Most small brands set their marketing budget backwards: they decide what they're comfortable spending, then hope it works. The businesses that scale predictably do the opposite. They know what a customer is worth over time, and they let that number set the ceiling for what they'll pay to acquire one.
The simple version
Multiply average order value by average number of orders per year, then by average years a customer stays active. That's a rough LTV. It doesn't need to be perfect to be useful, it needs to be directionally right and revisited quarterly.
Why this changes acquisition spend
If a customer is worth $600 over their lifetime, spending $80 to acquire them is comfortable even if the first order barely breaks even. Without knowing LTV, that same $80 acquisition cost looks like a loss and gets cut, even though it's actually a good trade.
Where to start
Pull 12 months of order history, segment by first-time vs. repeat customers, and calculate the average. That single number should inform every acquisition budget conversation from here forward.