One question that I often get from new entrepreneurs is, “how much should I charge for my handmade products”? Individuals who enjoy working with their hands usually love creating things for pleasure. They often freely share the fruits of their labors with others. Designing and creating handmade products to give away as gifts and freebies is generally the norm for them. Oftentimes they don’t even consider selling their products or goods until someone else suggests that they do so.
If they decide to heed this advice, they are typically confused about what rates to charge. Or they may be uneasy about charging what they deem to be “high rates.” This is especially the case when they once gave away their items for free. Such decisions are even more complicated for people who are benevolent and charitable by nature.
Entrepreneurs and small business owners in this category are not alone. It’s not always easy knowing what to charge when you have little to no experience in operating a business. This is why it is important to do some research and soul-searching before putting your products on the market. Doing some preliminary work will make the process much easier now and in the future.
The below list outlines what I often encourage my clients to consider when pricing their artisan products. These suggestions may also help you understand how much to charge for your handmade products.
Market Price
The first step to accurately and fairly pricing handmade products is to check the market value of the goods. This step is essential and should never be overlooked. It is generally not a good idea to arbitrarily choose a price for your products. You could be making a costly mistake by doing so. Keep in mind that the value of any product is based on what the buyer is willing to pay.
If you overprice your goods, you may make a few sales. But you will probably lose out on greater revenue in the long run. If you underprice your goods, you will be selling yourself short. And you will possibly take a major loss in your business over time. However, if you price wisely, you will most likely realize a steady stream of income for years to come. That’s assuming your product meets quality, value, and other standards.
Evaluation
Market price evaluation is very simple. A quick Google search will often yield an abundance of products similar to your artisan goods to price compare with. I always recommend checking the prices of both mass-produced and handmade products. It’s important to gain a wider perspective of the broader market for pricing and other purposes.
Competition
While your products will be unique and attract a different type of buyer, it is still important to assess all competitor rates. It is very common for similar products in the same category to range significantly in price. For instance, in helping one of my clients price her handmade body butter, we saw prices ranging from $4 to $140. These prices were inclusive of mass-produced and handmade body butter.
Time Components
Mass-produced products will typically be cheaper than handmade goods. This is because they are less expensive and faster to produce. However, handmade products take time, care, and craftsmanship to produce. Therefore they will tend to sell at the higher end of the price spectrum. And that’s perfectly fine as long as the price takes into consideration other elements. For instance, be sure to consider the cost of things such as labor and overhead costs and craftsmanship fees.
Labor and Overhead Costs
Calculating labor and overhead costs can be a bit more complicated. There are many factors to consider in this category. You need to think about every expense involved in making the product from start to finish. This includes supplies, equipment, legal fees, electricity, packaging, labeling, shipping, retail space, website maintenance, marketing, etc.
Additionally, you need to include the cost of labor for producing the product. If you are the sole producer, you should consider how much you would pay yourself as an employee. Obviously, if you have employees or work with contractors, you need to include wage expenses.
Once you have the total cost for each element, you will need to determine the per-product expense. This is the complicated part because it is difficult to get an exact figure. That’s especially if you don’t measure or otherwise account for the supplies you use to make your handicrafts. However, it can be done if you take the time to carefully consider such elements.
Craftsmanship Fees
Finally, you must know your value and worth as a craftsman. Are you a skilled artisan who produces detailed work of the highest professional quality? Are you a stay-at-home parent who produces semi-professional handmade goods in your spare time? Are you a working professional who makes amateur handmade goods as a side hustle? Or do you fall somewhere in between?
Understanding where you fall in the handmade industry will help you assign a price to your work. Just like in any other career field, the more specialized, high-level experience you have, the more you can expect to make. And, of course, you can and should adjust your price as your skill level grows. However, your skill level, market value, overhead, and labor costs should always be considered when pricing your products.
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