Inventory, manufacturing process, business success topics for small DTC manufacturers.
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.
handmade success
Thinking about expanding beyond Etsy or Shopify? Here's how to know when you're actually ready — and what to set up before you flip the switch.
Real order data from 1,200+ handmade sellers reveals exactly when demand peaks and troughs throughout the year — so you can plan production, materials, and cash flow with confidence.
Starting a jewelry business from home costs less than most people think — but the numbers shift dramatically as you grow. Here's a real cost breakdown by stage, from under $500 to wholesale-ready.
Faire charges brands a 25% commission on first orders from each new retailer, 15% on repeats, plus a $10 transaction fee per order. Here's how that adds up — and how to price for it.
200+ craft business name ideas organised by niche — sewing, candle, soap, jewelry, and baking — plus how to check availability on Etsy, Shopify, and for trademark.
Not every jar or tin is safe to fill with hot wax. Here's what actually makes a container candle-safe — heat resistance, pour temperature limits, wick sizing by diameter — for soy, paraffin, and beeswax.
100+ bakery name ideas organised by style — cute, funny, French-inspired, pun-based, and professional — plus how to check availability and protect your name.
Most handmade sellers price too low. Here's how to position your products as premium — and why knowing your true costs is the first step.
inventory management
Learn the reorder point formula for makers — (average daily demand × lead time) + safety stock — with real examples, a soap business walkthrough, and how to track it in Craftybase.
Most candle makers underprice because they've never added up every real cost. Here's the full formula — wax, fragrance, wicks, labor, packaging — plus a worked example you can use today.
bookkeeping tax
QuickBooks Spreadsheet Sync sounds like a dream for Excel-loving makers — but it's a financial reporting tool, not an inventory system. Here's what it actually does, what it costs, and what product-based businesses use instead.
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.
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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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