Inventory, manufacturing process, business success topics for small DTC manufacturers.
bookkeeping tax
Selling on Etsy, Shopify, or both? Your COGS doesn't care which platform the order came from — but your tracking system needs to. Here's how to get one consolidated number.
pricing
Real COGS benchmark data from 1.3 million order lines across 11 maker niches. Find out if your materials cost percentage is typical — or a warning sign.
inventory management
Selling on Etsy and Shopify? Your COGS is different on each platform — and most makers never account for this. Here's how to track it accurately across both channels.
Learn the COGS formula step by step with real-world examples for small manufacturers. We cover what to include, what to exclude, inventory valuation methods, and how to report COGS on your taxes.
QuickBooks is excellent accounting software — but it wasn't built for makers who manufacture products. Here's an honest look at what it does well, where it breaks down for small manufacturers, and how to build a system that actually works.
QuickBooks tracks your money. Craftybase calculates your costs. Here's exactly what each tool does for COGS, why they differ, and how makers use both together.
handmade success
Looking for inventory management software that actually works with QuickBooks? Here's our 2026 roundup—plus why most integrations fail makers and what to look for instead.
Learn how to track inventory in QuickBooks Online and Desktop, and what to do when it doesn't fit your workflow. We explain what QuickBooks handles well, where it falls short, and how Craftybase helps makers stay on top of materials, COGS, and production.
QuickBooks Self-Employed is discontinued. Its replacement, QuickBooks Solopreneur, still can't track inventory or calculate COGS. Here's what Etsy makers actually need.
If your handmade business sells physical products, Form 1125-A is how you report your cost of goods sold to the IRS. Here's exactly what each line means, and a worked example for makers.
COGM (Cost of Goods Manufactured) is the total cost to produce finished goods in a period. Here's what it means, the formula, and how it differs from COGS.
Most cake makers set prices without knowing their real costs and order ingredients without tracking what's on the shelf. Here's how inventory software fixes both, and when it's time to stop using a spreadsheet.
Cash vs accrual accounting: what's the difference, and which one should a maker actually use? Here's what you need to know — including how your choice affects your COGS and inventory tracking.
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Because they don't know what their products actually cost to make.
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