Journal · Guides

The quiet arithmetic of running a small Australian shop.

Plain-English writing on cost of goods, GST, and pricing — for ceramic studios, specialty cafés, and Shopify shopkeepers. Written the way a good bookkeeper explains things over a coffee: no jargon, no gurus, and the numbers actually add up.

Cafe counter with jars of coffee beans and kraft paper bags.

Pricing · GST

GST inclusive vs exclusive — and why your margin lies when you get it wrong.

A $6 flat white is only a $5.45 net sale. Divide by 11, not 1.1. Multiply that misread across a busy quarter and it explains why you feel busy but not profitable. Here's the honest arithmetic, worked step by step.

10 min read · 12 September 2026

All guides · 4 Newest first

Pricing · GST

GST inclusive vs exclusive — the $6 flat white problem.

10 min · 12 Sep 2026

Hospitality

Pour cost and milk stretch — the two numbers every café owner should know.

11 min · 3 Sep 2026

Bookkeeping

Setting up COGS in Xero vs MYOB — a side-by-side.

14 min · 27 Aug 2026

Pricing · Retail

Seasonal SKU pricing without slaughtering your margin.

9 min · 5 Aug 2026