Inventory, manufacturing process, business success topics for small DTC manufacturers.
pricing
Etsy fee calculators show you platform costs. They don't show you what it actually costs to run a POD business. Here's how to work out your true profit margin before you scale.
Most soap makers underprice because they've never done the loaf-to-bar math. This guide walks through the full costing formula: oils, lye, fragrance, packaging, labour, with a real cold process example you can use today.
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.
Etsy revenue estimates for digital products look great. Here's what they're not showing you: time costs, software subscriptions, Ads spend, and the real net income.
Stop guessing and stop copying competitors. Here's the exact jewelry pricing formula: materials by gram and unit, labor by the minute, overhead, and profit margin. Includes a worked sterling silver ring example.
Butter costs more. Eggs cost more. Fragrance oils, coconut wax, shea butter: all up. If you haven't updated your prices, you're quietly losing money on every single order.
Etsy pricing done right means covering every cost before you set a number. Here's the formula Etsy sellers use to price profitably, fees, labor, materials, and all.
Most handmade sellers set their hourly rate at $0. Not because their time isn't worth anything, but because they've never been taught how to figure out what it's worth. Here's how to fix that.
Overhead costs are the silent profit killers most makers ignore — until tax time. Here's how to calculate them accurately and build them into every product price.
bookkeeping tax
Most budget templates aren't built for makers. Here's how to create a business budget that actually works for a handmade business — starting with your materials costs, not a revenue guess.
Most advice says raise prices when you feel undervalued. That's backwards. Here's how to use actual cost data to know when — and by how much — to raise your handmade prices.
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.
Wholesale pricing for handmade products isn't just 'charge less' — it's a completely different math. Here's the formula, the margin stack, and why getting your COGS right first is non-negotiable.
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.
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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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