Online store business plan
Plan your online store section by section — products, traffic, fulfilment and numbers — and download a clean plan. Free, in your browser, no sign-up.
An online store is easy to open and hard to make profitable. Your plan should show where your visitors come from, what each customer costs to win and what you keep after shipping, returns and fees. The prompts below are tailored for e-commerce.
Tips for a plan that convinces
- Know your cost to win a customer per channel before you scale marketing.
- Count returns and payment fees in your margin from day one.
- Start with a small range you know well, and widen it once orders come in.
Online store start-up costs
Put an amount you can back up next to each item:
- Opening stock (or samples, if you dropship)
- Platform subscription, theme and apps
- Product photos and copy
- Packaging and shipping set-up
- Marketing budget for the first months
- Working capital: stock is paid before it sells
Rules to plan for
Selling online brings consumer rules: a cancellation period (usually 14 days in the UK and EU), clear prices including VAT, delivery costs and returns information, and a privacy policy for the customer data you collect. Product safety and labelling rules apply to what you sell. If you sell across EU borders, check the VAT rules for distance sales.
Key figures your plan needs
- Average order value
- Conversion rate: share of visitors who buy
- Customer acquisition cost per channel
- Gross margin after product cost, shipping, payment fees and returns
- Break-even: orders per month that cover all costs
More business plan templates
Frequently asked questions
What should an online store business plan include?
Your products and positioning, your target customers and channels, competition (including marketplaces), operations (platform, fulfilment, returns), the team and a financial plan with margins after shipping, fees, returns and marketing.
What rules apply to selling online?
In the UK and the EU, consumers usually have 14 days to cancel an online purchase, and you must show clear prices, delivery costs and your contact details. In the EU, selling to consumers in other EU countries above €10,000 a year means charging their VAT, usually through the OSS scheme.
Is it free?
Yes, entirely in your browser with no account.