The StoreWorth blog

Notes on what a small store is worth, and how to make it worth more.

Plain, practical articles for Shopify owners thinking about selling: how buyers price a store, what raises the multiple, and how a sale actually works.

Latest
Preparing to sellSep 15, 20265 min read

The 12-month pre-sale plan for a Shopify store

Buyers price the last twelve months. A quarter-by-quarter plan for what to fix, what to document and when to go to market so the improvements show in your numbers.

Read the article
The saleJun 9, 20265 min read

Headline price vs. what you take home: earnouts, seller notes and inventory

Two offers with the same headline number can be worth very different amounts. How to read deal structure, from cash at close to earnouts, seller financing and inventory.

Read
The saleMar 17, 20265 min read

Where to sell a Shopify store: marketplaces, brokers or a private sale

The route you choose affects your buyer pool, your fees, your timeline and how much work lands on you. A plain comparison of the three main options.

Read
Raise your multipleJan 20, 20265 min read

One hero product, one supplier: managing concentration risk

Concentration is the most common reason a profitable small store gets a lower multiple. How to measure it, reduce it, and explain what you cannot change.

Read
Preparing to sellNov 18, 20255 min read

Clean books: preparing your financials for due diligence

Most deals that fall apart do so in diligence, and most diligence problems are bookkeeping problems. What a buyer will ask for and how to have it ready.

Read
Raise your multipleSep 9, 20254 min read

Too dependent on Meta ads? How buyers see a single-channel store

A store that lives on one ad platform carries a risk the buyer cannot control. How to diversify traffic and present your marketing data so it reads as durable.

Read
Raise your multipleJul 15, 20255 min read

Repeat customers: the metric buyers pay the most for

Revenue that comes back without new ad spend is the clearest sign that earnings will continue. How to measure repeat purchase rate and raise it before a sale.

Read
Raise your multipleMay 20, 20255 min read

Owner dependence: how to make your store run without you

If the business stops when you stop, a buyer is purchasing a job, not an asset. A practical plan to document, delegate and prove the store can run without you.

Read
Valuation basicsMar 11, 20255 min read

Why one Shopify store sells for 2x and another for 4x

Two stores with identical profit can sell for very different prices. The difference is the multiple, and it is driven by a short list of risks a buyer can see in your data.

Read
Valuation basicsJan 14, 20255 min read

What is SDE? How to calculate owner earnings for your Shopify store

Seller's discretionary earnings is the number every small-store buyer starts with. Here is how to calculate it, which add-backs hold up, and which ones buyers reject.

Read