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The numbers behind the shops. I keep a monthly P&L in Excel across several Etsy shops, built from Etsy CSVs, Payoneer and bank statements, and POD invoices. Every transaction is converted at its own historical FX rate, and payouts are cross-checked so nothing is counted twice.
I price every product from the bottom up: fees, payment processing, ads, POD cost and shipping. I track margin, ad cost of sales, break-even discounts and a monthly ceiling on POD spend. Real figures are kept private; the visuals show the system.
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Episode #6: The bank balance is NOT your profit.
“I have AED 250,000 in the bank, so I’m doing great.”
Not necessarily. Look at what’s actually inside that balance:
🟣 AED 100,000 is a bank loan. You have to pay it back.
🟡 AED 60,000 is customer advances. You haven’t delivered the work yet.
🔵 AED 15,000 is VAT collected. It belongs to the tax authority.
🔵 AED 45,000 is your own capital that you put in.
🟢 AED 30,000 is the actual profit.
Cash and profit are different things, for three reasons:
1️⃣ Timing. An invoice you’ve sent is profit, but it isn’t cash until the customer pays.
2️⃣ Non-cash costs. Depreciation lowers your profit, but no money leaves the bank.
3️⃣ Not your money. Loans, advances, VAT and capital all add to your balance without adding to your profit.
Profit = Revenue earned − Expenses incurred.
Earned ≠ received. Incurred ≠ paid.
Before you spend, ask:
✅ Did customers pay me, or did I only invoice them?
✅ Is any of this a loan, advance, VAT or my own capital?
✅ Which bills and taxes are still due?
✅ What is my real profit this month?
If you can’t answer these, your bank balance is giving you a false picture of how the business is doing.
Next up: Episode 7. Follow along so you don’t miss it.
Counting Crux |
#Accounting #UAEBusiness #Profit #CashFlow #Bookkeeping #Founders #DubaiBusiness #SmallBusiness
Cash flow and profitability are two different things. Understanding where your money comes from and where it needs to go is essential for making smarter business decisions.
A high-converting seasonal campaign design suite created for a skincare brand’s Halloween promotional launch. The goal was to pair playful, eerie Halloween storytelling with clear direct-response marketing angles to drive festive campaign sales.
#Social Media Design Ad #Creative Design #Graphic Design Visual #Strategy Brand #Content Design
Ye le Jani:
This Halloween suite is so clever Mayowa! Love how you balanced that playful eerie storytelling with direct-response. The pumpkin tic-tac-toe and "Reserve your sunscreen before they steal it" angle is genius - festive but still sales-focused. The purple + teal palette really pops too!
The magenta and orange mix pops. Fun set.