The Hivara blog

Run your craft like a business

Practical, no-fluff guides on pricing, true cost, and inventory — written for handmade makers.

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July 25, 2026 6 min read

How to Price Enamel Pins (The All-In Unit Cost)

The factory quotes $1.60 a pin. Your real cost is $2.41. Price from the all-in number and pins become a real business.

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July 24, 2026 5 min read

When (and How) to Discontinue a Product

Adding products is fun; cutting them feels like failure. But every product you keep costs time and materials — here's how to know what to let go.

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July 23, 2026 6 min read

How to Price Resin Art (Waste, Molds and Real Margin)

Every pour leaves money in the cup. Price resin pieces from what a cast truly consumes — waste, mold wear and failures included.

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July 22, 2026 6 min read

KPIs Every Maker Should Track (and Ignore)

You don't need a dashboard of 50 metrics. You need a handful that tell you the truth. Here are the numbers worth watching — and the ones to ignore.

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July 21, 2026 6 min read

How to Price Handmade Skincare (Jars, Grams and Shelf Life)

In skincare the jar often costs more than the shea inside it. Price the whole product — packaging, freshness window and all.

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July 20, 2026 5 min read

Reorder Points: How to Set Them So You Never Run Out

Running out of a key material mid-order is avoidable. A reorder point is the simple number that tells you when to buy more — here's how to set one.

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July 18, 2026 6 min read

How to Price Handmade Jewelry (Down to the Finding)

Twenty tiny parts, one true cost. Price jewelry from the full bill of materials and the margin holds — even at wholesale.

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July 17, 2026 5 min read

How to Handle a Material Price Increase

Your supplier just raised prices. If your product prices don't move with them, the increase comes straight out of your margin. Here's how to respond.

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July 16, 2026 6 min read

How to Price T-Shirts (Run Size Changes Everything)

The same design costs $5.15 a shirt on a 50-run and $10.85 on a 12-run. Price the run, not just the shirt.

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July 15, 2026 5 min read

Are You Paying Yourself? How to Cost Your Time as a Maker

The most expensive ingredient in anything handmade is your time — and it's the one most makers forget to count. Here's how to put a real number on it.

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July 14, 2026 6 min read

How to Price Crochet (Your Hours Are the Product)

Yarn is the small line. Price your hours honestly and the rest of crochet pricing gets much simpler — and much higher.

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July 13, 2026 6 min read

How to Prepare Your Inventory for a Craft Fair

The night before a market shouldn't be a frantic count. Here's how to prep your inventory so you bring the right stock, sell smoothly, and reconcile after.

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July 11, 2026 6 min read

How to Price Stickers (Singles, Packs and Sheets)

A sticker costs more than its vinyl. Build the real per-sticker number, then price singles high enough that packs can discount.

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July 10, 2026 6 min read

How to Prepare Your Handmade Business for the Holiday Rush

For most makers, the last few months of the year make the year. Here's how to prep your stock, materials, and production so the rush is a win, not chaos.

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July 9, 2026 6 min read

How to Price Handmade Soap (Cure Time Included)

Build a real cost per bar — oils, lye, fragrance, wrap — then price for the weeks your cash spends on the curing rack.

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July 8, 2026 5 min read

How to Track Your Shipping and Packaging Costs

Boxes, tissue, labels, postage — the costs after the product is made. Most makers forget them, and it quietly shrinks every sale. Here's how to track them.

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July 7, 2026 6 min read

How to Price Candles (With Real Numbers)

Wax, fragrance, vessel, wick, label — build a real cost per candle, then set wholesale and retail prices you can defend.

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July 6, 2026 5 min read

How to Sell on Multiple Channels Without Overselling

More sales channels means more reach — and more ways to oversell the same item. Here's how to keep one honest stock count across all of them.

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July 3, 2026 6 min read

How to Manage Production for a Handmade Business

Making one of something is easy. Making the right things, in the right amounts, without running out of supplies is the real skill. Here's how to manage it.

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July 1, 2026 6 min read

How to Find Your Most Profitable Products

The product you sell the most of isn't always the one that makes the most money. Here's how to find your real winners — and your hidden losers.

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June 29, 2026 5 min read

Etsy Fees and Your Real Profit: What You Actually Keep

A $30 sale on Etsy doesn't put $30 in your pocket. Here's how to account for the fees so you know what you actually keep — and price for it.

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June 26, 2026 6 min read

How to Forecast Demand for a Seasonal Handmade Business

The holiday rush makes or breaks a maker's year. Here's how to forecast demand so you make enough of the right things — without drowning in leftovers.

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June 24, 2026 5 min read

How Product Bundles Can Increase Your Sales

Bundles are one of the easiest ways to raise your average order — and move slow stock. Here's how to build ones that sell without giving away your margin.

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June 22, 2026 5 min read

How to Raise Your Prices Without Losing Customers

Raising prices feels terrifying — like everyone will leave. They mostly won't. Here's how to do it with confidence, backed by your real numbers.

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June 19, 2026 5 min read

How to Create SKUs for Your Handmade Products

SKUs sound like big-business jargon, but they're just short codes that keep your products straight. Here's a simple way to create ones that actually help.

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June 19, 2026 5 min read

5 Signs You've Outgrown Spreadsheets for Inventory

A spreadsheet is the right first tool for inventory. But there's a moment it starts costing you more time than it saves — here are the 5 signs.

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June 19, 2026 6 min read

Wholesale vs. Retail Pricing: A Maker's Guide

Selling to shops is exciting — until you realize you're barely breaking even. Here's how to price wholesale and retail so both actually make you money.

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June 19, 2026 6 min read

Inventory Management for Etsy Sellers: A Simple System

Spreadsheets break the moment your shop grows. Here's a simple inventory system for Etsy sellers that keeps materials, finished stock, and reorders under control.

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June 19, 2026 5 min read

How to Calculate the True Cost of a Handmade Product

Materials are only part of the story. Here's how to find the real cost of a handmade product — including the costs that quietly eat your profit.

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June 19, 2026 6 min read

How to Price Your Handmade Products (Without Guessing)

Most makers price by gut feel and quietly lose money. Here's a simple formula that covers your materials, pays you for your time, and leaves real profit.

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