Craft Sellers & Handmade Goods
Your complete playbook for managing a handmade business
Etsy shops, market vendors, jewelry, pottery, and handmade goods
This playbook covers tracking raw materials, including labor time in your costs, organizing products with variants for size and color, setting up wholesale and retail pricing tiers, and generating price lists for markets. Follow the setup section once, then use the operations and reviews as your ongoing workflow.
Getting Started
One-time setup tasks to get your craft business configured in Ardent Seller.
1. Set up your workshop location
Rename your default location to "Workshop", "Studio", or whatever fits your space. If you store materials in one place and sell at another (e.g., a market booth), add each as a separate location.
2. Add your raw materials
Add the materials you craft with: beads, yarn, wire, clay, resin, fabric, wood, paint, etc. Set the unit of measure (yards, grams, each) and cost per unit. This is the foundation for accurate product costing.
3. Set up labor tracking
Add a labor entry with your hourly rate. When you create recipes, you can include labor time as a cost input so your product prices reflect the true time investment.
4. Add equipment
If you use tools or machines (kiln, sewing machine, Cricut, jewelry tools), add them to track depreciation and maintenance costs. This helps you understand total production costs.
5. Create products with variants
Add each product you sell. Use variants for different sizes, colors, or materials (e.g., "Silver Ring - Size 7", "Large Tote - Blue"). Set a selling price on each variant.
6. Set up pricing tiers
If you sell at different price points (retail at markets vs. wholesale to shops), configure pricing tiers. Each tier can apply a markup or adjustment formula to your base prices.
7. Add your vendors
Add the suppliers you buy materials from so you can track purchases by vendor and quickly replenish when supplies run low.
Day-to-Day Operations
Regular tasks as you create and sell your handmade products.
Build recipes (bills of materials) for products
Create a recipe for each product that lists all materials and their quantities, plus labor time. Ardent Seller calculates your total cost per unit so you know exactly what each item costs to make.
Purchase materials from suppliers
When you buy beads, yarn, or other supplies, record the purchase with the vendor, quantities, and costs. Your material inventory is updated automatically.
Run production for finished goods
When you complete a batch of items (e.g., 20 pairs of earrings), record a production run. Materials are deducted and finished products are added to your inventory.
Record sales at markets or online
After a market day or when online orders ship, record each sale. Select the customer, add the products sold, and choose the payment method. Revenue is tracked and stock is deducted.
Check inventory and replenish materials
Before a production run, check that you have enough materials. The replenish workflow flags items below their replenish points and helps you build purchase orders.
Periodic Reviews
Weekly or monthly tasks to keep your craft business on track.
Perform an inventory count
Count your physical materials and finished goods. The guided stocktake walks you through each item and creates adjustments for any discrepancies.
Review pricing across your product line
As material costs change, make sure your prices still deliver good margins. The price review workflow lets you compare costs to prices and update in batch.
Generate a price list for markets
Before a craft fair or market day, generate a clean price list report you can print or share. It includes all your products with current pricing.
Review profit and loss
Check your profit & loss report to see total revenue minus all costs (materials, labor, equipment, overhead) for any period. This tells you if your business is profitable.
End-of-period closeout
At month or quarter end, run the closeout workflow to reconcile inventory, review financials, and generate summary reports for your records.