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Guides for makers and small manufacturers

Practical, no-fluff writing on inventory, production and costing.

free tool
Candle Pricing Calculator →

Materials by pack price and usage, a wastage allowance, your time, and every Etsy fee editable. It works out what a candle costs, what the sale leaves you, and what to charge to hit the margin you want. No signup.

free tool
Etsy Fee Calculator →

Every fee on one order, line by line: listing, transaction, payment processing, Offsite Ads, the regulatory fee and currency conversion. Shows what actually lands in your account, with a preset per country. No signup.

How to Price Homemade Candles

The pricing formula for handmade goods on one worked candle: real cost, what Etsy actually takes, and the price that hits your margin.

21 August 2026 · 9 min read
Product Cost Formula

Four formulas that answer different questions: total manufacturing cost, cost per unit, cost of goods sold, and why margin is not markup.

7 August 2026 · 8 min read
How to Calculate Direct Materials Cost

The formula both ways, with worked numbers: per unit from a bill of materials, and per period from opening stock, purchases and closing stock.

7 August 2026 · 7 min read
How to Track Raw Materials in a Small Manufacturing Business

Why Excel breaks down, and a practical process for intake, write-offs, stock control and purchase planning.

27 July 2026 · 6 min read
How to Calculate the True Cost of a Product

Materials, packaging, labour, overhead and waste - what actually goes into an accurate product cost.

27 July 2026 · 5 min read