Plain answers

Guides for small product businesses

Short, practical answers to the money questions every maker and small seller runs into, with worked examples.

• Margin vs Markup: The Difference, With ExamplesThey come from the same sale and they are not the same number.
• How to Price a Product You Make or SellA price has to do three jobs: cover what the product cost you, pay for the business around it, and leave a profit.
• What Is Landed Cost, and How Do You Work It Out?Landed cost is what a product has cost you by the time it is on your shelf and ready to sell.
• How to Make a Wholesale Line SheetWhen a shop asks for your prices, a line sheet is what you send.
• How to Track Inventory in ExcelYou do not need inventory software to know what you have, what it is worth and what to reorder.
• How to Calculate Your Break-Even PointYour break-even point is the number of sales that covers your bills.
• Should You Offer Free Shipping?Buyers like free shipping, and someone still pays the carrier.
• How to Run a Sale Without Losing MoneyA sale feels busy and can still leave you with less than a quiet week at full price.
• How to Calculate Cost of Goods Sold for a Small Product BusinessCost of goods sold is what the products you actually sold cost you.
• How to Cost a Batch of Handmade ProductsYou make twelve at a time and sell them one at a time.