Inventory, manufacturing process, business success topics for small DTC manufacturers.
business
Most handmade sellers have no idea if their order volume is normal. We pulled data from 1,800+ active Craftybase accounts to show exactly what the distribution looks like — and where the inflection points are.
bookkeeping tax
Shopify's built-in cost field won't give you accurate COGS if you make your own products. Here's how to actually track cost of goods sold as a maker using Shopify.
inventory management
Assemblified is a solid Shopify BOM app for managing kits and bundles. But if you're a maker who produces finished goods from raw materials, you'll hit its limits fast. Here's what to look for instead.
pricing
What does a healthy profit margin actually look like in your niche? Real gross margin benchmarks from 715,000 Craftybase order lines across 11 maker categories — and what the numbers tell you about your pricing.
Etsy doesn't show you your real COGS. Here's how to calculate cost of goods sold as an Etsy seller — materials, labour, overhead — and why it matters more than your revenue.
handmade success
Most advice tells you to pick one platform and focus. The research suggests the opposite — makers who sell on both Etsy and Shopify tend to build more resilient, profitable businesses.
Weighted average costing is IRS-approved, GAAP-compliant, and the right choice for small-batch makers with fluctuating material costs. Here's why — and how Craftybase automates it.
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.
Shopify tracks finished products. It doesn't track raw materials, recipes, or what it cost to make each item. Here's how to build the inventory layer Shopify is missing — specifically for Shopify sellers who manufacture what they sell.
Before you sync a single listing, you need to get your product setup right. Here's how to structure SKUs, recipes, and inventory so both platforms stay accurate.
Everything Etsy sellers need to know about tracking materials, finished products, and orders — and when to move beyond spreadsheets.
Learn how to calculate Cost of Goods Sold for your handmade business. Covers the COGS formula, materials, labour, overhead, weighted average costing, pricing, and Schedule C reporting.
Shopify tracks what you sell — not what goes into making it. Here's how to set up a real batch manufacturing workflow so your production runs are planned, costed, and synced.
Shopify tracks your finished products. It doesn't track your raw materials, recipes, or production runs. Here's how to build a complete inventory system if you actually make what you sell.
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.
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Because they don't know what their products actually cost to make.
Every week, one practical tip on pricing, materials, and COGS — the numbers that turn a busy craft business into a profitable one.
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