The Maths
Just Makes Sense.
Why pay for a traditional agency's office rent, account managers, and junior learning curves? One senior operator costs less and delivers more.
| Traditional Agency | Full-Time Director | Atherstone Digital | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | £5,000–£10,000 | £7,000–£10,000 | From £3,000 |
| Annual cost | £60k–£120k | £85k–£120k + NI/pension | From £36k |
| Seniority level | Junior execution | Varies | Director-level only |
| Time to start | 4–6 weeks | 3–6 months to hire | Week 1 |
| P&L ownership | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tech execution | Separate dev cost | ✗ (strategy only) | ✓ Built-in |
| Flexibility | Fixed contract | Fixed salary | Monthly rolling |
| Get Started |
How can one person do all this?
Fair question. The honest answer: most of the work that used to require a junior team now runs in the background. Catalogue audits, feed checks, data pulls, weekly reports, anomaly detection. All of it sits on a stack of automations I have built and refined over the past two years. I spend my time on the judgement calls, the writing, the strategy, the difficult fixes. The grunt work happens whether I am awake or not.
That is why the maths works. One operator, three partners, senior judgement on everything, automated execution on the rest.
The Agency Trap
High Overhead • Slow
- ×Bloated RetainersYou pay for their infrastructure, not the work.
- ×GatekeepersAccount managers block you from talking to the talent.
- ×Junior ExecutionSenior partners pitch you; interns do the work.
The Full-Time Risk
Fixed Cost • Inflexible
- !Fixed Liability£85k+ salary + NI + pension regardless of performance.
- !Recruitment Lag3–6 months to find, hire, and onboard a Head of Ecom.
- !Single SkillsetA Director creates strategy but rarely writes code. You still need a dev.
The Embedded Operator Edge
Agile • Senior • ROI-First
- ✓Senior Talent OnlyYou work directly with Dan. No juniors, no delegation.
- ✓Instant ImpactI audit and execute from Week 1. Zero onboarding lag.
- ✓Full StackStrategy, Dev, and Growth in one retainer. I build what I plan.
Common Questions
Why choose a Shopify ecommerce consultant over an agency?
Agencies charge high retainers to cover office rent, account managers, and junior staff learning curves. One senior Shopify ecommerce consultant provides senior-level strategy and execution directly — eliminating the overhead and saving an estimated £98,000 per year versus a comparable agency roster.
Is a Shopify ecommerce consultant cheaper than hiring full-time?
Yes. A full-time Head of Ecommerce plus a Senior Developer typically costs over £140,000 per year including salary, National Insurance, pension, and benefits. Atherstone Digital’s model starts from £36,000/year (£3,000/month) for equivalent output — versus £140,000+ all-in for a comparable full-time team.
What is the minimum commitment?
Atherstone Digital operates on a rolling monthly retainer. There is no minimum term. You can scale up during Q4 peak periods or pause during quiet months — unlike a full-time employee.
Can I use a Shopify ecommerce consultant alongside my existing agency?
Yes. A Shopify ecommerce consultant can manage your existing agency relationships, brief creative suppliers, and audit their output. Many partners find they can replace one or more agencies entirely once the consultant is in place.
Stop paying for overhead.
Allocate your budget to execution and growth, not account management layers.
Send me a briefTell me about your store.
If you'd like to chat, send a quick brief. Three to five lines is plenty.
Current Capacity: 2/3