creating your own eCommerce business plan won’t be that easy, but success comes to those willing to put in the work and if you did it right, you will witness a great increase in sales and revenue . You can seek help from experts who can help you plan your business effectively.

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2. Write an executive summary

Executive summary is a concise rundown of key points that summarizes your business plan. Though presented at first, it should be written in the end after you have walked through all the other aspects of planning.

Consider it as a document that will offer a brief insight into your overall business. Investors will read this part and gauge the viability of your business idea. If they find it fascinating and intriguing enough they will read it further in detail.

Add brief details of your ecommerce business, target market, problem, solution, service model, business goals, and financial figures in this section.

Adapt a narrative tone to make it interesting and keep it highly informative. And, most importantly keep it within a limit of 1-2 pages.

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3. Create a company overview section

As the title suggests, this section offers a brief company description of your ecommerce business. You must also include brief details about the company’s history in this section if it’s not a new venture.

So what does this section include?

• Name and location of the business , i.e. location of your warehouse, back end office.
• Type of your Ecommerce business , i.e. B2B, B2C, D2C, C2C, etc.
• Business structure of your e-commerce brand , i.e. sole proprietorship, Partnership, LLC, limited partnership, etc.
• Business goals : Highlight milestones such as sales or revenue goals.
• Mission statement : Describe the fundamental purpose of your business explaining why the business exists. For instance, the mission of First Cry is to offer eco-friendly baby care and maternity items to conscious buyers through its website and listings on a third-party platform.
• Vision statement : It is a declaration of what you want to achieve with your ecommerce business. For instance, First Cry wants to become the preferred brand for baby care products in the markets of North America, Asia, and Europe.

4. Conduct a competitive and market analysis

In this section of competitive and market analysis, you will dive deep into the study of the target market, industry trends, and your competition. Only a thorough understanding of these key elements will help you build a resilient business.

Target market and market opportunities

Begin by determining the Total Addressable Market (TAM) for your products and services. This part of the market analysis will offer a realistic idea of your market size.

Further, strengthen the understanding of your target market by identifying your target audience. Create a buyer persona by considering the psychographic and demographic details of your ideal customer.

Collect data from US census boards, government websites, and industrial publications for solid and foundational market research.

Lastly, identify the market trends and highlight your business strategy to fill the gaps in the existing market.

Competitive analysis

Ecommerce companies operate in a severely competitive marketplace. Understanding your competition will help you safeguard the business against potential threats and risks from your direct and indirect competitors.

Collect the data and analyze your competitors on the grounds of prices, services, quality, product offering, target market, and market size to make conclusive points. Evaluate their strengths and weaknesses using methods like SWOT analysis.

Now, detail the competitive advantage of your products and service offerings. This analysis should reflect that your business idea has a solid advantage over competitors’ offerings.

Focus on quality research. The study of the target market and competition will lay a foundation for crafting efficient business strategies.

5. Detail your products and services

After completing your market analysis, you will create a detailed section for your products and services.

Highlight all the product lines that your online business will offer. Also, mention the products within each product line and the product source.

If you are amongst the ecommerce businesses that sell digital products or services, mention those and explain how the customers will access them.

For instance, an OTT platform offers streaming services to its clients through an application.

Keep this section detailed by adding a brief description of each product and its pricing.

Consider this as a checklist of questions you must answer within this section:

• What are the products of your online store?
• Will you manufacture the products or source them from vendors?
• How will your customers buy the product- Website, application, shopping platforms, etc.
• What will be the pricing of your product offerings?

6. Develop a sales and marketing plan

By now, the readers are aware of the products and services that your online business will offer. It’s now time to tell them your sales and marketing plan.

Millions of ecommerce businesses start every year. But very few manage to crack their desired sales.

In this section, you will make sales strategies to ensure that your desired sales become achievable.

Try answering the following to form an efficient sales plan:

• Sales channels: website, application, ecommerce platforms, subscription box platforms, flash sale sites, etc.
• Sales method: Inbound methods or outbound methods
• Sales personnel: Who will be responsible for product/service sales
• Sales tools: CRM

The decisions you make here will influence the marketing strategy of your online store.

Marketing strategy

Now you need a well-rounded marketing plan to market your online store. After all, marketing is crucial to developing a brand, reaching your target customers, and acquiring sales.

In this section of a business plan, you will highlight the marketing plan for your ecommerce business. Identify the marketing channels that will be most effective for your target customers and design your strategies accordingly.

Here are a few prevalent marketing methods that can help you grow your online store:

• Content marketing: Start writing informative and useful blog posts for your target audience. Focus on principles of SEO and keyword research to grow your reach organically. Also, post guest blogs on websites to increase your chances of reaching a wider audience.
• Social media marketing: Identify the social media platforms that are used the most by your target audience and dedicate your marketing efforts accordingly.
• Email Marketing: Email marketing is the most rewarding marketing channel for thousands of ecommerce businesses out there. Explain how you will build your Email list and draw conversions through them.
• PPC: Design strategies for running paid ads on Google, Facebook, and other platforms and determine your budget for the same.
• Traditional PR: Traditional methods of publications can also help you market your product effectively. If you will be using such methods, highlight the details regarding the same.
• Influencer marketing: Will you hire or barter with influencers to promote your product? If so, define your strategy for the same.

All in all, the marketing plan should clearly define a roadmap to reach your target audience. Also, highlight different marketing tools you will use for your online business.

7. Introduce your management team

Having the right team will help you build a successful ecommerce business. So take your time and figure out the manpower needs for your business.

In this section of your business plan, you will introduce the key management members at your ecommerce store. Define their role, responsibility, experience, expertise, and achievements to prove their suitability in your organization.

Outline the organizational structure of your online store and explain how these people will be responsible for the smooth functioning of your business.

8. Outline your operational plan

Running an ecommerce store is not an easy task. From managing the backend to offering timely deliveries- a lot goes into ensuring smooth business operations.

A solid business plan cannot be complete without a detailed section of operations in it. So take your time and set your operations in line before you start with the store.

Here are a few things that most ecommerce business plans have in common. Consider adding them to your operations plan as well.

• Order fulfillment process: Everything from getting an order to delivery, managing returns, shipment, packaging, exchange, and tracking is defined at this step. Explain how the order will be fulfilled at your online store.
• Manufacturing and quality control: If the products will be manufactured in-house, what will be the manufacturing process? How will you ensure quality? Where will the goods be manufactured? What machinery will you use?
• Suppliers: Who will be your supplier for products and services? What will be the purchase terms? Will there be an agreement or contract? What would be the contingency plan in case of casualty?
• Storage: Will you dropship the products or store them in a warehouse? Where will be the storage located? How will you manage stock? What methods will you use?
• Technology and payment processors: How will the customers pay for online shopping? What payment methods are available for them? What technologies will you use to facilitate payments? How will you secure their personal information?
• Customer service: How can the customers reach you? What will be your order policies? Will there be any customer service team?

The logistics and operations plan will serve as a policy book for your organization. It will answer every query and doubt regarding the process.

9. Prepare financial projections

Now comes the most taxing part of creating a business plan- preparing a financial plan.

A financial plan is crucial because it will help you determine the feasibility of a business idea. Moreover, if you plan to seek funding for your online business, the projections in this plan will compel potential investor’s interest in your business.

Here are a few things to include in your financial plan:

• Startup costs: Estimate the startup costs for your ecommerce business . From website development to inventory costs, licensing fees, security, and software charges- include every cost that will go into establishing your online business.
• Funding source: Determine your funding requirements and what sources will you use to acquire the funds, i.e. business loans, angel investors, friends and family, etc.
• Pricing strategy: Include your pricing plan for the products and services. Consider various overhead and operational costs to determine the final pricing.
• Sales projections: Include your monthly, quarterly, and annual sales projections through different sales channels and also estimate your revenue.
• Income statement: Also known as profit and loss statement, in this key report you will forecast the company’s profit and loss for the next 3-5 years. The difference between a company’s revenue and expenses will give you gross profits and net profits.
• Cash Flow Statement:   A clear documentation of cash that is generated and spent in a business. This will help potential investors understand whether your business will make or lose money.
• Balance sheet: A key summary of your business assets and liabilities that indicates your net worth. Calculate your equity in the business by deducting all the liabilities from your assets.
• Break-even analysis: Break-even will help you evaluate how long before the business will start making money.

Too much of calculations right? Not with the financial forecasting tool from Upmetrics. Simply enter your numbers in the tab and the tool will do all the detailed calculations for you. Import the data from Excel sheets and before you know your projections will be done.

Ecommerce Industry Highlights 2023

Ecommerce is a trillion-dollar industry. It’s indeed a rewarding market for anyone who wants to start an ecommerce business. But before that, you must check out these latest industry highlights of 2023.

• Global market size: The global Ecommerce market size is expected to reach 6.3 trillion dollars in 2023. There is ample room for new businesses to venture into this market.
• Online marketplace : According to Forbes , 24% of total retail purchases will be made online by 2026.
• Market leader: Amazon accounts for 37.8% of Ecommerce sales , which is far more than other ecommerce businesses.
• Cart abandonment: 48% of online shoppers abandon their carts because of extra costs on shipping and taxes. You are likely to lose your potential customers if you fail to consider these aspects.
• Frequency to shop: 79% of online shoppers will shop for something or the other at least once a month. Considering the customer segments, nearly 96% of Gen Z shop at least once a month online.
• Social media commerce: If you think websites and platforms are the only way to reach your potential customers, you are wrong. 96.9 million people in the USA are reported to shop on social media.

The US online marketplace is expected to reach 940.9 billion by 2023 end. There is enough scope for new businesses to emerge and grow in this competitive market space.

Related Ecommerce Resources

• Creating a Successful E-commerce Marketing Plan
• E-commerce Financial Plan
• E-commerce Industry Statistics
• Calculating Your Online Store Startup Budget
• How To Open n E-commerce Business

Download a sample ecommerce business plan

Looking for help to write your business plan? Well, we have something absolutely perfect for you. Download our ecommerce business plan sample pdf and get a detailed guide to write a plan along with relevant examples.

Upmetrics business plan templates are designed specifically for entrepreneurs and business owners who want to write their own business plans. Our templates are modern, intuitive, and easily available to kickstart your plan writing.

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All set to start your own ecommerce business? Let’s simplify the entire business planning process for you with Upmetrics. We have more than 400+ customizable sample business plans suited for varying different businesses. With features like AI assistance and financial forecasting, you can bring together an actionable business plan in easy steps.

So whether you are aiming to start a business-to-business or business-to-customer or any other type of ecommerce business, you are well equipped to write the most stellar plan with our business planning app .

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Frequently asked questions, can i get expert help to draft my ecommerce business plan.

Of course, you can. Writing a business plan is not an easy task. You may lose context or can leave behind an important detail while writing. A plan writer can translate your business idea into a plan efficiently with his compelling skills. If not, you can take the help of online tools and search for relevant templates to write your own business plan.

Can I customize my ecommerce business plan as per my business needs?

Absolutely yes. No two ecommerce businesses are the same. The very purpose of a business plan is to address the unique concerns, ideas, and questions relating to your ecommerce business. From executive summary to a financial plan, customize every aspect of your plan with Upmetrics business plan builder.

What are the common mistakes to avoid while crafting an ecommerce business plan?

Here are a few mistakes to avoid while drafting a business plan for your new business:

• Lack of market research
• Inadequate financial planning
• Overlooking the competition
• Not having a clear value proposition
• Undermining the technology needs
• Not considering casualties and emergencies
• Using complex language

Can I create an e-commerce business plan on my own, or should I hire a professional?

Ideally, you should be the one drafting your business plan. This is because no one knows your business better than you yourself and your business partners. So instead of hiring a professional, take the assistance of plan builders and step-by-step guides and create a compelling plan. Upmetrics AI assistant will simplify the writing process by helping you put together a cohesive write-up.

What are some emerging payment technologies to consider in your e-commerce business plan?

If you are planning to start a competitive ecommerce brand, you need to offer a bunch of payment solutions preferred by your target audience. Here are a few payment technologies you must definitely have in your business:

• QR code payments
• Mobile wallet
• Contactless payment
• Real-time payments
• Buy now pay later solutions

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Free Business Plan Templates in Excel

By Joe Weller | September 27, 2020

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In this article, we’ve rounded up an extensive list of free business plan templates and samples for organizations of all sizes. You can download all of the plans in Excel. 

Included on this page, you’ll find business plan templates in Excel , business plan checklists in Excel , business plan financial templates in Excel , and more.

Business Plan Templates in Excel

These Excel business plan templates are designed to guide you through each step of a well-rounded strategy that supports your marketing, sales, financial, and operational goals.

Business Plan Template in Excel

This Excel business plan template has all the traditional components of a standard business plan, with each section divided into tabs. This template includes space to provide the executive summary, target audience characteristics, product or service offering details, marketing strategies, and more. The plan also offers built-in formulas to complete calculations for sales forecasting, financial statements, and key business ratios.

Download Business Plan Template

Excel | Smartsheet

One-Page Business Plan in Excel

To check the feasibility of your business concept, use this single-page business plan template. The template allows you to jot down the core details related to your idea. This template also includes room for you to provide concise information about what you do, how you do it, why you do it, who your idea serves, your competitive advantage, your marketing strategies, and your success factors. At the bottom of this one-page plan, you’ll find a table to conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Find more downloadable single-page plans and examples at “ One-Page Business Plan Templates with a Quick How-To Guide .”

Download One-Page Business Plan

Excel | Word | PDF | Smartsheet

Sample 30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Startup in Excel

This 90-day business plan is designed for startup companies to develop a 90-day action plan. This template gives you room to outline the following: main goals and deliverables for each 30-day increment; key business activities; task ownership; and deadlines. This template also includes a built-in Gantt chart that adjusts as you enter dates. Visit “ 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Templates and Samples ” to download more free plans.

Download 30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Startup

For more free business plans in a wider variety of formats, visit “ Simple Business Plan Templates .”

Business Plan Checklists in Excel

These business plan checklists are useful for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and business owners who want to organize and track the progress of key business activities.

Business Planning Checklist with Timeline in Excel

Use this checklist to keep your business planning efforts on track. This template enables you to add tasks according to each phase of your plan, assign an owner to each task, and enter the respective start and end dates. The checklist also enables you to create and color-code a visual timeline when you highlight the start and end dates for each task.

Download Business Planning Checklist with Timeline Template

Business Plan Checklist with SWOT Analysis in Excel

Use this business plan checklist to develop and organize your strategic plan. Add the name of the business activity, along with its status, due date, and pertinent notes. This template also includes a separate tab with a SWOT analysis matrix, so you can evaluate and prioritize your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Download Business Plan Checklist with SWOT Analysis - Excel

Business Startup Checklist in Excel

This checklist template is ideal for startup organizations. It allows you to list and categorize key tasks that you need to complete, including items related to research, strategic relationships, finance, development, and more. Check off each task upon completion to ensure you haven’t missed or overlooked any important business activities. Find additional resources by visiting “ Free Startup Plan, Budget & Cost Templates .”

‌Download Business Startup Checklist Template

Business Plan Financial Templates in Excel

Use these customizable templates to develop your organization’s financial plan.

Business Startup Costs Template in Excel

Use this template to estimate and track your startup and operational costs. This template gives you room to list line items for both funding and expenses; you can automatically calculate totals using the built-in formulas. To avoid overspending, compare budgeted amounts against actual amounts to determine where you can cut costs or find additional funding.

Download Business Startup Costs Template

Small-Business Budget Template in Excel

This simple business budget template is designed with small businesses in mind. The template helps you track the income and expenses that you accrue on a monthly and yearly basis. To log your cash balances and transactions for a given time frame, use the tab for cash flow recording.

Download Small-Business Budget Template - Excel

Startup Financial Statement Projections Template

This financial statement projections template includes a detailed profit and loss statement (or income statement), a balance sheet with business ratios, and a cash flow statement to analyze your company’s current and future financial position. This template also comes with built-in formulas, so you can calculate totals as you enter values and customize your statement to fit the needs of your business.

‌ Download Startup Financial Statement Projections Template

For additional templates to help you produce a sound financial plan, visit “ Free Financial Templates for a Business Plan .”

Business Plan Marketing and Sales Templates in Excel

Use these downloadable templates to support and reinforce the marketing and sales objectives in your business plan.

Sales Forecast Template in Excel

This sales forecast template allows you to view the projected sales of your products or services at both individual and combined levels over a 12-month period. You can organize this template by department, product group, customer type, and other helpful categories. The template has built-in formulas to calculate monthly and yearly sales totals. For additional resources to project sales, visit “ Free Sales Forecasting Templates .”

Download Sales Forecast Template

Marketing Budget Plan in Excel

This marketing budget plan template helps you organize and plan your campaign costs for key marketing activities, such as market research, advertising, content marketing , and public relations. Enter the projected quantity and cost under each campaign category; the built-in formulas enable you to calculate projected subtotals automatically. This template also includes a graph that auto-populates as you enter values, so you can see where your marketing dollars are going.

Download Marketing Budget Plan Template

Other Business Plans in Excel

Use these business plan templates to conduct analyses and develop a plan of action that aligns your strategy with your main business objectives.

Business Action Plan Template in Excel

Use this basic action plan template to develop a roadmap for reaching your goals. Add a description of each action item, assign the responsible party, and list the required resources, potential hazards, key dates, and desired outcome. You can use this template to develop an action plan for marketing, sales, program development, and more. 

Download Business Action Plan Template

Business Plan Rubric in Excel

Once you complete your business plan, use this rubric template to score each section to ensure you include all the essential information. You can customize this rubric to fit the needs of your organization and provide insight into the areas of your plan where you want to delve more deeply or remove unnecessary details. By following these steps, you can make certain that your final business plan is clear, concise, and thorough.

Download Simple Business Plan Rubric

Competitive Analysis Template in Excel

This template enables you to analyze the competitive landscape and industry for your business. By providing details related to your company and competitors, you can assess and compare all key areas, including the target market, marketing strategies, product or service offerings, distribution channels, and more.

Download Competitive Analysis Template

Excel  | Smartsheet

For additional free templates for all aspects of your business, visit “ Free Business Templates for Organizations of All Sizes .”

Turbo-Charge Your Business Plans with Templates from Smartsheet

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When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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How to Write an Ecommerce Business Plan [Examples & Template]

Published: April 03, 2024

If you have a promising idea for an online e-commerce business , it’s important to create an e-commerce business plan to ensure your vision has enough stock to be profitable.

Having a business plan for your online store will help you define your target market, establish your monthly and quarterly sales goals, and increase the likelihood of long-term e-commerce success.

In this post, we’ll go over an online store business plan and how you can create one for your e-commerce startup. Let’s get started.

What is an e-commerce business plan?

An e-commerce business plan is a document that outlines your business and its goals, analyzes your industry and competitors, and identifies the resources needed to execute your plan. It also lists the e-commerce retailers you’ll use to distribute your products and the marketing strategies you’ll use to drive sales.

Whether a company operates as a startup or has years of operations and growth under its belt, an e-commerce business plan is essential for evaluating a business and determining areas of improvement.

An e-commerce business plan is essential, with increasing numbers of shoppers conducting business online. It's estimated this number has reached over 2 billion . An e-commerce business plan keeps you organized and is useful when seeking investors who need to understand your company.

So, let’s dive into some examples of e-commerce business plans and what goes into writing one using our free template .

Free Business Plan Template

The essential document for starting a business -- custom built for your needs.

• Outline your idea.
• Pitch to investors.
• Secure funding.
• Get to work!

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

E-commerce Business Plan Template

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Ecommerce Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Business Plan Outline

• Ecommerce Business Plan Home
• 1. Executive Summary
• 2. Company Overview
• 3. Industry Analysis
• 4. Customer Analysis
• 5. Competitive Analysis
• 6. Marketing Plan
• 7. Operations Plan
• 8. Management Team
• 9. Financial Plan

Whether you are planning to start a new ecommerce business or grow your existing business, you’ve come to the right place to create your plan.

We have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their own ecommerce company.

Below are links to each section of a sample ecommerce business plan to help you write your ecommerce business plan:

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Ecommerce Business Plan FAQs

What is an ecommerce business plan.

An ecommerce business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your ecommerce business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can  easily complete your ecommerce business plan using our Ecommerce Business Plan Template here .

What Are the Main Types of Ecommerce Companies?

An Ecommerce business can really be anything that is able to be sold on the internet, it is an online business. Ecommerce companies range from virtual clothing websites, furniture store websites, electronic devices and accessories, toy stores, etc. These companies can have a warehouse where they store and ship their own inventory or utilize a dropshipper who is a third party company who receives the order straight from the website, fulfills the order, and ships directly to the consumer.

No matter what type of online business you will operate, you will need to know how to make an ecommerce business plan. An ecommerce business plan template is key to creating a solid business plan.

What Are the Main Sources of Revenue and Expenses for an Ecommerce Business?

The primary source of revenue for an ecommerce company is the products that are sold on the website.

The key expenses for an ecommerce company are the costs to maintain a warehouse and shipping costs. There are also payroll costs that need to be factored in for the personnel who will be handling all product fulfillment and shipments. If utilizing a dropshipper, a key expense is the fees that will need to be paid to the dropshipper for fulfilling the orders and shipping directly to the consumers.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Ecommerce Company?

Ecommerce businesses are most likely to receive funding from banks. Typically you will find a local bank and present your business plan to them. A major source of funding for an ecommerce company are angel investors, crowdfunding, or funding from friends and/or associates.

An investor will want to see a solid business plan complete with a strong financial plan (income statement, balance sheets and cash flow statements).  It should also include a comprehensive marketing strategy, details of your business model, an overview of your management team and  market research on your target market. You can quickly complete your plan using our Ecommerce Business Plan Template here .

Where Can I Get an Ecommerce Business Plan PDF?

You can download our free Ecommerce business plan template PDF here . This is a sample Ecommerce business plan template you can use in PDF format.

Other Business Plan Templates

Clothing Line Business Plan Template Clothing Store Business Plan Template Beauty Supply Store Bookstore Business Plan Template

Ecommerce Business Plan Guide + Sample

July 6, 2023

Adam Hoeksema

Welcome to the ever-evolving world of ecommerce—a space where countless businesses are launching every day. If you've landed here, we're guessing you too are gearing up to start your own ecom business. Yet, entering ecommerce is not just about setting up a website and listing products—it involves a robust plan that encompasses every aspect from customer acquisition to cash flow forecasting. That's why we've crafted this comprehensive guide. This Ecommerce Business Plan Guide, complete with a sample business plan, should help you check this project off the list. 

Although we focus on ecommerce financial models , we know that some of our clients also need a full business plan, so I decided to take a deep dive into the topic.  I plan to cover:

• Why write a business plan for an ecommerce business?
• What to include in an ecommerce business plan?
• Ecommerce business plan outline

How to Analyze the Market for an Ecommerce Product?

How to analyze the competition in ecommerce, how to estimate customer acquisition costs in ecommerce.

• How to Create Financial Projections for an Ecommerce Brand?
• Example Ecommerce Business Plan?

Ecommerce Business Plan FAQs

With that as our guide, let’s dive in!

Why write a business plan for an ecommerce business? 

It might feel like writing a business plan is a waste of time, and honestly, writing a 40 page plan probably is a waste of time.  So why write a business plan?  I like to say that you write a business plan primarily because the people with the money (the lenders and investors) are asking for your business plan and projections.  

Although I think a business plan could be a good exercise for any ecommerce startup, I know the real impetus for writing a business plan is likely the fact that your potential investors or lenders are asking for one.  

What to include in an ecommerce business plan? 

I don’t think your business plan needs to be a 100 page dissertation, our ecommerce business plan example is roughly 10 pages.  We include the following sections:

Ecommerce Business Plan Outline

We suggest the following business plan sections for your ecommerce business plan:

• Executive Summary
• Company Description
• Market Analysis
• Product and Service Offerings
• Marketing Plan & Customer Acquisition
• Operating Plan
• Financial Plan

Analyzing the market for an ecommerce product is a vital step in any business plan. It gives you a better understanding of your potential customers, competitors, and overall market dynamics. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you do this effectively:

• Identify Your Target Audience: Understanding who will buy your product is crucial. Segment your audience based on demographic and psychographic factors. This might include age, gender, location, lifestyle, interests, income, and more. Analyzing these factors will give you a clear picture of who your customers are and what they need.
• Market Size Estimation: Determine the size of your potential market. This involves looking at the number of potential customers who might be interested in your product. Market size can be categorized into three segments: total available market (TAM), serviceable available market (SAM), and serviceable obtainable market (SOM).

I like to use Google Keyword Planner Tool to see how many people are searching for keywords related to the product I plan to sell as a quick and free way to estimate the market size.  For example, let’s assume that we are selling a yoga mat.  According to Google Keyword Planner Tool there are roughly 90,000 monthly searches for that keyword. 

To put some additional rough math to the opportunity, the first organic search result will often get roughly 40% of the clicks, and a solid ecommerce site will have a 3% conversion rate of visit to purchase.  So if you ranked first and received roughly 36,000 clicks with a 3% conversion rate you could sell 1,080 mats per month. 

• Competitor Analysis: Understanding your competitors is as important as understanding your customers. Identify your direct and indirect competitors, analyze their products, pricing, marketing strategies, customer reviews, and their market share. This will help you identify gaps in the market that you can exploit.

Read More: How to Write a Business Plan Competitor Analysis

• Trend Analysis: Investigate current market trends related to your product. Look at the growth of the market, customer preferences and behavior, and the impact of technology and environmental factors.

I like to suggest using Google Trends to see trends in popularity in your market.  If we stick with our yoga mat example we can see the following seasonal trends and trend over the last 5 years for the search term yoga mat. 

• SWOT Analysis: Carry out a SWOT analysis - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to your ecommerce product. This analysis will help you understand your product's position in the market.
• Pricing Analysis: Understand the pricing strategies of your competitors and the pricing willingness of your potential customers. It will help you to set a competitive and profitable price for your product.
• Regulatory Environment: Check the regulatory environment related to your product. It includes legal regulations, trade policies, and standards that might impact your ecommerce business.
• Customer Behavior and Preferences: With the help of analytics and customer feedback, understand what drives customer behavior. Consider their shopping habits, their product preferences, and what influences their buying decisions.

Each of these steps will provide valuable insights that can shape your ecommerce product's marketing strategy, positioning, pricing, and much more. Remember, market analysis is an ongoing process—it needs to be repeated periodically as markets evolve over time.

There are a couple of tools that I like to use when analyzing the competition in ecommerce.  

• Google’s Ads Transparency Tool – with this tool you can simply enter in the domain name of a competitor and Google will show you all of the ads that they are running.  This is a nifty way to get an idea of ads that might be working well and areas you might be able to compete. 
• Ahrefs – Ahrefs will allow you to look up a competitor’s website and you can see how much organic traffic they are getting and exactly what keywords are sending that traffic. For example, REI ranks 3 rd organically for the keyword “yoga mats” so we looked up their Yoga Mats page on Ahrefs and found that they receive roughly 2,200 organic visits per month to that page:

We can also see what keywords are sending the most traffic to that page below where I have highlighted the monthly organic traffic estimate for each keyword. 

I like to use Google Keyword Planner Tool to estimate customer acquisition costs as well.  As we saw with the Yoga Mat example below the average cost per click to advertise for that keyword was between $0.39 cents and $3.13.   

Again if we stick with a 3% conversion rate and assume 50 cents per click that means you are likely to spend roughly $16 to acquire one customer.  Not a whole lot of room for margin in this business right?  In this case you would need to hope that you can sell multiple products to the same customer over time.  

Your customer acquisition costs will be a fundamental assumption in your financial model.  Let’s dive into that next. 

How to Create Financial Projections for a Bar Business Plan

Just like in any industry, the ecommerce business has its own unique factors that impact financial projections, such as online traffic, conversion rates, and customer acquisition costs. Utilizing an ecommerce financial projection template can simplify the process and increase your confidence. Creating accurate financial projections goes beyond showcasing your ecommerce venture's ability to generate sales; it's about illustrating the financial roadmap to profitability and the realization of your online business goals. To develop precise projections, consider the following key steps:

• Estimate startup costs for your ecommerce business, including website development or platform setup, inventory acquisition, branding and marketing expenses, and initial fulfillment and shipping costs.
• Forecast revenue based on projected online traffic, conversion rates, average order value, and potential growth in customer base.
• Project costs related to product sourcing or manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and fulfillment services.
• Estimate operating expenses like website maintenance, hosting fees, digital marketing expenses, customer support, and administrative costs.
• Calculate the capital needed to launch and sustain your ecommerce business, covering initial expenses and providing working capital for continued growth.

While financial projections are a critical component of your ecommerce business plan, seek guidance from experienced professionals in the ecommerce industry. Adapt your projections based on real-world insights, leverage industry resources, and stay informed about digital marketing trends and evolving consumer behavior to ensure your financial plan aligns with your goals and positions your ecommerce venture for long-term success.

Example Ecommerce Business Plan

Explore our E-commerce Business Plan, presented below. If you prefer, you can access a downloadable Google Doc version of this bar business plan template, allowing you to personalize and tailor it to your specific needs. Additionally, a helpful video walkthrough is available, guiding you through the process of customizing the business plan to perfectly align with your unique Ecommerce business.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary:

• Business Description
• SWOT Analysis

Marketing and Sales Strategy

• Branding and Identity
• Website, menu, and social media platforms
• Marketing materials and promotional items
• Marketing mix

Operations Plan

• Organizational Structure:
• Location and Facility:
• SOP (Standard Operating Procedures):
• Health and safety protocols:

Financial Projections

• Startup Costs and Use of Funds
• Annual Sales, Gross Profit and Net Profit
• Key Financial Ratios
• Income Statement at a Glance
• Income Statement Annual Summary
• Cash Flow Statement Annual Summary
• Balance Sheet Annual Summary

I. Executive Summary

Our ecommerce store, "Eco-Friendly Fashion," aims to provide consumers with stylish and environmentally-friendly clothing options. 

Our target customer is the eco-conscious, fashion-forward individual who is looking for sustainable alternatives to fast fashion.

The ecommerce market is growing rapidly, and there is a growing demand for sustainable fashion products. We believe there is a gap in the market for an ecommerce store that offers a wide range of eco-friendly clothing options at affordable prices. Our unique selling proposition is to offer high-quality, stylish clothing that is also environmentally friendly, at a price that is accessible to our target customer.

We plan to launch with a product line of 50 items, including t-shirts, hoodies, and dresses, made from organic cotton and recycled materials. Our products will be manufactured in fair trade factories, ensuring ethical labor practices. Our initial funding will come from personal investments and a small business loan. Our financial projections show that we will break even in the third year of operation and achieve a profit by the fourth year.

II. Company Description

Eco-Friendly Fashion is a newly established ecommerce store that will offer a wide range of eco-friendly clothing options for both men and women. The company was founded by two friends, Jane Doe and John Doe, who share a passion for sustainability and fashion. Jane has a background in fashion design and John has experience in ecommerce and marketing.

Eco-Friendly Fashion is a limited liability company (LLC) registered in the state of California. Our team also includes a product sourcing specialist and a freelance graphic designer. Our office and warehouse are located in Los Angeles, CA.

III. Market Analysis

The global ecommerce market is expected to reach $4.9 trillion by 2021, with a significant portion of this growth coming from the fashion industry. Consumers are increasingly turning to ecommerce for their fashion purchases, and there is a growing demand for sustainable fashion products.

Our target customer is the eco-conscious, fashion-forward individual, aged 18-35, with a moderate to high income. This demographic is highly concerned about the environmental impact of their clothing choices and is willing to pay a premium for sustainable fashion options.

Competitors in the eco-friendly fashion market include established brands like Patagonia and smaller, niche brands like Tentree. However, these brands tend to focus on outdoor and athletic wear, rather than everyday fashion, and their products can be expensive. Our competitors in the sustainable everyday fashion market include companies like Reformation and Everlane, but these brands have limited product offerings and their products can also be expensive.

Our marketing and sales strategies will focus on leveraging social media, influencer marketing, and targeted online advertising to reach our target customer. We will also attend sustainable fashion trade shows and events to network and showcase our brand.

IV. Product and Service Offerings

Eco-Friendly Fashion will launch with a product line of 50 items, including t-shirts, hoodies, and dresses, made from organic cotton and recycled materials. Our products will be manufactured in fair trade factories, ensuring ethical labor practices. Our products will be designed in-house, with a focus on creating stylish, on-trend pieces that are also environmentally friendly.

Our pricing strategy will be to offer high-quality, stylish clothing at a price that is accessible to our target customer. Our products will be priced slightly higher than fast fashion options, but lower than sustainable fashion competitors like Reformation and Everlane.

We will continuously expand our product line and source new materials and manufacturing partners to ensure we are always offering the latest in sustainable fashion. In addition to our clothing line, we will also offer a recycling program for customers to trade in their old clothing for store credit. This will further demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and encourage customers to make more sustainable fashion choices.

V. Marketing Plan & Customer Acquisition

Our plan to grow our ecommerce business and reach our financial targets will follow a 5 pronged marketing approach in order to acquire customers. 

Brand Awareness:

• Partner with influencers and bloggers in the sustainable fashion and lifestyle space to feature your products and increase brand exposure.
• Utilize social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to showcase your products and educate your audience on the importance of environmentally responsible and ethically sourced apparel.
• Participate in local events and festivals that align with your values to increase visibility and connect with potential customers in person.

Content Marketing:

• Create a blog that features articles on sustainable fashion and how your products are made in an environmentally responsible and ethical manner.
• Offer styling tips and suggestions for incorporating eco-friendly fashion into everyday outfits to engage and educate your audience.
• Share customer testimonials and reviews on your website and social media channels to build trust and credibility with potential customers.

Email Marketing:

• Build an email list by offering an incentive such as a discount code to customers who sign up.
• Send newsletters that include information on new product launches, sales, and events.
• Use email automation to send abandoned cart reminders and follow-up emails to potential customers who have shown interest in your products.

Paid Advertising:

• Utilize targeted Facebook and Instagram ads to reach a wider audience and drive traffic to your website.
• Partner with eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle websites to run display ads and reach potential customers who are already interested in these topics.
• Consider using Google Ads to target customers who are actively searching for environmentally responsible and ethically sourced apparel.

Referral Program:

• Encourage satisfied customers to refer friends and family by offering a discount code or other incentive for each successful referral.

VI. Operating Plan

Eco-Friendly Fashion will operate as an online ecommerce store, with all sales taking place through our website. Our website will feature a user-friendly interface, detailed product descriptions, and multiple payment options. We will also offer free shipping on all orders within the United States, with the option for international shipping at an additional cost.

Our fulfillment and delivery strategies will include partnerships with established logistics companies to ensure efficient and cost-effective shipping. We will also implement a comprehensive returns and exchanges policy to ensure customer satisfaction.

Our ecommerce platform will be powered by Shopify, which offers a range of tools and integrations to manage our website, inventory, and customer data. We will also use a customer relationship management (CRM) system to track customer interactions and improve our marketing and sales strategies.

VII. Financial Plan

Our start-up costs will include the cost of product development and manufacturing, website development, marketing, and rent for our office and warehouse. Our initial funding will come from personal investments and a small business loan.

Our financial projections show that we will achieve $75,000 in sales in the first year, increasing to $500,000 in the second year and $1 million in the third year. Our expenses will include product manufacturing, marketing, salaries, and other operating costs. Our projections show that we will break even in the third year of operation and achieve a profit by the fourth year.

To minimize risk, we will continuously monitor our financial performance and adjust our strategies as needed. We will also implement a thorough risk management plan, including carrying appropriate insurance coverage and implementing strong data security measures to protect our customer information.

All of the unique financial projections you see below were generated using ProjectionHub’s Ecommerce financial projection template . Use PH20BP to enjoy a 20% discount on the template. 

Startup Costs:

Projected Financial Summary:

Annual Sales, Gross Profit and Net Profit:

Key Financial Ratios:

Watch how to create financial projections for your very own ecommerce business:

Income Statement:

Balance Sheet:

Cash Flow Statement:

VIII. Conclusion

Eco-Friendly Fashion is poised to fill a gap in the sustainable fashion market, offering a wide range of stylish and environmentally friendly clothing options at affordable prices. With a growing demand for sustainable fashion and our commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices, we are confident in our ability to succeed in the competitive ecommerce market.

Our team is dedicated to offering the highest quality products and customer service, and we are excited to bring our vision of sustainable fashion to life. Our next steps include finalizing our product line and manufacturing partnerships, launching our website, and beginning our marketing and sales efforts.

How do I start an ecommerce business?

To start an ecommerce business, you'll need to identify your target market and products, create a business plan, set up an online store or website, source or create products, establish secure payment and shipping methods, and implement marketing strategies to drive traffic and sales.

Which ecommerce platform should I use for my online store?

Popular ecommerce platforms include Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce. Consider factors such as ease of use, customization options, scalability, pricing, and integration with other tools or marketplaces when choosing the right platform for your business.

How can I drive traffic to my ecommerce website?

You can drive traffic to your ecommerce website through various strategies, including search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, content marketing, influencer partnerships, email marketing, paid advertising, and utilizing marketplace platforms such as Amazon or Etsy.

What are the essential elements to include in product descriptions for ecommerce?

Essential elements for product descriptions in ecommerce include clear and concise product titles, detailed descriptions highlighting key features and benefits, high-quality product images, pricing information, sizing or specifications, and customer reviews or testimonials, if available.

How can I optimize the checkout process to increase conversions?

To optimize the checkout process, streamline the steps involved, offer guest checkout options, provide multiple payment methods, ensure security and trust indicators, display shipping options and costs upfront, minimize form fields, and offer incentives such as discounts or free shipping for completing a purchase.

About the Author

Adam is the Co-founder of ProjectionHub which helps entrepreneurs create financial projections for potential investors, lenders and internal business planning. Since 2012, over 50,000 entrepreneurs from around the world have used ProjectionHub to help create financial projections.

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• Google Tag Manager

6-Part Ecommerce Business Plan (Template Included)

Shayla Mars

Last Updated Apr 23, 2019

Your ecommerce business plan is a living document. As your company develops, so will your document.

However, there are six basic sections your business plan should include:

1 Problem And Solution 2 Market Research 3 Business Model 4 Business Costs vs. Potential Revenue 5 Proof Of Concept And Beta Testing 6 Market Your Product

Problem And Solution

While there are simple ecommerce businesses that rely on gimmicks, like Ship Your Enemies Glitter (which sold for $85,000 in 2015), the real opportunity for revenue is in solving other people’s problems or your own.

Lindsay McCormick, founder of BITE Toothpaste Bits, wanted to solve a problem that directly affected her. As a traveling TV Producer for HGTV, she used too much travel-size toothpaste for her liking and was tired of the tubes exploding in her luggage. She did her research and found that one billion toothpaste tubes ended up in landfills. When she was unable to find a viable alternative, she decided to start BITE , and create her own toothpaste.

Here’s how you can start brainstorming your own product idea:

#1 Create a list of products or services that could potentially solve a problem. Speak with others about your ideas.

What’s something that’s bothering you or something you believe could make life easier? Hold a solo brainstorming session where you write out your ideas. If you already have an idea (or several!) skip to #2.

Don’t worry right now if you have the skills to bring your idea to life. Lindsay wasn’t a chemist, but that didn’t stop her from following through on her idea.

#2 Once you have a list, get together with your friends (or even start a Facebook thread) to discuss your ideas.

Ask them the following questions:

Is this something that can improve your life?

Does something like this already exist?

If yes, what do you think is lacking?

If no, why do you think that is?

This line of questioning will help you figure out what hurdles may come up in bringing your idea to fruition (and if your idea meets the initial criteria stated of being needed and useful). Take notes and listen with an open mind. After speaking with your friends, select the idea you feel most passionate about.

Passion will help keep you motivated to succeed when the hurdles pop up. Just like Lindsay, there’s nothing you can’t learn.

Use This Ecommerce Business Plan Template To Define Your Problem And Solution

Market Research

#1 understand your tam, sam, and som.

You don’t want to build a company that doesn’t have a market, or the market size is too small to generate any meaningful revenue. Knowing your market size is key to understanding other aspects of your business, such as costs (how much you would have to spend to reach your market, how much you would have to produce to penetrate the market, etc.). Correctly estimating your market size and how much market share you can corner is a key element in any ecommerce business plan.

There are three important elements in assessing market size: [ * ]

Your total addressable market (TAM)

Your serviceable available market (SAM)

Your serviceable obtainable market (SOM)

The  total addressable market is the total revenue opportunity for your product or service. The serviceable available market is the market size that is geographically and/or politically available for you. The serviceable obtainable market is the market size that your product can realistically capture.

When thinking about internet and mobile penetration, to get an idea of how many people could access your ecommerce store, remember:

54% of the world’s population has internet access [ * ]

96% of the U.S. has internet access [ * ]

73% of U.S. mobile phone users accessed the internet with their mobile device [ * ]

#2 Calculate your TAM using Industry Reports

When Christine Souffrant Ntim, founder of Vendedy, wanted to launch a business that connected travelers to global street vendors, she needed to know how many people and how much money existed in this industry. [ * ]

A simple Google search using industry-specific keywords can yield big results. Her search words were: Street markets, street vending, street market industry. Her searching led her to this piece from foreignpolicy.org:

Christine started traveling the world in 2008 and knew that street vendors were referred to as working within a black market economy. When she took her business live in 2014, this article gave her data points to pull from. She gained insight about the tourism industry from World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Neilson, and Deloitte. She concluded that there were, on average, 1 billion global tourists traveling annually. She used this figure for a rough guess at her TAM.

#3 Calculate Your SAM using Your TAM

Continuing our example with Christine, she used her TAM (1 billion tourists) to calculate her SAM. One billion represented tourists from around the world. She first wanted to focus on the U.S. market. Using a report from the National Travel & Tourism Office, she found an estimate of how many Americans were traveling abroad and their destinations. At the time of her research in 2013, there were between 12 and 16 million Americans traveling around the world.

#4 Calculate Your SOM by Comparing Competitors Market Size

No company has 100% market share in any industry. Your SOM is a realistic guess of how much market share you can acquire. This guess is based off trend predictions for your industry. By making a list of all your competitors (direct and indirect) and their trend predictions you can deduce what needs are being met and where your company can make a profit. [ * ]

Your product or service does not have to have a direct competitor, but can be an addition to a product/service that already exists.

Cameras on cell phones have gotten fairly advanced, but the video capabilities are lacking. There’s a viable market for detachable mobile phone camera lenses. Moment, a cell phone lens company, raised over $1.5 million and was featured in several digital publications.

This kind of success is one outcome of understanding the market and standing out from your competitors. Moment and it’s direct competitors (Olloclip, Ztylus and Easy-Macro) are private companies, so finding their exact market share and revenue is tricky. 

To find your SOM, use industry websites to find estimates of revenues and market share for businesses in your industry. Some websites you can use to find different industry data include:

Industry specific sites such as: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for example

Use This Ecommerce Business Plan Template To Enter Your TAM, SAM, And SOM

Business Model

An effective business model is paramount to profit creation. Your business model is the framework of how you plan to capture a share of the market. It outlines how you plan on selling your product or service to buyers. There are several models:

Business-to-Business (B2B) means you sell your product to other businesses instead of individual customers. A B2B company can be a service provider, but it can also sell a physical good such as an office furniture supplier.

Customer-to-Customer (C2C) means you provide a platform for customers to trade or sell with each other. You generate revenue by charging a fee, such as eBay.

Customer-to-Business (C2B) is similar to the C2C model. You are still providing a platform for customers to trade and sell, but they are trading and selling to businesses.

Last is B2C, which is common among ecommerce businesses. You as the business sell directly to an individual consumer. If you are selling a physical product, outline your product acquisition and delivery process. Amazon is an example of a C2C model and a B2C model because they sell their own proprietary products under the name “Amazon Basics”.

If you choose a B2C or B2B model, some follow-up questions to consider:

How does someone place an order?

How is the order received?

How is the order fulfilled?

How is the order shipped to the customer?

How do you ensure this process is repeated with all orders?

Be sure to state where and how you are storing inventory, as well as how long order completion takes. If your product is custom-made, note how long custom jobs are expected to take and how you will space out orders.

Use This Ecommerce Business Plan Template To Enter Your Business Model

Business Costs vs. Potential Revenue

Your potential revenue is derived from your SOM. Knowing you won’t take 100% or even 10% of a market will help you estimate a realistic financial overview for your industry choice. Even if you've got something that could be huge, it won't start out that way. While Airbnb is known as a disrupter, according to an STR Report (“STR is the source for premium global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights”) from July 2016 (8 years since being in business), it’s share of market demand and revenues was still below 4% of the total accommodations market share for 13 regional markets. [ * ]

#1: Determine Your Startup Costs

Your startup costs are the sum of the expenses your business incurs before launch.

Costs can be broken down into three categories: one-time, fixed, and variable.

Detail your costs in a list

In column one, list one-time costs. This may include hiring a consultant, incorporating your business, or buying a laptop.

In column two, list fixed (constant) monthly costs associated with selling your product. While this includes rent, it also includes the cost of your internet, website hosting, ecommerce software, etc. 

In column three, list all variable costs. Credit card processing costs will vary based on the amount you sell each month, utilities will change based on usage and the season, raw materials can fluctuate based on the market, and labor costs can change based on production needs. One method is to try to estimate the costs for a year and divide the result by 12 for a monthly cost.

Pro Tip: Set up an emergency fund for unknown costs. This can be an extension of your “runway fund.” “Runway” is a startup term that reflects how long your company can remain afloat if income and expenses are steady. A “runway fund” is the money you have to ensure your business remains operational pre-profit.

Use This Startup Costs Spreadsheet

#2 Set Your Price

How much you sell your product or service for depends on a number of factors. The value of anything is what people are willing to pay for it. Using your market research, you can apply a value that makes sense for your market. Here are two pricing strategies you can use:

Pricing Strategy 1: Market-Oriented Pricing

If you are selling machine-made diamonds, you have to consider the cost of creating the diamonds and how much customers are willing to pay for machine-made diamonds. Given that diamonds are in a luxury market, whether they are man-made or natural, you have several ways to price your product. 

You can use a higher price point than average, copy the market average, or undercut your competition by pricing lower than the average. This is called market-oriented pricing. It compares your product or service to the competition in your market.

Create a spreadsheet that identifies your direct competitors’ pricing of products you intend to sell. Using your market research and factoring in your costs, you can make an informed pricing decision.

Pricing Strategy 2: Keystone Pricing

Keystone pricing is when an item is priced twice as much as it costs you to make or buy. Keystone pricing has been associated with the retail industry specifically, but it’s not a standard by any means.

The pro of keystone pricing is that you can test your market and see if they’re willing to pay that price for your product. Sticking with our diamond example, if it cost you $500 to make a diamond ring, will someone be willing to pay $1000 for it? On the upside, you’ll have a gross margin of 100%.

The con of keystone pricing is that your price will be uncompetitive if your competitors have all decided to accept a lower margin — marking up a computer by 100% would not get you any sales or much interest in your business plan. 

To read more about market-oriented pricing, keystone pricing, and other pricing strategies, click here .

Remember: The price you set now can be changed later; however, you don’t want to price your item too low where you don’t make a profit, nor too high where no one wants to buy it.

Use This Ecommerce Business Plan Template To Enter Your Pricing Model

#3 Create Your Sales Forecast

As a new ecommerce business, your sales forecast is a prediction of your sales and revenue based on educated guesswork about your product or service, and the market. You will compare your forecast to actual numbers when you have them.

Calculating Revenue Projections

You want to create a five-year projection. First, create a spreadsheet that outlines your projected sales for each month of year one. Then add years two through five to the spreadsheet to demonstrate annual projections.

Create a spreadsheet that outlines the following:

Price Per Unit

Sales Revenue (Units Sold ✕ Price Per Unit)

Unit Cost (Sum of material, labor, fixed and variable costs, and overhead to create one unit) *Note: Overhead generally refers to non-labor costs for running your business 

Cost of Sales (Units Sold ✕ Unit Cost)

Profit (Sales Revenue minus Cost of Sales)

#4 Calculating a realistic sales forecast

There are two approaches startups and small businesses can take when creating a sales forecast.

The Top-Down Approach

This approach uses your knowledge of the market to make an assumption that you can capture a certain percentage of the market within your first year of business, and increase that percentage each year. This may give you an optimistic forecast that may be unrealistic to investors. The forecast could also hinder your business decisions when actual numbers come in.

Hypothetically, if you make candles, then your market research will tell you candles are used in seven out of 10 households in the U.S. There are 126.22 million households in the U.S. according to the 2017 Census, so that's 88 million households that buy candles. [ * ]

Let’s say each household buys at least one candle a year. Since you are a new business, your conservative guess is that you can capture 1% of that market, giving you 880,000 customers.

At first glance, this seems optimistic. Why? You have not factored in your business model — how many salespeople do you have? Can you sell to the entire US or should you maximize a specific region? Can you make 880,000 candles in a year?

The Bottom-Up Approach

This approach will give you a smaller forecast, but more realistic figures as it takes into consideration actual numbers and your own output capacity.

Pro tip: Check public company annual reports and filings to help determine financial and product information about potential competitors. Comparing competitor information against your own business model will give you more insight.

Back to our candle example: You know you can produce 100 candles a month. You know the average mass-produced candle sells for $1.99, but handmade candles retail between $8 and $15. You decide to price your candles at $10 each. You set a modest goal to sell 25 candles a month, increasing to 50 candles a month during the holiday season (October through December).

With this model, $3,000 is the profit from one year of business, using modest projections. You can then increase your units sold, and price in the following 2-5 years at an incremental rate. So in year two, you sell 50 candles off-season and 75 during the holiday season. By year three, your ability to produce could increase by bringing on a second maker or dedicating more time to candle creation.

You will outline this in your sales forecast section to show why you believe your output, sales, and pricing will increase over time.

Use This Spreadsheet To Forecast Your Sales

Proof Of Concept And Beta Testing

Before writing your business plan, you want to develop a proof of concept. You want to have these steps completed so you can write up your findings and how your business is going to succeed.

Proof of concept, also written as POC, precedes your prototype and beta testing. It answers the question: Is your idea feasible? Two questions to ask yourself is:

Has this idea been done before/ Does your imagined product already exist? (Which you’ve already answered)

Who are your competitors? (Which you’ve already identified) 

Back to our diamond example. Creating manufactured diamonds has been done before, you can get access to the machinery that can create the diamonds, you can gauge for quality and so on. Your POC is sound; however the challenge is finding what will make your product stand-out from your competition.

For an idea or product that hasn’t been done before, you will need to collect significant data to prove feasibility. Some ideas are ahead of their time, such as Charles Babbage’s first stab at a machine that could be programmable (the computer). He was able to produce a POC based on the knowledge of computing that existed at the time, and marrying that without engineering capabilities. [ * ]

Then we enter the prototype phase. Once all aspects of feasibility have been addressed, you can then design an internal version of your idea for you and your team to test (known as alpha testing). When it is ready for the public (doesn’t have to be perfect), then you enter your beta testing phase. 

NOTE: If your product has a unique mechanism that you created, you may want to patent it — you can start your patent application online. Once you get the “patent pending” green light, you are free to share your product via beta testing without risk of it being legally copied. [ * ]

Patenting a product before you’ve pre-sold or sold it to anyone can be risky. We recommend validating you can sell your product before worrying about the patent process. Focus on your velocity to $1 like AppSumo did when they started. 

#1 Be Creative — Offer Incentives for Beta Testing

Whether your product is an app or a tangible item, you want to test it on a subsection of your target demographic. Some beta tests are used to gain feedback on usability, errors, or malfunctions. Decide what you are using beta testers for before you go looking for them.

You want your beta testers to give you accurate and actionable feedback, so you have to give them clear and detailed instructions. Maintaining ongoing communication is key to success.

Incentives help prompt that feedback. Incentives can be a free item, a discount on the product, raffle prizes, or gift cards. If you have the funds, you can hold a launch party and reward beta testers with invites.

FitStation Tribe is offering one year of free access for beta testers.

EarBuds, a social music app, is running an Instagram social media campaign where they shout out their beta testers.

NOTE: Beta testing is not for prototypes. 

#2 Get Influencers to Beta Test Your Product

The best part about beta testing is that you are marketing your product at the same time. The rise of influencer marketing allows a potential customer to test your product and amplify your message. Whether you have to pay an influencer depends on their personal brand; some influencers may test your item because they think it’s cool, while others may charge. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

In 2016, a custom jewelry startup, Jevelo, worked with influencer company, Activate, to hire 12 influencers to beta test their app. Each influencer used the Jevelo app to make their necklaces and showcased the final product in photos on social media. Some of them wrote blog review talking up the product.

According to Activate’s case study on the campaign, the influencers generated 14,594 organic engagements on Instagram. Using a mixture of social media posts and blog reviews, Jevelo’s 12 beta testers had a combined reach of 3.6 million. [ * ]

#3 (Gently) Plug Your Product in Blogs, Forums, and Other Online Spaces

Using your market research, you can find your target demographic online. If your product is food related, you can drop some savvy copy in blog comments, Facebook groups, and Instagram comments. You can email food bloggers directly as well. The sky’s the limit on how to find your potential customers and pique their interest.

List the tactics you are going to use in your business plan.

Use This Ecommerce Business Plan Template To List Your Beta Testing Tactics

Market Your Product

While we discussed combining finding beta testers with marketing, you still need to create a stand-alone marketing strategy. You need to detail where your potential customers live on the internet — after all, you are an ecommerce business. Be detailed when it comes to your marketing strategy. If you plan on launching a social media campaign, write it out. If you plan on hosting a booth at a conference, write it out. If you’ve already implemented marketing campaigns, be sure to include results in your business plan as well.

#1 Create Customer Profiles via Beta Testing and Earlier Market Research

Your product or service will not be for everyone, and that’s OK. You want to target a specific demographic. As you get more feedback from your beta group, you’ll learn which groups enjoy your product the most. Honing in on buyer personas and using your earlier market research will allow you to craft specific campaign ads and messages.

#2 Create a Robust Email List and a Landing Page

As an ecommerce business, you will be selling your goods via a website. Instead of stressing over coding a landing page to get email signups, use Sumo’s new Grow Email List Shortcut to display a perfectly timed offer to your website visitors. You can try it free by clicking the button below.

Not on Shopify? Sign Up Here

Hemper used a Swag Bundle offer and 10% discount to grow their email list: 

The average Sumo email list building popup converts website visitors into email leads at 2.3%, but Hemper was able to generate an 11.8% conversion rate, and 29,062 new email subscribers. To see a detailed breakdown on how they achieved a conversion rate 5x the average, click here .

6 Key Sections You Need In Your Ecommerce Business Plan

Including these six key sections in your business plan will create a starting road map for your business.

While there are other components to a business plan such as your executive summary and team bio, this has everything you need to hit the ground running.

Download our Ecommerce Business Plan Template today to start planning your next business idea.

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E-Commerce Financial Plan Template [2024 Guide]

by I.J. Karam | Jan 1, 2024 | Business Plans , Financial Plan Guide

When it comes to launching an online store, a well-crafted E-commerce financial plan is an essential component of your business planning process. It serves as a roadmap that outlines your project’s financial goals, strategies, and projections for the future. It provides clarity and helps you make informed decisions about your E-commerce venture’s operations, growth, and profitability.

As a seasoned business planner with over 15 years of experience helping e-commerce entrepreneurs, my goal is to walk you through the process of creating a detailed financial plan specifically tailored to the online shopping business. We will cover key aspects such as cost forecasting, revenue projections, income statement forecasts, cash flow management, balance sheet forecasting, capital expenditures, startup costs, and capital raising strategies.

E-Commerce Financial Plan Template in Excel

Before diving into the specifics of each section, it’s important to emphasize the importance of accuracy and realism in your financial projections. While forecasting can be challenging, it is crucial to base your estimates on thorough research, industry benchmarks, and realistic assumptions. To help you build a strong financial forecast using a spreadsheet, we invite you to check out our ready-made e-commerce business plan package. It includes a pre-written business plan text in Word and an automatic e-commerce financial plan in Excel that you can easily customize, no accounting or financial expertise needed.

Now, let’s proceed to the first section of our guide: the cost forecast.

E-Commerce Cost Forecast

A cost forecast is a critical element of your financial plan as it helps you estimate and allocate expenses related to running your E-commerce business. By accurately forecasting your costs, you can plan your budget effectively, identify areas of potential savings, and ensure that your online shopping business remains financially sustainable. Let’s explore the key components to consider when creating a robust cost forecast:

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

The Cost of Goods Sold represents the direct costs associated with producing or acquiring the products you sell online. This includes the cost of raw materials, manufacturing or procurement costs, packaging, and any other expenses directly tied to the production process. Calculate your COGS by determining the unit cost of each product and multiplying it by the projected sales volume.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses encompass the day-to-day costs of running your online shop. They can include:

• Marketing and Advertising: Budget for digital marketing campaigns, social media advertising, paid search, search engine optimization (SEO), influencer collaborations, and other promotional activities. Marketing is a major component of the total expenses required to run an e-commerce site. Make sure to include media spend and agency fees if you decide to outsource your campaigns management.
• Website and Hosting: Include costs related to website development, maintenance, hosting fees, domain registration, and security measures.
• Inventory Management: Don’t forget to account for expenses associated with inventory tracking software, warehouse storage, order fulfillment, and logistics. A successful e-commerce business has a strong inventory management practice.
• Customer Service: This includes customer support tools, live chat services (human based or AI-powered), returns management, and order inquiries.
• Payment Processing: Factor in fees associated with payment gateways, credit card processing, and fraud protection.
• Utilities and Office Supplies: This includes costs of utilities, office rent, internet, telephone services, and office supplies.
• Professional Services: Account for expenses related to legal, accounting and consulting services.
• Employee Salaries: If you have employees, include their salaries, benefits and payroll taxes.
• Software and Subscriptions: Include fees for essential software tools, such as inventory management systems, accounting software, and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms.
• Miscellaneous Expenses: It is always a good idea to allow for unexpected or miscellaneous expenses that may arise during the operation of your online store.

Next, we will delve into capital expenditures, where we will discuss investments in long-term assets and infrastructure.

Capital Expenditures

Capital expenditures (CapEx) refer to the investments made in long-term assets and infrastructure that are essential for your E-commerce business’s operations and growth. These expenditures typically involve large, one-time costs but provide benefits over an extended period. It is crucial to carefully plan and forecast your capital expenditures to ensure efficient allocation of resources. Let’s explore the key considerations for this section:

Technology and Equipment

An e-commerce website could be classified as both CAPEX and OPEX, depending on the nature of the expenses incurred. The initial development and setup costs of the website, including design, coding, and customization, would typically be considered capital expenditures (CAPEX) since they involve the acquisition or improvement of a long-term asset.

However, ongoing expenses such as hosting fees, domain registration, maintenance, and updates would be considered operational expenditures (OPEX) since they are recurring costs necessary to keep the website operational.

Here are additional items you may consider as Capex:

• Hardware: Estimate costs for computers, servers, networking equipment, and other devices required for your E-commerce operations.
• Software: Include costs for specialized software applications, such as inventory management systems, order management systems, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, and analytics software.
• Security Systems: Account for investments in cybersecurity measures, SSL certificates, fraud detection, and prevention tools.
• Communication Systems: Budget for phone systems, video conferencing software, and other communication tools necessary for your business’s smooth operation.

Physical Infrastructure

Let’s now look at potential investments in your physical infrastructure:

• Warehousing and Storage: Include costs for acquiring or leasing warehouse space, racking systems, shelving, forklifts, and other equipment needed for inventory storage.
• Packaging and Shipping Equipment: Account for investment related to equipment that help with packaging, scaling, labeling and shipping software.
• Vehicles and Transportation: In case you will handle the delivery in-house, make sure to include the cost of trucks, cars or bikes you plan to purchase.
• Fulfillment Centers: If you’re considering establishing additional fulfillment centers or partnering with third-party logistics providers, include the associated investment.
• Technology Upgrades: Budget for system upgrades or enhancements to handle higher order volumes and improve efficiency.

Depreciation and Replacement

Keep in mind that certain capital assets have a limited lifespan and will require periodic replacement or upgrade. This is why it is a good idea to estimate the depreciation of your assets over time and allocate funds for their eventual replacement.

By carefully considering and forecasting your capital expenditures, you can ensure that you have the necessary resources to support the growth and development of your E-commerce business.

E-Commerce Startup Costs

When starting an E-commerce business, there are several initial expenses you need to consider. These startup costs encompass the one-time investments required to establish your business and set it up for operation. Properly estimating and planning for these costs is essential for a smooth launch. Let’s explore the key components to consider when creating a startup cost forecast:

• Market Research and Validation: Before launching your E-commerce business, you need to conduct market research to understand your target audience, competition, and demand for your products or services. Include expenses related to market research reports, surveys, focus groups, and prototype testing.
• Business Registration and Licensing: This includes the costs associated with registering your business entity and obtaining the necessary licenses and permits such as registration fees, legal consultation fees, and any government or regulatory charges.
• Initial Website Development and Design: Invest in professional website development and design to create an appealing and user-friendly online store. Include initial expenses for domain registration, website hosting, e-commerce platform subscriptions, and hiring web developers or designers if needed.
• Branding: A powerful brand can go a long way in helping you launch and scale a successful e-commerce business. Make sure you budget funds for branding activities to establish a strong brand identity. This may include logo design, brand guidelines, graphic design services, and marketing materials.
• Inventory and Product Sourcing: Estimate the initial investment required to acquire or manufacture your initial inventory. This includes purchasing products, raw materials, packaging materials, and any costs associated with product sourcing, manufacturing or distribution.
• Equipment and Tools: As already seen above, the initial capex required for essential equipment and tools should also be part of your startup investment.
• Professional Services: In case you plan to avail any professional services to help you with the launching phase, then you need to also account for things such as legal consultation, accounting services, or consulting fees for strategic advice…etc.
• Initial Marketing and Advertising: Some entrepreneurs allocate a budget for initial marketing and advertising efforts to generate awareness and drive traffic to their E-commerce website. This could be your soft launch, before the full-fledged store launch.
• Training and Education: If necessary, budget for any training programs or courses that will enhance your skills or knowledge relevant to running an E-commerce business. This could include online courses, workshops, or conferences.

Now that we have seen the main cost items related to starting and running and e-commerce business, let us tackle the revenue forecasting process, as part of your e-commerce financial plan.

E-Commerce Revenue Forecast

Accurately forecasting your online store’s revenue allows you to set realistic goals, make informed business decisions and monitor your operational performance. Before we start, it is key to remember the importance of a solid market analysis to understand your target audience, market trends, competitive landscape, and demand for your products or services. This analysis will provide valuable insights that will inform your revenue projections.

Sales Channels

First, identify the sales channels through which you will generate revenue. For your online store, this typically includes your own e-commerce website, marketplace platforms (such as Amazon or eBay), and any other channels where you plan to sell your products.

Pricing Strategy

Determine the right pricing strategy for your products or services. Consider factors such as production costs, competitor pricing, customer willingness to pay and perceived value. Your pricing strategy should strike a balance between profitability and competitiveness in the market.

Online Sales Volume Forecast

Estimate the number of products or services you expect to sell during the forecast period. This can be based on historical data, market research/sizing, industry benchmarks, or a combination of these factors. Consider variables such as seasonality, trends, and any marketing or promotional activities that may impact your sales volume.

Average Order Value (AOV)

What is AOV? This stands for Average Order Value, a key metric to monitor when running your e-commerce site. You can calculate AOV by dividing the total revenue by the total number of orders during a given period. It is always a good idea to compare your AOV against industry benchmarks.

Customer Acquisition

How will you acquire new customers? What are the associated costs? Account for marketing and advertising expenses, customer acquisition strategies, and conversion rates when estimating the number of new customers you expect to acquire during the forecast period.

Repeat Business and Customer Retention

When modeling your revenue, remember to factor in customer retention rates and the likelihood of repeat purchases. Analyze historical data or industry benchmarks to estimate the percentage of customers who are likely to make repeat purchases and the frequency of those purchases.

Seasonality and Trends

All businesses are exposed to a certain level of seasonality and e-commerce platforms are no exception. Take into account any seasonal fluctuations or trends that may impact your online store by adjusting your revenue forecast accordingly, considering peak seasons, holidays, or other events that may affect customer buying behavior.

New Product Launches or Expansion

If you plan to introduce new products or expand your product line during the forecast period, include the projected revenue from those additions. Consider market demand, production costs, and marketing efforts when estimating the revenue contribution from new products.

E-Commerce Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Now let’s look at a number of important key performance indicators any e-commerce entrepreneur should monitor closely to ensure the success of their online shopping ventures. Here we go:

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Customer Acquisition Cost refers to the amount of money your E-commerce business spends to acquire a new customer. It includes the marketing and advertising expenses incurred to attract potential customers and convert them into paying customers. Calculating your CAC helps you assess the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and determine the financial viability of acquiring new customers.

To calculate your CAC, divide the total marketing and advertising expenses by the number of new customers acquired within a specific period. For example, if you spent $10,000 on marketing and acquired 100 new customers, your CAC would be $100.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

Customer Lifetime Value represents the total net revenue your online store expects to generate from a single customer over the course of their relationship with your business. It takes into account the repeat purchases, average order value and customer retention rates. The CLV is important because it provides insights regarding the actual longer term value of your customers.

Here’s how to calculate CLV:

CLV = AOV x Purchase Frequency x Customer Lifespan

For example, if your average purchase value is $50, the average purchase frequency is 2 times per year per customer, and the average customer lifespan is 3 years, your CLV would be $300 ($50 x 2 x 3).

CLV to CAC Ratio

The CLV-to-CAC Ratio is a key metric that compares the cost of acquiring a customer (CAC) to the expected revenue generated from that customer over their lifetime (CLV). This ratio helps you assess the sustainability and profitability of your customer acquisition efforts.

Ideally, the CAC should be significantly lower than the CLV to ensure a positive return on investment. A lower CLV-to-CAC ratio indicates that your customer acquisition costs are too high compared to the revenue you expect to generate from each customer.

E-Commerce Income Statement Forecast

The income statement forecast, also known as the P&L (profit and loss statement), is a major financial statement that provides an overview of your E-commerce business’s revenue, expenses, and net income over a specific period of time. It helps you understand the profitability of your business and identify areas where you can optimize costs or increase revenue. Let’s explore the key components of your online store’s P&L:

Revenue (Top Line)

Start by including your projected revenue for the forecast period, which we discussed in the previous section. This includes the total sales generated from your E-commerce business, considering factors such as sales volume, average order value and customer retention.

Calculate the cost of goods sold by estimating the direct costs associated with producing or acquiring the products you sell. Subtract the COGS from the revenue to determine the gross profit.

Gross Profit Margin

Calculate the gross profit margin by dividing the gross profit by the revenue and multiplying by 100. The gross profit margin indicates the percentage of revenue that remains after deducting the direct costs of producing goods or services. It helps assess the efficiency of your production/sourcing and pricing strategies.

Next, list all the operating expenses we discussed earlier in this guide, such as marketing and advertising, website and hosting costs, inventory management, customer service, payment processing, utilities and office supplies, professional services, employee salaries, software and subscriptions, and miscellaneous expenses.

Operating Income

Now, subtract the total operating expenses from the gross profit to calculate your e-commerce store’s operating income. The operating income represents the profit generated from your core business operations before considering interest, taxes, and other non-operational items.

Non-Operating Income and Expenses

If applicable, include any non-operating income or expenses that are not directly related to your E-commerce business’s day-to-day operations. This may include interest income, interest expenses, investment gains or losses, and any other income or expenses outside of your primary business operations.

Net Income (Bottom Line)

Subtract the non-operating income and expenses from the operating income to calculate the net income. The net income represents the final profit or loss generated by your E-commerce business after considering all income and expenses.

Profit Margin

You can also calculate the profit margin by dividing the net income by the revenue and multiplying by 100. The profit margin provides an overall view of your business’s profitability and indicates the percentage of revenue that translates into actual net income.

E-Commerce Cash Flow Forecast

A cash flow forecast is a vital component of your financial plan as it helps you project the inflows and outflows of cash in your online shopping business over a specific period. It allows you to anticipate cash shortages or surpluses, plan for capital expenditures, and ensure you have sufficient funds to meet your financial obligations. Let’s explore the key considerations for this section:

Cash Inflows

First, identify and project the various sources of cash inflows for your E-commerce business:

• Sales Revenue: Estimate the cash inflows from your E-commerce sales based on your revenue forecast. Consider the payment methods your customers use, such as credit cards, online payment platforms, or cash on delivery, and the typical payment terms or delays associated with each method.
• Financing Activities: Include any cash inflows from external financing sources, such as loans, investments, or capital contributions. Take into account any anticipated cash injections into your business during the forecast period.
• Other Income: If applicable, consider any other sources of cash inflows, such as interest income, rental income or affiliate program earnings.

Cash Outflows

Next, identify and project the various categories of cash outflows:

• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): Estimate the cash outflows associated with purchasing or producing your products. Consider the payment terms with your suppliers, inventory management practices, and any upfront or periodic payments required for inventory.
• Operating Expenses: Include the cash outflows related to your operating expenses (see sections above). Here as well, pay attention to the payment terms.
• Taxes and Regulatory Payments: Account for the cash outflows associated with taxes, licensing fees, permits, and any other regulatory obligations specific to your E-commerce business.
• Debt Payments: If you have outstanding loans or debts, estimate the cash outflows required for repayment. Consider the repayment terms, interest rates, and any scheduled principal and interest payments.
• Capital Expenditures: Refer to the capital expenditures section we discussed earlier. Estimate the cash outflows required for investments in technology, infrastructure, equipment, vehicles and other long-term assets.
• Other Expenses: Consider any other cash outflows that are not categorized above but are relevant to your E-commerce business, such as one-time project expenses, legal fees, or unexpected costs.

Net Cash Flow

Calculate the net cash flow for each period by subtracting the total cash outflows from the total cash inflows. A positive net cash flow indicates a surplus, while a negative net cash flow indicates a deficit.

Cash Flow Statement

Use the projected cash inflows and outflows to create a cash flow statement, which provides a comprehensive view of your E-commerce business’s cash position. The cash flow statement includes three sections: operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities. It helps you track the cash flows from your day-to-day operations, investments, and financing transactions.

E-Commerce Balance Sheet Forecast

The balance sheet forecast is a financial statement that provides a snapshot of your E-commerce business’s financial position at a specific point in time. It summarizes your assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity, allowing you to assess your business’s solvency and net worth. Let’s explore the key considerations for this section:

The first part of the balance sheet lists the short-term and long-term assets of your E-commerce business:

• Current Assets: These are assets that can be converted into cash within one year. This includes cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, inventory and any other short-term assets.
• Fixed Assets: Estimate the value of your fixed assets, which are long-term assets with a useful life beyond one year. This includes property, plant, and equipment, such as your office space, computers, servers, and any other tangible assets used in your E-commerce operations.
• Intangible Assets: If applicable, consider also any intangible assets your E-commerce business may have, such as intellectual property rights, patents, trademarks, or goodwill.

Liabilities

The second part of the balance sheet comprises short and long term liabilities for your E-commerce business:

• Current Liabilities: Estimate the value of your current liabilities, which are obligations that are due within one year. This includes accounts payable, short-term loans, credit card debt, accrued expenses, and any other short-term obligations.
• Long-Term Liabilities: These include obligations that extend beyond one year such as long-term loans, lease obligations and any other long-term debts.

Shareholder’s Equity

This section goes next to liabilities. Calculate the shareholder’s (or owner’s) equity, which represents the net worth of your E-commerce business. It is the residual interest in the assets of your business after deducting liabilities. Owner’s equity includes the initial capital investment, retained earnings, and any additional contributions or withdrawals made by the owner(s).

Balance Sheet Structure

Organize the projected assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity in a balance sheet format following the equation: Assets = Liabilities + Shareholder’s Equity.

Financial Ratios

It is a good idea to regularly analyze your balance sheet forecast and calculate key financial ratios that provide insights into your E-commerce business’ financial health. Some important ratios to consider include the current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities), debt-to-equity ratio (total debt divided by owner’s equity) and return on equity (net income divided by owner’s equity). These ratios help assess liquidity, leverage, and profitability.

Final Words

Writing a comprehensive financial plan is crucial for the success and sustainability of your online shopping venture. It provides a roadmap for achieving your financial goals, helps you make informed decisions, and ensures the financial health of your business.

Before we part, we highly recommend you check our automatic e-commerce financial plan Excel template included in our ready-made e-commerce business plan package. Our cost-effective solution allows you to build a solid business plan with accurate financials in record time.

Best of luck in creating a robust financial plan for your E-commerce business, and may it pave the way for your success and prosperity!

E-Commerce Financial Plan Template

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SIMPLE E-COMMERCE INCOME STATEMENT INFO

Simple E-Commerce business plan projections template for startups or established companies is the right choice when they need to raise funds from investors or bankers and calculate funding requirements, make cash flow projections , develop budgets for the future years, or to enhance a business plan . Consider using Simple E-Commerce financial model excel template before buying the Simple E-Commerce business. Unlocked - edit all.

A business forecast template specially designed for a startup Simple E-Commerce business. Explicitly designed for Simple E-Commerces, will not only help you evaluate the financial feasibility of your proposed venture but will also be a valuable tool in selling your project to potential partners, lenders and investors when included in your business plan. The startup costs spreadsheet Simple E-Commerce will also help you build a financial projection that explains the forecast in sales per month, number of customers and average spending for the Simple E-Commerce business.

Simple E-Commerce pro forma projection is vital for commencing the operations of your own Business. We understand your need to thrive in the market to capture the target audience through various digital media networks. But have you considered keeping your financial needs on the check?

This Simple E-Commerce Startup Budget made by our team can help you analyze your business revenue generation, recognize drivers for pro forma income statement , and accurately calculate cash-ins and outs, allowing you to make informed principal business and financial decisions bases on accurate reporting.

Since our team’s Financial Analysts have developed a robust startup costs template, hence, it will enable the user to know how much does it cost for business owners to open Simple E-Commerce business with all relevant expenses and investment amount required from the investors or a bank loan. The Simple E-Commerce three-statement financial model includes a 5-year financial projection to make your startup growing without spending extra money. It contains all the necessary matters of organizing, launching, and proceeding with a prosperous Simple E-Commerce business.

Simple E-Commerce Excel includes all the properties which make this efficient in all Simple E-Commerce business cases. The model contains the 5-years three financial statements with all relevant KPI’s such as; Financial Ratios, Diagnostic Tools, Cash burn analysis, Investment and Debt service coverage ratio, etc. The finance options for the business include a business bank loan and also equity funding from investors.

SIMPLE E-COMMERCE BUSINESS PLAN REPORTS

All in One Place

This Simple E-Commerce financial projection excel provides business owners with financial assumptions about revenue and expenses. These inputs can be combined into a complete financial view of the business.

Our 5 year projection plan contains a special information panel, which shows the financial indicators of the company, which are relevant to certain periods of time. More specifically, the dashboard displays a cash flow model excel, annual revenue breakdowns, as well as profit forecasts and overall fund flows.

Business Financial Statement Template Xls

Our model can automatically generate the key annual financial reporting templates in excel. Since the core financial statements are all tied to the main assumptions, once the assumptions are updated with your desired inputs, the model will be updated to reflect your companies' financials.

Use Of Funds

The feasibility study template excel for determining sources and uses table of cash is a productive and reliable way to keep a company's financial activities under control. With its help you can develop both a large business and a startup. This is not only a clear indicator of the company's success for investors, but also a clear plan for development and increase of financial turnover. For many business owners, information is valuable data, thanks to which they dynamically promote their services on the market.

Break Even Point Excel

This financial projections template has a break even analysis tab that predicts the period within which the company is supposed to move to a new level, i. e. , start to bring profits to its owners. break even sales calculator uses forecasted revenues and expenses and makes excel pro forma template on the period when its overall revenues become significantly bigger than costs.

Top Revenue

When the company's management starts to make a 5 year cash flow projection template, revenue is the most crucial component in the startup costs spreadsheet. Revenue is one of the main drivers of the enterprise's value in the business plan financial template. That is why financial analysts must pay special attention to planning and devising the best strategy to approach modeling future revenue streams. Revenue forecasts should also have assumptions about the growth rate based on historical financial data. Users can find all the components of wise financial planning of the revenue streams in our financial projections templates.

Small Business Top Expenses List

The Top expenses tab of the business financial model template is needed to reflect the company's annual expenses, which in turn are divided into four groups. This financial projection template shows a detailed analysis of costs. These can be customer acquisition costs or fixed costs. Understanding the origins of your spending helps you keep control of your finances and manage them wisely.

SIMPLE E-COMMERCE FINANCIAL MODEL EXPENSES

Start-up costs are an important aspect of any business plan. They tend to accumulate before actual operations begin, thus keeping track of them early is critical to minimize underfunding or overspending. The start-up cost Pro-forma in our pro forma budget includes both the funds and the expenses. This proforma can be used to keep track of your spending and develop budgeting templates.

Capital Expenditure Plan

CapEx, or CAPEX plan, represents the total company's expenditures on purchasing assets in a given period. These expenditures include both assets acquired and built by the company. Usually, the company's investments, or expenditures, related to these assets are significant. These capital assets provide value to the company over a more extended period than one reporting period. Therefore, the company reflects these CapEX calculations in the pro forma balance sheet template excel and does not recognize the whole amount of investments in the pro forma income statement in one reporting period.

Loan Financing Calculator

The loan repayments schedules are very important for startups and growing companies, so they should be monitored. The loan repayments schedules define all the information about loans, such as the principal amount, the terms, maturity period and the interest rate. Since the loan payment schedule involves the cash flow, it is an important part of the cash flow analysis. The repayments of loans impact the company's cash flow excel sheet, and the principal debt amount is reflected in the balance sheet. Further, the repayments are part of the statement of cash flows, and a vital part of the company's financial activities.

ECOMMERCE STARTUP BUSINESS PLAN METRICS

Profitability KPIs

The business forecast template calculates the EBIT, i.e., earnings before interest payments and tax deductions, depending upon your assumptions. It is a vital metric that shows the true potential of your business's profit-generating abilities.

Cash Flow Projection Business Plan

A cash flow excel spreadsheet. The startup cash flow statement is an important startup financial statements examples as it depicts the cash movement inside any business. It also reflects the cash balance available that the company can use for the development of paying off the liabilities. Also, it reflects the business efficiency of handling the investor funding for profitability.

KPI Benchmarking Report

A cash flow proforma template benchmark tab calculates the company's key performance indicators, either business or financial, and finds an industry-wide average as a comparison. The industry average metrics are then used to determine the relative value for benchmarking analysis. Financial benchmarks are essential for the financial planning of companies, especially for start-ups. These studies help companies determine the 'best practice' companies within the industry and compare their own financial results with these best practices. It is a useful financial and strategic management tool.

Pro Forma Profit And Loss

The pro forma income statement considers and incorporates non-cash transactions into its expenses as they are incurred. An example is asset depreciation, wherein a portion of the asset value is expensed because it was used in business operations for that period to generate revenues. Unlike in the cash flow forecast excel, wherein only actual cash movements are recorded, the proforma income statement holistically accounts for all expenses for the specific period.

Projected Balance Sheet For 5 Years In Excel Format

When combined with the profit and loss forecast template excel, the projected balance sheet template is critical because it exposes the amount of investment required to sustain the sales and profits displayed on the p&l excel template. The ability to accurately identify where the firm will be financially at any point in the future is dependent on the balance sheet prediction.

ECOMMERCE STARTUP BUSINESS PLAN VALUATION

Pre Money Valuation Startup

You'll get all the data your investors need with our pre-built pre revenue startup in the financial plan template excel. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) will show your stakeholders the minimal return on capital invested in the enterprise's activities. The cash flow accessible to all investors, including shareholders and creditors, will be shown in a free cash flow valuation. The value of future cash flows will be reflected in discounted cash flow in proportion to the current period.

Pro Forma Cap Table

A simple cap table is a critical spreadsheet for any start-up company that shows all the company's shares, who owns them, and the investors' prices for these shares. The revenue projection template excel (cap table tab) also reflects each investor's percentage of ownership in the company and its dilution.

SIMPLE E-COMMERCE PROFIT LOSS PROJECTION KEY FEATURES

All necessary reports

When creating the Simple E-Commerce cash flow proforma, you will not need to independently prepare financial reports and study the requirements for them. Our Excel template contains all the necessary reports and calculations that correspond with the lenders demand.

Prove You Can Pay Back the Loan You Requested

When you apply for a business loan, bankers will study your business plan cash flow forecast in an attempt to answer this question: Can this business pay back the loan? Requesting a loan without showing your cash flow forecast template excel for paying it back is a common way to land in the rejection pile. It is exceptionally accurate if your current cash flow won't cover all of your monthly operating expenses — plus your loan payment. Don't fall into this kind of situation. Use cash flow analysis excel to strengthen your case by showing the banker exactly how you plan to use the loan and when you will start repaying the debt. This type of forecasting helps you create a road map that can impress a lender with the confidence they need to approve your loan.

Saves you time

Financial Projections Template Excel allows you to spend less time on finances and more time on your products, customers and business development

External stakeholders, such as banks, may require a regular forecast

If the business has a bank loan, the bank will ask for the Simple E-Commerce projected income statement template excel regularly.

Get Investors to Notice

Most entrepreneurs can't get investors to return their calls. With the Simple E-Commerce excel financial model, you will secure meetings with potential investors easily.

SIMPLE E-COMMERCE FINANCIAL PROJECTION TEMPLATE EXCEL ADVANTAGES

Excel Financial Model Template Helps You Identify Cash Gaps And Surpluses Before They Happen

Optimize The Timing Of Accounts Payable And Receivable With startup financial projections template

Avoid Cash Flow Shortfalls With Simple E-Commerce three statement financial model

Pro Forma Template Excel Helps To Track Whether Spending Is On Target

Make Hiring Decisions With Simple E-Commerce startup financial model template

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How To Use Our Ecommerce Financial Model Template (+ Free Preview)

• November 17, 2023
• Financial Models , Tutorials

Disclaimer: this article is for anyone who downloads our Ecommerce financial model template and need a step-by-step guide on how to use it. We remind you that our template also comes with a 1 hour onboarding video as well.

Ecommerce Financial Model Template

Download an expert-built 5-year Excel financial model for your pitch deck

Before we dive in the step-by-step guide, note that we are using for the purpose of this article the Google Sheets version. You can of course download the template use it with Excel instead. Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Settings

The first thing we need to do is to enter a few details in the Settings tab. They are:

• Company name : the name of your business / project
• Start date : the first month the model will forecast from. Note that the first month should be in the future, and it isn’t necessarily the following month. For instance, assuming we are today in July 2021, and you are raising capital which you expect to last 2 months, the start date can very well be September 2021 or even later.
• Fiscal year end : by definition, this is the date that defines the end of a 12-month period for accounting purposes. In our templates, this date is important as it will serve to calculate the annual summaries of your P&L, balance sheet and cash flow statement. Note that most businesses have 31st December as fiscal year end. When in doubt, ask your accountant.

Note: the year in the fiscal year end is not relevant. For instance, if your fiscal year ends on December 31st, 31/12/2021 and 31/12/2022 are exactly the same thing.

• Currency : the main currency of your business and in which you want to present your financials. Note that the currency does not impact any calculation: it is simply used as a legend throughout the model.

Note: if your business operates in different currencies, use the same currency throughout for your model. For instance, assuming you sell your products in USD but have some staff paid in EUR and your reporting currency is USD. In this case, the expenses (the salaries of the staff in EUR) should be converted in their USD equivalent when you enter your hiring plan (more on that below)

• Corporate tax rate : this is the tax rate you pay in your jurisdiction. If you aren’t sure which is yours, refer to KPMG’s exhaustive updated list here.

Step 2: Revenue

In the same  Settings  tab, we need to set a number of assumptions behind your revenue.

• Product name : the name of your products (or “SKUs”)

Note: the ecommerce financial model template allows for up to 10 different products. Of course, you might have more. Yet, for the purpose of the model and to ensure it is flexible (easy to manipulate), you will need to group all your SKUs into 10 categories maximum. Because the categories have separate unit price (see below), we recommend to group your products into price categories.

• Unit price : the sale price of your products per category. For instance, if you run a furniture shop, sofas would be at $1,500 and chairs at $150 in average
• Sales mix : the breakdown of your orders between the different categories. For instance, in our example above, if you have 100 orders in a given month, you would sell 30 products of category A, 20 of category B, and so on
• Launch date : the date from which you start to generate revenues from the relevant category. For instance, if you start your furniture online shop selling only sofas in September 2021, and launch chairs 6 months later you would enter Sept-21 (sofas) and Mar-21 (chairs)
• End date : the date when you discontinue your products (if any). If you do not plan to discontinue any products in the future, leave empty

Step 3: Acquisition

In the same  Settings  sheet, we need to change a few inputs affecting your acquisition: how to “acquire” customers. This is where we forecast the number of orders you generate over time.

Typically ecommerce businesses generate orders via online traffic (i.e. visitors landing on your online shop). Traffic is either paid ( pay-per-click campaigns e.g. Google Ads ) or organic (you do not pay for the clicks you generate).

3.1. Paid traffic

Paid traffic is by definition the number of visitors who land on your website via paid ads (Google Ads, social media, etc.). The number of paid visitors is obtained using the following formula:

Paid visitors = Paid marketing budget / Cost-per-click

For instance, assuming you spend $10,000 in paid marketing in a month, and your average CPC is $2, the number of paid clicks (or visitors) you generate is 5,000.

In order to estimate the numbers of paid visitors we need to set 3 assumptions:

• The average cost-per-click of all your campaigns . If you are running search and social media ads for instance, enter the average CPC. For more information about cost-per-click benchmarks per industry, have a look at our article  here .
• The first month of your marketing budget spending . By default, the first month is the date of the launch of your first product category. The amount is the monthly budget you expect to spend in that month.

Example: Let’s assume you start your model in September 2021, and expect a 6 month development period during which you will not generate any revenues. You would set the launch of your first product in February 2022, and from this date onwards you would start to spend money in paid marketing to acquire paid traffic.

• The monthly growth of your marketing budget . This is a tricky one: you marketing budget will change over time (likely it will increase) from the first month you just set. As such, you will spend more in the future, and we need to estimate the amount of monthly marketing budget you will spend over time. This monthly marketing budget is calculated using a monthly percentage growth. Yet, because the monthly budgets will increase over time, the percentages themselves will decrease. In other words, you are still increasing your marketing budget over time, yet the positive percentage growth decreases. See below an illustration to make it clearer.

Note: the percentages are set at the beginning of each year. In our example above, monthly growth starts at 20% in the beginning of the first year, and  decreases progressively  down to 10% at the beginning of year 2, and so on.

3.2. Organic traffic

Organic traffic is the number of visitors you generate organically (unlike paid traffic for which you pay per click, or impressions). It works in a similar fashion as paid traffic. The only difference is that we do not have to set a cost-per-click here. Therefore the assumptions to set are:

• First month organic traffic . The number of visitors you expect to generate in the first month (again, the date of the launch of your first subscription) from organic sources
• Organic traffic monthly growth . The same way marketing budget increases thanks to a percentage growth, organic traffic will do so too. Refer to paid traffic above for a refresher on how this works.

Step 4: Conversions

The ecommerce financial model template allows us to differentiate 2 types of customers:

• New customers : customers who make a purchase for the first time
• Repeat customers : customers who already made a purchase

The reason why we differentiate these 2 customers is important: repeat customers typically have higher conversion rates vs. new ones and, more importantly, you usually spend less for repeat customers conversions (they come back organically – but not always).

As such, repeat customers are an important part of ecommerce businesses: they are very profitable. in general, ecommerce businesses with high retention rates are more valuable than ecommerce businesses that only sell to first time customers.

For each new and repeat customers we need to set 2 inputs:

• Add-to-cart rate : the percentage of visitors who place at least one item in their cart during the session
• Cart abandonment rate : the percentage of visitors who placed at least one time in their card but never made a purchase (they abandoned their cart)

Note: ecommerce cart abandonment rates vary by industry. In average, it is around 80% as per SalesCycle’s research here .

Conversion rate is then the result of the equation:

Conversion rate = add-to-cart rate x (1 – cart abandonment rate )

For instance, if add-to-cart is 20% and cart abandonment rate 80%, conversion rate is:

Conversion rate = 20% x (1 – 80%) = 4.0 %

As explained earlier, it is common for repeat customers who have higher conversion rates vs. new customers. For instance, whilst new customers have 10% add-to-carts in average, repeat customers might have 20% instead, doubling conversion rates.

Note: if you have existing metrics, get the conversion rates from your dashboard (e.g. Google Analytics or your Shopify dashboard) by differentiating new vs. repeat customers.

Step 5: Retention

As explained earlier, ecommerce businesses have 2 types of customers: new and repeat customers.

Both types of customers are visitors (paid or organic) who convert on your website using the conversion rates above.

Visitors converting in new customers, as we saw already, are set up under Acquisition (Step 3).

In comparison, repeat customers are separate visitors: visitors who already made a purchase. In order to forecast these customers, we need to set a few assumptions:

• What percentage of your customers are repeat customers? Not all your customers will ever come back to your online store in their lifetime. Some might buy once and never come back. Some might come back a few times a year (say every month), and make a purchase twice a year. Here we set the percentage of all your customers who belong to the second category. In other words, how many of your customers will ever come back in the future?
• How often do repeat customers come back? Here we set the frequency at which repeat customers come back to your online store. Are they visiting your website 2 times a year, or every month?

Note: when they visit your website, repeat customers do not necessarily make a purchase. They will make a purchase at a given conversion rate we would have set above. For instance, if repeat customers come back every month, they don’t necessarily buy 12 times a year. Instead they might only buy 5% of the time.

• What is the annual churn for the repeat customers? Typically, repeat customers do not buy indefinitely. Instead, they churn over time. Whether the churn rate is high or low depends on the type of products you sell and the success of your retention and cross-selling strategy. A rate of 20% for instance will mean that repeat customers churn after 5 years: they will stop visiting your website and making any purchase 5 years from now.

Step 6: COGS

Ecommerce businesses have a number of cost of goods sold ( COGS ) categories: unit costs, returns, cancellations, allowances for bad goods and discounts. Let’s see them one by one.

6.1. Unit costs

• Unit cost : the cost you incur to source the product from your supplier. For instance, in the example above, if you sell a products in category A at $150 in average and it costs you $75 to purchase.

6.2. Returns and cancellations

Unfortunately ecommerce businesses suffer from returns and cancellations. As such, you might make 100 sales at $20 a piece and record $2,000 revenue. Yet, 2 customers might return their products and another 5 cancel their order. In the end, whilst gross revenue is $2,000 net revenue only is $1,860.

The ecommerce financial model template allows you to forecast returns and cancellations by setting a percentage of total orders that ends up being cancelled or returned respectively.

Note: returns and cancellations are very different from a finance perspective. Indeed, whilst cancellations only incur payment processing fees (you still pay Stripe or Paypal for the money to be refunded back to your customers), returns are more expensive. For returns, you typically also spend fulfilment costs (including shipping, see below) at a loss.

6.3. Allowance for bad goods

If you have some default goods (goods that do not function properly and can’t be sold), you may have to pay for them. Unfortunately this is an expense as you purchase the goods but cannot sell them. Allowance for bad goods is very often overlooked, yet it can cost you thousands of dollars if not more every year, so be sure to account for them.

In the ecommerce financial model template you can set allowance for bad goods by setting a percentage of your unit costs (see above) that you are paying for but will not sell.

Note: if the goods are default at delivery, very likely this will be borne by your supplier (and not you). Refer to your contract clauses to be sure where the liability lies.

6.3. Discounts

The ecommerce financial model template allows you to factor discounts as a percentage of Gross Merchandise Value (gross revenue). For instance, if you offer 10% discounts in average for all your products, enter 10% here.

Step 7: Fulfilment

Fulfilment expenses are all the costs you incur to fulfil orders: from warehousing to handling, packaging and shipping.

The template is flexible and works for any type of ecommerce business. It works for ecommerce businesses that have in-house and outsourced fulfilment. The difference between the two can be summed up below:

• In-house fulfilment : you manage yourself the packaging, shipping and handling of your orders. As such, you have your own warehouse and operators handling the orders, and you ship yourself (or outsource) shipping and packaging.
• Outsourced fulfilment : fulfilment is outsourced to a third-party who manages all the different steps (warehousing, handling, packaging and shipping). Typically, you pay a fixed price per order. Amazon FBA is an example of an outsourced fulfilment provider.

Let’s start with outsourced fulfilment.

7.1. Outsourced fulfilment

If you outsource fulfilment to a 3rd party provider, enter the corresponding average cost per order here. For an Amazon FBA fulfilment fees for instance, refer to the list here .

For instance, if you pay in average $5 per order and make 100 orders in a month, fulfilment costs are $500. This means you do not spend anything else in shipping, warehousing, packaging, handling: all these costs are already included within the fulfilment cost per order.

7.2. In-house fulfilment

If you do not outsource fulfilment to a 3rd party, you need to set assumptions separately for the different categories below.

7.2.1. Handling costs

Handling costs are the salaries you pay the operators who handle the orders (they sort them, package them and prepare them for delivery). Therefore, handling costs are a function of the number of orders you have, and the efficiency of your operators. The assumptions you need to set are:

• Number of orders processed by an Operator per hour . This sets the efficiency of your operators. Can 1 person prepare 10 orders an hour (small electronics for instance) or only 1 (furniture for example)?
• Number of shifts per day : the number of shifts for the operators. Do you operate 1 shift per day from 9am – 5pm or 3 shifts covering 24/7?
• Number of hours worked per shift . Operators might be paid 8 hours but they might not be effectively working 8 hours but 6 or 7 instead (count lunch time and other breaks)
• Hourly salary : the cost per hour of your operators (including taxes and benefits)

7.2.2. Warehousing costs

Warehouse costs are a function of the number of orders you have. Of course, a warehouse isn’t a variable cost either: you increase warehouse costs by adding up another warehouse space, maybe every year or so.

Still, the ecommerce financial model template allows you to forecast the cost of the lease of your warehouse depending on a number of assumptions:

• Numbers of items per day per sqm . This number depends on the size of your SKUs (products). The higher the number, the more orders you can process per sqm.
• Monthly rent per sqm (including bills) . The monthly rent of your warehouse per sqm (including bills)
• Number of sqms (minimum) . This is the minimum number of sqms for your warehousing operations. For instance, if you start operations with a 300 sqms warehouse and plan to add more surface as you grow, enter 200 here.
• Number of sqms (per increase) . As said earlier, warehousing costs aren’t fully variable. So, when you increase, you typically rent another warehouse (additional space or you replace your existing space with a bigger warehouse). The number here is the number of sqms per incremental increases of surface. For instance, if you plan to add a new space every time you are at full capacity by an increment of 200 sqms, enter 200 here. As such, using our example above, if you have 301 orders in a month, you will need to open a new warehouse so you have 500 capacity in total.

7.2.3. Packaging costs

Enter here the amount you spend per order for packaging.

7.2.4. Shipping costs

Shipping costs are two-fold: the costs you incur when sending the products to your customers and when they return them. Therefore, to forecast shipping costs we need to change 3 assumptions:

• Shipping cost per order : the total cost you incur to send one product (or return it). This can be in-house shipping (your own couriers) or 3rd party costs (mail for instance)
• Free shipping . Set the percentage of total orders for which you pay for shipping. If you do not pay for shipping (but your customers do), leave 0%
• Free returns . choose here whether you pay for return shipping (enter “Yes”) or whether your customers need to pay for it (enter “No”)

Step 8: Hiring Plan

One of the biggest expense category of Ecommerce businesses often is salaries. It is therefore very important to set up your future roles and their related expenses (salaries, bonuses) correctly.

The first thing we need to do is to list the different teams you have and group them into up to 5 categories. This will allow us to differentiate salaries into the different teams in your P&L and your metrics later on.

Note: if you selected inbound acquisition under Acquisition (section 3 above) earlier you will need to enter at least a “Sales” team so the template can calculate correctly the number of Sales people that generate customers in the Acquisition sheet.

In the Hiring Plan sheet, you will need to enter all the roles you expect to hire in the future. For each, you will need to enter (as shown in the table above), in order:

• Role : either the role or the name of the recruit
• Team : drop-down list to select the name of the team the role falls into (the teams are the ones we set up earlier)
• Salary : the annual gross salary
• Starting : the date when you expect to hire the role.

Note: if you already have existing roles before the start of the model, enter the date in the future you recruited the role. For instance, if you are CEO and started to work since January 2021 but the first date you project your financials from is September 2021, enter January 2021 as the starting date for CEO.

• Taxes : any taxes and benefits you incur on top of salary, expressed as a percentage of gross annual salary
• Leaving . If you have contractors with fixed term employment contracts for instance, enter the date at which you will not employ that role anymore
• New salary amount . If you expect to increases salaries in the future of certain roles, enter the new annual gross salary here
• New salary starting date : the date you start to pay the new salary
• Bonus % . If you pay bonuses on top of salary to certain roles, enter the corresponding percentage of annual gross salary you pay each year as a cash bonus.
• Bonus timing . Here you can set whether you pay bonuses every month, quarter or yearly.

Step 9: Expenses

In the Settings sheet you can enter a number of assumptions for the ecommerce financial model template to calculate automatically the expense amounts in Expenses .

9.1. Payment processing fees

Enter the percentage of revenues you will pay to your payment processing provider (e.g. Stripe, Paypal, etc.)

9.2. Customer Support

The ecommerce financial model template gives you the ability to forecast Customer Support in 2 different ways, either:

• Enter the customer support roles one by one in the Hiring Plan as shown above; or
• Forecast customer support salaries as a function of the number of users you have

We are covering here the 2nd approach. Customer support salaries will be calculated by taking into account 3 different assumptions which you will need to set:

• Percentage of customers requiring customer support per month . Let’s assume you have 1,000 active customers in a month, not all might contact your customer support service. For instance, if a customer calls your CS say, every 2 months, enter 50% (indeed, 50% of all active customers contact CS every month, ie every 2 months)
• Number of tickets processed by a customer support agent per hour . Here we set the “efficiency” of your customer support team. If you are a Enterprise SaaS business, the tickets may take more time to be processed (hence an agent might only process a handful per hour). In comparison, if your tickets are usually dealt via email within a few minutes (e.g. B2C SaaS) enter a higher number here
• Hourly cost of a customer support agent. This is the total hourly cost you pay your customer support agents (including taxes and benefits, if any)

Note: If customer support is outsourced to a 3rd party instead (to Teleperformance for instance), simply enter here the hourly cost you pay per customer agent.

9.3. Hosting

Enter here the amount you spend per month per user in hosting, tech infrastructure, etc. If unsure, ask you your CTO.

9.4. Team expenses

For each team, you have the ability to set a spending per role , it includes:

• Onboarding costs : any one-off you incur when you hire a role (computer, desk, etc.)
• Ongoing costs : any recurring expenses you incur per month per role (subscription, meal allowances, etc.)
• Travel : the travel allowance per role per month. Management and sales team may travel more than the engineering team for instance, so you can differentiate them here.

9.5. Other expenses

Enter here any other recurring expenses you haven’t included yet. For each expense there are 4 assumptions to set:

• Expense : the name of the expense
• Start date : the date from which you start to incur such expense
• First monthly expense : the amount of the first month
• Increase (per year) : the percentage increase (per year) at which the expense grows over time (if it does)

Note: if the expense stays flat over time, leave percentage increase to zero instead.

Step 10: Balance sheet

• Cash starting balance : the amount of cash you already have in the bank before the start of the model

Note: do not include the fundraising round (see below) you expect to raise here. It will be added automatically to your cash balance.

• Losses carry-forward starting balance . If you have any tax credit from your state, enter the amount here. For a refresher on what losses carry-forward, see Investopedia’s definition here
• D&A lifetime amortisation . Any capex you will spend in the future (see below) will be depreciated over time. This is where you select the depreciation schedule. If in doubt, ask your accountant

Now we need to a few assumptions to forecast working capital :

• Days Payables (or Days Payables Outstanding – DPO) : the average number of days it takes your company to pay your suppliers. A high DPO means it takes longer for a business to pay its bills, meaning it can also retain the funds it owes its suppliers to spend them somewhere else to maximise benefits. In average, ecommerce businesses pay their suppliers 50/50: 50% at order, and 50% at delivery. As such, for most ecommerce businesses, days payables is zero to 30 days (they pay the full amount at the time of delivery, or 30 days later which is usually the maximum allowed delay).
• Days Receivables (or Days Sales Outstanding – DSO) : the average number of days it takes your customers to you. All ecommerce businesses typically collect payment at order, hence DSO is zero.
• Days Inventory (or Days Inventory Outstanding – DIO) : the average number of days it takes your company to turn its inventory into sales. Generally, a lower DIO is best as it indicates a shorter duration to clear off the inventory.

Note: if you operate a dropshipping business, DIO is zero. Indeed, you do not have any inventory as you ship the products straight from your supplier to your customers.

Step 11: Fundraising

This is where you can set the fundraising rounds you expect in the future. Set here 3 assumptions:

• Round : name of the round (e.g. Seed, Series A, etc.)
• Amount : the amount you expect to raise from this round
• Date : the date of the round

Privacy Overview

Sample Ecommerce Business Plan

Writing a business plan is a crucial step in starting an ecommerce business. Not only does it provide structure and guidance for the future, but it also helps to create funding opportunities and attract potential investors. For aspiring ecommerce owners, having access to a sample ecommerce business plan can be especially helpful in providing direction and gaining insight into how to draft their own ecommerce business plan.

Download our Ultimate Ecommerce Business Plan Template

Having a thorough business plan in place is critical for any successful ecommerce venture. It will serve as the foundation for your operations, setting out the goals and objectives that will help guide your decisions and actions. A well-written business plan can give you clarity on realistic financial projections and help you secure financing from lenders or investors. An ecommerce business plan example can be a great resource to draw upon when creating your own plan, making sure that all the key components are included in your document.

The ecommerce business plan sample below will give you an idea of what one should look like. It is not as comprehensive and successful in raising capital for your ecommerce business as Growthink’s Ultimate Ecommerce Business Plan Template , but it can help you write an ecommerce business plan of your own.

Ecommerce Business Plan – ClickCart Emporium

Table of contents, executive summary, company overview, industry analysis, customer analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, management team, financial plan.

Welcome to ClickCart Emporium, your new go-to ecommerce destination based in the vibrant city of Oklahoma City, OK. Our mission is to revolutionize the local ecommerce landscape by providing an unparalleled online shopping experience. With our comprehensive suite of services, we cater to a wide range of customer needs, ensuring secure payment processing, timely delivery, and a user-friendly online retail platform. Our dedication to excellence and our commitment to the Oklahoma City community drive us to serve you better, making online shopping convenient, secure, and enjoyable.

Our confidence in becoming the leading ecommerce platform in Oklahoma City is anchored in our founder’s previous success in the ecommerce industry, combined with our unwavering commitment to superior service. Since our launch on January 4, 2024, ClickCart Emporium has achieved significant milestones, including the development of a distinctive brand identity, securing an ideal operational base, and laying a strong foundation for our future growth. These accomplishments reflect our dedication to excellence and our strategic approach to becoming your preferred online shopping destination.

The Ecommerce industry in the United States, currently valued at over $600 billion, is on an exponential growth trajectory, with projections estimating its value to reach $1 trillion by 2025. This growth is driven by increased internet access, rising disposable incomes, and the proliferation of digital devices, alongside consumer preferences shifting towards online shopping for its convenience and variety. ClickCart Emporium is poised to leverage these trends, offering exceptional customer service and a diverse product range, positioning us to carve out a successful niche within this competitive and rapidly expanding market, especially in Oklahoma City, OK.

ClickCart Emporium targets a diverse customer base in Oklahoma City, focusing on busy professionals, parents, elderly shoppers, tech-savvy millennials, Gen Z, and small business owners. Our platform caters to their varying needs with a wide range of products, convenient and reliable delivery options, and an easy-to-navigate interface. By tailoring our marketing strategies, especially through social media and influencer partnerships, we aim to engage these segments effectively, ensuring a seamless and efficient online shopping experience that meets their everyday needs and preferences.

Our main competitors include Liquidfish, 1stPride, and Plenty of Pixels, each offering unique digital solutions targeting different customer segments in Oklahoma City, OK. Despite their strengths, ClickCart Emporium differentiates itself through superior customer service, an intuitive shopping platform, and leveraging cutting-edge technology to offer an expansive product range. Our focus on competitive pricing, exclusive deals, and personalized support ensures a seamless shopping experience, setting us apart as a leader in the ecommerce market.

At ClickCart Emporium, we offer an integrated suite of ecommerce services, including a user-friendly online retail platform, secure payment processing, and efficient logistics and fulfillment services, all designed to empower businesses and delight consumers. Our competitive pricing strategy and comprehensive service offerings are tailored to meet the diverse needs of our customers in Oklahoma City, OK. Our promotional strategy is multifaceted, encompassing SEO, PPC, social media marketing, email marketing, community engagement, and influencer partnerships. These efforts aim to enhance our visibility, drive traffic, and foster a strong community around our brand, ensuring ClickCart Emporium becomes a household name in the local ecommerce scene.

To ensure ClickCart Emporium’s success, our operations focus on maintaining a user-friendly website, real-time inventory management, efficient order processing, and seamless coordination with shipping partners. We prioritize customer support across multiple channels and implement secure payment systems to enhance the shopping experience. Our operational strategy includes regular analysis of customer data and market trends, enabling us to refine our product offerings and marketing strategies continually. By focusing on these key operational processes and milestones, we aim to achieve operational excellence and sustain our growth trajectory.

Our management team combines expertise in ecommerce, digital marketing, logistics, and customer service, driving ClickCart Emporium towards achieving its mission. With a solid track record in the industry and a shared vision for innovation and excellence, our team is committed to providing the best online shopping experience in Oklahoma City, ensuring that ClickCart Emporium stands out in the competitive ecommerce landscape.

Welcome to ClickCart Emporium, a new Ecommerce venture based right here in Oklahoma City, OK. As a local ecommerce business, we noticed a gap in the market for high-quality online shopping experiences tailored to our community’s needs. Recognizing this, we set out to create an ecommerce platform that not only serves Oklahoma City but also sets the standard for what local online shopping should look like.

At ClickCart Emporium, we offer a comprehensive suite of ecommerce solutions. Our primary offering is an online retail platform designed to bring the convenience of shopping online to our local customers, providing them with a wide range of products at their fingertips. To complement this, we offer payment processing services, ensuring a seamless transaction experience. Recognizing the importance of timely delivery, we also specialize in ecommerce logistics and fulfillment. These services work in tandem to provide a smooth and enjoyable shopping experience from browsing to delivery.

Our operations are deeply rooted in Oklahoma City, OK. This strategic location allows us to stay closely connected with our community and understand the unique needs of our customers better. Serving the Oklahoma City area is not just a business decision; it’s a commitment to enriching our local economy and providing value to our neighbors.

ClickCart Emporium is poised for success for several reasons. Our founder brings valuable experience from previously running a successful ecommerce business, imparting a wealth of knowledge and industry insights that are instrumental to our operations. Moreover, our commitment to delivering superior ecommerce services positions us ahead of the competition, ensuring that we meet and exceed the expectations of our customers.

Since our inception on January 4, 2024, ClickCart Emporium has made significant strides as a Limited Liability Company. We’ve developed a unique and recognizable brand, starting with the design of our logo and the creative development of our company name. Additionally, we secured a great location that supports our logistics and fulfillment operations, laying a solid foundation for our business. These accomplishments, though early, are indicative of our dedication to building a successful and sustainable ecommerce platform for Oklahoma City.

The Ecommerce industry in the United States is currently valued at over $600 billion, making it one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors in the country. With the rise of online shopping and the convenience it offers consumers, Ecommerce sales have been steadily increasing year over year. Experts predict that the market will continue to grow at a rapid pace, reaching over $1 trillion by 2025.

One of the key trends in the Ecommerce industry is the shift towards mobile shopping. With more and more consumers using their smartphones and tablets to make purchases online, businesses that provide a seamless mobile shopping experience are poised for success. ClickCart Emporium, being a new Ecommerce platform, can take advantage of this trend by ensuring their website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate on all devices.

Another trend in the Ecommerce industry is the increasing demand for personalized shopping experiences. Consumers are looking for tailored product recommendations, exclusive deals, and customized shopping features. ClickCart Emporium can set itself apart from competitors by offering personalized recommendations based on customer preferences and purchase history, creating a unique and engaging shopping experience for its customers in Oklahoma City, OK.

Below is a description of our target customers and their core needs.

Target Customers

ClickCart Emporium will primarily target local residents seeking a convenient and efficient online shopping experience. This segment includes busy professionals, parents needing to juggle work and family commitments, and elderly individuals who prefer the safety and comfort of home shopping. The focus will be on offering a wide range of products tailored to their everyday needs, from groceries to household essentials.

The business will also cater to tech-savvy millennials and Gen Z consumers who are always on the lookout for the latest trends and unique products. These younger customers value fast, reliable delivery and an easy-to-navigate website or app interface. ClickCart Emporium will tailor its marketing strategies to engage this demographic through social media channels and influencer partnerships.

In addition to the above, ClickCart Emporium will target small business owners in Oklahoma City who require bulk purchases for their operations. This segment is in need of a reliable partner that can provide a variety of products at competitive prices with the convenience of scheduled deliveries. The platform will offer business accounts with features such as order tracking, purchase history, and volume discounts.

Customer Needs

ClickCart Emporium steps into the market to fulfill the growing demand for high-quality eCommerce services among residents who seek the convenience of online shopping. Customers expect a seamless shopping experience that combines ease of use with a wide selection of products. By focusing on user experience and inventory diversity, ClickCart Emporium meets these expectations head-on, ensuring that every visit to the site is both enjoyable and fruitful.

In addition to providing an extensive range of products, ClickCart Emporium understands the importance of reliable customer service and fast, accurate delivery. Shoppers value quick responses to inquiries and appreciate the peace of mind that comes with knowing their purchases will arrive on time and in perfect condition. This level of service builds trust and loyalty, encouraging repeat visits and long-term relationships with customers.

Moreover, ClickCart Emporium recognizes the significance of offering competitive prices without compromising on quality. Consumers are always on the lookout for the best deals online, and by ensuring that prices are attractive, ClickCart Emporium positions itself as a go-to destination for savvy shoppers. This approach not only satisfies the need for affordability but also reinforces the value proposition of shopping with ClickCart Emporium.

ClickCart Emporium’s competitors include the following companies:

Liquidfish specializes in offering comprehensive digital solutions including website development, digital marketing, and custom software development. Their services are tailored towards businesses looking to establish or enhance their online presence. Price points for their services vary depending on the complexity and scope of the project, making them accessible to a wide range of businesses.

While specific revenue figures are not publicly available, Liquidfish is recognized for its robust client portfolio across various sectors, indicating a healthy financial standing. The company operates primarily from its headquarters in Oklahoma City, OK, but serves clients across the United States. This broad geographic coverage is a key strength, as it allows Liquidfish to cater to a diverse client base.

Key strengths of Liquidfish include its comprehensive service offering and its ability to deliver customized digital solutions. However, its primary weakness lies in the highly competitive market of digital services, where differentiation can be challenging.

1stPride offers a range of ecommerce services, focusing on website design, online marketing, and SEO optimization. Their services are designed to help businesses improve their online sales and visibility. The company adopts a competitive pricing strategy, which makes it an attractive option for small to medium-sized businesses.

1stPride operates mainly within the Oklahoma City area, targeting local businesses aiming to expand their online footprint. Although they have a strong local presence, their geographical reach is more limited compared to other competitors. This focus on a local customer base both serves as a strength, providing personalized services, and a weakness, limiting potential market expansion.

Their key strength lies in their local market knowledge and personalized customer service. However, their limited geographical reach and the challenge of scaling their services can be seen as weaknesses.

Plenty of Pixels specializes in website design and development, offering customizable packages to meet the needs of various businesses. Their pricing model is transparent, with clear tiers based on the complexity and features of the website, catering to both startups and established businesses. The company prides itself on its efficient project delivery and post-launch support.

Although primarily based in Oklahoma City, OK, Plenty of Pixels serves clients nationwide, leveraging digital communication tools to manage projects remotely. This allows them to tap into a larger market, despite their physical location. Their ability to serve clients across the country is a significant strength, broadening their potential customer base.

The key strengths of Plenty of Pixels include their flexible pricing model and nationwide service coverage. However, their focus on website services means they might not offer as comprehensive a digital solution set as some competitors, which could be seen as a weakness in a market that favors full-service agencies.

Competitive Advantages

At ClickCart Emporium, we pride ourselves on providing unparalleled ecommerce services that set us apart from our competition. Our secret lies in our commitment to understanding the unique needs of our customers in Oklahoma City, ensuring that we offer personalized shopping experiences tailored to their preferences. We leverage advanced technology to streamline the shopping process, making it faster, more intuitive, and user-friendly. This approach not only enhances customer satisfaction but also fosters loyalty, as shoppers know they can expect a seamless experience every time they visit our platform.

Beyond merely offering a wide range of products, we differentiate ourselves by integrating cutting-edge features such as AI-powered recommendations and real-time inventory updates, which significantly improve the shopping experience. Our customer service is second to none, providing round-the-clock support to address any queries or concerns promptly. Additionally, our logistics and delivery system is optimized for efficiency, ensuring that orders are processed and delivered faster than any other service in the area. This comprehensive approach to ecommerce positions us not just as a shopping platform, but as a reliable partner for our customers, making their online shopping journey enjoyable and hassle-free.

Our marketing plan, included below, details our products/services, pricing and promotions plan.

Products and Services

ClickCart Emporium emerges as a comprehensive solution for both businesses and consumers, offering a suite of services designed to streamline the online shopping experience. At the heart of its offerings is an online retail platform that serves as a marketplace for a wide range of products. This platform connects sellers with buyers, facilitating easy access to an array of items from the comfort of one’s home. The average selling price for products on this platform varies widely depending on the category and value of the items, but ClickCart Emporium ensures competitive pricing to attract a broad customer base.

In addition to facilitating sales through its online retail platform, ClickCart Emporium offers payment processing services. This crucial service ensures secure and efficient transactions between buyers and sellers, employing state-of-the-art encryption and security measures to protect all parties involved. The company charges a nominal fee for these services, typically a percentage of the transaction value. This fee averages around 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction, aligning with industry standards and ensuring that sellers can affordably access secure payment processing capabilities.

Understanding the importance of logistics in e-commerce, ClickCart Emporium also provides e-commerce logistics and fulfillment services. This comprehensive service covers everything from warehousing and inventory management to order fulfillment and shipping. By handling these logistical aspects, ClickCart Emporium enables sellers to focus on their products and sales, rather than the complexities of distribution. Pricing for these services is tailored to the specific needs of each seller, but businesses can expect competitive rates that reflect the efficiency and value of the logistics solutions provided.

Overall, ClickCart Emporium positions itself as a key player in the e-commerce sector by offering an integrated platform that not only connects buyers and sellers but also provides essential services like payment processing and logistics. Through competitive pricing and a commitment to quality, ClickCart Emporium aims to foster a vibrant online marketplace that meets the needs of a diverse customer base.

Promotions Plan

ClickCart Emporium embarks on an ambitious journey to captivate the hearts and wallets of customers in Oklahoma City, OK, with a blend of innovative and traditional promotional methods tailored to the digital age. Recognizing the power of online presence, the emporium will leverage online marketing as its spearhead strategy. Through this approach, ClickCart Emporium expects to build a robust digital footprint that resonates with its target audience, driving both traffic and sales.

Diving deeper into online marketing, the company will utilize social media platforms extensively. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter will become arenas where ClickCart Emporium engages with its audience. Regular posts, interactive stories, and targeted ads will serve to inform, entertain, and persuade potential customers. Moreover, the emporium will harness the power of influencer marketing, partnering with local influencers in Oklahoma City to tap into their followers and gain credibility quickly.

Email marketing will also play a crucial role in ClickCart Emporium’s promotional strategy. By collecting emails from potential customers through sign-ups and promotions, the emporium will send out newsletters, exclusive offers, and updates about new products or services. This personalized approach expects to not only drive sales but also foster a sense of community among its customers.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will ensure that ClickCart Emporium appears at the top of search results when potential customers look for related products or services online. By optimizing its website content with relevant keywords, the emporium expects to attract more organic traffic, thereby reducing its reliance on paid advertising in the long run.

ClickCart Emporium will not limit itself to online methods alone. Local events and sponsorships will serve as an excellent opportunity to increase brand visibility and engagement within the community. Participating in or sponsoring local events, fairs, and festivals will allow the emporium to showcase its brand and products in a more personal and interactive setting.

Loyalty programs will be introduced to reward returning customers, encouraging repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals. These programs will offer discounts, special offers, and early access to new products, cultivating a loyal customer base that feels valued and appreciated.

In conclusion, ClickCart Emporium will employ a multifaceted promotional strategy that combines the reach and efficiency of online marketing with the personal touch of local engagement and customer loyalty programs. Through these efforts, the emporium expects to attract and retain customers, setting a strong foundation for growth in Oklahoma City, OK.

Our Operations Plan details:

• The key day-to-day processes that our business performs to serve our customers
• The key business milestones that our company expects to accomplish as we grow

Key Operational Processes

To ensure the success of ClickCart Emporium, there are several key day-to-day operational processes that we will perform.

• Maintain a user-friendly and up-to-date website interface to ensure customers can easily browse, search for products, and complete purchases.
• Monitor inventory levels in real-time to ensure stock availability aligns with website listings and restock products as needed to meet customer demand.
• Process orders efficiently, from confirmation to packaging, ensuring accuracy in order fulfillment to minimize errors and returns.
• Coordinate with shipping partners for timely delivery of products, offering customers tracking information to ensure transparency and improve customer satisfaction.
• Offer customer support through multiple channels (e.g., chat, email, phone) to address inquiries, resolve issues, and provide assistance throughout the buying process.
• Implement and maintain secure payment processing systems to protect customer data and ensure a smooth checkout experience.
• Analyze website traffic and customer purchase data to understand customer preferences, improve product offerings, and tailor marketing strategies.
• Engage in digital marketing efforts, including SEO, social media marketing, and email campaigns, to attract new customers and retain existing ones.
• Collect and act on customer feedback to continually improve the shopping experience and address any shortcomings in products or services.
• Conduct regular financial reviews to monitor profitability, manage expenses, and adjust pricing strategies as necessary to remain competitive.

ClickCart Emporium expects to complete the following milestones in the coming months in order to ensure its success:

• Secure a reliable supply chain: Establish agreements with suppliers and distributors to ensure a steady supply of products. This not only assures product availability but also helps in negotiating better terms and prices, reducing the cost of goods sold.
• Develop and launch the ecommerce platform: This involves finalizing the website design, ensuring user-friendly navigation, and implementing secure payment gateways. A smooth, secure, and convenient shopping experience is crucial for customer retention and acquisition.
• Implement an initial marketing strategy: This should include a mix of digital marketing tactics such as SEO, social media marketing, and email campaigns to build brand awareness and drive traffic to the new ecommerce platform.
• Establish customer service protocols: Develop a robust customer service framework that includes clear return policies, a responsive support team, and a feedback system. Excellent customer service not only enhances customer satisfaction but also builds trust and loyalty.
• Launch our ecommerce business: Officially open the online store for business. This involves ensuring all operational, logistical, and marketing systems are in place and functioning correctly to handle orders and customer inquiries.
• Monitor and optimize operations: After launch, closely monitor all aspects of the business from website performance, order fulfillment efficiency, to customer feedback. Use this data to make informed decisions on operational improvements and optimizations.
• Expand product offerings: Based on initial customer feedback and sales data, gradually introduce new products or variations to meet demand and attract a wider audience. This helps in keeping the product catalog fresh and engaging for return customers.
• Get to $15,000/month in revenue: Achieve this financial milestone through a combination of increasing traffic to the website, improving conversion rates, and expanding the customer base. It signifies a stable demand for the products and a growing business.
• Build partnerships and collaborations: Establish partnerships with complementary brands or platforms to expand reach and tap into new customer segments. Collaborations can also open up opportunities for exclusive products or marketing campaigns.
• Implement a customer loyalty program: To encourage repeat business and foster a loyal customer base, introduce a loyalty program that rewards customers for their purchases, referrals, or engagement with the brand.

ClickCart Emporium management team, which includes the following members, has the experience and expertise to successfully execute on our business plan:

Lily Young, CEO

Lily Young brings a wealth of experience to ClickCart Emporium, having previously led an ecommerce business to notable success. Her entrepreneurial spirit and deep understanding of digital marketplaces equip her with the unique insights needed to navigate the complex landscape of online retail. Lily’s leadership style is characterized by a focus on innovation, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. Her track record of building cohesive teams and fostering a culture of excellence makes her an invaluable asset to ClickCart Emporium. Under Lily’s guidance, the company is poised to achieve its goals and make a lasting impact in the ecommerce arena.

ClickCart Emporium’s financial strategy is designed to support our growth objectives, ensuring we have the necessary resources to expand our operations, enhance our service offerings, and achieve our goal of becoming the leading ecommerce platform in Oklahoma City. Our plan outlines the investment needed to fuel our strategic initiatives, focusing on technology upgrades, marketing efforts, and operational efficiencies to drive revenue growth and profitability.

Financial Statements

Balance sheet.

[insert balance sheet]

Income Statement

[insert income statement]

Cash Flow Statement

[insert cash flow statement]

Ecommerce Business Plan Example PDF

Download our Ecommerce Business Plan PDF here. This is a free ecommerce business plan example to help you get started on your own ecommerce plan.  

How to Finish Your Ecommerce Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your ecommerce business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

What if we choose a different path?

We have been a digital agency for over twenty years, which means we’ve helped many people. We’ve also tried many things, some smashing successes and some not so much. We’ve probably gotten a little too comfortable, which is a very dangerous place if you want to succeed in digital marketing.

Last week, I posted a series of articles about SF Restaurant Week . I wanted to feature over 40 restaurants across 17 different cultures on a particular corridor, so I created a series of posts about the restaurants by cultural identity. Thus, there are 17 posts. To accomplish this, we turned to AI and pumped out a bunch of articles.

I shared these articles on social media and got some likes and shares. Then, there was the complaint. One of the readers complained that AI created these posts. Not that there was anything wrong with them other than that repetitive format was indicative of AI generation.

My first reaction was, “Hell yeah, I used AI—you should try writing 17 posts in your free time.” But then, my ego aside, the more rational side of me—who always tells our clients to listen to customer feedback—all feedback, the good, bad, and ugly—and look for truths—realized I needed to take my own medicine. It is always a bitter pill to swallow.

The reader and many others who shared her feelings expressed their disinterest in dull AI-generated content lacking depth, emotion, and the human touch. They wanted real, warts and all.

AI and the Bigger Picture

Over the years, we have implemented many strategies to increase efficiencies. We used to accept guest posts. They weren’t that good, but content is content, right? We had volume and impressions but no conversions. We were chasing the wrong metrics, which showed in the ultimate metric – the lack of converting clients. So, we stopped guest posts.

We turned to other tools, like AI, to replace the volume and focus on in-house creation. We pumped out articles, but they lacked soul. At the same time, Google’s algorithms were changing, and our impressions dropped by 90%. WTF? As we watched in dismay, we comforted ourselves with the fact we were still getting more traffic than the average site. But we never wanted to be average. That’s a pretty low bar.

So we deleted 5,000+ posts, hundreds of pages, and who knows what else. We are going back to the drawing board. This could be an epic fail on our part, and we are willing to risk that. We still believe in basic tenants, like web accessibility and our BUILD GROW CONVERT model. But to move forward, we need to seek out a different path, and we invite on our journey.

We promise you going forward – #NoAI only #HumanWritten articles.  

We hope to inspire you in your digital journey. Or we may be a giant train wreck. Either way, it should be fun to watch. Learn more about our journey at Understanding eCommerce .

*A human wrote all this; OK, in full disclosure, Grammarly might have cleaned it up a bit. Being original doesn’t have to be grammatically incorrect.

Let’s Start Something new Say Hello!

Our mission is to assist you in BUILD your business, GROW brand awareness, and CONVERT visitors into customers.

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The Right Way to Use Microsoft Excel and Scale Up Your E-Commerce Business

If you run an eCommerce store, Microsoft can lend a giant helping hand in bringing you on top of your industry. However, to fully enjoy Microsoft’s tools and solutions takes a piece of deep knowledge and understanding. This article will look into the ways you can employ Microsoft solutions in your business. We look into the powerful Microsoft tools of eCommerce businesses:  the cloud, AI, and business suites. Specifically, you’ll learn how to use Excel, one of its applications under the business suit, to scale your eCommerce business.

Let’s get started.

How is Microsoft Heading the Progress of ECommerce?

As mentioned before, Microsoft provides its users with a wide range of resources. To start an eCommerce business, Azure, AI, and Microsoft applications must be of serious interest to you. Let’s take a more in-depth look at these robust eCommerce solutions.

Microsoft Cloud

As mentioned before, Microsoft has seen immense growth in recent years. One of its most significant segments has been Microsoft Azure , a cloud solution that handles businesses scale operations . The company’s massive investment in Azure has made it a major industry force. Microsoft now gets most of its revenues from its commercial cloud business . That’s why it’s keen to grow this area of its operations. But then, it isn’t easy to say how much the company makes from the cloud. The cloud segment intertwines with Microsoft’s entire business model. Most businesses today are moving their operations to the cloud. And, although there are other cloud providers like Google and Amazon, Microsoft is usually the best pick for growing companies. Their solutions are designed to supervise a quick scale-up of a small eCommerce business.

Artificial Intelligence

Microsoft hasn’t stopped at providing cloud solutions for the eCommerce industry. They took the next step in cloud solutions power-up by adding artificial intelligence (AI) to the mix. Using AI reduces strain on cloud solutions due to the surging demand for cloud services in this industry. Now, Microsoft’s AI makes work easier for eCommerce retailers. It has never been easier for them to personalize marketing material for their audiences. It also helped them recommend the right products to the correct customers and simplify their product search process. Thus, one of the best ways you can use AI-powered Azure is in predicting customer behavior. It makes it easier for a business to improve its marketing campaigns after intimately knowing its best clients. AI and machine learning are effective technologies for processing large data sets with analytical value .

Microsoft Business Suites

Microsoft also provides businesses with a set of applications to make specific workloads happen faster and easier. This software bundle is perfect for companies looking to improve their productivity. Examples of these applications include; Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, OneNote, etc. You can apply the capabilities of these tools in several ways. For instance, Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet program, is helpful in more ways than a tool for your accounting work. You can use it to simplify everyone’s work, provided they learn how to include the tool in their toolsets. One of the most significant benefits of the bundle is the cost savings . MS Office is cost-effective and will save you a lot of headaches.

Microsoft Applications: Using Excel for ECommerce

Various Microsoft applications can do incredible work in your eCommerce. But then, Excel stands out as one of the best gadgets in practically any business. The best thing you can do is train your team to explore and adapt its functions to their work style and preferences. So how does Excel work? A wide range of Microsoft training courses is available online for anyone to tap into this robust knowledge database. It is a matter of a short search to find the Microsoft course that meets your needs.

The first factor to consider is your skill level . If you have no prior knowledge, find a course tailored for beginners. It would be best if you aimed at getting a Microsoft certificate in Excel . Once you have it, it means you have the skills to work with Excel efficiently. In the end, this app can help you scale your eCommerce business quickly. It will help you accomplish more than you’d think within a short time. For instance, you can use it to simplify accounting, scheduling, marketing, sales tracking, etc. We will discuss these and more later in this article.

Why Use Excel for Your ECommerce Business?

Excel has a wide range of uses that can benefit your eCommerce business. All you need to do is decide the area of your business that needs improving. Then, you should find the right tool to help you achieve your business goals.

Here are some useful functions:

ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE

Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool that you can use to smoothen your accounting processes. It is the best for accounting work, although alternatives like OpenOffice, Google Docs Spreadsheet, Zoho Sheet, etc. If you haven’t used it, you’ll be surprised by what it can do. All you need to do to use this program properly is get excel training . Once you have the proper training, you’ll know the formulae and third-party templates to improve your business.

Excel can also handle more complex tasks like helping with financial projections. You can use it to test your model and project where your business will be in 10 years . You can also use it to test your model to do financial feasibility studies to help you make projections for your business. It’s also worth mentioning that the spreadsheets created with Excel are easy to understand. You can create innovative and informative reports with the correct formulae and quickly share them with your team.

KPI TRACKING

Businesses use specific key performance indicators (KPIs) to track their performances. KPIs are features that can help you rate the growth of different aspects of your business. Besides helping you know your business’s successes, KPIs help you recognize its failures and improve on them. Excel is an effective KPI tracking tool that you can use for your business. It can do the heavy lifting for you by helping you organize and manage data on various KPIs. For instance, you can use it to check your website traffic , social media numbers, and your campaign’s reach.

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More about eCommerce

Besides, Excel makes it easy to compare statistics from different periods. You can also use it to put the data into charts and graphs that you can easily read. It makes it a perfect tool for creating presentations of the numbers in your tracked KPIs. In the end, Excel helps eCommerce businesses save both time and money. You reduce the human input required to track data from your key performance indicators. With less required human power, you free some precious resources that can edge your eCommerce business into reaching higher levels.

STOCK AND INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

Your eCommerce business’s success depends on how well you manage your stock. Proper stock management makes it easy to track the flow of your inventory. You need to know how much stock you have left and what needs replenishing to ensure the continuity of your business. However, tracking these numbers can be a daunting task. Fortunately, Excel is excellent when it comes to dealing with numbers. With it, you not only track your current inventory but also update your stock more effortlessly. In the end, that puts you in a better position to be in control.

You can also integrate Excel with tools like an inventory tracker. That will make it easier to know when your inventory falls low. Tools with functionalities such as these allow you to set alert levels. You’ll know when your stock requires replenishing if you combine excel with them. It is possible to improve your business if you use Excel software. You can invest the time it helps you cut from stock and inventory management to improve other business aspects. It will be vital in growing your eCommerce business.

SALES TRACKING

Businesses survive by making sales, and eCommerce stores are no different. As an eCommerce business owner, you need to track your sales to ensure that your business is profitable. Also, sales tracking is the best way to track your business’s growth and improve where necessary. One way to track your sales is by hiring a data entry professional to fill the spreadsheet you use to track sales. However, that’s one time-consuming process that you can avoid. You can download your sales reports with a few clicks from your Amazon or eBay seller’s accounts.

Once you click to open the file, choose to open it with Excel. It will open as a spreadsheet that’s easy to read and understand. The good news is that all you need to achieve this is to have MS Excel on your computer. Otherwise, there’s no extra program required to view your sales reports. It is also possible to analyze the reports further after opening them in Excel. You can also track your numbers more efficiently and predict future sales more effortlessly . Benefits such as these make the program an efficient and easy-to-use program that every eCommerce business needs.

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM)

Trust and loyalty keeps eCommerce businesses going. That’s why it is vital to manage your relationships with customers well. Excel can play a critical role in helping your business nurture these relationships. There is a lot that it can help you track concerning your business’s CRM. The template on Excel that helps you handle your CRM comes with various features. You can check your tasks in the setting section, enabling you to keep in touch with customers more efficiently.

Also, there’s a lot more you can do to improve customer relationships using Excel. It is easy too, for instance, to assign tasks using the template. You can also use it to communicate by updating the status of various functions, and everyone in your team will see the changes in real-time. Tracking employee performances is also possible when using Excel for CRM. The best bit of it is that you do not need to use other tools to manage relationships. This tool gives you a good view of the whole system and makes managing customer relationships seamless.

SCHEDULING AND CALENDAR MANAGEMENT

It isn’t easy to meet your business goals if you do not have a schedule. If you work with a team, they could lose track of the business objectives if you do not help them plan. And, the easiest way to plan is to create a schedule ahead of time, which you can do using Excel. You can decide how often to schedule tasks related to your eCommerce business. The MS app is excellent for keeping a record of your schedule in a single file. The Excel template is a time saver because it lets business people schedule their work.

It is possible to customize your schedule in Excel to fit your business needs. For instance, you can decide when your day starts and ends then enter that into your Excel schedule. You can also make the schedule portable by having it on your mobile devices for quick checks on the go.

PIVOT TABLES

Another excellent solution that you can use for your business is a pivot table. It is the perfect choice for you if you find entering your sales or other data into spreadsheets daunting. A pivot table does all the data processing for you, making your work more seamless. You can use a pivot table to gather all the data you need from various platforms and websites and process and analyze it later. These summaries help with decision-making and are effective reporting tools. Pivot tables are also easier to work with a team , and there are various options to consider here. For instance, you can share the reports with your team in tabular or outline form. 

MARKETING, ADVERTISING, AND SOCIAL MEDIA OPERATIONS

Microsoft Excel is an excellent asset when you need to market your brand . Digital marketing is growing, and its developers recognized this as an opportunity to boost their app for better online reach. Excel can act as an email depository - store all your emails and other contact information on it. Update your Excel record and see the tasks you need to do to boost your marketing. In addition, it is the perfect tool to use for tracking social media statistics . All you need to do is import the data you need to analyze. Enter it into Excel before generating graphs or charts.

FINAL WORDS

There’s no doubt that Microsoft has a lot to offer for the eCommerce industry. Businesses are using it to simplify processes while saving time and costs. As discussed earlier, it provides eCommerce businesses with the cloud, AI technology, and various tools in its business suite. You can never go wrong with Microsoft if you are looking to scale your eCommerce business. In short, this company has become a key player in the eCommerce industry. It may be challenging to set up a successful eCommerce business blueprint in the future without using any Microsoft solution. You can use its business suites, robust cloud platform, or the artificial intelligence tools it provides to users.

But then, it will help to have the right skills to make the most of it. For instance, if your focus is on Excel, you can take the respective short course and learn how to use the program. Once you master the art of working with tools provided by Microsoft Enterprise Solutions , growing your business becomes easy. You also get to invest the time and money it helps you save in other business aspects. Thus, it will help implement the tips shared in this article if you are an eCommerce business owner.

Is it worth getting Microsoft Certified?

Getting certified in Microsoft comes with a boatload of added benefits. For example, you can bolster your resume or verify the skills you possess. This certification enhances your chances of getting a promotion or negotiating a higher salary for a new job.

What are the essential requirements for an ecommerce business?

• Having a mobile-friendly design is vital since most shoppers use a phone
• Having a quick and easy-to-navigate checkout process. Most customers dislike complications and will abandon their shopping cart for a better alternative
• A very captivating UI/UX design will go a long way
• The presence of a very trustworthy return policy will make sure shoppers will come back to you without any fear

David Dorr , Head of e-Commerce

David is the Head of e-Commerce at CodeCoda where he is responsible to lead several teams of eCommerce specialists. In his previous role as a data scientist for London Metropolitan Police, he was developing deep learning NLP algorithms as part of the Crime Prediction initiative. He then switched over to combine AI with e-Commerce. He received a B.Sc in Physics from the University of Surrey, Guildford in 1996. With this scientific background, he switched relatively early in his life towards Neural Networks and e-Commerce and has ever since been fascinated with what AI and Machine Learning can do for Online Commerce.

Are you looking for more interesting articles?

An introduction to eventual consistency, future of web development - 8 trends to consider in 2022, social commerce: combining content with products.

14 Best Excel Templates for Business in 2024 (Free & Premium)

• Last updated March 21, 2024

Fact Checked By Cindy Wong

Let’s talk about Excel templates. These pre-made spreadsheets help you improve productivity quickly. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into the world of Excel templates, equipping you with the knowledge and tools to streamline your tasks, boost productivity, and make informed decisions.

From understanding what Excel spreadsheet templates are to exploring specialized templates for various industries, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re a seasoned Excel user or just starting, our friendly yet professional approach will simplify complex concepts and empower you to harness the full power of Excel templates.

What Are Excel Templates?

We provide a host of spreadsheet templates for our readers. And Excel templates are no exception. These pre-designed spreadsheets created to simplify various tasks and processes. They serve as starting points, offering predefined structures, formulas, and formatting. These templates are designed to save you time and effort by eliminating the need to build spreadsheets from scratch.

Key Features of Excel Spreadsheet Templates

• Structured Layout: Templates come with organized rows and columns tailored to the specific task or use case. For instance, a budget template might include categories for income, expenses, and savings.
• Predefined Formulas and Functions: Excel spreadsheet templates often include formulas and functions that perform calculations automatically. For example, a mortgage calculator template may already have formulas for calculating monthly payments and interest.
• Formatting and Styling: Templates feature consistent design, including fonts, colors, and cell borders. This makes your data visually appealing and easy to read.
• Placeholder Data: Templates often contain placeholder data or instructions to guide you in entering your information. These placeholders help you understand how to use the template effectively.
• Customizability: While templates provide a structured framework, they are highly customizable. You can modify them to suit your specific needs by adding or removing columns, changing labels, or adjusting formulas.

Common Uses of Excel Templates

• Budgeting: Excel templates for budgeting help individuals and businesses manage their finances effectively by tracking income and expenses, projecting future financial goals, and analyzing spending patterns.
• Project Management: Project management templates assist in planning, tracking, and managing projects. They often include Gantt charts, task lists, and progress trackers.
• Data Analysis: Excel offers templates for data analysis, such as pivot tables, allowing you to quickly summarize and analyze large datasets.
• Accounting: Accounting templates help businesses maintain accurate financial records, including ledgers, income statements, and balance sheets.
• Inventory Management: Inventory templates help businesses track stock levels, monitor product sales, and manage inventory turnover.

Types of Excel Templates

Excel spreadsheet templates come in various categories, each designed to address specific needs and tasks. Here are some of the most common types of Excel templates:

Financial Excel Templates

Financial templates are geared towards managing finances, budgeting, and financial analysis. You can make your own cash flow template , or use one that’s already made. Common financial spreadsheets include:

• Budget Templates: These templates help individuals and businesses create and manage budgets, ensuring that income and expenses are balanced. Check out our top budget templates for Google Sheets .
• Financial Models: Financial modeling templates are used for forecasting financial performance, especially in business planning and investment analysis.
• Income Statements: Templates for income statements track revenues and expenses to determine profitability.
• Balance Sheets: These templates provide a snapshot of a company’s financial position by displaying assets, liabilities, and equity.

Project Management Excel Templates

Project management templates are essential for planning, executing, and monitoring projects. For example, we covered our favorite project status report templates . Other common templates include:

• Gantt Charts: Gantt chart templates visually represent project schedules, showing tasks, timelines, and dependencies.
• Project Timelines: These templates offer a simplified view of project milestones and deadlines.
• Task Tracking Templates: Task tracking templates help teams assign, track, and manage tasks to keep projects on schedule.

Data Analysis Excel Templates

Data analysis templates are invaluable for individuals and businesses working with data. Key templates include:

• Pivot Tables: Pivot table templates simplify data summarization and analysis, allowing users to create interactive reports.
• Data Visualization Templates: Templates for charts and graphs help transform raw data into visual representations for easier understanding.
• Statistical Analysis Templates: Statistical analysis templates include tools for performing statistical tests and calculations.

Personal and Business Excel Templates

Personal and business templates cover a wide range of tasks. We have an article that covers payment receipt templates . Other common personal and business spreadsheets include:

• To-Do List Templates: These templates help you stay organized by listing tasks and priorities.
• Invoice Templates: Invoice templates streamline the invoicing process for businesses, including itemized lists and payment tracking.
• Business Plan Templates: Business plan templates provide structured frameworks for creating comprehensive business plans, helping startups and established companies alike.

Whether you’re managing finances, overseeing a project, analyzing data, or organizing personal tasks, Excel templates offer a time-saving solution to enhance your productivity.

Top 14 Excel Templates for Business

Now, let’s delve into the top Excel templates that can significantly boost your productivity across various domains. We’ll explore each template, highlighting its key features and benefits.

Financial Management Excel Templates

1. financial model.

The Financial Model Excel template is a versatile tool designed to help businesses of all sizes and types manage their finances effectively. Whether you’re a business, a startup , or operating in specific niches like SaaS , E-Commerce , or Marketplace , this template offers comprehensive financial projections, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. It’s essential for budgeting, forecasting, and making informed financial decisions.

• Accurate Projections: Generate precise financial projections for different business scenarios, aiding in strategic planning.
• Scenario Analysis: Easily assess the impact of various decisions on your financial health by running multiple scenarios.
• Investor-Ready: Impress investors and stakeholders with professional financial reports and insights.
• Data Visualization: Utilize charts and graphs to visualize financial trends and make data-driven decisions.

Price: $74-139 (Use code SPoint10 for 10% off)

2. Profit and Loss Statement

The Profit and Loss Statement Excel template is tailored to specific business models, including startups , marketplaces , SaaS , and E-Commerce ventures. It helps you track your revenues, costs, and expenses to calculate your net profit or loss accurately. With clear and customizable categories, you can gain a deep understanding of your business’s financial performance.

• Business-Specific Tracking: Choose a template that aligns with your business model for precise financial insights.
• Expense Categorization: Easily categorize expenses for better cost management and identification of cost-saving opportunities.
• Year-over-Year Comparison: Track your financial performance over time to identify growth trends or areas that need improvement.
• Tax Preparation: Simplify tax preparation by neatly organizing your income and expenses.

Price: $74 (Use code SPoint10 for 10% off)

3. Revenue Forecasting Tool

The Revenue Forecasting Tool Excel template is indispensable for businesses focused on revenue growth. With different versions tailored to Marketplace , SaaS , E-Commerce , and Agency models, it enables you to project your future revenues based on historical data, market trends, and growth strategies. This tool empowers you to set realistic revenue targets and make informed decisions to achieve them.

• Data-Driven Projections: Utilize historical data and market insights to generate accurate revenue forecasts.
• Goal Setting: Set achievable revenue targets and track progress towards your financial goals.
• Scenario Planning: Assess how changes in pricing, marketing, or sales strategies impact revenue.
• Informed Decision-Making: Make strategic decisions backed by comprehensive revenue projections.

Price: $46 (Use code SPoint10 for 10% off)

Budgeting and Tracking Excel Templates

4. zero-based budget template.

Zero-based budgeting is a meticulous approach to budgeting where you allocate every dollar of your income to expenses, savings, or investments. The Zero-Based Budget Excel template simplifies the zero-based budgeting process, ensuring that your budget accurately reflects your financial priorities and goals.

• Financial Clarity: Gain a clear understanding of where your money goes and prioritize spending according to your goals.
• Savings and Investments: Systematically allocate funds for savings, investments, and debt reduction.
• Expense Tracking: Monitor daily expenses to identify areas for potential savings.
• Emergency Fund Planning: Create a buffer for unexpected costs by including an emergency fund category.

Price: $4.99

5. Inventory and Sales Tracking Template

Managing inventory and tracking sales is crucial for businesses, especially those in retail or e-commerce. The Inventory and Sales Tracking Excel template streamlines inventory management, allowing you to efficiently track stock levels, sales, and product performance.

• Real-Time Inventory: Monitor inventory levels in real-time, ensuring you never run out of stock or overstock products.
• Sales Analysis: Analyze sales data to identify top-performing products and optimize your product offerings.
• Cost Control: Keep tabs on inventory costs and prevent financial losses due to mismanagement.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Use sales insights to make informed decisions about restocking, promotions, and pricing strategies.

Price: $19.99

6. Capital Expenditure Planning Template

Capital expenditures (CapEx) are essential for businesses looking to grow and invest in assets like equipment, technology, or infrastructure. This free CapEx Excel template simplifies the planning and tracking of capital expenditures, ensuring efficient allocation of resources.

• Streamlined Planning: Plan and prioritize capital expenditures in a structured manner.
• Budget Control: Stay within budget by tracking expenses against planned allocations.
• ROI Assessment: Evaluate each capital expenditure’s return on investment (ROI) to make informed decisions.
• Asset Management: Keep a comprehensive record of your business’s assets and their depreciation.

Price: Free!

Investment and Financial Analysis Excel Templates

7. simple investment template.

The Simple Investment Excel template is perfect for individuals or businesses looking to analyze potential investments. It assists in evaluating the financial feasibility of investments, calculating returns, and making informed investment decisions.

• Investment Evaluation: Assess the attractiveness of various investment opportunities.
• Risk Analysis: Consider the risks associated with each investment and their impact on returns.
• Return Calculations: Calculate potential returns, including net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR).
• Decision Support: Make well-informed investment choices based on financial analysis.

8. Mortgage Calculator with Amortization Table

Mortgages are a significant financial commitment. This Mortgage Calculator Excel template simplifies mortgage calculations, helping individuals and homeowners understand their loan terms, amortization schedules, and total interest payments.

• Loan Clarity: Understand your mortgage terms, including interest rates, monthly payments, and loan duration.
• Amortization Schedule: View the full amortization schedule, tracking principal and interest payments over time.
• Interest Savings: Explore strategies for paying off your mortgage early to reduce interest costs.
• Financial Planning: Incorporate mortgage payments into your long-term financial planning.

9. CLV vs. CAC Analysis Template

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) are critical business metrics. The CLV vs. CAC Analysis Excel template simplifies the calculation and analysis of CLV and CAC, aiding in strategic marketing and growth decisions.

• Customer Profitability: Determine the profitability of acquiring and retaining customers.
• Marketing Efficiency: Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns by comparing CAC to CLV.
• Retention Strategies: Identify opportunities to increase CLV through customer retention and loyalty programs.
• Data-Driven Marketing: Allocate marketing budgets more efficiently based on CLV and CAC insights.

Data Analysis and Metrics Tracking Excel Templates

10. cohort analysis template.

Cohort analysis is a powerful method for examining user behavior over time. The Cohort Analysis Excel template simplifies the process, helping businesses gain insights into customer retention, engagement, and more.

• User Segmentation: Group users into cohorts based on signup date or other criteria for focused analysis.
• Retention Insights: Identify trends in user retention and pinpoint when users drop off.
• Product Improvement: Use cohort analysis to inform product improvements and marketing strategies.
• Churn Reduction: Develop strategies to reduce customer churn based on cohort analysis findings.

11. MRR Dashboard Template

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is a vital metric for subscription-based businesses. The MRR Dashboard Excel template provides a comprehensive dashboard for tracking MRR, analyzing trends, and making data-driven decisions.

• MRR Overview: Get a real-time overview of your MRR, including new revenue, lost revenue, and net MRR growth.
• Churn Analysis: Identify reasons for churn and implement strategies to reduce it.
• Growth Tracking: Monitor your subscription business’s growth and set goals for MRR expansion.
• Data Visualization: Visualize MRR trends with charts and graphs for easier interpretation.

12. User Engagement Dashboard Template

User engagement is critical for online businesses. The User Engagement Dashboard Excel template provides a user-friendly dashboard for tracking user engagement metrics, analyzing user behavior, and optimizing user experiences.

• Comprehensive Metrics: Track key engagement metrics such as session duration, bounce rate, and conversion rate.
• Segmentation: Analyze user engagement based on demographics, devices, or referral sources.
• Content Performance: Identify high-performing content and optimize the user journey accordingly.
• Conversion Optimization: Implement strategies to improve user engagement and conversion rates based on insights.

Business Planning and Management Excel Templates

13. software license management tool.

The Software License Management Excel tool simplifies the process for businesses managing software licenses. It allows you to track software licenses, renewal dates, and compliance, ensuring efficient software management.

• License Tracking: Easily keep track of all software licenses in use across your organization.
• Renewal Alerts: Identify license renewals timely to prevent interruptions.
• Cost Control: Avoid unnecessary software purchases and optimize license utilization.
• Compliance Assurance: Ensure compliance with software licensing agreements to avoid legal issues.

14. Workforce Planning Tool

Effective workforce planning is crucial for businesses of all sizes. The Workforce Planning Excel template streamlines the process by helping you manage employee information, staffing levels, and workforce optimization.

• Employee Database: Maintain a centralized employee information database, including roles, qualifications, and contact details.
• Staffing Analysis: Analyze staffing levels and plan for hiring, training, or restructuring as needed.
• Cost Projections: Estimate labor costs and budgets for workforce expansion or reduction.
• Scenario Planning: Model various workforce scenarios and their financial implications.

These Excel spreadsheet templates cover a wide range of business and financial needs, making them invaluable tools for improving productivity, making informed decisions, and achieving your goals. Whether you’re a financial analyst, business owner, or simply looking to better manage your finances, Excel templates offer a user-friendly and robust solution.

Best Practices for Excel Templates

Excel spreadsheet templates are powerful tools that can significantly enhance your productivity , but it’s essential to follow best practices to make the most of them. Here are some tips and strategies to help you use Excel templates effectively.

Choose the Right Template

Selecting the appropriate template for your specific task is the first step to success. Consider the following factors when choosing a template:

• Task Complexity: Ensure the template aligns with the complexity of your task. Simple tasks may require basic templates, while more complex tasks need advanced templates.
• Customizability: Look for templates that allow customization. Templates that are too rigid may not suit your unique needs.
• Industry or Use Case: Many templates are designed for specific industries or use cases. For financial tasks, for instance, choose templates tailored to your industry, such as retail, healthcare, or real estate.
• Scalability: If your task may grow in complexity or data volume, opt for a template that can scale with your needs.

Understand Formulas and Functions

Excel templates often come with built-in formulas and functions to automate calculations. To use these templates effectively, it’s crucial to understand how these formulas work.

• Learn the Basics: Familiarize yourself with common Excel functions like SUM, AVERAGE, IF, VLOOKUP, and more. These are the building blocks of many templates.
• Review Formulas: Take time to review the formulas used in the template. Understand how they calculate results and what data they depend on.
• Customize Formulas: If needed, customize formulas to suit your specific requirements. Modify cell references or add new calculations as necessary.

Input Data Accurately

Accurate data input is essential to obtain meaningful results from Excel spreadsheet templates.

• Double-Check Data: Ensure all data entered into the template is accurate and error-free. A slight mistake can lead to significant inaccuracies in calculations.
• Use Data Validation: Implement data validation rules to prevent incorrect data entry. Excel can prompt users when data doesn’t meet specified criteria.
• Consistent Formatting: Maintain consistent formatting throughout the template. This includes date formats, number formats, and currency symbols.
• Document Data Sources: Keep track of your data sources, especially if you’re pulling data from external sources. This documentation can help troubleshoot discrepancies later.

Regularly Save and Backup

Excel templates represent valuable work, so protecting your data is essential.

• Frequent Saving: Save your work regularly to prevent data loss in case of unexpected software crashes or power outages.
• Version Control: Maintain version control by saving different iterations of your template. Use meaningful file names and dates to track changes.
• Backup Files: Implement a backup strategy. Regularly create copies of your Excel files and store them in a secure location, whether it’s a cloud service or an external drive.

Understand Template Limitations

Excel spreadsheet templates have limitations, and it’s essential to be aware of them.

• Data Volume: Excel may not handle very large datasets efficiently. Consider using a database or specialized software for extensive data management.
• Complexity: Templates have limits in terms of complexity. You might need to consider custom software or consulting with a specialist for more advanced or intricate tasks.
• Data Security: Be cautious when handling sensitive or confidential data within Excel. Implement password protection and encryption where necessary.

Customize for Your Needs

While templates provide a structured starting point, don’t hesitate to customize them to better suit your unique requirements.

• Add or Remove Fields: Include additional or remove unnecessary fields to streamline data entry and reporting.
• Format and Styling: Adjust the template’s formatting and styling to match your preferences and branding guidelines.
• Automate Repetitive Tasks: Excel allows you to automate repetitive tasks using macros. Learn how to create and use macros to save time.

Stay Updated and Educated

Excel is a continually evolving software, and staying updated with the latest features and best practices can benefit your productivity.

• Software Updates: Keep your Excel software up-to-date to access new features and security patches.
• Online Resources: Explore online resources, spreadsheet tutorials , and forums to expand your Excel skills and troubleshoot issues.
• Advanced Training: Consider advanced Excel training courses or certifications to become an Excel power user.

By following these best practices, you can harness the full potential of Excel spreadsheet templates, streamline your tasks, and make more informed decisions. Excel templates are versatile tools that can save you time and effort, but mastering them requires a combination of knowledge, practice, and attention to detail.

Get Started with the Financial Spreadsheet Template Bundle

Ready to take control of your finances and make smart financial decisions? Our Financial Spreadsheet Template Bundle is the ultimate solution to simplify financial management, investment analysis, and mortgage planning.

This bundle includes five powerful templates that can help you achieve your financial goals with ease:

• Cryptocurrency Portfolio Tracker: Keep track of your cryptocurrency investments, monitor real-time market prices, and analyze your portfolio’s performance effortlessly.
• Inventory and Sales Tracking Spreadsheet Template: Optimize your business operations with this template. Efficiently manage inventory, track sales, and make data-driven decisions.
• Simple Investment Template: Make informed investment choices by analyzing potential returns and risks. This template simplifies investment planning for beginners and experts alike.
• Extra-Payment Mortgage Calculator: Take control of your mortgage payments and reduce the total interest you pay. This tool helps you plan extra payments to pay off your mortgage faster.
• Mortgage Calculator Spreadsheet with Amortization Table: Understand your mortgage terms, visualize your amortization schedule, and make sound financial decisions regarding homeownership.

Purchasing these templates individually would cost you more than $69, but with the Financial Spreadsheet Template Bundle , you can access all of them at a fraction of the price. Save over 40% off the list price and embark on your journey to financial success today!

Price: $39.99

Excel templates are your secret weapon for accomplishing tasks faster and more efficiently. With the right template at your fingertips, you can conquer financial challenges, manage projects like a pro, and analyze data with ease. The best part? You don’t need to be an Excel expert to reap the benefits. These templates are designed to simplify your life and make complex tasks feel like a breeze.

So, whether you’re tracking expenses, planning a project, or diving into data analysis, remember that Excel spreadsheet templates are your trusty companions on the journey to productivity and success. Embrace them, customize them, and watch your tasks transform from daunting to doable. Excel templates are your shortcut to getting things done, and the possibilities are endless. Start using them today and take control of your tasks, one spreadsheet at a time!

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Ecommerce Financial Model Excel Template

All-in-one financial planning tool in Excel. Feasibility study & budget for SaaS startups. Ready to present financial projections. No installation needed.

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TEMPLATE DESCRIPTION

Choosing the right business model for your online business includes a lot of factors. And so, our Ecommerce Financial Model Excel Template will be highly useful for you to make your projections and budget planning for your startup.

In summary, using this file you can:

• Create financial projections for up to 10 years and test them using a range of assumptions;
• Test various business models: using market places, developing your own digital store, or combining both approaches;
• Account for conventional sale of goods and services, as well as for the sale of digital products using the subscription model;
• Take into account seasonal changes and year-to-year fluctuations of demand;
• Calculate and compare the projected performance of different lines of business, as well as market places with different fee schemes.

Simple, yet powerful, E-commerce Startup Financial Model in Excel offers a full range of the professional financial model tool.

Ecommerce & SaaS Financial Model Excel Template Features:

Basically, the file includes three main sections:

Firstly, please start working from the Dashboard. Because, here you will find the links to all parts of the model, as well as the settings and assumptions section.

Model Config section allows you to:

• Set the length of the Projection Period (from 2 to 10 years) by picking a relevant value from the dropdown list;
• Enter the Start Date of the project;
• Enter a code of the currency in which all monetary amounts will be displayed;
• Show or hide instructions by selecting the respective value from the dropdown list.

Dashboard Tables in Financial Model Excel Template

There are several tables here as well:

• Sales Channels table where you can put a list of the sales channels by different market places, as well as by your own website. In Ecommerce business each sale channel requires specific percentage fee per sale, fixed fee per sale, fee per listing and fixed fee per month. Needless to say, your own website will have no associated fees;
• A list of Business Lines that serves to categorize sales of goods and services;
• Sales Trend table allows you to make assumptions about how sales will grow over the years as your digital brand gets customer recognition and loyalty.

Moreover, two tables at the bottom of the Dashboard enable you to create lists of products:

• Subscription table will contain a list of digital product using a subscription model. So, it allows you to designate base monthly prices, retention rates and variable cost to the products;
• Goods and Services table will contain a list of both physical goods and services using the conventional selling model.

Lastly, there are two sections allowing you to make sales projections:

• Sales Projections section will make sales projections for the conventional sale of both goods and services, and
• Subscription Projections sections to make projections of sales that use a subscription model. Also, you can select SaaS as a business line here.

Sales Projections

If you’re going to sell goods or services using conventional selling model, in Sales Projections section, fill in Sales table with the following information:

– Names of products ; E-commerce business models are suitable for a wide range of products and services including:

• Physical products: clothing, shoes, home goods, etc.
• Digital products: software as a service, e-courses, e-books, etc.
• Services: consulting services, home cleaning, etc.

– Marketplaces (either third-parties or your own website) : Not all marketplaces are equal though. Some charge higher percentage of sales as a commission. While others rely mostly on fixed monthly fees or on fee per listings, and yet others combine several fee schemes.

– For each month of the year, expected average number of products sold.

Furthermore, Sales Projections will be calculated automatically. Monthly sales numbers will be found as product of the month-specific expected average number and year-specific percentage trend value in the Dashboard of Ecommerce Financial Model.

If you expect that product prices will increase over time, enter a respective increase rate along with its frequency into Price Increase fields. Price Evolution table will contain actual prices adjusted for a time-related price increase.

Sales revenues from all products will be calculated along with respective marketplace commissions and variable costs (costs of goods and services sold).

Subscription Projections of an Ecommerce Financial Model

Again, if you intend to receive subscription revenue from digital products, in Subscription Projections sections fill in Acquired Subscriptions table. Besides, for each combination of the product and marketplace, you will input a number of subscriptions that you expect to obtain in respective months.

In general, the projections of lost and retained subscriptions will be ready automatically according to the assumptions that you have entered in the Dashboard.

You can adjust prices and cost of digital subscription products if you expect they will increase over time. Marketplaces normally charge commissions each time the sale occurs for products and services. However when it comes to digital subscription products in ecommerce business, only their initial subscription will involve marketplace commission per sale.

Also, subsequent recurring sales can occur outside of the marketplace, thus avoiding commission expense. However, a marketplace can charge a fee per listing payable irrespective of whether sales take place, or not, as long as digital products are listed on the platform.

Then, you will enter the expected salary and other fixed costs in the Fixed Costs section.

Fixed Costs

Equally important, start here from the Staff table. Enter names of employee positions. For employees whose jobs cannot be directly attributed to either business line, leave this field blank. Oy you may enter ‘Non-Specified’ item (to the same effect). It will allow you to calculate profit margins separately for each business line.

Other Monthly Expenses table follows the same logic: enter the names of expense items into the list, along with respective groups of income lines. Then enter expected monthly amounts of expenses for each projected month.

In particular, it is reasonable to expect that expenses will increase over time. For this reason, here you can enter the expected increase rates and frequencies into Salary Increase and Expenses Increase fields. Time-adjusted amounts of wages/salaries and other fixed expenses will be calculated for each month of the projected period in this ecommerce financial model template in Excel.

Startup Costs

Last, but not least step will be entering your startup costs into the respective section. The usefulness of the model will depend on the degree of accuracy in estimating the costs for your e-commerce business.

Report Outputs

Finally, as you have entered all necessary data, go to the reports which are available from the Dashboard section. The Ecommerce Financial Model contains the following reports:

• Financial statements (Monthly & Yearly) including Income statement, Balance sheet and also Cash flow statement;
• Profit (EBITDA) report presenting breakdowns of income and expenses by lines of income;
• Breakeven reports giving you an idea of when you are going to recover your initial investments;
• NPV&IRR Calculation, presenting estimations of important investment metrics;
• Net revenue report displaying revenues, after deducting market place commissions, for each product and business line;
• Moreover, another net revenue report by market places displaying revenues, after deducting market place commissions, for each product and market place;
• Sales breakdown report displaying, for each business line, expected numbers of products sold along with prices and gross revenue amounts;
• Furthermore, sales breakdown report by market places displaying, for each market place, expected numbers of products sold along with prices and gross revenue amounts;

Gross profit report for each income line, and overall;

• Firstly, gross profit breakdown report displaying, for each business line, profit margin after deducting the variable cost and fixed cost associated with the respective business line;
• Secondly, by market places displaying, for each market place, profit margin after deducting variable cost;
• Lastly, subscription breakdown reports showing numbers of acquired, lost and retained subscriptions.

Ecommerce Financial Model Features Summary:

• Perform financial study for Ecommerce and SaaS
• Works both on Mac and Windows
• No installation needed, ready to use.
• Professional design and ready to present
• Innovative reporting system
• Financial Statements
• On Sheet Instructions
• White Label
• Print-Ready
• Compatible with Excel 2010 and later versions

Ecommerce Financial Model is a ready-to-use Excel Template and provided as-is. If you need customization on your reports or need more complex templates, please refer to our custom services .

SOMEKA FINANCIAL MODELS COLLECTION

Product video.

Watch the video below to see the template in action! Presentation also includes usage notes, explanations and tips & tricks about the template.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

User reviews & comments, 8 reviews for ecommerce financial model excel template.

Alvin Rafilou – February 6, 2023

Thanks for preparing a trial version, template works smoothly with nice design.

Mohemmed – September 22, 2022

Hi Someka, I want to add my own logo to template, can u please help?

Someka – September 23, 2022

Hello there, After you unlock the sheet, just right-click on the logo and select “Cut” and then add your own logo. You can check this link for a more detailed guide.

Tina Mohebi – April 11, 2021

I want to change the prices monthly, how I can do it?

Someka – April 12, 2021

Hi, you can add or change when your prices change. Use price evaluation to change prices monthly, quarterly, or even annually. If you have other questions, please contact us: at [email protected]

Liza – November 27, 2020

Hello, can I use this in google sheets too?

Someka – November 28, 2020

Hi Liza, for now, this template is just available for Excel and you can not use it on Google Sheets. But in a near feature, we will develop the Google Sheets version of this template too. We will keep you posted about the latest news too.

Octavio – August 22, 2020

Awesome work. Congrats I just have started my e-commerce startup and definitely needed this. Thanks guys!

Rosario Amarille Miranda – May 16, 2020

Pat – March 4, 2020

It’s a very beautiful work. I work in finance ,and even I am blown away by the simplicity of this model. The web is getting wrapped by complex formulas and meaningless graphs. End of the day this is what a model should do.

Someka – March 5, 2020

Hello Pat. We’re so glad you liked the template. Sometimes people overcomplicate things and get distracted from the core concepts! Thanks for letting us know!

amina – January 28, 2020

Hey, just wanted to say thank you for the material here and on youtube. Love that everything is step-by-step and more efficient than I read text book by myself. Very easy to follow!!

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