Candle / Bath & Body vs Handmade / Craft, startup cost comparison, StartupLenz

Candle / Bath & Body

Cosmetic and home fragrance products with raw materials, compliance, and DTC costs

Gross$2,244

Net profit$-1,503

Margin-67.0%

Orders/mo60

Materials$630 28%

Packaging$144 6%

Labor$1,540 69%

Etsy fees$103 5%

Shipping$230 10%

Fixed costs$1,100 49%

launch · 1–3$-1,362

traction · 4–8$-1,503

scale · 9–12$-1,645

Losing money. Likely fixes: cut wholesale share, raise price, or reduce material cost per unit.

Higher net

Etsy-style handmade goods with material, platform, and shipping costs

Gross$504

Net profit$54

Margin10.6%

Orders/mo18

Materials$90 18%

Packaging$14 3%

Labor$180 36%

Platform fees$99 20%

Shipping$32 6%

Advertising$25 5%

launch · 1–3$36

traction · 4–8$54

scale · 9–12$79

Margins are thin, look at reducing material or shipping costs before scaling volume.