Boreal Lab Studio · Small business website guide
Shopify store design and setup.
What has to be in place before a store opens in Canada, the four costs to plan for, and how to keep the store in your own name.
When Shopify is the right choice
Shopify fits a business that sells products and wants the store to run without a developer on call. Checkout, payments, stock and order emails are built in. It is a Canadian company, so Canadian taxes, Canada Post and Canadian dollars are well supported.
It is more than you need if you sell a handful of items beside a service business. A few products on a Squarespace or Wix site may be enough.
What has to be set up before a store opens
- Theme: chosen for how you sell, then designed so it does not look like every other store on that theme.
- Products: titles, photos, options such as size and colour, weights for shipping, and stock counts.
- Collections and menus: so a shopper finds a product in two taps.
- Taxes: GST, HST, PST or QST by province, once you are registered to charge them.
- Shipping: zones, rates, free-shipping rules and local pickup.
- Payments: Shopify Payments or another provider, with a test order before launch.
- Policies: returns, privacy, shipping and contact pages. Shoppers look for them before they pay.
- Domain and email: your own domain connected, and order emails sent from your address.
What a Shopify store costs
There are four costs, and only one of them is design:
- The Shopify plan, billed monthly. Check Shopify’s pricing page for current plans.
- Payment fees on every order.
- The theme: free ones exist, and paid themes are a one-time purchase.
- Apps: each is a monthly fee. Add them only when a real problem needs one.
Design and setup by a studio is quoted by the size of the catalogue and how much of the theme is custom. A small store with a customized theme costs far less than a fully custom theme.
Who owns the store
You should. Open the Shopify account in your business’s name and add the designer as a collaborator. The store, the customer list and the domain then stay with you whatever happens.
Boreal Lab Studio builds small business websites
Boreal Lab Studio is a website studio in Toronto, Ontario. It builds websites for small businesses across the GTA, Ontario and the rest of Canada, including home services, professional practices, health and wellness, hospitality and retail, with a specialty in trucking and logistics.
- What it builds
- Custom websites for small businesses with enquiry or booking forms, logos and matching email signatures, plus builds on Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, Shopify, Webflow and Framer.
- Starting prices (CAD)
- Launch, one page: from $399. Starter: from $750. Full site, up to 6 pages: from $1,500. See every plan.
- How it starts
- A free homepage concept of your own site, on desktop and phone. You pay only after you approve it.
- Platforms
- Custom-built sites hosted for you, or Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, Shopify, Webflow and Framer when one of them suits you better.
- Contact
- hello@boreallab.ca · (647) 547-7709
See the studio’s work and every plan, with full sites you can click through.
Common questions
How much does it cost to set up a Shopify store?
The Shopify plan, payment fees, a theme and any apps, plus design and setup if you hire someone. Design is quoted by catalogue size and how custom the theme is. Boreal Lab Studio quotes each store after a free homepage concept.
Can I hire someone in Canada to design my Shopify store?
Yes. Boreal Lab Studio in Toronto designs and sets up Shopify stores for small businesses across Canada, including taxes, shipping and a test order before launch.
Do I need a custom Shopify theme?
Usually not at the start. A good theme, customized with your own type, colours, photos and page layouts, is enough for most new stores.
Should the Shopify account be in my name?
Yes. Open it under your business and add your designer as a collaborator, so the store and customer list stay yours.
More small business website guides
- How much a small business website costs in OntarioBuilder, freelancer, studio or agency, and our own prices in plain numbers.
- Hiring a Squarespace, Wix or WordPress designerWhen to keep your platform, what a designer should do on it, and who owns what.
- Professional email signatures for a small businessWhat a signature should hold, and how to make it look right in Gmail, Outlook and on phones.
- Logo design for a small businessWhat you should get from a logo project, the files you need, and how to brief a designer.
- How much a website costs in CanadaPrice ranges by who builds it, what moves the number, and the yearly costs after launch.
- A free homepage mockup before you payWhat a free concept should include, what it does not, and how to tell a real free offer from a deposit.
- How to choose a web designerFreelancer, studio or agency, and twelve questions about ownership, price and the work.
- What a website redesign costsWhen to redesign, when to fix what you have, and how to keep your Google rankings through the move.
- What website maintenance costs each monthWhat a care plan covers, what hosting alone covers, and what happens when nobody looks after a site.
- Hiring a Webflow or Framer designerWhich of the two fits your site, what each is good at, and what stays in your name.
- Website design for contractors and tradesWhat a plumber, electrician, roofer or landscaper needs online to get calls from the right jobs.
All guides · Guides for trucking companies: What the best trucking company websites have · How much a trucking website costs in Canada · Wix, Squarespace, WordPress or custom for a trucking company · A website for an owner-operator · A driver recruiting page that gets applications · How to choose a trucking website designer · Trucking company website design in the GTA