What is CrafterBy?

CrafterBy is a cost calculation and pricing tool built for artisans and small makers. It answers one question that most handmade businesses struggle with: what does this product actually cost me to make?

The problem it solves

Take a candle maker selling 200g soy candles. She knows the wax costs roughly 2 EUR, but what about the wick, fragrance oil, jar, label, and the 12 minutes of her time? Add the slice of monthly workshop rent, the cost of her pouring equipment spread across thousands of candles, and the occasional batch she scraps -- and the real cost per unit looks very different from her initial estimate.

Underpricing is the most common reason small creative businesses fail to grow. CrafterBy tracks every cost component so you know your margin before you set a price, not after you check your bank balance.

What CrafterBy tracks

• Materials -- raw inputs with unit costs, waste factors, and stock levels.
• Labour -- time per production step multiplied by your hourly rate.
• Machine costs -- depreciation and running costs for equipment (kilns, laser cutters, 3D printers, sewing machines).
• Overhead -- rent, utilities, insurance, and other fixed costs allocated across your output.

Who it is for

CrafterBy is designed for independent makers who produce physical goods: candle makers, jewellers, leatherworkers, potters, woodworkers, textile artists, and anyone operating a CO2 laser, 3D printer, or similar machine-assisted craft. It is useful whether you sell 20 items a month or 2,000.

What you get

For each product you create, CrafterBy generates a full cost breakdown showing exactly what drives the price. You can adjust your labour rate, change a material supplier, or alter your overhead allocation and see the effect on every product instantly. Reports let you compare margins across your catalogue and spot which products are worth scaling.

What CrafterBy is not

CrafterBy is not an accounting tool, invoicing platform, or e-commerce shop. It focuses specifically on cost engineering -- the work that happens before you decide what to charge.