Studio For Makers — Complete User Guide

1. Getting Started & First-Time Setup

What You Need to Know Before Starting

Studio For Makers helps you track inventory, costs, and production. Think of it as your digital notebook for everything you buy, make, and sell.

Step 1: Configure Company Settings (Do This First!)

Where to Find It:

Click Settings in the top navigation menu (under the Settings dropdown).

What to Enter:

Why This Matters:

Once you set this up, every report you print will have your business name at the top. It looks professional and saves you from writing it by hand on every document.

Step 2: Choose Your Measurement Units

This is critical! Pick one unit per ingredient type and stick to it. Mixing units causes confusion in the system and in your formulas.

Step 3: Add Your First Inventory Items

Start with your top 10-20 items the things you buy and use most often:

• Your most-used fragrance oils
• Base oils (coconut, olive, etc.)
• Key additives (like colorants, preservatives)
• Packaging you reorder frequently (jars, bottles)
• Labels and boxes

2. Inventory Page — Complete Guide

What This Page Does

This is your master list of everything you have in stock: ingredients, packaging, supplies. It tracks:

• How much you have on hand
• What it costs per unit
• Where it's located on your shelves
• When to reorder (reorder point)
• Lot numbers and expiry dates (if needed)

Adding a New Inventory Item (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Click "Add New Item"

Look for the button near the top of the Inventory page.

Step 2: Fill Out the Form

Here's what each field means and how to fill it out:

Step 3: Click "Save"

Your item is now in inventory! You can edit it anytime by clicking on the row.

Real-World Example: Adding Lavender Essential Oil

Using Inventory Filters

Category Filter

Shows only items in a specific category (e.g., just "Oils" or just "Packaging")

Use it when: Looking for all your oils, or checking packaging supplies.

Vendor Filter

Shows only items from one supplier

Use it when: You're placing a reorder with Candle Science and want to see everything you've bought from them.

View Mode: Grouped vs. Lots Only

• Grouped: Combines all rows with the same name (shows total qty across all lots/vendors)
• Lots Only: Shows each lot/purchase as a separate row

When to use Grouped: Quick overview of totals

When to use Lots Only: Tracking specific items.

Low Stock Only

Shows only items at or below their reorder point

Use it when: Building your shopping list.

Understanding the Source Column (M/P/I)

This tiny column tells you where each inventory row came from:

• M = Manual (you typed it in directly on the Inventory page)
• P = Purchase Log (you entered an invoice and posted it to inventory)
• I = Import (you uploaded a CSV file)

Why it matters: If you see "P", you know that item came from an invoice in the Purchase Log.

3. Purchase Log — Invoice Management

What This Page Does

Tracks complete invoices with shipping, tax, and fees. Calculates the true landed cost of each item (not just the item price, but your real cost including all fees).

Why Use Purchase Log Instead of Just Inventory?

• Accurate costs: Includes shipping/tax allocated across items
• Invoice history: See what you paid each vendor over time
• Vendor tracking: Dashboard shows spending by vendor
• Traceability: Link inventory items back to original invoices

Creating an Invoice (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Click "Add Invoice"

Step 2: Fill in Invoice Header

Step 3: Add Invoice Lines (Items You Bought)

Click "Add Line" for each item on the invoice.

Step 4: Review Totals

The system shows:

• Subtotal (all items)
• Shipping
• Tax
• Fees
• Grand Total (what you actually paid)

Step 5: Save as Draft or Post to Inventory

• Save as Draft: Saves the invoice but doesn't update inventory yet (good for incomplete invoices)
• Post to Inventory: Adds/updates inventory items with quantities and landed costs

Real-World Example: Lotion Crafter Invoice

4. Dashboard & Reports

What This Page Shows

Your business at a glance: alerts, trends, and action items.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Inventory Value

Total value of all inventory (Qty × Cost/Unit for all items)

Use it to: Understand how much capital is tied up in stock

Total Items

How many different inventory items you have

Low Stock Items

Items at or below reorder point

Action needed: Click to see what to reorder

Out of Stock Items

Items with 0 quantity

Action needed: Order immediately if these are active items

Alerts Panel (Needs Immediate Attention)

This section shows problems that need your attention:

🔴 Out of Stock

Items with zero quantity. Click the item name to jump to Inventory and see details.

What to do: Check if you still use this item. If yes, add to shopping list.

🟠 Low Inventory

Items below reorder point (but not zero yet).

What to do: Plan to reorder soon before you run out.

⚠️ Expired Items

Items past their expiry/best-by date.

What to do: Evaluate if still usable or needs replacement. Don't use in new batches.

✓ All Clear

If you see this, you have no urgent issues!

Batch Production History

Shows blend and recipe batches made in the last 30 days.

• See what you've been making
• Track production costs
• Click 🔍 Trace to see full lot traceability

Lot Traceability Widget

Quick search for lot numbers or ingredient names.

Use it when: You need to trace an ingredient fast (recall situations)

Reports Available

Spend by Vendor

See which vendors you spend the most with.

Use it to: Negotiate volume discounts, consolidate vendors

Ingredient Price Compare

Compare prices for the same ingredient from different vendors.

Use it to: Find the best deal before reordering

Data Gaps

Items missing important data (cost, unit, category, etc.).

Use it to: Clean up your inventory and make reports more accurate

5. Blend Builder

What Blends Are

A blend is any mix of ingredients you make ahead and reuse in recipes:

• Fragrance oil blends (e.g., "Lavender Vanilla" = 60% Lavender + 40% Vanilla)
• Essential oil blends
• Master Batch Oil blends (e.g., "Base Oil Mix" = various carrier oils)
• Packaging bundles (e.g., "Standard Jar Set" = jar + lid + label)

Why Use Blends?

• Make complex recipes simpler
• Calculate accurate costs automatically
• Reuse formulas across products
• Track what's in each blend

Creating a Blend (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Click "Create New Blend"

Step 2: Fill in Basic Info

Step 3: Add Components

Click "Add Component" for each ingredient in the blend.

Step 4: Review Cost

System calculates cost per unit automatically based on ingredient costs and percentages.

Real-World Example: Lavender Vanilla Blend

6. Recipe Builder

What This Page Does

Build formulas for finished products with automatic cost calculation.

Creating a Recipe (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Click "Create New Recipe"

Step 2: Fill in Recipe Info

Step 3: Add Ingredients

Click "Add Ingredient" for each component.

Step 4: Review Costs

System shows:

• Total recipe cost (all ingredients)
• Cost per unit (total cost ÷ batch size)
• Calculate your retail and wholesale prices

Step 5: Create SKU (Optional)

Click "Create SKU" to make a Finished Product entry. This:

• Creates the product in your catalog
• Links it to this recipe
• Lets you set retail price and track inventory

Making a Batch

When you're ready to produce:

1. Open the recipe
2. Click "Make Batch"
3. Enter how many batches to make (e.g., "3" to make 3× the yield)
4. System will:
   • Deduct ingredients from inventory
   • Prepares finished unit data for CSV upload to Shopify
   • Creates lot traceability record

7. Finished Products

What This Page Does

This is where you manage your sellable products - pricing, stock levels, COGS, margins, and Shopify export. Finished products are separate from your raw materials inventory. They have their own inventory tracking that updates automatically when you make batches in Recipe Builder.

Understanding the Status Badges

Inventory Badges

• IN STOCK: You have units on hand.
• OOS (Out of Stock): Zero units on hand. Make a batch in Recipe Builder to produce more.
• NO INVENTORY LINK: This product isn't connected to an inventory row yet, so stock and COGS can't be tracked. This is usually fixed automatically, but if you see it, click the badge to connect it.

Shopify Badges

• SHOPIFY READY: All required Shopify fields are filled in (SKU, Name, Retail Price, and Shopify Handle). You can export this product to Shopify.
• NOT SHOPIFY READY: Some Shopify fields are still missing. Check the MISSING badge to see what's needed.

Info Badges

• MISSING: Lists exactly what information is still needed (e.g., Retail Price, Shopify Handle, COGS).

Connecting Products to Inventory

Each finished product needs an inventory row to track stock and COGS. This usually happens automatically when you add a SKU. If a product shows "NO INVENTORY LINK":

1. Click the "NO INVENTORY LINK" badge on the product row
2. If a matching inventory row exists, select it and click "Connect Selected"
3. If no row exists, click "Create + Connect" to make a new one (starts at 0 on hand)

You can also use the "Fix Inventory Links (Wizard)" button to fix all unconnected products at once.

Pricing Your Products

Step 1: Confirm COGS (Cost of Goods Sold)

COGS is calculated automatically when you make a batch in Recipe Builder. It includes all ingredient costs used in that batch. Make sure your recipe accounts for:

• All ingredient costs
• Waste percentage
• Labor cost (if you track it)
• Overhead allocation (if you track it)

Step 2: Enter Retail Price

What you sell it for in your shop or online. Changes save automatically when you click away from the field.

Step 3: Check Margin

The system calculates: Margin % = ((Retail - COGS) / Retail) x 100

Margin Guidelines

• 30%+ margin: Healthy
• 15-30% margin: Low, barely profitable
• Below 15% or negative: Losing money

Adjusting Finished Product Stock

When to Use Stock Adjustments

• Shipping orders (subtract)
• Damaged or waste products (subtract)
• Physical recounts after shelf audit
• Customer returns (add)

How to Adjust

1. Open the product detail page (click "Open" on any product row)
2. Scroll to "Adjust Stock"
3. Enter quantity: negative to subtract (e.g., -5 for shipped), positive to add (e.g., +3 for returns)
4. Select reason: Shipped/Fulfilled, Damaged/Waste, Physical recount, Customer return, etc.
5. Add notes (e.g., "Shopify order #1042")
6. Click "Apply Adjustment"

Exporting to Shopify

When your products are Shopify Ready, you can export them as a CSV file to import into Shopify:

1. Use the "Shopify Ready" filter to see which products are ready
2. Select "Export: Shopify Basic" from the export dropdown
3. Click "Export CSV" to download the file
4. Import the CSV into Shopify

To get a product Shopify Ready, it needs: SKU, Name, Retail Price, and a Shopify Handle.

8. Lot Traceability

What This Is

Track any ingredient or lot number through your entire production chain — from supplier to finished product.

When You Need This

• Supplier recalls: "Lot #12345 of Lavender EO was recalled — what products contain it?"
• Customer issues: "This candle has a weird smell — what batch was it from?"
• FDA compliance: Required documentation for cosmetics and foods
• Quality control: Tracing issues back to specific ingredient batches

How to Use Lot Trace

Option 1: From Inventory Page

1. Find the ingredient in Inventory
2. Click the 🔍 Trace button in the rightmost column
3. See everything made with that ingredient

Option 2: From Dashboard

1. Use the Lot Traceability search box
2. Enter lot number or ingredient name
3. Click "Trace Lot"

Option 3: From Batch History

1. Go to Dashboard → Batch Production History
2. Find the batch you want to trace
3. Click the 🔍 Trace button

What You'll See

Upstream Traceability (Where It Came From)

• Original supplier and invoice
• Purchase date
• Lot number from supplier
• Expiry date
• Cost information

Downstream Traceability (Where It Went)

• Which blends contain this ingredient
• Which recipes used this ingredient
• Finished products made with it
• Batch dates and quantities

Real-World Example: Recall Situation

9. Team Management

What This Page Does

Invite team members to access your Studio For Makers account and assign roles.

Team Limits

The All Access plan includes 5 team member slots (including you).

Inviting a Team Member

Step 1: Click "Invite Team Member"

Step 2: Enter Email and Select Role

Role Permissions

Step 3: Send Invitation

System generates an invitation link. Share it with the team member.

Step 4: They Accept

When they click the link and create an account, they'll appear in your team list.

Managing Existing Team Members

Changing Roles

1. Find the team member in the list
2. Use the Role dropdown to select new role
3. Click "Save Role"
4. Changes take effect on next login

Removing Team Members

1. Find the team member
2. Click "Remove"
3. Confirm - they lose access immediately

Pending Invitations

See invitations that haven't been accepted yet.

• Resend: Get the invitation link again to share
• Cancel: Delete the invitation if no longer needed

10. Common Questions & Troubleshooting

Inventory Questions

Q: How do I track partial bottles?

A: Track the usable amount you have left, not the original container size.

Methods:

• Weigh it: Most accurate. Weigh the whole container when full, mark it on the label. Reweigh anytime to know how much is left.
• Eyeball it: Estimate visually:
  • ~25% full → enter ¼ of original size
  • ~50% full → enter ½ of original size
  • ~75% full → enter ¾ of original size

Example: 16oz Lavender FO bottle looks half full → enter 8oz

Q: Should I enter every single purchase?

A: Focus on what matters for production:

• Always enter: Ingredients used in formulas, packaging you consume and replace, items that expire
• Lower priority: One-time tools, office supplies, equipment that isn't consumed

Q: Why does my inventory value look wrong?

A: Check for these common issues:

• Missing cost per unit on some items
• Wrong unit (some items in oz, some in g)
• Duplicate items with slightly different names
• Old partial containers not updated recently

Fix: Use Dashboard → Data Gaps report to find and fix missing data

Q: Do I need lot numbers and expiry dates?

A: Yes, if you make cosmetics or food products that might need recall traceability.

Critical for: Essential oils, fragrance oils, preservatives, active ingredients, botanical powders

Less critical for: Packaging, tools, stable ingredients like sodium hydroxide

Recipe & Pricing Questions

Q: How do I know if my margins are healthy?

A: Aim for at least 30% margin after including ALL costs:

• ✓ 30%+ margin = Healthy and sustainable
• ⚡ 15-30% margin = Low, barely profitable
• ⚠️ Below 15% = Losing money

Don't forget: Labor cost, overhead, waste percentage

Q: How do blends work in recipes?

A: Blends are pre-mixed ingredients. When you add a blend to a recipe, the system automatically expands it to show the component ingredients and calculates true cost.

Example: "Lavender Vanilla Blend" (60% Lavender, 40% Vanilla) in a recipe → system knows you're using both FOs and tracks them for lot traceability.

Q: What's the difference between Make Batch and Adjust Stock?

A:

• Make Batch (Recipe Builder): When you produce new units. Deducts ingredients, adds finished products, creates lot records.
• Adjust Stock (Finished Products): Manual corrections for shipments, damages, recounts, returns.

Technical Troubleshooting

Q: The On-Hand Report shows the same item twice

A: Items with different categories appear in separate sections.

Fix: Update all instances of the item to have the same category. They'll group together on the report.

Q: Production Capacity shows "BLOCKED"

A: You don't have enough of one or more ingredients.

Check: Look at the "Missing Ingredients" column to see what you need.

Remember: If a recipe uses a blend, all components of that blend must be in stock.

Q: Can I export to Excel or CSV?

A: Most reports have export buttons. Look for "Export CSV" or "Download" buttons.

Best Practices

Daily

• Log new purchases as they arrive (or enter invoices in Purchase Log)
• Make batches in Recipe Builder when producing
• Update qty on hand for items used in production

Weekly

• Check Dashboard alerts for low stock
• Review reorder list and place orders
• Update partial bottles if you track them closely

Monthly

• Run shelf audit with On-Hand Report
• Review vendor spending
• Fix data gaps (missing costs, categories, etc.)
• Archive discontinued items
• Check expiring ingredients