Bought in bulk, used a little at a time
A 10 lb bag of wax becomes 7 oz per candle. Working out what each one costs by hand is slow and easy to get wrong.
For handmade businesses
Know what each batch costs, and whether the market was worth it.
You buy wax by the pound or fabric by the yard, make in batches, and sell at markets, online and to people who ask. Cajella costs each batch in the units you use and keeps finished stock straight. With Pro, it shows what each market earned after the booth fee, and how much of what you brought sold.
Bulk, batches, booths
Where handmade businesses lose track.
Made in batches
You pour, sew or bake in batches, and need to know what each batch used and how much is ready to sell.
What happened at the show?
At the end of a long market day, it's hard to say how many pieces you brought, how many sold and how many are going home again.
The booth fee nobody counts
Booth fees and show costs come out of the day's takings before there's any profit, if there is any.
From bulk to booth
How Cajella fits handmade work.
Buy one way, use another
Buy by the pound and use by the ounce, or buy by the gallon and use by the fluid ounce. Cajella converts within weight, volume or length, so each material is costed in the unit you use it in.
Batches into stock
Record each batch as a production run. Materials come out of stock, finished pieces go in, and the cost of that batch is locked in.
Know when you're running low
Set a low-stock level on a material, and Cajella marks it Low Stock when you reach it, so you can reorder before a batch leaves you short.
Markets and fairs, with Pro
Plan an event, record its costs, set aside the stock you're bringing, sell from Event Mode on the day, then see units sold, sell-through and the event's profit.
Cajella records each sale; take payment with the card reader you already use.
A batch of candles
An 8 oz soy candle.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Soy wax: 7 oz at $0.16/oz | $1.12 |
| Fragrance oil: 0.6 fl oz at $1.50/fl oz | $0.90 |
| Jar | $1.85 |
| Wick | $0.12 |
| Labor: 4 minutes at $18/hour | $1.20 |
| Label | $0.30 |
| Cost per candle | $5.49 |
Example numbers — your costs will be different.
These come from what you paid for each bag of wax and bottle of fragrance, and from your own labor rate.
Markets and fairs
Before, during and after a show.
Before the show
Create the event, record the booth fee and other costs, and set aside stock: say, 40 candles for a market with a $75 booth fee.
On the day
Sell from Event Mode, and each sale comes out of the stock you brought. Take a custom request as an order to make later.
After the show
See revenue, cost of goods and the event's profit after the booth fee and other costs, alongside units brought, units sold and the sell-through.
Events are part of Cajella Pro. Compare the plans.
Handmade questions
Handmade business questions.
Can I take card payments in Cajella at my booth?
No. Cajella records the sale and updates your stock; take payment with the card reader or app you already use.
Can one material be measured by weight and by volume?
No. Each material converts within one kind of unit, so choose the one you buy and use it in. Wax by weight and fragrance oil by volume are separate materials, each in its own unit.
Do I need events to sell at markets?
No. Events are a Pro feature for planning and reviewing shows. Without them you can still record market sales as orders.
I make seasonal batches. Does that work?
Yes. Record each batch as a production run when you make it; nothing assumes you make the same thing every week.
I sell wholesale too. Can I record that?
Yes. Record a wholesale order like any other, at the wholesale price, and it counts in your sales report's revenue and margin.
I'm on spreadsheets now. Is switching a big job?
Start with the materials and products you sell most. Stock you already have can be added by hand.
More makers
Other kinds of makers
Get your costs and your next market in one place.
Start free with your own materials and batches. Add events with Pro when show season comes around.