E-commerce Dropshipping
A practical business plan template for launching as a e-commerce dropshipping. All figures are pre-filled realistic estimates — replace them with your own numbers using the Prévio spreadsheet.
Executive Summary (Template)
Replace brackets with your details.
[Name] launches as a e-commerce dropshipping serving [target audience].
Mission: [one-line promise].
Year-1 objective: $97 300 revenue, break-even in month 5.
Model: [main revenue type] + [secondary stream].
Key differentiator: [why you, why now].
Market Snapshot
Dropshipping remains a low-capital entry into e-commerce; typical gross margins run 15–30% after ad spend (estimation). Success depends heavily on paid ads efficiency (target ROAS ≥ 2.5) and product testing budgets. Expect 3–5 tested products before a winner.
Offer & Pricing
- Average order value: $35–$60
- Upsells/bundles lift AOV by 15–25%
- Target net margin after ads: 15–25%
Marketing Plan (3 Channels)
Three acquisition channels, started in this order:
1. Meta + TikTok ads with creative testing cadence (5–10 creatives/week)
2. Organic TikTok product demos
3. Email/SMS flows (Klaviyo) : abandoned cart + post-purchase
3-Year Forecast
| Month | M1 | M2 | M3 | M4 | M5 | M6 | M7 | M8 | M9 | M10 | M11 | M12 | Y1 |
| Revenue | 800 | 2 400 | 4 200 | 5 800 | 7 200 | 8 500 | 9 500 | 10 500 | 11 200 | 11 800 | 12 400 | 13 000 | 97 300 |
| Fixed costs | 1 100 | 1 100 | 1 100 | 1 100 | 1 100 | 1 100 | 1 100 | 1 100 | 1 100 | 1 100 | 1 100 | 1 100 | 13 200 |
| Variable costs | 544 | 1 632 | 2 856 | 3 944 | 4 896 | 5 780 | 6 460 | 7 140 | 7 616 | 8 024 | 8 432 | 8 840 | 66 164 |
| Net result | -844 | -332 | 244 | 756 | 1 204 | 1 620 | 1 940 | 2 260 | 2 484 | 2 676 | 2 868 | 3 060 | 17 936 |
| Cumulative | -844 | -1 176 | -932 | -176 | 1 028 | 2 648 | 4 588 | 6 848 | 9 332 | 12 008 | 14 876 | 17 936 | — |
| Year | Revenue | Costs | Net Result |
| Year 1 | $97 300 | $79 364 | $17 936 |
| Year 2 | $175 000 | $132 860 | $42 140 |
| Year 3 | $210 000 | $157 353 | $52 647 |
Break-even Analysis
Break-even is reached in month 5, when cumulative profit turns positive.
- Fixed costs: $1 100/month · Variable costs: 68% of revenue
- Contribution margin per euro/dollar of revenue: 32%
- Break-even revenue: $3 437/month ≈ $3 437 monthly revenue
- Reached in month 3 in the model below.
Risks & Mitigations
- Client concentration — No client should exceed 30% of revenue; keep prospecting even when busy.
- Price race to the bottom — Compete on specialization and outcomes, never on hourly discounting.
- Income volatility — Hold 3 months of fixed costs in reserve; push retainers/subscriptions.
- Burnout / capacity ceiling — Productize offers and raise prices instead of adding hours.
- Platform dependency — Never let one platform exceed ~50% of lead flow; build an email list.
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Figures marked “estimation” are indicative market estimates, not audited data. This document is a planning template, not financial advice.