Inventory, manufacturing process, business success topics for small DTC manufacturers.
inventory management
Comparing the best inventory management software for small businesses in 2026. Honest look at Craftybase, Inventora, Cin7, QuickBooks, and spreadsheets for makers who manufacture their own products.
Square only knows what you sold, not what you made. Here's why your Square inventory keeps going out of sync after market day, and how to fix it automatically.
handmade success
Competitor revenue estimates show what's selling, not what it costs to make. Here's the full framework for Etsy competitive research, including the manufacturing economics most sellers skip.
bookkeeping tax
Your accountant needs three numbers at tax time: opening inventory, closing inventory, and purchases. Craftybase's Material Valuation report gives you all three, if you know where to look.
Boxes, labels, tissue paper, poly mailers: they cost real money. Here's how to track packaging materials in Craftybase and get their cost into your COGS.
inventory-management
Craftybase doesn't have a quoting module, but there are two reliable workarounds that let you estimate costs, confirm orders, manufacture pieces, and track every material used — all in one place.
Yes, Craftybase and QuickBooks are designed to work together, but they serve different purposes. Here's exactly how the integration works and who needs both.
Craftybase and accounting software aren't the same thing, but they work together. Here's exactly what Craftybase does, what it doesn't, and whether you need both.
Etsy sales slowing? You're not alone. Before you open a Shopify store or add Faire, there's one operational risk every maker should understand. And a way to sidestep it entirely.
If you're not accounting for material wastage and spoilage, your product costs are wrong and your margins are lying to you. Here's how to track it and treat it correctly.
Craftybase has a new interface. Here's what changed, what's still being converted, and why the COGS rigour that makes it worth setting up didn't.
Nobody tells you about inventory codes when you start selling handmade. Then tax time hits, or you get a recall question, and you realise you needed them all along. Here's the full guide.
Moving from Etsy to Shopify doesn't have to mean starting over. Here's how to export your listings, import to Shopify, and handle the inventory problem nobody warns you about.
selling online
Etsy has the built-in audience. Shopify gives you control. But for makers who care about knowing their true costs, neither platform was built with you in mind.
Fallen behind on your handmade business bookkeeping? Here's exactly how to catch up, including the inventory step most guides forget to mention.
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Because they don't know what their products actually cost to make.
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