EvyStar Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Good Afternoon All! I am currently refining my costings spreadsheets and would love to hear how some of you distribute the cost of your freight among your stock.I am still in prototype phase and my orders with my candle suppliers change, whilst I'm testing the waters, doing on the spot market research at the markets (i do the markets every week) and testing out what jars and fragrances customers prefer. Anyhoo...I have been struggling with working out the most cost effective way to evenly spread the cost of freight amongst my stock. If I were to make one big massive bulk order, it would be a lot easier to work out. However, my orders a small and variable. I have tried dividing by the number of Jars I buy. But then that doesn't take into account the cost of Fragrances and wicks generally included in the order. Thank-you! Evy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I may do it different than most people but I will go to my suppliers site and put in say the amount of jars I buy at a time and then go to check out to see what the freight is- I than take that total and divide by the number of jars to get my PER jar price so it includes the shippingI then do the same for my wicks and other major supplies and the fragrance oils I do the same based off only having 1 bottle sent- and I take the middle of the road pricing of my fragrance oils so I am covered- I usually purchase more than 1 at a time but it does happen where I need just one bottle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I used to have a spreadsheet that I would plug all of my prices I paid on the invoice. I had formulas that would calculate the cost of EVERYTHING I paid for (whether from that supplier or not - because I wouldn't necessarily make a candle using only supplies from 1 supplier) It would calculate everything - jars, wicks, dyes, additives, wax, scent, shipping - EVERYTHING and tell me what the cost of that one particular candle cost me to make, and then I would do my mark-ups for wholesale, retail, friends discounts, etc. Once I sold a jar, I would plug that into the spreadsheet as well, and it would tell me my exact input/output. Now I have SM3 and it does all that for me, so I retired my spreadsheets. If I can find it in one of my old folders on my other computer, I will figure out a way to put it in a share-able format and post it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmJean Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I read somewhere once to mark up freight costs based on weight of the finished product. So one idea I had was to average out the freight costs per lb on my supply orders and then weigh my candle and multiple to get the mark up. Obviously the cost could vary a lot depending on how much you order at a time but I try to make sure I get the most for my freight dollars when I place my orders. I haven't set up my etsy shop or started advertising yet so this hasn't actually been put into practice. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I used to have a spreadsheet that I would plug all of my prices I paid on the invoice. I had formulas that would calculate the cost of EVERYTHING I paid for (whether from that supplier or not - because I wouldn't necessarily make a candle using only supplies from 1 supplier) It would calculate everything - jars, wicks, dyes, additives, wax, scent, shipping - EVERYTHING and tell me what the cost of that one particular candle cost me to make, and then I would do my mark-ups for wholesale, retail, friends discounts, etc. Once I sold a jar, I would plug that into the spreadsheet as well, and it would tell me my exact input/output. Now I have SM3 and it does all that for me, so I retired my spreadsheets. If I can find it in one of my old folders on my other computer, I will figure out a way to put it in a share-able format and post it. What is SM3? That sounds heavenly if it does it all for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 What is SM3? That sounds heavenly if it does it all for youSoapmaker 3 - it's a software created by a soapmaker for soapmaking, but it works just as well for candles and candlemaking also. It's $99 for the professional version (that keeps track of inventory - where as the lite version doesn't) The only problem that I know of with this software is that it is not compatible with a Mac. http://www.soapmaker.ca/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonshine Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Thank you- I guess it's not an option for me....Mac user over here- unless I use it at work I will have to look into that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I've had mine for so long that when I bought the pro version it was only $65 - all upgrades and support is free. Last I heard (but that was a while ago, and it still hasn't happened) the owners were looking into creating a version compatible with Mac, but it still hasn't happened. And yeah, it does everything for me, including when I'm running low on supplies and need to re-order. (My spreadsheet wasn't that sophisticated) I still haven't had a chance to get on my other computer and check to see if my spreadsheet is still on there, but at some point soon, I'll do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmJean Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Jcandleattic - Do you remember how easy it was to learn? I went to the website and it looks AWESOME! Just wondering how user friendly it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmJean Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 EvyStar - I was looking around on the soapmaker software website and they have a free worksheet you can download. Looks like it will allocate shipping costs for each item in your order. Maybe this will help?http://www.soapmaker.ca/extras.phpEmily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) Jcandleattic - Do you remember how easy it was to learn? I went to the website and it looks AWESOME! Just wondering how user friendly it is.Easy! Have you ever worked with Quickbooks? The ease level is about the same. Really the hardest thing about using it is putting in all of your data. And that is far from hard, it's just time consuming. It's got a built in sap calculator and you can set all of your defaults of whatever it is you use most often, but it's easy enough to change on the fly for each particular recipe. I love mine. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It's very user friendly. ETA: They also have step by step tutorials for each function and on start up they give you "daily tips" (that function can be turned off, but you can always access the tips even if you have them turned off to where you don't get the pop-up each time you open it) Edited January 12, 2014 by Jcandleattic To add information Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmJean Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 SOLD! I'm adding this of my list of things to invest in. Thanks for all the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvyStar Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 You guys are amazing! I would love to see a copy of your spreadsheet if possible and I will also check out the software product. I too have a Mac but will contact them to find out further information.Listening to this talk on TED whilst making my candles. You might find it of interest.http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing.htmlSheena Iyengar studies how we make choices -- and how we feel about the choices we make. At TEDGlobal, she talks about both trivial choices (Coke v. Pepsi) and profound ones, and shares her groundbreaking research that has uncovered some surprising attitudes about our decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvyStar Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 Easy! Have you ever worked with Quickbooks? The ease level is about the same. Really the hardest thing about using it is putting in all of your data. And that is far from hard, it's just time consuming. It's got a built in sap calculator and you can set all of your defaults of whatever it is you use most often, but it's easy enough to change on the fly for each particular recipe. I love mine. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It's very user friendly. ETA: They also have step by step tutorials for each function and on start up they give you "daily tips" (that function can be turned off, but you can always access the tips even if you have them turned off to where you don't get the pop-up each time you open it)Have just checked out the Australian branch of Quickbooks. http://www.intuit.com.au/quickbooks-online/small-business-accounting-software-compare.jspIt seems that the Professional version is the way to go (it tracks inventory which would be super helpful), however it costs $35.00AUD per month. Am I looking at the same product/brand you have suggested?Thanks! Evy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) EvyStar, I don't have quickbooks (well, I've used it a couple jobs before, but not for my candles/soaps) I just mentioned it because SM3 is just as easy to use as Quickbooks. For the price of SM3 it is sooo worth it! And it's a one time fee, all upgrades, support, etc., comes with the package. I've never had to pay for anything since I bought the software (back with it was 2.8 it's up to 3.6.8 now! ) What I suggested is this - http://soapmaker.ca/ Edited January 13, 2014 by Jcandleattic to add correct link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvyStar Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 I might have to be a second hand windows pc or laptop to run this program if I am to buy it. I tried downloading windows interface for my mac last weekend. Way too technical and time consuming for me to figure out how to install and work out how to use myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvyStar Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 I used to have a spreadsheet that I would plug all of my prices I paid on the invoice. I had formulas that would calculate the cost of EVERYTHING I paid for (whether from that supplier or not - because I wouldn't necessarily make a candle using only supplies from 1 supplier) It would calculate everything - jars, wicks, dyes, additives, wax, scent, shipping - EVERYTHING and tell me what the cost of that one particular candle cost me to make, and then I would do my mark-ups for wholesale, retail, friends discounts, etc. Once I sold a jar, I would plug that into the spreadsheet as well, and it would tell me my exact input/output. Now I have SM3 and it does all that for me, so I retired my spreadsheets. If I can find it in one of my old folders on my other computer, I will figure out a way to put it in a share-able format and post it. So do you think it's worth me buy a second hand windows pc or laptop and purchase SM3? From what I have read and heard it seems to be the one stop program for candlemakers. Is that all you use now? Or do you still use spreadsheets for other things too? Any further info on how you use SM3 would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!Evy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 SM3 is all I use for inventory, costs, formulas and keeping track of sales. I don't use a secondary product. Whether you get a used PC for this is completely up to you but ime sm3 has been very worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmJean Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I bought the software yesterday and have all my inventory loaded in. How do you log the material you use for testing? I have a few recipes entered and did some batches but can't figure out how to account for the wax/FO/wicks etc used during testing. Do you just adjust inventory levels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I bought the software yesterday and have all my inventory loaded in. How do you log the material you use for testing? I have a few recipes entered and did some batches but can't figure out how to account for the wax/FO/wicks etc used during testing. Do you just adjust inventory levels?when you "make a batch" it automatically adjusts the inventory levels - you just have to make sure you put everything you made for your test into the batch. I name my test batches "Test batch -fo-wick type-etc-" Meaning if I'm testing a 16oz apothecary with a 51z wick and strawberry fo, my batch would be named "Test batch strawberry 51z 16oz" and so on... I believe there is a notes section to record any of your notes into it. If you don't want to record your tests as actual batches (I do for inventory and cost records) then yes, you would just adjust your inventory accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmJean Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 OK, that's kind of what I was thinking but I'm getting hung up on how to move it out of the inventory. If I just change the "stock left" to "0" after I'm done testing, is it going to screw up any of my other numbers? Maybe I'm thinking too hard here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I'm at work and don't have access to my software here, but there is an index and you can look up inventory controls or quantities and it will explain how to do exactly what you are asking. I don't *think* it will mess any of your numbers up (inventory and batch wise), but I think just zeroing out qty's changes the bottom line and your costs. I printed out all of the index when I first got my software, and every time there is an update, it give you the notes on what has changed and why - I print those out as well and keep the whole thing in a binder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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