Running an e-commerce business: margins, acquisition and team

Questions about this course

What you will be able to do

• Manage the profitability of an e-commerce business through unit economics
• Define a pricing and promotions policy that protects margins
• Allocate and manage a multichannel acquisition budget by cost per delivered order
• Optimize sales funnel conversion through measurement and A/B testing
• Build an income statement, a cash flow plan and a scenario-based forecast
• Recruit, organize and lead an e-commerce team and its service providers

About this course

Who it is for: Founders and managers of online stores that already make regular sales, e-commerce leads at SMEs and brands, e-commerce managers aiming for a leadership role, and consultants who support brands in Dakar, Abidjan, Bamako, Cotonou or in the diaspora.

Curriculum

A module-by-module path: lessons, exercises, quizzes and projects to submit.

1. 1

   Module 1· 16 exercises

   Business review and strategy

   Read the business in numbers, position it against the competition and choose three priorities with quarterly targets.

   • Reading your business in numbers: revenue, margin, customers and channels over 6 monthsFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • Positioning against marketplaces, Instagram stores and physical retailFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • Choosing your priorities: the three-priority rule and what you turn downFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • Setting quantified quarterly targets, one metric per priorityFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the store's diagnosis in numbers and the quarter's objectives, step by step (fictional worked case)Free preview4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)Free preview5 min
   • Quiz: business review and strategyModule quiz
   • Strategic review and quarterly targetsProject to submit
2. 2

   Module 2· 16 exercises

   Unit economics: what an order really earns you

   Know what a delivered order earns, what a customer costs by channel, what they bring in over 12 months and how many orders you need to cover your fixed costs.

   • Contribution margin per delivered order: every cost that goes out with an order3 exercises20 min
   • Customer acquisition cost by channel: paid, organic, referral, physical store3 exercises20 min
   • Customer lifetime value and repeat purchase rate3 exercises20 min
   • Fixed costs, profitability threshold and monthly break-even point3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the unit economics model and break-even point in Google Sheets, step by step (fictional worked case)4 exercises40 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: unit economicsModule quiz
   • Unit economics model and break-even pointProject to submit
3. 3

   Module 3· 15 exercises

   Profitable pricing, offers and promotions

   Set prices that hold, raise the average order value and run promotions that earn more than they cost.

   • Pricing policy: product ranges, psychological pricing and honest strikethrough prices3 exercises20 min
   • Gift sets, bundles and free delivery thresholds: raising the average order value3 exercises20 min
   • The promotional calendar: Korité, Tabaski, Magal, back to school, Black Friday, year-end holidays3 exercises20 min
   • Measuring a promotion: truly incremental sales and lost margin2 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the price grid, bundles and the year's promotional calendar (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: pricing and promotionsModule quiz
   • Price grid, offers and promotional calendarProject to submit
4. 4

   Module 4· 16 exercises

   Paid acquisition: budget, testing and profitability

   Set the advertising budget from your margin, choose your channels, test methodically and judge results by cost per delivered order.

   • Setting the acquisition budget from your margin and target acquisition cost3 exercises20 min
   • Meta, TikTok and Google: which channel for which product and which customer3 exercises20 min
   • The creative testing protocol: three angles, seven days, stop and scale thresholds3 exercises20 min
   • Judging ad profitability by cost per delivered order, not per click3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the paid acquisition plan and the creative test log (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: paid acquisitionModule quiz
   • Paid acquisition plan and testing protocolProject to submit
5. 5

   Module 5· 16 exercises

   Organic acquisition, customer list and retention

   Bring customers in and bring them back without paying for every contact: a segmented customer list, lasting content, partners and referrals.

   • The customer list: cleaning, segmenting and complying with Law 2008-123 exercises20 min
   • Search and content that keeps selling: "product + city" and buying guides3 exercises20 min
   • Influencers and partnerships: micro-influencers, compensation, tracking codes3 exercises20 min
   • Loyalty and referral programs: cost and effect on repeat purchases3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: customer file segmentation and a costed loyalty program (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: organic acquisition and retentionModule quiz
   • Organic acquisition and retention planProject to submit
6. 6

   Module 6· 16 exercises

   Conversion and the buying experience

   Measure the funnel, remove the barriers to purchase specific to West Africa and make decisions through testing.

   • Measuring the funnel: visits, product views, carts, orders, delivered orders3 exercises20 min
   • Barriers to purchase in West Africa: trust, fees, payment, lead times, sizing3 exercises20 min
   • Simple A/B tests on the store and in WhatsApp messages3 exercises20 min
   • Customer service as a margin lever: response times, refusals, returns and reviews3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the purchase funnel audit and a plan for two A/B tests (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: conversion and the buying experienceModule quiz
   • Measured sales funnel and two A/B testsProject to submit
7. 7

   Module 7· 16 exercises

   Operations at scale: logistics, marketplaces and new cities

   Decide, figures in hand, between in-house and outsourced logistics, selling on a marketplace and opening a second city.

   • In-house or outsourced logistics: comparing cost per order by volume3 exercises20 min
   • Selling on a marketplace: commissions, remaining margin and brand risks3 exercises20 min
   • Opening a second city: Abidjan, Bamako, Thiès or the diaspora3 exercises20 min
   • Purchasing and inventory at scale: forecasting, negotiation and tied-up cash3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: three costed decision memos, logistics, marketplace and second city (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: operations at scaleModule quiz
   • Decision memos: logistics, marketplace and a second cityProject to submit
8. 8

   Module 8· 16 exercises

   Finance, cash flow and legal framework

   Keep the income statement and cash flow under control, finance inventory and growth, and stay compliant.

   • The simplified monthly income statement of an e-commerce business3 exercises20 min
   • Cash flow and working capital: inventory, cash on delivery and payout delays3 exercises20 min
   • Financing growth: pre-orders, supplier credit, microfinance, banks and public programs3 exercises20 min
   • Legal and tax framework: legal structure, NINEA, RCCM, 18% VAT, invoices and CDP3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the monthly income statement and the 12-month cash plan (fictional worked case)4 exercises40 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: finance and cash flowModule quiz
   • Income statement, cash flow and financing planProject to submit
9. 9

   Module 9· 16 exercises

   Recruiting, organizing and leading the team

   Move from a business that depends on you to an organized team, with well-managed service providers.

   • The org chart in stages: from 1 to 10 people3 exercises20 min
   • Recruiting: job description, practical test, probation period and variable pay3 exercises20 min
   • Routines, written processes and delegation: deciding without doing everything3 exercises20 min
   • Managing service providers: agency, couriers, photographer, community manager3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the target org chart, a job description with a practical test and the rituals handbook (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: team and service providersModule quiz
   • Target organization, recruitment and routinesProject to submit
10. 10

    Module 10· 16 exercises

    The 12-month growth plan

    Bring together the decisions made throughout the course into a management dashboard, a scenario-based forecast and an action plan ready to present.

    • The management dashboard: 12 indicators and their owners3 exercises20 min
    • The 12-month forecast in three scenarios3 exercises20 min
    • The quarterly action plan and decision thresholds3 exercises20 min
    • Presenting the plan to a partner, an investor or a bank3 exercises20 min
    • Workshop: the complete 12-month growth plan, worked through end to end (fictional case)4 exercises45 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: growth planModule quiz
    • Final project: the 12-month growth plan for your businessCapstone

11. Certificate included

After the course

What you get once the course is complete

Optional services, free for learners. This is not a promise of employment.