When I was starting out, I saw plenty of posts showing big sales months. None of them showed what was left after costs. So I took a hypothetical $19,980 month apart. One product at $49.95, 400 orders. Per order: - Selling price: $49.95 - Product: −$14.00 - Shipping: −$9.50 - Payment fees: −$1.50 - Ads per sale: −$18.00 - Left: $6.95 After 20 refunds and $250 in apps, the month leaves $1,531. That's about 7.7% of the number on the screenshot, and it's before tax and duties. Duties are the one that caught me out. If the HS code and country of origin aren't right, the charges turn up after the sale. It happened to me more than once before I sorted it. The full breakdown, including how I check any revenue claim, is on my Substack: https://vasferris.substack.com/p/why-a-revenue-screenshot-tells-you Your turn. Pick one product you sell or plan to sell. What's left per order after product, shipping, fees and ads? If you don't know yet, post what you've got and we'll work it out here. Vas

Hi all, Some of you saw my post in June saying I was getting this place going again. Then it went quiet for another five months. That's on me. Running the businesses took most of my time, and some family matters overseas needed my attention. That explains the absence, but I should have kept a closer eye on the membership requests. Some of you have been waiting over two months for approval, and I'm sorry about that. I'm not going to promise a posting schedule. But when I do post, I want it to be something useful. Practical things I've learned from running online stores, like checking suppliers, working out whether a product actually makes money after shipping and fees, handling returns, and dealing with things that go wrong. Including my own mistakes. What you won't see here is income screenshots or claims about how much money you can make. Revenue doesn't tell you much without knowing the costs, and I'd rather show you how to work those out. So, to get things moving again, I'd like to know two things: What are you selling (or planning to sell), and what's the biggest thing you're struggling with? Your answers will help me decide what we cover first. Vas

One thing I've learned building online is that not every opportunity starts with a product. A connection made online eventually led to a collaboration with Tonje Emilie Bjørnerud, Mrs Norway Globe 2026. The project was an independently produced campaign short developed through Vascend Brands & Partnerships for international digital distribution. I produced it. Tonje came on as co-producer, entrepreneur & featured talent. Nikos Mantzaridis, our videographer in Greece, directed, shot & edited the entire piece. Alexandra Spyropoulou supported production & behind the scenes photography. The final cut combined original cinematography, licensed Norwegian tourism footage & advocacy-focused storytelling across an internationally collaborative production. It was later published by the Mrs Globe organisation, and submitted to Screen Producers Australia, where I'm an Associate Member. Most people see ecommerce as products, suppliers, stores & ads. Those things matter. But relationships matter too. The opportunities that create the biggest impact often come from showing up consistently, building trust & being open to unexpected collaborations. A good reminder that building online is often bigger than the store itself.

Quieter here than planned since launch. I have been buried in the actual work, running stores, dealing with suppliers, fixing things nobody sees until they break. Honestly that is the point of this community. Real building, no polished daily updates for the sake of it. Starting now I am sharing more regularly. Product finds, store updates, the real side of building an online brand. Drop a comment and tell me what you want to see more of. Fashion, pets, home, or the ecom and building side.

Tell us who you are, what you are building or working on, and drop a pic of whatever feels relevant. Your workspace, your product, your pet, your style. Anything that represents you and what you are about. This community grows when people show up and share. So, show up.