The Problem With "$8"
Facebook Comments Aren't Your Accountant
Someone posts a photo of their product and asks what to charge. Within minutes the comments are full of numbers: $8, $10, $15. Everyone's confident. Nobody's showing their math.
Here's the thing: those numbers might be right for someone. But are they right for you? Your materials cost different. Your time is worth different. Your overhead is different. Your profit goals are different.
The tool above gives you a starting point, but only if the numbers you type in are accurate.
What This Tool Can't Tell You
The Questions That Actually Matter
The slider tool is a great way to see how pricing works. But it can only calculate what you give it. And for most crafters, figuring out these numbers is the hardest part:
What is my actual material cost per unit?
Not the price of the whole sheet or container. The exact cost of what you used on this one item.
What is my labour cost per unit?
Your hourly rate divided by how long it took, including setup, cleanup, and batch time. You need to set a real hourly rate and actually track your hands-on time.
What about machine time?
Some products need very little hands-on time but run a laser, Cricut, or 3D printer for hours. That machine wear needs to be accounted for separately. It's not labour, but it's still a real cost.
What's my profit across all my pricing tiers?
Retail is one number. Markets, wholesale, and bulk orders all need different prices and different margins.