Resources

Inventory management, manufacturing, and business strategy for small-batch product businesses.

How to Calculate Your Reorder Point (The Formula That Actually Works for Manufacturers)

inventory management

How to Calculate Your Reorder Point (The Formula That Actually Works for Manufacturers)

The reorder point formula tells you exactly when to place a new purchase order, before you run out mid-production. Here's how to calculate it for raw materials.

· 15 min read
Multi-Channel Inventory Management for Product Businesses

inventory management

Multi-Channel Inventory Management for Product Businesses

Multi-channel inventory management is harder when you manufacture. Here's why, and how product businesses keep raw materials and finished goods in sync across Shopify, Etsy, and wholesale.

· 16 min read
How to Calculate Manufacturing Cost Per Unit (Including the Variables Most Guides Miss)

pricing

How to Calculate Manufacturing Cost Per Unit (Including the Variables Most Guides Miss)

Learn the manufacturing cost per unit formula, including yield loss, batch variance, and overhead allocation: the variables most pricing guides skip entirely.

· 19 min read
Best MRP Software for Small Manufacturing Businesses in 2026

manufacturing

Best MRP Software for Small Manufacturing Businesses in 2026

MRP software isn't one-size-fits-all. Small-batch manufacturers and product businesses need different things than factories with 200 employees. Here's an honest breakdown of the best options.

· 16 min read
Why QuickBooks Doesn't Know What Your Products Actually Cost (And What Product Businesses Do Instead)

bookkeeping tax

Why QuickBooks Doesn't Know What Your Products Actually Cost (And What Product Businesses Do Instead)

QuickBooks tracks your material spend — but it can't calculate cost per product from a recipe or BOM. Here's why that's a problem for product businesses, and how to fix it without switching accounting tools.

· 14 min read
Best Food Manufacturing Software for Small Businesses in 2026

manufacturing

Best Food Manufacturing Software for Small Businesses in 2026

Compare the best food manufacturing software for small businesses in 2026, from cottage producers to commercial kitchen operators.

· 15 min read
Recipe Costing Software for Makers (5 Tools Compared, 2026)

inventory management

Recipe Costing Software for Makers (5 Tools Compared, 2026)

Recipe costing software tells you exactly what every product costs to make — before you set a price or accept an order. Here are 5 tools compared for product businesses.

· 21 min read
How to Choose Manufacturing Software for Your Small Business in 2026

manufacturing

How to Choose Manufacturing Software for Your Small Business in 2026

ERP, MRP, inventory-only: the options are confusing. Here's a practical framework for evaluating manufacturing software when you're a small-batch producer, not a factory.

· 16 min read
Best Inventory Management Systems for Small Manufacturers in 2026

inventory management

Best Inventory Management Systems for Small Manufacturers in 2026

Inventory software built for retail counts widgets. Small manufacturers need something different: raw material tracking, COGS calculation, and production-aware stock. Here are the best options in 2026.

· 17 min read
Shopify Stocky Discontinued — Why Stocky Is Shutting Down and What to Do Next

inventory management

Shopify Stocky Discontinued — Why Stocky Is Shutting Down and What to Do Next

Shopify Stocky is discontinued and shutting down August 31, 2026. Key features like inventory transfers and forecasting are already gone. Here's what happened to Stocky, why it was removed from the Shopify App Store, and the best alternatives for product businesses who manufacture products.

· 18 min read
Amazon's New QuickBooks Integration: What Sellers Should Know (And an Alternative Approach)

bookkeeping tax

Amazon's New QuickBooks Integration: What Sellers Should Know (And an Alternative Approach)

Amazon now offers embedded QuickBooks access in Seller Central. But is giving Amazon direct access to your financial data the right move? Here's what you need to know — and a different way to connect your accounting without sharing everything.

· 5 min read
Why the Shopify QuickBooks Integration Fails Product Businesses

bookkeeping tax

Why the Shopify QuickBooks Integration Fails Product Businesses

The Shopify QuickBooks Connector just forced a major update — and product businesses are watching their orders fail to sync, customer data vanish, and COGS calculations break. Here's what went wrong, when it makes sense (and doesn't), and a better path for product-based businesses.

· 11 min read
Work in Progress Inventory (WIP) — Formula & Examples

inventory management

Work in Progress Inventory (WIP) — Formula & Examples

Work-in-progress inventory is the value of everything you've started making but haven't finished yet. Here's how to track it, calculate it, and stop flying blind on your production costs.

· 16 min read
MoCRA Compliance Guide for Small Cosmetics Manufacturers (2026)

compliance

MoCRA Compliance Guide for Small Cosmetics Manufacturers (2026)

The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) changes how small cosmetics makers handle registration, labeling, and safety. Here's what you actually need to do — and whether you're exempt.

· 12 min read
How to Write a Batch Record for Soap — A Practical Guide

inventory management

How to Write a Batch Record for Soap — A Practical Guide

Learn how to write a soap batch record that meets MoCRA 2026 requirements — covering required fields, lot number formats, cosmetic vs true soap rules, and a free template you can use today.

· 25 min read