Net Profit: A Need-to-Know Guide for Ecommerce

If you\’re running an eCommerce business, then you need to understand net profit margin. In fact, this metric is one of the most important indicators of a company\’s financial health. In this quick guide, we\’ll explain what net profit margin is, how to calculate it and various factors that affect it.

What is Net Profit Margin?

Put simply, net profit is the amount of revenue that a company keeps after all of its expenses and taxes have been paid.

The net profit margin is the percentage of revenue that the company keeps. So if a company turns over €100,000 and keeps a net profit of €20,000, the net profit margin would be 20%.

To calculate net profit margin, you first need to calculate net profit. You do this by subtracting all expenses and taxes from total revenue. This gives you the net profit figure.

To get the margin, you then divide this figure by total revenue, and multiply by 100%.

With operating profit, you only subtract expenses that are directly related to the running of your eCommerce business. This includes things like cost of goods sold, purchases of materials or labour costs. With net profit, you also subtract things like general and admin expenses, taxes and interest payments.

Here\’s an example:

Let\’s say a company has total revenue of €100,000 in a year. If its expenses total up to €60,000, then it\’s left with a net profit of €40,000.

To calculate the margin, we divide the net profit by total revenue and multiply by 100%. This gives us a net profit margin of 40%.

Now that we know how to calculate it, let\’s take a look at some of the factors that can affect a company\’s net profit margin.

Costs

One of the most important factors affecting net profit margin is costs. The lower a company\’s costs in relation to revenue, the higher its margin will be. There are two main types of costs:

Variable costs are things like materials, packaging, delivery and labour that change in relation to sales levels. If a company can find ways to reduce these costs, then its margin will increase.
Fixed costs are things like office rent, admin salaries, legal fees and insurance that don\’t change in relation to sales levels.

Revenue

Another important factor affecting net profit margin is revenue. The higher the revenue in relation to costs, the higher the margin will be. There are two main ways to increase revenue in your eCommerce business:

Increase prices. This is probably the most direct way to increase revenue. If you raise the prices of your products, then your business will make more money on each sale.
Increase sales volume. This is the other main way to increase revenue. If you can sell more products, then you will make more money, assuming your costs are stable.

Send Us A Message

Taxes

Another important factor affecting net profit margin is taxes. By working with an expert accountant to create a good tax strategy, eCommerce businesses can minimize the amount of taxes they have to pay and take full advantage of any incentives or breaks available to them.

Comparing Net Profit Margin to Other Metrics

Net profit margin is a useful metric, but it\’s important to put it into context. Here are some other financial metrics that can give you a more complete picture of a company\’s financial health:

Gross profit margin. This metric measures the percentage of revenue that you keep after paying cost of sales only.
Operating profit margin. This metric measures the percentage of revenue that you keep after paying your operating costs. These are the costs associated with running your eCommerce business, like labour and rent, as well as cost of sales.
Return on assets, which is how much profit you make in relation to your assets.
Debt-to-equity ratio. This metric measures the debt of your business relative to its equity.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, net profit margin is a very important metric for your eCommerce businesses. It\’s a good idea to calculate it on a regular basis to track the financial health of your business. By understanding the factors that affect it, you can gain a clearer picture of your business\’ overall financial health and make strategic decisions to improve your bottom line – net profit.

Have a look to find out more…