The Mavenory Blog
Pricing, true COGS, inventory, recipes, and weekly planning for small handmade businesses. Real formulas and worked examples, not sales copy.
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Open free calculatorsSpreadsheets vs Inventory Software for Makers: When to Make the Switch
Spreadsheets are free and flexible — until they aren't. Here's an honest comparison of spreadsheets vs inventory software for handmade makers, and how to know when to switch.
When Should You Raise Your Prices? A Maker's Decision Guide
Clear signals that it's time to raise your handmade prices, how much to raise them, and how to do it without losing customers. A practical guide for Etsy and craft sellers.
How to Standardize Your Product Recipes (Bill of Materials) for Consistent Batches
Turn the recipe in your head into a documented bill of materials. Standardizing your product recipes gives you consistent batches, accurate costs, and automatic material tracking.
How to Prepare Your Handmade Shop for the Holiday Rush
Plan your handmade holiday season from capacity and materials, not wishful revenue goals. A practical prep guide for Etsy and craft sellers to avoid stockouts and burnout.
Are You Actually Making Money? Profit Per Hour for Makers
Your best-selling product may be your worst earner. Learn how to calculate profit per hour for handmade products and use it to decide what to make and what to reprice.
How to Track Raw Materials and Supplies for a Handmade Business
A simple system for tracking raw materials and supplies in a handmade business — units, costs, fractional usage, reorder points and waste — so you never run out or lose money.
Inventory Management for Etsy & Handmade Sellers: A Practical Guide
A practical inventory management guide for Etsy and handmade sellers: track materials and finished goods, avoid stockouts and overselling, and know what to make next.
How Much Does It Cost to Make a Candle? A Real Cost Breakdown
A realistic, line-by-line breakdown of how much it costs to make a candle — wax, wick, fragrance, jar, labor and overhead — plus how to price it for profit.
How to Calculate COGS for Your Handmade Business
Learn what cost of goods sold (COGS) means for a handmade business, how to calculate it step by step, and why it's the number that decides your real profit.
How to Price Handmade Products: The True-Cost Formula
A clear, step-by-step formula for pricing handmade products — materials, labor, overhead and profit — with worked examples for candles and soap.