Inventory-management

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 Track COGS in Shopify

bookkeeping tax

How to Track COGS in Shopify

Shopify's built-in cost field won't give you accurate COGS if you make your own products. Here's how to actually track cost of goods sold as a small-batch manufacturer using Shopify.

· 19 min read
How to Track Material Inventory Alongside Shopify (A Guide for Product-Based Sellers)

inventory management

How to Track Material Inventory Alongside Shopify (A Guide for Product-Based Sellers)

Shopify tracks finished products. It doesn't track raw materials, recipes, or what it cost to make each item. Here's how to build the inventory layer Shopify is missing — specifically for Shopify sellers who manufacture what they sell.

· 19 min read
Batch Manufacturing for Shopify Makers — A Production Planning Guide

inventory management

Batch Manufacturing for Shopify Makers — A Production Planning Guide

Shopify tracks what you sell — not what goes into making it. Here's how to set up a real batch manufacturing workflow so your production runs are planned, costed, and synced.

· 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
MoCRA Compliance for Small Cosmetic Makers — What You Actually Need to Know

compliance

MoCRA Compliance for Small Cosmetic Makers — What You Actually Need to Know

MoCRA is now law. Here's what the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act means for your small soap or skincare business — facility registration, labeling, adverse event reporting, and how batch tracking helps.

· 20 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
How to Track Cost of Goods Sold in WooCommerce (Plugins vs. Manufacturing Software)

bookkeeping tax

How to Track Cost of Goods Sold in WooCommerce (Plugins vs. Manufacturing Software)

WooCommerce doesn't track COGS natively. Compare plugin options against dedicated manufacturing software, and see why product businesses producing their own goods need more than a static cost field.

· 19 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
How to Sync Inventory to WooCommerce for Small-Batch Manufacturers

inventory management

How to Sync Inventory to WooCommerce for Small-Batch Manufacturers

Stop updating WooCommerce stock counts by hand. Learn how WooCommerce inventory sync works for small-batch product businesses — and how Stocksmith Stock Push keeps your store accurate automatically.

· 15 min read