subject: Top 7 Uses For Excel In A Candle And Craft Business [print this page] Making useful and charming objects in your kitchen is a time-honored tradition in many parts of the country, and many stay-at-home parents are starting businesses selling the items they make. Like any business, these quaint and modern knickknack shops still require some detailed paperwork -- but a few choice tools like Microsoft Excel can make short work of the backend. Here are some ways that Excel can make a home crafts business a much more fulfilling experience.
Inventory
Candle and craft businesses require a phenomenal variety of goods, from your basic beeswax and wicks to specialized ropes, beads, foam shapes, or virtually anything depending on the specifics of your craft. Regardless, keeping tally of your various ingredients in Excel can make it easy to know when to order -- it can even Email you when you run low on something, so you never miss the chance!
Customer Tracking
An even moderately busy two-person business can rapidly lose track of which orders belong to who and where they're being shipped by when. Be diligent in putting all of your orders into Excel -- you can even make a template to make it easy on your -- and you'll never miss an order.
Recontacting
Speaking of ordering, one of the most effective forms of marketing is getting in touch with people that have already proven willing to spend money on your goods. With Excel's auto-Email ability, you can remind yourself to send them a card or give them a call and ask for more business.
Marketing
Marketing is the lifeblood of any small business. By tracking what you spend where on various marketing efforts, you can rapidly determine which efforts are the most effective per dollar, and repeat the successful ones.
Recipe Alterations
Sometimes, you have something specific you need to do, like turn a recipe for 10 20x20x80 cm. square candles into a recipe for 40 10x5r cm cylindrical candles. Excel can do the math for you, converting the amounts you'll need to fill those molds without any waste or underage.
Cost Reduction
By keeping a database of the companies that make the goods you need to craft with, and having Excel email you a monthly reminder, you can make sure that you call around and constantly get the best deals on all of your ingredients.
Profitability
Sometimes it's easy for a home-based business to lose sight of the bottom line, and run a sale or a special that actually loses money in the long run. With Excel keeping tabs of the total costs of each of your products, you can have it alert you whenever you set a price so low that you won't recoup the total costs.
Excel is an incredibly versatile tool for any home-based business, but candle and craft business can take advantage of it in ways that not many businesses can. If you're considering putting your creative side to good use, make sure you get the Excel training you need to take full advantage of the best tool for the job.
by: Jen Morrison
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